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Scottish Premiership Game 27: Kilmarnock (H) 17/02/18 15:00


Yabba's Turd
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Seems like more focus is on the Hearts game. Lets hope the players are more focused on this game than the fans are.

I'm sure they will be. A lot will depend on who is fit and available on both sides. Cedric will be a big loss as will Peter Hartley. We don't know about Alan Campbell but he too could be a big loss, if not fit. Hopefully everyone else will be fit. All that said Charles Dunne is a decent central defender.

 

Again the mix of players in midfield will be crucial and we have to get the balance right between being competitive and creative.

 

Its a huge game for us and one I'd ideally want to win comfortably. Killie are close rivals, and whilst I have a soft spot for them, on this occasion, I want us to win, but not only that rub their noses in the Fir Park turf to help convince them we are the better team and will finish above them. Psychology has a big role to play in competitive sport. In reality though a narrow win is much more likely.

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Sixth place could be decided tomorrow with a Kilmarnock win. They are on a helluva a run just now and I think two games in hand with this would be too much to ask. A draw wouldn't be the end of the world but we really need to be looking to win this. We are in good form now and seem to be solid at the back once again. Shame Cedric Kipre is out, he has been a star the last few games and has been back to his best. I presume McHugh is going to have to drop back to centre back? Only other viable option is drop to 4 at the back but I'm not sure Robinson will be looking to upset things too much. I'd go:

 

Carson

Aldred McHugh Dunne

Cadden Tait

Campbell Bigi Rose

Ciftci Main

 

I would love to get Tanner on the park but IMO we need an extra centre mid tomorrow if Mulumbu is starting. For me, he is the best midfielder in the country ahead of Brown and McGinn. We need to ensure we have an extra body in there to compete with him. Frear is another option that could be worth considering instead of Tait on the left but fitness wise I'm not sure he is up to speed. Hopefully we will see Ryan Bowman feature from the bench as well.

 

Really looking forward to this tomorrow, hopefully get a decent turnout with a lot at stake. Going to be a tough encounter but there's no reason why we can't pull this off if everyone is playing to their full potential.

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I presume McHugh is going to have to drop back to centre back? Only other viable option is drop to 4 at the back but I'm not sure Robinson will be looking to upset things too much.

I don't think its quite so clear cut as that. There's also the option of moving Dunne into the middle and playing either Hendrie or Frear at left wing back. Given Robbo's comments about McHugh's importance in central midfield I can't see him moving the skipper back, moreso if Campbell is unavailable. I think most folk would agree that Killie seem to possess an absolutely outstanding midfield just now, maybe even the best in Scotland, and so we'll need to be very combative in that area.

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Just noticed Nadir Ciftci is in the signing zone for kids pre match.

 

Do players in the starting line up normally take part in this ?

There is a case to be made for a back four tomorrow, and if that was the case we wouldn't want to lose the fifth player in midfield which would mean one up front, almost certainly Main. That would give a line up along the lines of.

 

Carson

Tait Aldred Dunne Hendrie

Cadden Campbell McHugh Rose Frear/Tanner

Main

 

Not the most exciting line up, but it would possibly smother Kilmarnock for seventy minutes and then we can see what happens (copyright S Robinson's playbook)

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There is a case to be made for a back four tomorrow, and if that was the case we wouldn't want to lose the fifth player in midfield which would mean one up front, almost certainly Main. That would give a line up along the lines of.

 

Carson

Tait Aldred Dunne Hendrie

Cadden Campbell McHugh Rose Frear/Tanner

Main

 

Not the most exciting line up, but it would possibly smother Kilmarnock for seventy minutes and then we can see what happens (copyright S Robinson's playbook)

Given we played a back 4 at Rugby Park and apart from a goallie flap did ok i don't think that line up will be too far off the mark. Mulumbu will run the show if we don't nullify him.

 

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Kilmarnock are better than us but their revival has been largely based around getting Power and Dicker back from injury and bringing in Mulumbu to have one of the most dominant midfields in the division.

 

Two of those guys will be out today and Mulumbu maybe has some question marks over his fitness.

 

It should also be pointed out that although Kilmarnock have only lost 1 match in the last 9 their away form hasn't been anywhere near as good as their home form.

 

Of course we have a few problems as well in defence and I'm afraid I'm a little bit worried about Allan Campbell given what has happened to players coming back from injury already this season.

 

Overall though I think it's quite hard to call this one since neither team will be at full strength and it might well end up a draw.

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Kilmarnock are better than us but their revival has been largely based around getting Power and Dicker back from injury and bringing in Mulumbu to have one of the most dominant midfields in the division.

 

Two of those guys will be out today and Mulumbu maybe has some question marks over his fitness.

 

It should also be pointed out that although Kilmarnock have only lost 1 match in the last 9 their away form hasn't been anywhere near as good as their home form.

 

 

To be fair, Power hasn't played for weeks and we were 2-1 down on Tuesday with 10 men and none of them on the park!

 

In our last 10 away games we've lost once, including trips to Parkhead, Ibrox, Easter Road, Murrayfield, Pittodrie x2 (where we lost)

 

I'd say that's decent form!

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Very difficult game against a very inform team. Personally I think we will miss Kipri big time today but Dunn has Improved. I would not be too dissapointed with a point in truth.

Yes, it'll be a difficult game and common sense says that a draw will be a very good result indeed for us against what is Killie's finest team in decades. However if we don't win we can pretty much say goodbye to 6th place. Whilst 6th spot would be nice, 7th place would represent considerable progress over last season for me. So I guess there's mixed messages there.

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To be fair, Power hasn't played for weeks and we were 2-1 down on Tuesday with 10 men and none of them on the park!

 

In our last 10 away games we've lost once, including trips to Parkhead, Ibrox, Easter Road, Murrayfield, Pittodrie x2 (where we lost)

 

I'd say that's decent form!

 

It's decent overall form but you've not won many of those games and as a home side we shouldn't be looking at losing to a team that doesn't win many away matches.

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As for the result. I think we've got what it takes and I keep going back to the fact Killie have only won by more than one goal in this run 3 times (twice v Thistle and Brora). It's a great run which has caught the eye mainly because of the results v the old firm. The other games Killie aren't winning by 3 or 4 goals every week.

 

We're in form and we should be going for the win.

 

Luckily we have Aldred and Dunne playing really well, so the defence does not overly worry me today even with Kipre and Hartley missing. As others have said, midfield is the battle. Up top we'll be fine too.

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Yes, it'll be a difficult game and common sense says that a draw will be a very good result indeed for us against what is Killie's finest team in decades. However if we don't win we can pretty much say goodbye to 6th place. Whilst 6th spot would be nice, 7th place would represent considerable progress over last season for me. So I guess there's mixed messages there.

Id be more than happy with 7th place as I think the vast majority of fans would have been before the season started.
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Yes, it'll be a difficult game and common sense says that a draw will be a very good result indeed for us against what is Killie's finest team in decades. However if we don't win we can pretty much say goodbye to 6th place. Whilst 6th spot would be nice, 7th place would represent considerable progress over last season for me. So I guess there's mixed messages there.

 

Decades? This team isn't a patch on the team of the late 90s that had Durrant, Holt, Dindeleux, Mitchell, Wright, Cocard, McGowne etc in it.

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It's decent overall form but you've not won many of those games and as a home side we shouldn't be looking at losing to a team that doesn't win many away matches.

 

We've won 3 of them and drawn 6.

 

As an away side we shouldn't be looking to lose a game when we don't lose many away matches!

 

Plus we should be looking to avoid defeat against a team that has only won 4 out the last 10 at home......in last 10 away games we've equalled you points tally in the last 19 home games.

 

I've probably jinxed us now!

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