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Scottish Cup 2019 - 2020


Cedric Silkyshag
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Here's the bbc's take on it...

Touch and Go.

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Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson has said Tuesday's rearranged game against St Mirren is "touch and go" due to continued poor weather.

The Scottish Premiership clash was initially planned for Saturday before storms forced the game to be cancelled.

Despite being moved to three days later, Robinson is not sure if circumstances have improved enough.

"It will be touch and go again," the Motherwell manager said.

"I think the forecast isn't great, but it is meant to calm down towards the game.

"We have a superb groundsman and groundstaff and they will do everything in their power to get it on. We are desperate to get it on, play the game and make sure we progress."

The Fir Park side are looking to overturn a poor run of form during which they have failed to win any of their past five games in all competitions.

That includes three consecutive defeats in the Scottish Premiership, which Robinson puts down to losing strikers James Scott, sold to Hull City, and Devante Cole, who moved to Doncaster Rovers in January at the end of his loan from Wigan Athletic.

"For the first part of the season, we played with one out-and-out winger and we had James or Devante on the right," Robinson said.

"It gave us a physical outlet, both boys are six foot. It allowed us to play the ball a little bit longer at times and not be too predictable."

Mikael Ndjoli was signed on loan from Bournemouth, while winger Rolando Aarons has arrived from Newcastle United until the summer.

"We have put different people in different positions," Robinson added. "Rolando has come in and done really well - I think there is more to come from him.

"And it's up to other people to step up. We are looking for consistency from our front three. It's the hardest part of the game."

Anyone else spot the mistake?

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24 minutes ago, GazzyB said:

Can we get summer football already ffs 

June is really the only month we don't play competitive games these days. If we did play over the summer it would mean we'd be trying to do pitch maintenance and resurfacing in the middle of winter (which is basically impossible),  and pre-season in a school hall somewhere in in Jan or Feb.

 

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6 hours ago, weeyin said:

and pre-season in a school hall somewhere in in Jan or Feb.

 

One day they’ll invent giant buildings with football pitches in them....

:lol:

Id scrap the winter break, playing Wednesday Saturday through December and February to accommodate it makes a complete farce of it.

 

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36 minutes ago, sbcmfc said:

One day they’ll invent giant buildings with football pitches in them....

:lol:

Id scrap the winter break, playing Wednesday Saturday through December and February to accommodate it makes a complete farce of it.

 

Does seem a bit silly. The players all get the chance to heal wee niggles and injuries, all just to get them back playing 3 games a week after the break.

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2 hours ago, sbcmfc said:

One day they’ll invent giant buildings with football pitches in them....

:lol:

Id scrap the winter break, playing Wednesday Saturday through December and February to accommodate it makes a complete farce of it.

 

And yet Robinson was moaning last week about having to train indoors in one of those buildings with (artificial, of course) pitches inside them.

If they were that good, you'd think teams wouldn't waste any money on outdoor facilities and the cost of their upkeep.

And still doesn't address the issue of the maintenance work on the pitch we have do every summer as soon the last ball is kicked. Or will we do that indoors too?

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There are a few things to be considered which would have a positive effect on the quality of football, but realistically they will cost the clubs income and therefore won't be seriously looked at. The most obvious is that 38 games a season is too many. A sixteen team league, playing each other twice, gives thirty matches. A twelve  team league, playing each other twice before a split into two mini leagues of six, then play each other twice again, gives thirty two games. Both would allow for a winter break, international breaks, and a longer off season.  Preliminary European qualification starting in July would still be an issue and we should probably look again at the League Cup. The major factor is the loss of cash from fewer fixtures which you can imagine won't sit well with most of the clubs.

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Just make it 18 teams. It would add some variety to away days, we only have to host the ugly sisters once each, and there’s next to nothing between the non-city clubs in the premier and most of the championship anyway. It would also add some good old fashioned complete mismatches and banter. 

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I'm a fan of the 18 team league. Never going to happen, unfortunately.  The original (and stupid) 10 team SPL was designed to allow each team to play the OF 4 times each,  purely to generate revenue. The new version's split was for much the same reason.

It would be great if we had a sponsor or big TV deal to sweeten the pot, but until then, we are stuck with 12 max.

 

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10 hours ago, The African said:

The most obvious is that 38 games a season is too many.

Is it? I know next to nothing about English football but its been incredibly easy to ascertain that their Premier League has 20 teams; their Championship has 24 teams; their League 1 has 23 teams; and their League 2 has 24 teams.  Now as I say, what I know about English football could be typed on a postage stamp, but maybe someone can tell me if there is an outcry down south their clubs playing too many games?    

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I was having a look at how the danish league worked when I saw copenhagen had just come back from their winter break. They are similar in size to ourselves and have a 14 team top league. I personally liked the look of it and as i think end of next season 2020/21 we will have 5 teams in europe same as them then it looks like something a little bit different with not as many dead rubbers at end of season. Take a look for yourselves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Superliga.

I know it looks complicated but as I say its new and would bring 2 extra teams in plus all bottom 8 teams are playing for something all the time. 

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What we have now is the best its going to get in terms of most teams competing for something.  The change I'd make is have two automatic relegation places so we get a greater turn over of teams in the top division.  

16 or 18 team leagues sound good in theory but it leaves way too many teams with nothing to play for and creates a huge and dangerous drop off for relegated teams who go straight to down to the 'seaside leagues'.   That can't not have big economic issues for top league sides that are relegated

I'd scrap the winter break as I don't think you can really justify it by weather or fitness.  Most players come back less fit from not playing games.  You ask me, you've been blowing out our arse in the recent post break matches. 

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2 minutes ago, Kat said:

Starting Line up - Gillespie, Carroll, Hartley, Mugabi, Grimshaw, Donnelly, Carroll, Polworth, MacIver, Watt, Aarons

Subs - Carson, Tait, O'Hara, Seedorf, Ilic, Hylton and Manzinga

Interesting that Watt and MacIver starting together. I had thought it would be one or the other to start and replaced after 60 mins or so.

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16 minutes ago, texanwellfan said:

So how is Carroll going to play 2 positions?   Is Gallagher injured or suspended?

Wireless says hes got flu.

Incidentally, Radio Scotland is all us tonight. Big features, burrows, look back at 91. Nice to hear rather than the usual old firm& aberdeen shite. Bit of a worry that they seem to have forgotten our opposition tonight.

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