oot_the_loop

Is there footage of the M'Voto challenge kicking about? I see the main site have pretty much stopped adding match highlights.

Slight tangent, but did Vitor Lima ever score for us?

Yes and No. He's a good wee player but is not what we need for a relegation battle, nor for Hartley's system it would appear.

He also on occasion kept Arnau Riera out of the team, which was a crime in itself. He did the square root of f**k all for us, he called us the worst fans ever, and I remember a bit in the papers as well about how all the 'boo-boys' were wrong and Kevin was a great player - every time he played after that we all knew it was two-fingers from Yogi to the fans.

I was thinking just the league. I should add in no way am i defending the embodiment of soggy cardboard that is Alex Harris.

Before the juggernaut revolution got into gear, wasn't Harris our top goalscorer? Him and Joe McKee if memory serves correctly?

Happy to be absolutely telt by the three of them!

Sadly, the answer to that is probably the sfa.

Distracting ourselves with football for a bit - I've just watched back the highlights from Tuesday - Sean Welsh will need to do a helluva lot to win me back over after the ridiculous 'couldnt give a f*ck' way he trotted after McManus at the first goal - shite from someone 15 minutes into their debut. I'm not convinced by Longridge and wouldn't be too upset if he didn't stay with us, but getting a bit worried that he is the upper level of player we can attract nowadays. Nelson faded badly in the second half but showed some good touches and movement in the first half, but again as i think someone said earlier he looks like another forward who would play well off a main striker...who of course we don't have. Tumilty and Robson are probably our best two options at RB and LB respectively (guessing at the latter of course, but better than the alternative if McGhee is going to play in the middle), but not sure if either have good enough end product to be RWB and LWB. Speaking of McGhee, he strikes me as a player who has done well being played out of position at fullback, more comfortable as a centre back but who ultimately could do the best job as the anchor of our midfield, with the occasional burst forward and the odd screamer. I'm wondering if he can also do a backflip....

I near spewed my load at first glance at that, damn you Gav.

Can someone get in touch with dean shiels to nominate a charity/organisation that has helped him, and if any of the p***ks who thought throwing fake eyes or pound coins was funny, they can show some humility, maturity and repentance by throwing some cash into a bucket at the next ffc v dafc game.

Any news coming from the stadium on hippos injury?

Would have thought an Austin loan deal might have been best for all concerned, feel a bit conflicted about his release tbh. His dives were atrocious and his attitude was crap this season, but on the flip side, when used correctly he was excellent, his starts this season were mostly (IIRC) as a 1 up top with his back to goal, supported by players like Kerr, Taiwo, Craigen, McKee etc who were never going to get up there to help him and quite predictably, he looked rotten. I hope I'm wrong, but I see him scoring a barrel-load for a similar sized championship club.

This is what happens when you advertise for a managers position, get applicants, and still appoint a guy who didn't even apply for it. A team full of players not wanting to play for the club, managed by a guy who didn't want to manage the club.

Still joe cardle. Assuming you mean falkirk players, Austin for that embarrassing dive.

McKee's been playing with the look of a man with a shedload on his mind - seems like its been this debacle, delaying this further will only worsen the pressure and in effect is like playing with a man suspended anyway. Either someone needs to come out in strong defence of McKee, he gets someone to sort his head out or he shouldn't play until this is all done. SFA omnishambles once again.

Joe McKee was being lauded as such because in the games where he was used correctly, he looked very good. Playing Loy - who has a natural tendency to drop 'into the hole' - invites the central midfielders to go past him and get into the box. McKee and even Taiwo did that up until the St Mirren game. We have yet to play that same way again.

Hartley is our second choice.

Owen Coyle 5/2 Paul Hartley 7/2 Steve Aitken 6/1 Gary Holt 8/1 Ian Cathro 8/1 Craig McPherson 10/1 Steven Pressley 10/1 John Hughes 12/1 Ian Murray 14/1 David Hopkin 14/1 Danny Lennon 14/1 Mark McGhee 14/1 Kevin Thomson 14/1 Russell Latapy 14/1 Dave Mackay 14/1 Callum Davidson 14/1 A few of he outsiders caught my eye, imagine the seethe at the last two! Pedro Moutinho 16/1 Kevin McBride 20/1 Gus McPherson 20/1

Bookies have it between Coyle and Hartley, though it looks like Hagi's odds have shortened.

He is too arrogant to walk and our board don't have the balls or want to part with the cash to sack him. Relegation express.

McKee and Craigen are both good players when they are played in an advanced central position and permitted to go past the forward line. The league cup games used all players to their strength - Loy dropped deep, pulled the opposition centre backs with him and our CMs could stroll into a more advanced position and ping shots off for fun. I think McKee scored in almost every game IIRC? Even Taiwo joined in the fun at one stage. Neither has had as much as a shot on goal (DAFC 9-man aside). Now neither central midfielder has the desire or the possibility to do that and it makes them, and Rory Loy look ineffective as fook.

Ill save you the bother this time disco. Has he gone yet?

I'm getting to the stage where I'm disappointed when this thread isnt top of the forum - its an early indication that the ginger git still hasn't resigned.. Houstie has stated he will walk at the end of the season if he doesn't take us up. There is not a f*ckin hope in hell of us recovering from this start to being in a promotable position come May, so just what exactly is it Houstie thinks he can achieve this season? A good run in the Irn-Bru cup? Blaming individual people and his refusal to accept any responsibility for the shambles that is being displayed on the pitch is frankly indefensible and in my opinion largely the reason we are seeing some horseshit performances from certain players. Add to that - taking the relatively un-budgeted for boost from the Kingsley sale and buying ANOTHER two f*cking centre backs while still not having a natural right back or left back that is good enough for this level, giving a contract to Watson and Shepherd in particular (2 players who are nowhere near the first team and likely never will be), persisting with two defensive midfielders with no pace in a 442 system that does not make the best use of any of our players attributes and 'demanding' we play the ball on the deck whilst signing players like Gasparotto and Balatoni. So f*ck all man-management, f*ck all transfer acumen, f*ck all judgement of players ability and f*ck all tactical ability. The sooner we inevitably appoint Maybury and Miller, the better

Sad statto type post warning, but I looked at our midfielders and the goals scored v goals conceded whilst they were on the pitch in competitive games this season: From that table, and knowing Houstie's ridiculous tendency to stick two fingers up to the fans at every given opportunity – I can happily conclude that Mark Kerr is vital to the team this year, must play every single minute available, in no way slows the game down, in no way forces forward going players to drop deeper to cover the fact that he cannot cover the ground at the base of the midfield, is a constant goal threat, fights for every ball for every minute and in no way headed a ball straight to Higginbotham yesterday than ran away from him at goal #1 and in no way got bounced off the ball by a 17 year old for goal #2.