Coventry Saint

Probably the best interview I've read of his.

Aaron Mooy scored an absolute worldy Christmas Eve 2011 goal against Rangers, and that's about all.

We barely showed up for Well's 3-0 win against us the other week, so I'm hoping for better here. We were very good against Aberdeen, both games, until the ball reached the penalty area. I just want to see us create proper chances that create work for the goalkeeper as opposed to the stats guy who tallies our 'shots'.

That's an outstanding traffic lights joke. 10/10, would read again.

Our punishment certainly wouldn't have been worse.

Is the implication here - re the 'flow' of the league - that Motherwell only got horsed at home by Hibs because they'd already picked up six points that week so they had their slippers on?

A decent lawyer would tear it to shreds, I reckon. I'm firmly not saying that we should be appealing (I've said before we should get our heads down and move on), nor that we have access to such a lawyer, btw. Just that I believe the whole thing is flimsy as f**k and completely made up on the fly by the absolute chancers that ru(i)n our game.

There's a first time for everything, I guess. Yasss there's not been enough dossier chat around these parts recently.

Especially when you factor in the wage cap in the 3rd/4th tiers in England (assuming the cap stays when crowds return to stadiums). Clubs won't be running with such bloated squads any more.

Concur with all of that. It's maddening as hell when you're on the receiving end, but it's the sort of shithousery that, when done well and for your team, is magnificent to watch. I will happily tell anyone who'll listen that the best teams need an utter shithouse in the middle of the park. Busquets, Ramos, Mascherano, Roberto Carlos (not in the middle, obvs) are among the obvious Grade A examples. What we've seen with Ferguson is that Saints very much felt he was 'getting away with it' on Saturday, and were rightly angry, until precisely the point at which he was no longer getting away with it, at which point Dons fans were annoyed at him for failing to manage his own game effectively. The sub-plot, of course, is the media claiming he was somehow hard done by, which I think it's reasonable to say, on balance, he wasn't. The sub-sub plot is that, in Scotland, the game has been dominated by one team for a decade or so now, at the heart of which has been one of the biggest shithouses we've seen for a long time, who regularly gets away with stuff that most players teams would get done for. But still: I tend to hate the system/officiating, not the individuals, who do it because they can.

The boy is standing with his arm by his side and literally sticks it out sideways as the ball is struck. As blatant a handball as it gets.

Alarming for both sides, tbh.

By the same token, I'm sick of looking like a decent team against Aberdeen and literally nobody else.

Absolute stonewaller. Arm sticking out sideways, stops a shot on goal. Well deserved.

Absolute daylight robbery so far, this. That volleyed effort from Durmus, though.

You're so fucking entry-level it's pitiful.

Nailed it. Good line-up, that.

BeCAuSe we'Re GoINg tO gEt RelEgaTEd ROFL PMSL OMG. Fucking cutting edge of wit right here.

Yeah, it's not a great look. What's important to understand is that we weren't punished because the games were postponed. Having a game postponed due to Covid is not, in the league, a forfeitable offence. We were punished because we had broken the rules/guidance. If DUFC have to postpone because of Covid, as long as they've not been an utter shambles like we have apparently been, then they'll be fine. I would say that nine players out is reasonable grounds for a postponement. But then, I'd say having three keepers out is as well, so what the f**k do I know?

Reasonable point. Let's say we go on to have a decent season and finish clear of the drop zone. Let's say Accies survive by two points at the expense of County, who we beat in our remaining games against them. Definitely not balanced, that.

OK, cheers for the reassurance!

What I will add is this: the developments of the last 24 hours have made me a lot less confident about the financial issues. 48 hours ago I was thinking there's no way that, as a club, we'd have been stupid enough to get important things like that so badly wrong. And now look at us. My prediction is now that we're going to get clobbered by that, too. Suspended fine, more legal costs, 6 point actual deduction. It just feels like that sort of season.

The bit in bold. Yeah. I'm reluctant to complain too much as it's not dissimilar to the Hearts situation in terms of what has been lost. (Flashbacks to endless circular debates with some of the Jambo melters on here who couldn't get their heads around the fact that all they actually lost was the right to play eight games.) Our negligence/stupidity (call it whatever you want) is at fault here, and as a result we have (rightly, IMO) forfeited the right to contest these games, plus also, as it sounds, some legal costs. I remain a bit shellshocked by what's gone on, but as other posters have said, having slept on it, it's more a case of being appalled that we've been so fucking inept. (I also do believe the rules remain a little bit contradictory/incongruous, but complaining about rules you knew about after you've been punished for breaking them makes you look like a right c**t, so I'll not do that. I think we can all only hope that the rules are applied equitably from here on in. Not that I think anybody will be daft enough to makes these mistakes again.) tl;dr - we'll take it on the chin because not doing so would be really Heartsy.

Never?

I called that spectacularly wrongly: I was convinced we'd appointed them on a quiet word from the SPFL in order to facilitate the sweeping under the carpet of the whole thing. Can't stress enough that I basically believe this is a fair cop, but that doesn't change how shocked I am that they've actually handed out the points forfeits.