Coventry Saint

McCarthy confirmed. I like the sound of this guy. https://www.stmirren.com/all-news/3409-st-mirren-reach-agreement-with-cork-city-for-transfer-of-conor-mccarthy

Conor McCarthy (CH) confirmed in at St Mirren from Cork City. 2.5yr deal.

Being reported fairly widely that Conor McCarthy is on the verge of signing, and will be joined by Jamie McGrath, a winger/AM from Dundalk. A Dundalk-based twitter account says McGrath also had another offer from the Premiership, as well as from England and Belgium (doesn't say what level.) A CH and wide player were, IMO, top of the list for January so I'd be happy to see arrivals in those areas, though obviously I know nothing about either of these guys.

This thread is cancelled.

Aye, that's the fella Happy to stand corrected about his age: I thought he was younger. But I honestly believe there's something there, if only as a decent option from the bench. A lot of our best squads in recent years have had something 'different' as an sub option. I'm mainly thinking big Sam Parkin in the cup-winning team as a case study example. We have to be realistic about the quality of striker we can afford and expect to be happy as a benchwarming option. He comes on, rattles defences and shoots on sight (admittedly not always successfully). Sometimes that's just what you need in a game. I vote to keep him on.

The implausible aspect is that that's the most keen anyone has ever been to get to Greenock.

I'd actually keep Cooke. He's young, has the right attitude, he is very good at unsettling/upsetting defences and I think he might yet come good. Give him another year.

I bet he is!

Ok, when you put it like that

That was, very much, the joke.

You know that sectarianism is out of control in Scotland when Jim Goodwin makes the list just because he made a single league appearance for Celtic years back.

John McVeigh is a tit Sorry had to check. Edit:

Yeah. When you consider that we weren't just a bit adrift earlier that season, we were fully fucking dead and buried, then that goal, and staying up on goal difference, and the utter magnificence of the Relegation Express thread in the Champ forum that season... just incredible all round.

I'm trying to work out whether, if we'd lost that shoot-out to Dundee Utd last season, that would have been worse than 2010 for us. I actually think it might have been, despite the shitebaggery we displayed against the old Rangers that time. As you say, a cup loss (sort of) disappears; Saints fans like to pretend it didn't happen at all. But there's no erasing relegation from your mind.

Easy: 2010 League Cup Final. Whenever I think about it, my body kindly recreates the punch to the stomach I felt when Miller's goal went in. I then had to drive back to Newcastle with my then girlfriend. She didn't fucking understand and kept trying to talk to me. We'd split up by the start of May (different reasons, but still, it felt symptomatic.)

Junior Mendes? Not a bad shout, though I'd say he was more of a wide forward and perhaps wasn't prolific enough. I'll get slated for this, but Gus is pals with fat Sally McCoist. Get him in for some consultancy work.

What is this striking of which you speak? In Killie's case, it's when your forward players down tools and refuse to work any more.

This isn't having a go at Goodwin at all, but it does concern me that we don't have anyone at the club who could coach the strikers in the art of striking. Goodwin's overall squad management seems to be excellent, but sometimes you need a little extra when it comes to giving players in certain positions that confidence. You'd imagine someone like Thommo* would be more than happy to do some freelance work once a week or something. * I always suspected ST and Jim didn't see completely eye to eye, so it might need to be someone other than Thommo.

The interesting aspect there for me is that we are making plans for next season based on being in this league. Obviously we could do no such thing last season.

Agree with all that. I'd also point out that I'm not seeing much for anyone to fear from the likely Championship playoff contenders. Obviously DUFC pushed us very close last season, but they were better than anything else in that league from this season, and I'd say we were considerably worse than this year's St Mirren/St Johnstone/Accies/County. That said, I obviously hope we avoid them, as does my cardiologist.

It's what's known in Championship parts as 'Raithing it'. The 'mini league' from 5th to 12th means it's going to require a big points total to be properly safe this season. It's fascinating as hell and I think at least four clubs could of be involved at a very late stage.

That's a fairly emphatic 1-0:

The way he is handling a potentially ruinous defensive crisis speaks volumes of his management. Three players out of position at the back, including two midfielders, yet it's not really had an obviously detrimental effect on results. It's astounding stuff and, as you say, if we can add one or two in January, there is no reason at all not to be targeting mid-table mediocrity.

Football's a cutthroat business, right enough.