the_bully_wee

You're right, most of them don't!

Last season he definitely did, taking his team completely out of its comfort zone to match up against a pretty average Lyon side with 3/5 at the back. City's only proper nine is Aguero though, who isn't fully fit and is no longer blessed with the pace required to stretch that Chelsea back line. Their renaissance this season came with the use of a false nine and it is by far the system that they're best and most comfortable using, so I wouldn't say the team selection is all that weird tonight - Sterling over Fernandinho is the only remote surprise, but he's only playing so City have *some* kind of a threat in behind.

Hearing reports that yer da has logged in to pieandbovril.com to explain why false nines are the pseudo-intellectual manager's choice of striker

Dale Carrick signs for Stirling. Another one we should've been all over if possible!

Big Wedderburn uses the ball very well, but his complete lack of athleticism makes him a bit of a passenger if you've not got plenty of runners around him. I wouldn't be overly-enthused about the idea of he and Ross Forbes sharing the pitch on a regular basis, particularly against the more front-footed sides in the division.

A very odd signing, I must say. Will wait until we've signed half a dozen before I say too much, though.

Wat

By the way, what a pleasure it is to see Mr. Lennon with a sensible haircut again. I've absolutely no idea what he had been thinking for the last year or so.

Excited to witness the double pivot he forms with Kevin Nicoll

shawfield shed boy clothing status?

I fully expect that the Trialist brothers A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H will all be members of the squad.

McCann to Raith and MacDonald back to Airdrie, imo

Hopefully someone at the club picks up on this and puts forward the idea to the sponsor, hopefully they'd consider it. Looks good with red but much better black.

Middle one miles clear of the lot for me. I prefer red and black stripes for an away kit (a la 2009/10 and the late 90s OKI one), but quite like the hoops too.

As time went by it became more and more important that those two stuck around, so it's great that they have. Gives us a respectable core to build around.

It is early of course, but given our recruitment record I am extremely concerned at the moment. Realistically, we need at least ten new heads in (assuming all four outstanding renewals are signed), and we'll need most of them to be better than the players we've lost or let go.

All we need now is news of Cuddihy and Cunningham moving on and I'll be reaching for the panic button. The thought of going into next season with Rumsby as a starter:

The fear setting in now.

The appointment or otherwise of Mackay will probably say much about what the Queen's Park project is really about - if he's the man hired then it almost definitely points to the whole thing being a bit of a race-to-the-top vanity project. Anyone else and there's a much better chance of the long-term vision for the club centring around well-managed growth and the establishment of a sound footing, which would leave the club in good health whenever Haughey pops his clogs or pulls funding.

Martin McNiff signs for the Binos - good luck to Clyde Juniors in 2021/22 [emoji1756] McNiff is a left-sided defender whose name you'll all probably recognise from him having spent the last eight years or so at Annan Athletic and then Clyde. He is a centre-back who is a very sound all-rounder and can also cover left-back in a pinch - he played there during the run-in of our promotion season, scoring double digits of goals over the campaign. In League One, though, his lack of pace left him horrifically exposed every time he played out there, but he remained a steady presence when deployed in the middle. Every Clyde fan was sorry to see McNiff leave after so many appearances and his role in our promotion, but it was the right move for both parties. As long as he is used at centre-back, he'll be a right solid signing for the Binos and your strong Clyde promotion-winning contingent means I'll have a close eye on you lot next season.

The ref bottling it from giving Ross Forbes a 20-yard free kick (penalty) there. Sad to see!

This scoreline is about right, Edinburgh have done so little in this game. Expected a hell of a lot more from them this evening. It'll be very pleasing if they stay down, I have to say.

Excellent strike but think Ramsbottom could've sorted his feet out better there. Might have been a bit unsighted, right enough.

The irony in this statement is borderline unbelievable, but we shall leave it at a polite disagreement!