Francesc Fabregas

I'd actually recommend watching the whole highlights package from that match. Stenhousemuir's defending throughout really has to be seen to be believed.

I can only assume Jamie Barclay's signed on a short-term basis as cover, and he's probably unlikely to play at all, but he's the worst goalkeeper I've ever seen at Stenhousemuir. I reckon he cost us about seven or eight points courtesy of match-defining mistakes last season. There were others to blame for our shocking defensive record but he was the chief culprit. The own goal at Ayr United mentioned above really sticks out, but there was a period around September-October where he seemed to cost us a goal a game. Barclay is a decent shot stopper (hey, isn't every 'keeper?) but his inability to command his line and communicate with his defence is shocking. Really surprised he's still playing in the senior leagues, I thought he was destined for the Lowland League or the juniors, but this must be a case of "needs must" for Stevie Aitken.

Nah man, Joe might have been pretty ordinary when he first joined but he's been pretty excellent over the last few months and his matches have always been really watchable. Did anyone watch this week's show? The match between Balor and Nakamura had some really nice moments in it but Nak's failure to sell his injured leg during the latter parts of the match left me cold and confused. Despite Balor spending most of the fight working on his left knee, it really counted for nothing come the end.

Jamie Barclay has signed for Scottish Championship side Dumbarton.

Big Scot Buist signed on for the Shire this evening. I can't imagine he'll be all that mobile after his injuries but in terms of personality, he'll be the captain for the season. He's got bags of personality and he's vocal on the pitch. Hope he does well for you.

The Rollins Report was alright (although these alliteratively titled talking segments has to stop). Dean Ambrose cut a pretty good promo, and isn't it good to see him move away from the goofy comedy skits that have pockmarked the last few months? I remember when he fought Triple H at Roadblock, he came out of that looking like a million dollars, but everything since has been pretty underwhelming. More of this, please.

Weird indeed, I was thinking he might be looking at stringing four central midfielders across the middle of the park before remembering Bobby Linn and Omar Kader!

I had to do a double take on Saturday because I was positive he'd joined you a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure it was mentioned somewhere on the board. Perhaps Dick Campbell has other plans for him, because I can't imagine why he'd want to disrupt the Whatley-McCord axis. I'm informed Scott was at his best at Ross County during their Second Division-winning season, where played as the "double pivot" in a 4-2-3-1 formation with licence to get forward with "runs that caused havoc".

Yes, Martin Scott played as a trialist against St Mirren on Saturday, but I wouldn't have described as playing on the wing, he was more on the left-hand side of the midfield, if you see what I mean. He seemed a little of the pace and his touch seemed a little unsure at times but you could tell there was quality in there. He seemed especially good at driving play forward. Strangely enough, I don't think missing out on him will be a massive loss to Stenhousemuir - central midfield is the only area of the pitch we're very well stocked in.

Gils has been absolutely okay with us. He works hard and gets stuck in and he had his hand in a couple of goals last season. There's an element of our support who expected him to be a complete world beater, probably because he did well at Dumbarton in the Championship, and got on his back whenever they feel he's trangressed. I like him though, I think "useful" is probably the most appropriate word to describe him.

Fair play, I wondered where he'd been. I don't know what Mark Gilhaney does outside of football but it's an incovenient period of the season to be missing out on.

I've been wondering the same thing. I think the last time I saw him was the run out against Hearts U-20s.

First time I've watched Raw in about a month and it's still very so-so. Some glimmers of excellent in amongst the muck. Two thumbs down for the fight between The New Day and the Wyatts. I know what they were going for but it was just ridiculous without the laughter.

No idea. Our bench consisted of four Dutch trialists, God only knows how they found themselves in Stenhousemuir. The right-back looked very pacey but he gave the ball away as many times as he found his man. The other two boys that came on with 10 minutes remaining didn't get enough time to really do anything. The other trialist, the #11, was Martin "Jimmy" Scott. I'd like to take a look at him again, he showed up well out on the left, but unless it's a pure winger, midfield isn't really a priority at the moment. A defender and a striker are a must.

I wrote an 800-word assessment but the Pie and Bovril server packed in as I was posting it and I lost everything. I'll be damned if I'm writing it back up again.

The tag-team match was outstanding. I agree, the two teams work very well with one another - for all that Gable and Jordan might be the better of the two teams (and they absolutely are - I haven't been as excited about anyone since I first saw Chad Gable), the Revival are fantastic and offer an excellent counterpoint. Really looking forward to seeing where both teams go from here.

Seminal stuff from Big Match Phil this evening, although I don't think turning him face is the right thing to do, especially with Grant's return.

Oh well, puts an end to that kind of fantastical talk. I hope he does really well for them.

Take good care of him, okay. He's a special person to me.

Ranallo is terrible. He's got an awful voice and comes across all "Hey, I know the names of these moves!" more than anything else. A giant nerd. Corey Graves and whoever else he's working with in NXT is generally very good.

That was pretty comfortable for Ayr United, all in. From the outset, they were content to let Stenhousemuir have the ball and while the Warriors knocked it around well enough, it was mostly between the back four, mostly around the halfway line and mostly without any penetration. I think Jamie McCormack saw the ball more than anyone else. Ayr didn't seem to mind and they scored with their first chance. The goal was simple in its execution - someone played a long ball into the left channel, Paddy Boyle galloped onto it before whacking a lovely angled finish into the net. Take nothing away from Boyle's run and finish, but the fact that one ball over the defence had us undone is a little worrying. Ayr got their second just before half-time when their big trialist headed home from a corner. It could probably have been better defended. In the first half, there was one moment of nice football from Stenny. Michael Hardie, the trialist winger, worked the ball well down the right before helping switch the ball out left, and Jack Smith forced Greg Fleming into a decent save with a looping header. Other than that, it was slim pickings for Stenhousemuir. The second half was pretty uneventful. I don't think either side made a a noteworthy chance and the raft of substitutions didn't help. Not sure what to make of that, quite honestly. Ayr didn't really need to get out of first gear and the whole thing was a bit of a stroll for them. I liked the fact Ross Meechan wore the captain's armband - long may it continue - and I thought Liam McCroary looked decent in the middle of the park. I'd like us to sign Michael Hardie, he really looked the part and seemed to be the only player capable of driving us on. He did drop out the game - Paul Cairney thumped him up into the air just after the interval and he seemed to play within himself (it was quite funny listening to the Ayr fans cheer every time he got dumped on his backside) - but there's something worth pursuing there. (His current situation might be a little unsavoury but you can't take the moral high ground when you've recently signed a convicted sex offender.) I'm really anxious about our lack of options in attack and find it worrying we're going into the new season with just two forwards. Colin McMenamin will give 100 per cent for the team and step up when required but, as was proven for most of last season, he can't carry the team on his own, not at his age. Jack Smith might have something about him but he looks as though he can only play one way (and with a strike partner). I don't think we'll see Allan Smith again, God knows when he'll be fit enough to play. But that's it, there's no money left and unless Heart of Midlothian can help us out with a couple of players, it's going to be a long, long season ahead.

I think we're looking to add one or two more boys, but that'll be it. With a squad this small there's no way the young boys won't get any game time. Go beyond the presumed starting XI and they're all that's really there.

The big fella that plays Les is a terrific actor. He's got a great, droopy face and some of his expressions are fantastic. He does a great job portraying Christine too.

Not sure how many, if any, new players will be coming in. Bomber gives a short interview after the Hearts match - CLICK. “We are still looking around to improve the group, but not having a great deal of luck at the moment. “We will be going with a tight squad in any case and it will give academy players an opportunity." I would hope that another couple of bodies are at least forthcoming. I wonder if Hearts would lend us Robbie Buchanan for the season, he's got a bit of experience at this level and he's a crafter, something we don't really have at the moment.

Stenhousemuir beat Heart of Midlothian's U-20 side 2-1 at Ochilview earlier this evening, and the club might have a new hero on their hands in Vinnie Berry, who scored two wonderful goals to give the Warriors the win. The first saw him waltz into the box and, just when you thought he was going to tee up Colin McMenamin, he dumped the 'keeper on his backside and chipped the ball over him and into the net, and his second was a half-volley from the edge of the area in the final minute. He had a good game and his goals were an unexpected bonus. The result aside, I'm not sure what to make of the match. Hearts were the better side in the first half and we struggled to match their speed and movement. A couple of players looked a little off the pace but we're unlikely to come up against a team like that in the league, so it could be excused. Robbie Buchanan was the pick of the bunch for the Jambos and he opened the scoring, finishing a neat move by more or less passing it into the net via the post. Stenny came close when the lively Alan Cook slalomed in on goal but his shot was well saved. Stenny seemed to be playing a 4-1-4-1 system, with Berry in front of the back four and Jack Smith up front alone. Smith had an interesting game - he looked alright whenever he got on the ball and he played a lovely pass in for Cook's chance, but he looks like someone who needs talked through the games. There was one occasion in the first half when Ross Meechan bollocked him for not closing down a throw-in deep in the opposition half. Stenny made a number of changes in the second half and looked a little better, McMenamin offering more of an outlet up top than Smith, but the whole game seemed to lose its edge after Hearts swapped over a bunch of players. The ones that came on weren't as good as the ones that came off and Stenny began to get into the game. I don't remember Hearts having a single chance in the second half, come to think of it. They looked scratchy and that's when Berry pounced with his first, and his second minutes before the end gave Stenny a win they probably didn't deserve. The positives: Ross Meechan was very good and has picked up where he left off last season. Bold, brave, positionally sound and vocal, he should be given the captaincy, 100 per cent. He was organising players around him, scolding them when they deserved it and praising them when they did well. Fraser Kerr made a rash sliding tackle midway through the second half but, on the evidence of that game, he looks better than Euan Murray. Berry was very tidy and Alan Cook looked spritely. The young boys that came on did fine - the trialist #16 put himself about and the big #20 looks like he has something about him. That said, we're badly lacking in numbers and require another couple of bodies in. A big striker, someone how can provide an alternative and a physical presence would be just the ticket, and a winger to put some pressure on Mark Gilhaney would be good. I had a hunch he coasted through some games last season and it'd be nice to keep him on his toes. I just feel a little nervous going into the season with this squad. Everyone you'd expect was there expect Stephen Stirling and Allan Smith. Carlos Mazana-Martinez has reportedly returned to Spain. He was pretty homesick throughout last year, apparently.