Rugbyroader

MacKenzie had a chance in the second half that Leishman saved but it wasn’t created from good play it seemed to break to him hence why he was in the amount of space he was. Talbot had more pressure in the second half but poor choices and finishing let them down. Darvel were good in the first half but as I said I thought they ran out of energy in the second half. Travelling by car from Glasgow to the Valley frequently must take it’s toll eventually!!! Gall gets excellent profile for his business from being involved at Killie. He describes himself as the ‘Killie Pie Man’ to folk who don’t know who he is!! Suggesting he puts even more money into Darvel isn’t sustainable. Darvel should win the league with the money invested in the squad. It’s bound to hurt if they don’t win it. Successful teams have to cope with playing 3/4 games per week at the end of a season. Happens to Talbot every year and they have few call offs at Beechwood. Can see some twists and turns yet as there are difficult fixtures coming up for both teams. I’m interested in what the neutrals thought.

Do you not think Talbot were fitter and Darvel fell out of the game for most of the second half? Be interesting what the neutrals thought. Darvel came into the came again in the last five minutes but didn’t create as much as they had in the first half. Talbot had the better chances in the second half as they were pressing Darvel more as they had fallen out of the game. Darvel looked happy to slow the game down for most of the second half and weren’t doing anything quickly.

I don’t think it is. They transistion quickly but why wouldn’t they given the pace they have. If you look at where the balls in the air go they tend to go down the wings to Boylan who is the tallest player in the team but isn’t a target man. If Talbot had a big target man at Centre Forward and were simply aiming for him at every opportunity I’d say they were a long ball team but I don’t think that’s how they play. They do go back to front quickly when they gain possession which leads to comments that they are a long ball team. Given the pace in the team most managers would want the ball forward quickly to put the opposition under pressure and force errors.

Better result for Talbot than Darvel. Talbot also came from behind twice. I also don’t think there is any respect or admiration from Talbot or fans of other teams for teams that are bank rolled as most fans have seen it at other clubs before. No way the squad that Darvel have assembled are travelling down there firstly for money and secondly perhaps for an opportunity to be successful. Some of their players who have played junior before have had a number of clubs rather than being at a club for a number of years. What happens if the money stops flowing. Decent ground but good facilities only remain so with continual investment. The entire set up seems out of kilter with the town and level of support. The pie man isn’t young and will his family want to continue what he is doing? He talks about sustainability but I can’t see that Darvel is sustainable. He needs to build something with more than just him and Kennedy involved.

Is it long ball or getting the ball quickly up the park? They transistion quickly to use the pace they have and put the opposition under pressure. Darvel do knock the ball about and have decent players in the midfield and forward areas. They didn’t look too clever at the back but perhaps that was because Talbot put them under pressure. Most long ball teams play with a target man and I wouldn’t say Talbot do. Boylan is the closest they have to that but he isn’t a target man. As I said it’s unfair to class Talbot as a long ball team as they have a number of skilful footballers like Shankland, Wardrope, Samson, Hyslop, Glasgow both Wilsons etc. Anyone else managing that team would have them getting the ball quickly from back to front.

Some difficult games to come for both teams so could be twists and turns yet. If Darvel don’t get in front by a margin I think other teams can peg them back if they are fitter. They seemed to completely run out of energy in the second half across the whole team. Talbot had lots of attacks in the second half (more than they they had in the first half) but a combination of poor choices and poor finishing meant they couldn’t capitalise.

Free pies and chicken?

I think it’s unfair to describe Talbot as a long ball team. They don’t play with a target man. Boylan drifts wide most of the time. They do get the ball up the park quickly but that’s to capitalise on the pace they have from the likes of Samson up front. Darvel second goal was very good as was Talbot’s. Talbot had more chances throughout the game including hitting the post. Darvel fell out of the game in the second half and I thought that if there was going to be a winner it was Talbot. Darvel came back into the game in the last 5 minutes. Talbot looked the fitter of the two teams but the injuries and knocks may be telling as they play Hurlford on Wed. There was a big Talbot support but also lots of neutrals as you could tell from the reactions to the goals. Still can’t see how Darvel set up can be sustainable given the normal crowd and the amount of ex seniors in the squad. The owner, management and players are difficult to like. What was MacKenzie’s knee slide to a few youngsters when he scored all about?

Kirkintilloch we’re 2 nil down at HT. they had to come out and try to get back into the game in the second half. The highlights don’t show Talbot falling out of the game completely. They had other chances to score but didn’t take them or the play broke down. Talbot did what they had to do to get to another final. One off semi finals tend to be difficult games.

Aiden Wilson is 23. I can’t recall him playing any senior games at Kilmarnock. Chris Stafford is 20 and I don’t think he has made a senior appearance for Morton. It’s not fair to compare them to Lyle and Pope who were older and had played at a higher level. The only way to replace Pope and Lyle like for like would have been with experienced SPFL players which isn’t an easy task.

The SOS is a distinct geographical entity. The question is what is the equivalent level of that league in the West? When the league is linear would the SOS be the equivalent of the league below Premier or two leagues below. The SOS champions could be in a playoff with the equivalent level in the West. If they win they’d get promoted and the SOS would have one team less. The team coming down from the league above would go into the West. There would have to be a degree of flex as the SOS would be reduced by one team and the West league could increase by one team if the SOS team was promoted. Would the likes of Kello, Craigmark or Girvan want to go into the SOS rather than be in the West? They are the closest teams in terms of distance to some SOS teams but going into the SOS would be through choice. It’s all academic anyway as we’re stuck with the current league set up despite it’s flaws.

The original South of Scotland league had Ayrshire teams in it. Bonnyton Thistle we’re also members of that league previously. The natural alignment for the South of Scotland League is the West of Scotland. The issue is where they fit in. This could be dealt with by a playoff at the appropriate level. The number of clubs in the South of Scotland League could flex if their Champion gets promoted as it doesn’t seem appropriate that a West of Scotland team could get relegated to that league but a team from the South of the West may choose that league depending on geography.

It wouldn’t have to be the entire pyramid it only needs to be from League 2 down. It should happen but I can’t see it. All tiers below the second division should get a vote on to negate the vested interests.

With one team up it’s going to take about a decade for the league to reach the position it should be in now with the strongest teams in the West and East replacing the weaker LL teams. Some of the better East and West teams might have been promoted to the SPFL by then. The SPFL wouldn’t have been in favour of a Junior Superleague as that left them with the issue of dealing with the member clubs in other leagues and the Junior clubs probably wanted access to the Scottish Cup which they could only get by becoming part of the Pyramid. There was a solution to be found but it’s not the LL with colt teams in it. Everyone knows that a combined league would be the best solution but vested interests are going to stop that happening and it’s going to take years to reach what should be in place now. A new league should have been created from the top lowland league and east and west junior teams. As things currently stand the lowland league teams are blocking this happening.

If there had been a Superleague with the best Junior Sides from the East and West in it that would have been a better solution that the Lowland League. There would still have been local derbies and rivalries both East and West and the travelling would have been reduced. The feeders into this leagues would have been West and East based. The issue is what to do with the South of Scotland and Midland teams. I’d split them East and West with the M74 being the dividing line in the South and Falkirk being the dividing line in the Midlands. Borders teams go East, Dalbeattie etc are West. The position now is that there are stronger teams in the West and East not in the lowland league and being blocked by Vale of Leithen, Broomhill, Edinburgh University, Stirling University, Cumbernauld Colts, Caledonian Braves etc and the Premiership teams looking to use it to blood youngsters instead of setting up a reserve league. Reconstruction was required but the current set up is too compromised.

Find it odd that a guy who has supported Killie for decades would put money into another club. The facilities at Darvel are better. The squad is better but apart from that what progress is there being made. They still don’t get a crowd. There will be more Talbot fans there than Darvel fans on Wed.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion. It is satirical but also pointing out a fact. If Darvel can only muster 300 fans playing Talbot when they are both going for the league what does the future hold. John Gall is a Killie fan and has been for longer than he has supported Darvel. Why did he get involved at Darvel? Was it because his son was there or he fell out with Michael Johnston the ex Killie Chairman? Investing in the community is commendable but what is the long term outlook if the team can only muster 300 fans. If they get promoted to the lowland league or Division 2 how many fans are going to turn up for games versus Civil Service Stollers, Gala, Albion Rovers or Stirling. Talbot, Kilwinning, Pollok and others have decent supports that will turn out for such games. I question what the long term aim at Darvel is and how it can be achieved without money constantly being pumped in? What happens when John Gall is no longer involved? The model is meant to be sustainable but how sustainable is it without a growing fanbase. If Darvel are successful and grow the fanbase will that divert revenue from other clubs like Kilmarnock who John supported first.

“If it wasn’t for the Pieman” “Wherewud ye be” “You’d be in Conference A” “Or Maybe Conference B “ “Cause you’d still have no fans” ”Or history” “If it wasnae for the Pieman and his money”

I have a South Stand Lower ticket for the game that I can’t use as I’m COVID positive. £25. Good seat. If anyone wants it reply or message me.

Aiden Wilson is a product of the SFA performance academy at Grange Academy so has been well coached from an early age. I think his performances have got better as the season has progressed.

Are Darvel the best team in the league? They should be given the money they have spent on players and wages. They look decent going forward but susceptible in defence. Doesn’t sit well with me that a team with limited support can be heavily invested in to win the league and promotion. It’s completely artificial and belittles the good work going on at other clubs in the league.

We don’t want any of the big teams if possible. Remember what happened the last time we played Italy in a playoff. We were allegedly robbed as FIFA wanted Italy in the finals rather than us.

When and why did this suddenly become a thing though? First I noticed it was Moldova or Israel. As for Clarke leaving for something else it would have to be a job at a club in the South. He came to Killie due to family links. His brother played for Killie and he is a Killie fan. I doubt that Middlesbrough, Sheffield Utd etc would interest him. Personally, I think the Scotland position suits him as it allows him to spend time with his family and grandchildren who live in the South. He is also a loyal person so I don’t think he’ll leave mid contract. I could see him at the likes of Fulham but his stock is currently higher than being Fulham manager IMO.

Can somebody tell me why everyone turned their mobile phone light on in the 65th minute? Noticed the same thing happening at Moldova and Israel matches. Must have missed the memo.

Astounded that any professional team in Scotland would give him a job. During his time at Killie the team he assembled at the start of the season was extremely poor. His scouting network extended to Tynecastle and Hearts rejects such as Carrick, Robinson, McHattie, Hamill etc. His tactics were poor and he played players out of position such as Boyd as a number 10. We continually made the same mistakes again and again game after game and he couldn't eradicate the errors. He presided over the worse spell of defeats of any Killie manager (and we have had some poor ones such as Jim Clunie!!). He had Billy Brown scouting for him so I expect that either Brown or someone else he has worked with will come in as part of his backroom staff. He accepts no blame for defeats and will blame everything apart from himself. He may have learned from his mistakes at Killie and be a successful manager but I doubt it just as I had my doubts when Killie appointed him. Levein got rid of him from Hearts because he didn't rate him as a coach and he was proven correct by Locke's spell at Killie. I'd be equally astounded as I am that he got another job if he comes a successful manager.