Magic Hat

Totally agree I would rather have a Neil Parry in his prime than a young loanee like Hogarth, but not that many keepers of that quality out there. On the flip side Scott Bain is one of if not the best keeper I have ever seen at the Recs and he was only young.

I agree Church has been better this season but still wouldn't have resigned him. Would also have not resigned King or probably Howie, given injuries and Rice didn't seem to rate him when he was available.

Fair enough, not suggesting there is a witch hunt or anything but after his mistake there were a couple of get to f**k Hogarth shouts, the fact he was down the other end probably didn't hear them. I can understand the frustration but he is a young keeper and we have had far better and far worse keepers. Also think Rice brought in Muir hoping he would push Hogarth but when given a couple of opportunities (I was wanting him to get a chance) was poor.

I think some of the abuse towards Hogarth has been over the top. Yes he has made some errors, including that awful mistake on Saturday, but has had some really good performances in goal, behind a fairly poor defence. I fully believe in people being able to say what they want, paying enough for the privilege, but he is only 19 and shouting at him is going to shatter his confidence further. As for Muir I thought he would be a great signing but got injured early and when he was given his chance for games at Kelty and Edinburgh was really poor. Also disagree this was Rice's biggest mistake, much worse IMO is the constant playing players out of position, retaining players that were poor last season and not getting better striker options, especially when Offord went back to St Mirren.

In my opinion we gifted both those goals, Hogarth making a mistake for the first and Stanger for the second. Agree you were the better team in the first half and had the best chances but we were miles ahead in the second half and could easily have ended 4-4.. Fair play to you for winning and have to say very impressed with your new manager, encourages your players and seems technically astute.

That was a much improved performance on last week and we we're unlucky not to get a draw but QOS took their gifted chances and their keeper had a couple of brilliant saves at the end. Hogarth's mistake was really poor but we have had far worse goalkeepers than him over the years and he has had some decent performances for us. I have been critical of Rice recently but his subs, unlike last week, almost turned the game and the football we played was much better today, especially in the 2nd half. We probably need to pick up a minimum of a point next week although QOS have a tough trip to Dunfermline.

Well done to Airdrie today, they thoroughly deserved their win and didn't even need to play particularly well to get it. You play much better football than us and also credit to the Airdrie support as well, we would be lucky to take a third of that if in the same position. We were absolutely awful yet again and to have one shot on target (if Coulson's weak header can be called that) at home against promotion rivals is utterly pathetic. Somehow we are still in 4th but wouldn't be surprised if we get overhauled in the next few weeks, QOS would only be 3 points behind us with a win at the Recs next week. If we do drop out of the play offs wonder if Rice will still be here next season, at the moment I hope not, another year of watching that terrible football doesn't appeal. Today he made four subs which is fair enough but to then put Cawley to right wing back and keep the best player in that position to the left side of our central defence, is absolutely incompetent and what a surprise it didn't work. Also bringing King on as a sub was never going to make a difference, would have been better bringing on a more direct player like Cammy O'Donnell.

£20 just for the entry to a game in the third tier of Scottish Football, then add the travel and cost of food/drink and it is no wonder the support was so low, especially given the price of fuel and food at the moment. The cost and quality of football in recent months under Rice doesn't exactly motivate me to go to away games either.

Doubt Dunfermline will have a more comfortable win all season, we were yet again really poor. Wasn't expecting anything but would hope we would be more competitive than we were today. Somehow we are still in the top four which is making Rice look better than he is. One plus point was the return of Kevin Cawley, although Rice started him at right wing back for some reason. Why oh why did we give Rice a two year contract. He should have got one and then if we were promoted it could be extended.

You have seen more games than me this season Brian so I will take your word for it about playing well. Can't remember many home games with the exception of the 5-1 QOS game where we have played really well. Of the away games I have been at, great in the first half at Edinburgh City but apart from that relatively poor. Haven't been at many other away games except Falkirk, we were woeful in the first game and only slightly better in the second. The fact we lost 2-0 and 4-0 to Airdrie we obviously weren't very good and the two QOS away games it sounded like we stole points after being outplayed. I quite like Big Connor but in the last few months him and MacIver together has been ineffective. I do agree the service he has been getting has been poor and his best performance was when Strachan and Church were delivering quality crosses from the left, he was unplayable that day. Having Taggart in the centre doesn't help with him getting decent service from the right hand side right enough. Agree with your comment on Coulson, there is definitely a player in there who gives us a different option to what we had. That said Kevin Cawley is a better player than him and four or five others, so should be one of the first names in the team alongside Taggart and Scougal. I think Mikey Doyle has been good if not spectacular, although a defender was probably the last position we needed. Will be interesting to see how we line up on Saturday, much better shape in the second half and although Jon Robertson has been off it a bit recently, gives the midfield a bit more balance. I would definitely start Luke Donnelly if 100 percent fit, as he causes defence real problems.

I thought in the first half our passing was terrible and the punt up to Sammon and MacIver was as ineffective as it was at Falkirk last week and in a number of recent games. This is far from being the worst Alloa team I have seen in the last 40 years but the style of football has been really poor to watch. Agree with you that the way Montrose played probably did cause some of the issues. However these kind of performances and poor football has been evident against the majority of teams, outside Clyde and Peterhead. Second half was much better, and all three subs contributed to that, so Rice has to get credit for that.

We were absolutely brutal in the first half and like so many games this season the football has been awful to watch. Fair play to Rice at half time for making the changes, we were much better in the second half, scored a good goal and probably just about deserved the win. Over the last few seasons don't remember many games where the referee has had such an inept performance as yesterday, he was absolutely awful and far too whistle happy.

Whilst I think Church has improved a lot from last season, still don't think he is good enough to be our first choice left back never mind get a full time deal, but stranger things have happened in football. Stanger on the other hand, despite the odd error has all the attributes to go full time and would benefit from the extra training and potentially playing alongside an experienced defender. As for our young striking options of Rankin, Buchanan and Mohammed, not seen enough from any of them to suggest they will consistently score goals, that said might be worth trying something different to the Sammon and MacIver frontline.

It was definitely up front I was thinking of during the January window. We could also have done with a ball winning midfielder but it is the lack of a goal threat which is what Rice should have been addressing. It also took him the best part of a year (realise it would have had to be a loan in his first season) to bring in another left back to give the team balance with the best right back in the league on the other side, not that he hardly ever plays him there. Also Church has definitely improved this season and would have been decent cover. I like Mike Doyle and have been quite impressed with Coulson but don't think that was what we needed.

Well that is depressing, the idea of having to watch Sammon and MacIver up front doesn't fill me full of hope, both were really poor yesterday. Not convinced Rodden coming back from injury will make any difference either. As well as playing players out of position, he hasn't strengthened the right areas of the team either.

I hope you are right Brian as we could definitely do with a different option up front. If he does come back hope Brian Rice gives him a bit more game time as there is definitely talent there. Would also like to see Cammy O'Donnell get more of a run out as when he is on it can be a real impact player but since the sending off at Edinburgh he has been hardly used.

It is obviously all about opinions and I probably sit somewhere in the middle although possibly slightly closer to the go than stay camp. If Brian Rice was a really good manager he wouldn't need a year to get his formation right and then continue to persist with playing Cawley and Taggart, probably our best two players out of position week after week, that is just complete incompetence. Also his handling of Offord was poor, there is obviously a player there and with more game time he might have wanted to stay. It has left us with a real lack of pace up front and strikers that are too similar. We have had worse managers but a bit like Ferguson he has inherited a decent squad and not taken it forward, which is frustrating. I have no doubt he will be here at least to the end of the season as that is the way we do things and at least Clyde and Peterhead's awful season means there is no chance he will do a Maitland. Sure we will win on Saturday but it is the games after that which he should be judged on, and we need to show more fight than against Airdrie.

Ffs Rice, the Edinburgh result and decent performance against Falkirk papered over the cracks. Graham and Durnan would surely be a better option than Church in central defence. No bite in midfield, no speed up front, somehow Rice has made the poor team he inherited from Ferguson not a whole lot better. Our best three players Cawley, Scougall and Taggart were already there and the majority of permanent and loan players he has bought in have been poor quality and some of the players he retained should have been freed in the Summer. Given the points difference we can still obviously get top 4 but from what I have seen Airdrie, Falkirk, Edinburgh and Dunfermline are all better than us and we have only picked up 6 points in the 9 games against them and obviously weren't up for the fight today. Sure Rice will be here until the end of the season but I really wouldn't care if he left.

A great first half performance and Connor Sammon was absolutely excellent, with two great crosses from Strachan and Church. Thought Adam King was good at right back as well. The second half we were absolutely brutal and thought history was going to repeat itself. Not much the manager could do about Scougall getting injured but taking Kevin Cawley off for Luke Donnelly was strange to say the least and left us really short in midfield when we were already playing really deep. Connor was great today but as has been said earlier, Offord should have replaced him as he looked tired. The positives are two wins and a draw in the last four games. All in favour of attracting young fans to the Recs but that drum today under the covered terrace was a major pain in the arse.

Another really poor performance, and absolutely brutal to watch, to have no shots on goal at home to the team sitting 8th is awful. We are slightly better than under Ferguson but performances like yesterday would suggest not by much. Prior to kick off was happy about the line up and shape but far too many players off the pace. Hopefully just an off day but been far too many of them recently and Brian Rice needs to bring in some quality additions in January if we are to challenge for 3rd or 4th.

Another really poor result last night. We are probably sitting roughly where I expected in the league giving our Summer recruitment and retaining of players not good enough for a real promotion push. We still might make 3rd or 4th but will need January squad improvements. It is Rice's persistence in playing players like Kevin Cawley out of position and never dropping the likes of Conner Sammon who hasn't kicked a ball in months that is pissing me off. Offord looks a really good player but would he want to stay given the lack of game time. Still stinging from the worst capitulation in my years of watching Alloa at Edinburgh City which really put Rice's tactical acremen into question for me. Saying that we have definitely had far worse managers, and this time last year were stuck with Baza who was a crap manager and very unlikable individual.

That was an absolute fucking embarrassment. We were cruising at 3-0 and then threw it away. Rice needs to take a good long look at himself. It may be that we had players out ill today but the way we capitulated today was a disgrace, never seen an Alloa team being 3-0 up and losing 4-3.We are now suffering from Rice's inability to sign a quality left back and that has affected the balance of the squad.

Must have been 13 minutes of zico class.

Really poor performance by us today and second one within a week. The shape of our team is baffling and Brian Rice's failure to sign a left back is coming back to bite us. Playing Cammy O'Donnell as a left wing back is a waste of our most direct attacking threat. Dropping Kevin Cawley was another bizarre decision and no surprise he had our best two chances when he came on. Playing Sammon, Rodden and McIver together doesn't work either. Would also consider dropping Hogarth for Muir. Not all negatives, good to see Taggart back at right back and in a better position than this time last season as I don't hate the manager.

A good performance yesterday against a very poor Peterhead team. As has been mentioned before good to see Taggart back on the right, O'Donnell back in the team and Church having a really good performance at left back with some really good crosses. He was getting a lot of encouragement as well, so hopefully boost his confidence. Like Rodden and he is obviously raw but three goals in five league games, with most of them as sub, is impressive. I also think Graham is a much better partner for Stanger than Durnan and although struggling a bit his reading of the game is still brilliant.