Diamonds are Forever

Hearts will bring way more than that. Maybe less if it's the Friday night game, or just a TV game in general, but they'll need the 3 stands.

Great draw I think. Outside chance of an upset, will be near enough a sell-out and potentially a TV game too.

The turnover this season must be huge compared with last season. Our average attendances (including away fans) is 50% higher than last season and you'd hope that will increase more as the season reaches it's climax and teams have things to play for. We were also knocked out in every cup at the first stage last season. Got to last 16 of League Cup this year, at worst semi-final of Challenge Cup and at worst 5th round of Scottish Cup. Not just the prize money but also more games with decent crowds like yesterday. You can add whatever we got for Devenny into that mix too. The 2 home play-off games must have been a great boost to the club last year as it was a combined 7,000 fans over the 2 games which is all money to the club, that probably made up for all the cup exits. Of course we could still have play-offs this year too. But even if you ignore the cup performances and just look at our gates being 50% higher (with more expensive tickets too) you wonder whether our wage bill has increased by a similar amount. Seems unlikely as we've kept basically the same squad if you switch Smith's wage for Todorov. They will all have got salary and bonus increases obviously but I don't imagine by that extent, certainly not most of them. The conclusion is stating the obvious but it's so important we stay up this year as from the outside things must be looking much better financially and that may allow us to build more next season. It's good that the extra income isn't from some fluke cup draw at Celtic Park either (although that would be welcome) it's all been driven by performances on the park.

I know it's hard to always know in advance what games will be shocks or exciting games, but as you say the Airdrie, Partick and Raith games were all games which everyone knew would be close games and likely 'shocks'. They would all have been good games to watch as extended highlights. The way they always seem to prioritise 'all Premiership ties' as if this is an exciting prospect is really frustrating. We see these literally every other week of the season, I can't think of a less interesting game to watch as a neutral than Killie v Dundee. That's nothing against them, same applies for showing an all Championship or League 1 tie, the whole interest of a cup is seeing games you wouldn't normally see, seeing how different levels compare and seeing storylines created. I can see Killie v Dundee 4 times a season already. I'm not sure whether they genuinely think it's more interesting to watch, or whether it's just the easier and cheap option for everyone - camera infrastructure already there, commentators/pundits already know both teams etc. On top of that, showing extended highlights of the games which have already been live on BBC is unnecessary, in today's world everyone who wanted to watch that has either been at the game or recorded it and watched it back. They aren't waiting until 10.30 to watch it.

Can't remember the Dunfermline game either. But I remember the Spartans game, the pitch was completely waterlogged for the whole second half, not sure how the match wasn't abandoned, it was farcical.

I think Telfer has been the unsung hero this season, he brings real class and composure to the team and works incredibly hard. When he arrived last season I felt a bit sorry for him because it was clear some fans had already pigeon-holed him as a certain type of player because of the comments of Falkirk fans, and probably because he was holding out for a better deal elsewhere. He was good in spells last year but injury meant he never got up to full speed, we're seeing this season what he can really bring to the team. Great to see him doing well after what I assume was a tough few years at Falkirk.

The worst thing McStravick could do would be to go to a bigger club and get stuck in the youth/reserve setup like Devenny. He's got talent but he really needs to keep playing 1st team football. I think he's still to really find his role in the team and impact games as much as he should given his ability - none of which is a criticism, just part of the learning process at that age. He's not even a nailed on starter for us so moving up a level or 2 would probably mean youth football for a couple of years which would do nothing for him.

The only way it possibly could be is if the manager manages to attract some quality loanees using his contacts, players that otherwise might have been loaned somewhere else. But even then you'd imagine the player would have a say and want to go to the best club possible. But you are spot on, the idea that professional footballers are going to choose to play at a lower level than they are capable of, and by extension get paid less, because they either know the manager or because they admired him as a player is nonsense.

As Mr November says we've given a good account of ourselves at home to a few Premiership sides in the last couple of years, the caveat being that the Motherwell, St Mirren and Dundee wins were all in the League Cup group stages (and all in the first 2 group games I think) and I always feel like the Premiership teams aren't really up to speed by that point and shocks are more likely, like Ayr, Stenny and Stirling beating St Johnstone this season I guess. So I don't read too much into those. That said, the draw and ET defeat with Ross County in the last 16 is probably a better indication of our level when we play well at home, so I'd expect a similar kind of result here. I think we'll lose by the odd goal, but also wouldn't be surprised if we pulled a result out the bag.

I don't think we have any right to feel messed around to be honest. That's the issue with using the loan players, when it works well you get access to a quality of player that you normally might not, but there are downsides like we are finding out. Hibs have to do what is best for them and until they get another right back in they'd be stupid to let him go back out on loan. If we don't want messed around then we are entitled to cancel the loan and move on to someone else, it's our choice to wait and see. To me it shouldn't make any difference regarding us trying to get players in. Ballantyne will still be out for a few weeks and will need a few weeks to get up to speed. If we end up in a situation where we sign a defender, Megwa comes back and then Ballantyne gets fit then that's a great problem to have and we have enough flexibility with Watson and Hancock that we could still get our best players playing and switch from back 4 to back 3 if needed. If we're delaying signing someone to wait for him then that's daft, but I don't believe we are. As I've said before though I don't expect us to sign anyone of note. I didn't to begin with but with ICT, QP and Ayr all desperate that will drive the price of any potential signing up and we'll be out-bid. It would have to be a loan signing or someone pretty left-field.

Don't claim to know how things operate behind the scenes at Ayr but from the outside I don't really get the impression McCall would be that keen on working under the structure at Ayr. Mathie obviously very involved with everything, McGeady's role seems quite ambigious and I think has potential to cause tension with a certain type of character, and a 'recruitment team' who seem to excel in signing nobodies from the National league. It's been said numerous times but McCall's biggest strength is recruitment, mainly from his own network and getting in guys he has worked with. How well would he take to the club trying to get him to sign some left-back from Dorking Wanderers when he just wants to be given a budget and left alone to do his thing? He's as far from a 'Head Coach' as currently exists in Scotland. More broadly, I think that applies to most of the experienced managers, I think they'd be asking questions over how recruitment works. If I had to bet I'd guess it will be a relatively young (or at least inexperienced) manager who is happy to go along with the current set-up just so they get an opportunity. Cue Ayr appointing Yogi or McCall...

Apart from the obvious risk that you continue a run of bad results, it's a big gamble not sacking Bullen now because with every passing week and every bad result the Ayr job becomes less attractive if you do eventually sack him in 3 or 4 weeks. Getting the Ayr job now would still be a relatively attractive job for most out of work managers - plenty games to sort things out, only 2 or 3 wins away from shooting up a few places and a transfer window to sort things out. However, joining in mid-February a few points away from 8th with no transfer window would scare off most self-respecting managers and you'd be left the usual failures or someone like McGeady stepping in. Queens Park timed it right with their appointment, I think any side leaving it this late to change managers faces running into the above issues. Seems like Ayr are at the point where they'll need to commit to backing him for the season regardless, or make a change now.

I actually think that's the worst non-award of a penalty I can remember seeing. I don't know how it could be more blatant. Most of the time complaints from fans on Saturday nights about terrible decisions turn out to be wrong (see Edinburgh City last night) so I take the comments with a pinch of salt, but that yesterday is an absolute shocker. Obviously he may have missed, and I don't know what other wrong decisions there were in the game, but given the time in the match Ayr seem to have won a watch with that decision.

Saw a bit of fuss on Twitter about the penalty so took a look, it's a blatant foul, and certainly looks to continue into the box which means it's a penalty. One of those ones where the contact hasn't caused Donaldson to collapse in a heap, but he has been pulled back and if you don't go down like that you don't get the penalty you deserve. Terrible defending to let him past and then panics by pulling his shirt.

Any draw I've seen definitely has 3rd place in Group A having 3 different options as Salvo's post shows. If you add in the possibility of us coming 1st or 2nd, plus 3 options for 3rd, it's almost impossible to plan ahead beyond having a well connected base.

Quite happy for Raith to strengthen as much as they can. We've only to play them once more in the league but everyone else (apart from Dunfermline) has to play them twice, so if they could strengthen and go on a run beating everyone else around us that would be grand. Points tallies from 4th down to 10th will be pretty close so every little helps! I know we have them in the cup but I still see that as a bonus, plus we seem to have their number this season anyway so we'll still have a good shot at going through.

I think that's his interview from last week from the website that they've just taken and stuck in an article, if not then very similar. Hope to be wrong but don't expect to sign anyone except maybe a loan or a youngster, that's how I take his comments anyway.

Obviously selfishly I want him to stay, but even from a player development point of view you can see the impact playing regular first team football is having and how much he is progressing. I'd imagine Hibs will make signings and, at best, Megwa will sit on the bench the rest of the season which will do nothing for him. You'd hope they'd see the benefit in him staying. Doesn't sound like his loan has actually been ended yet, just that they'd like to take a look at him for a week and then decide. So hopefully he's back in a couple of weeks. If ATS is fit I'd just stick him at centre back, move Watson out right and leave the rest. I wouldn't be moving McCabe out of midfield unless we have no choice given the last 2 performances.

A similar one to a fan of a losing team (usually a relatively bigger one) trying to appear gracious in defeat by saying 'you deserved to win', but then following that up with 'because you simply wanted it more'. They can't bring themselves to accept the other team were/are better, so it has to be because their team weren't trying hard enough.

Definitely. We were quite solid towards the end of last season but that was with going to a more experienced back-line with Ballantyne, ATS, Fordyce and Watson. At the moment we have experience at centre back with youth and energy at full-back, which is a great mix. I also think McCabe playing deep midfield takes a lot of pressure off Fordyce to be a ball-playing centre back because he'll drop deep and demand the ball and dictate play. Whereas McMaster doesn't have the confidence to do that yet which means Fordyce ends up a playmaker from the back, which doesn't work as well in possession and I think impacts on him defensively. He's been great recently when he's just able to focus on what he is good at - defending. It may even just be having McCabe on the park at all helps take some of the pressure off his shoulders and allows him to focus on his game.

Currently got the 2nd best goals against record in the league, who would have thought that at the start of the season?! Even during our poor form we're generally just losing 1 goal a game, which is fine. A lot of good organisational work going on, but also the emergence of Megwa and Hancock at full-back (and Ballantyne when he's been fit) has been great to see.

Given our limited individual quality in forward areas, and generally us having one of the lowest budgets in the league, the results that we are getting are fantastic and a real credit to McCabe. Even games that we lose are usually by one goal and there's not much in the games. We look so well drilled and organised and he is getting everything out the players. Would be interesting to know how much of an impact McCabe and Fordyce playing under Murray has had on their ability to out think him tactically so far. Also playing with Easton and Smith will have helped work out how to limit their influence. I've always said about Murray that his recruitment is excellent and his ability to build a club and add a level of professionalism is great, but he's pretty average (arguably poor) tactically. He has Plan A, and then Plan B is chuck on every substitute and hope for the best - which in fairness has worked quite a lot for Raith this season. But you'd probably hope for a bit more tactical nous if you're going for the title.

I agree, although listening to McCabe's interview I doubt that will happen. Basically says we are mainly trying for younger players which have been scouted and have sell-on value, and that the more established players are too expensive. So we'll maybe get a couple of loans or another McStravick type signing. Doesn't come as any surprise to be honest as that has been our policy until now under McCabe. I've no issue with that long term strategy but we really need a couple of ready made first team players.

I'd say that's a slight misreading of history there. We started that season terribly with 5 points from the first 5 games, Cove started to motor ahead and we never got near them again until about March time. At the current stage in that 2021/2022 season we were on 35 points with Cove on 43 and it stayed like that until March where it got as low as 5, which was the smallest gap between us in the entire season. It took an incredible run of form to even stay within 8 points, but I don't think many people ever thought there was a realistic title race until about February/March time, and even then it was an outside bet, the points tally was about 5 or 6 different then but the fact they were winning every week meant them dropping enough points was so unlikely. Cove also beat us twice and drew with us twice, so they were clearly a better team. I'm not sure what the 'shit the bed' moment was in that run of form, especially given we had nothing to lose for the whole season as we were never expected to win it, did we not go 22 unbeaten too until the end of the season? The play-offs could be argued was a bottle job but really I think that was just QP with a fit Simon Murray, if he'd been injured like he was for half the season we'd have won. Their form last season also showed they weren't a bad side. The only similarity which I think you're getting at is that there were 2 teams clearly better than the rest, which is true. But this season has been close from the first few games and is almost neck and neck now. That was never the case with us and Cove.

I think ideally that's what most fans would want, but the issue is that the players you want to sign on multi-year deals often don't want to sign-up for 2 or 3 years. We were favourites to get relegated at the start of the season and it's still possible we could be, if you are a player in your early to mid twenties who thinks they should be Championship level, maybe even Premiership in the future, it's a big risk to tie yourself to a club that could be back in League 1 next year. A good potential example (and quite a funny one) is Paton at Queens Park who signed a 3 year deal in the summer, if they don't turn things around he'll be back in League 1 for another 2 years potentially at the point where he would have been thinking about moving upwards. In terms of the manager it's maybe not as big an issue because it's such a precarious job that you'd be stupid to turn down a longer contract, although I'm sure there would be some kind of agreement about moving on if the right club came in. The only 2 ways we could encourage guys to stay would be offering huge wages, which even then might not work for someone very career driven, and obviously we can't afford that. The other is to be succesful this year so players don't have any fears about signing a 2 year contract. I think it was Kenny_m who mentioned that short term signings are important to ensure success and therefore convince guys to stay for the longer term, which I think is spot on. If we could really push on in the next few weeks we'd be an exciting club to sign up for next season, if we're battling out down the bottom players who have options will be off.