Eddie Hitler

It seems that the last player to win a monthly (not young player) award for us while playing in the top flight was Kenny McLean back in April 2014.

Are we selling him? My understanding is that he's never signed a pro contract (I stand to be corrected on this, however) and is essentially free to leave. In that case, we won't be agreeing anything with Burnley so won't be able to negotiate a sell-on. What we should expect (I would think) is a development fee but not sure of the value.

I'd agree with most of that. I definitely think, for instance, that our sixth (albeit annoying we didn't make Europe) was more impressive than Hibs finishing 5th and not that far in front of us. Wasn't disagreeing with you, but it's for the very reason that some of what Houston Bud says is true that it is more impressive to have us top half than it is Hibs.

What bits are wrong? It isn't all wrong, sadly. They typically do have bigger squads, for instance, so it's hard to "completely disagree" with what he's saying because it isn't 100% inaccurate.

It isn't as simple as this. You might not get a fee but (if the team is good and playing well) what do you get in prize money and gate receipts that you wouldn't otherwise get? There are no guarantees obviously so the board might snap at a guaranteed £250k, rather than taking chances. But you get a lot more for being 6th than 11th and we will make a lot more by winning and getting 7k+ crowds than losing and flirting with 5k crowds. I would rather keep good players than sell any for £200k or whatever, and take the chance that we win prize money and play well enough to get more fans through the gates regularly.

No they weren't. VAR is shit and is operated by idiots. You're just pretending otherwise because you got what you wanted on this occasion.

Honestly think he'd be better waiting till the next guy gets sacked and hoping it's near a transfer window if he wants the Hibs job AND to be given a fair chance of success. I could understand, were it offered, if he were to think that it might not come round again so he has to jump at it, though. Things don't always happen at the "ideal" time in this world. I think it'd be a bit of a disaster for us Buds though.

Perhaps. At the same time, training is surely different from a full match situation? One team plays on there 19 times a league season, the other two (at most). The ball definitely behaves differently, they trouble even the biggest teams in the league on it because knowing how it plays in a game situation is a big advantage to them.

They are at home so I could be wrong, but I would think Livi won't be giving Olusanya much space to run into. Everyone seems to agree that the ball spends lots of time in the air on plastic pitches so it would seem to make sense to start Mandron as although he doesn't seem the world's greatest jumper he has still got a significant edge over Toyosi in the air (although I was surprised Mandron didn't start at the weekend also, to be honest, so who knows what Robbo will do)

Well, you can always improve etc etc but I am far less concerned about the front line than other areas of the pitch re additions. Unless we are getting someone in who is going to be the most composed finisher in the whole league, I wouldn't bother. And that's unlikely because I believe it was another target man Robbo was actually after, rather than a finisher necessarily.

I think because Olusanya is so quick, it's easy to forget Greive is as well and both have it in them to give defences a torrid time for that reason. Greive is sometimes wasteful in front of goal but his finish the other day was super-composed and I have always liked the way he doesn't hide from the next chance when one hasn't come off for him. It's also very early days in this season but my understanding is that all of his (very few so far, clearly) shots have been on target this league season, and that's almost as much as you can ask for.

I didn't want him to go on loan (or be sold, if that's what you mean in this case) when this was being mooted a while back during pre-season and I like the idea even less now given his start. Would be madness to send him away on loan imho.

Fair enough, you are probably right there then. I confess to not having followed his career closely and it isn't totally clear yet how he will be used for us when match fit (unlike most of the other players mentioned, where we have evidence stretching back a season and more how Robbo wants to use them in most cases). This still means we need more CB cover, I would suggest....even just one further CB to ensure an injury doesn't mean we don't have Bolton to be at RWB when needed.

Fraser is hopeless at LB. Taylor is a CB, not an LWB. Sutherland won't be playing, this is why Small is here. We play 3CBs. Of the five you have listed, one needs to be playing in midfield. Two play at LCB. There is not enough (adequate) cover for the other two positions. Taylor and Dunne will look at lot worse if you take them away from their natural side. Fraser is bad at RB. Flynn is bad at RB. Bolton is a CB, first and foremost. For none of these, is it anywhere near ideal having them at RWB. We have bodies that can be slotted places, as you no doubt evidence, but the team will be far worse. Need adequate cover, people who are *a wee bit worse" than the first choices in particular positions and no more (or we won't be very good at all).

Anyone hearing anything at all about any further incomings before the window SLAMS SHUT? I still feel we are light at the back for the following reasons: 1. We only have one proper RWB. Aware that Bolton is mooted to be able to fill in there and we have used Flynn there (but does anyone want a repeat of the Ginnelly incident that chucked away points v Hearts?). But this isn't proper cover in my honest opinion, as this isn't their primary position. 2. While we now have adequate cover for the left side of central defence, I wouldn't say the same about the central position of the three, or the right hand side of the three because i) I still don't really want Gogic consigned to be a CB all season, it isn't his main role, ii) the only adequate cover for him and Fraser, in any case, seems to be Bolton. But what if either one of those two is hurt or suspended and Strain is at the same time? Bolton can't do both at once. People may say "well, Taylor or Dunne could do it" but that's square pegs in round holes stuff. We don't need many injuries or suspensions in the wrong places to go from looking decent to the possibility that the defence becomes a bit of a disaster area imho. A bit of foresight will tell any fan we aren't going to get through the season unscathed as far as injuries and suspensions go. I recognise that it's unlikely we solve all this but I would like to see at least one more CB come in tbh. As a fan, I don't always have to think of this in business terms, and I perceive that having proper players for cover for these positions rather than patchwork stuff where you are putting guys there that can't really do it is what might be the difference between an ok season and a brilliant one. And I hope Robinson is currently putting a similar case to the board.

Yes, while I was typing out the comment I was aware I was being a bit reductive but was just making the point they aren't the same numbers of people to draw upon. Even the other places you mention are quite small. By same token, we well know that not everyone in Paisley support us

I hear you on 1. I also understand on 2 but, at the same time, Partick's away support would likely boost the coffers of most other teams in the league comparatively as well (central belt teams, at the very least) so the benefit may be marginal at least vis-a-vis our domestic competitors.

Personally I could give two hoots but I sort of understand in a way - fans want that "big game feel" and I think a large and noisy away support can contribute to that. Dingwall is such a small place, it has to be remembered. If they filled it, it would mean about 30% of the population of their entire town was there or something. For comparison, the equivalent for us would be taking 23,000 to away games!

My view is that a lot of the negativity surrounding Urminsky stems from one end of season game where, yes, he might have got down a bit better to one of the shots in particular but his defence was in Holiday Mode and let Rangers skip through almost at will. Hung him out to dry, I believe.

He didn't say it never happens. His question asked "how often" and you know perfectly well it isn't something that keepers try and claim every time there's a penalty. It's very very rare and citing one example from the hundreds and hundreds of games that took place last season in a different league doesn't change that fact.

Sammy had great reflexes and was quite brave. He seemed to have more difficulty with low shots from outside the box than anything else for whatever reason.

Please stop, you clown. Everyone now accepts that it shouldn't have stood, except some of your fans (shockingly).

There is a concern that Hibs might try and take Robbo but, if they did, it would show a lack of thought on their behalf imho. To be crystal clear, I think Robbo is an excellent manager and, had we hung on yesterday, would surely have been Manager of the Month for August. However, although we are a bit more skilful and creative going forward this season, we are still a team built on a "siege" mentality, working very hard because we are usually the underdogs against the middle of the pack (and perhaps slightly above) teams we are trying to compete with. This isn't what Hibs or their fans expect at all. In most games, they expect to be on the front foot and playing relatively free-flowing football. Now, I could be wrong and maybe Robbo would just adapt, but he just doesn't seem a good fit for them at all in terms of how he does things. For Robbo's part, if he does want that job, I'd wait until the next guy is sacked if I was him and hope it gave me a full transfer window to begin building the team in my own image.

Gogic isn’t a CB and should only be playing there in an absolute fucking pinch. We won’t play Kenny all season. We shouldn’t even be pretending for the purposes of squad depth that that’s going to happen because it means being delusional about the state of the squad. So you’ve two left CBs. Fair enough. One right sided CB in Fraser. one central in Bolton. there’s not enough quality cover and we will get pasted if we rely on makeshift nonsense.

Dundee gave a good account of themselves in the second half and could have nicked a point. It would have been just that, though, a stolen point. To pretend that St Mirren shouldn’t have blown you away in the first half and implying that most of the team was “nothing special” is childish and churlish. Strain made your wee left back look like a clown. Ironically some of you seem willing to praise McMenamin who did have a good first half but had been worked out by the second. Beck knew he was always going to try and cut inside as he’s very one footed. St Mirren, whether the board and manager like it or not, don’t have enough depth at the back and need cover all the way across the defensive line. Sort that, and we will be a right good team. Don’t and we will take the odd tanking and be in trouble when injuries and suspensions hit (which any fool can see they will).