The Ghost of B A R P

I know, but that doesn't necessarily mean he should or will be here, in his interests and ours. It might be harsh, but it might also be realistic. Garrity has the ability to stand a man up and beat him, which is not nothing, but he has very little in the way of pace... and I don't see him ever having the physicality or even the attitude to do the unglamorous stuff when we don't have the ball. It's a judgement call, but I think Garrity will end up part-time somewhere and good luck to him. When that happens will depend on whether and when we can get better. Agree on Bearne. Imrie has been so reluctant to use him you just can't see him becoming established.

[insert last word]

Edited to make it look better? Or worse?

Of course they are. And you've actually stated why that is the case.

Agreed, as it happens. Wouldn't keep Garrity, would release Bearne. With Quitongo, though, the reasons you doubt him are completely different from the reasons in play with Muirhead, i.e. the cost-benefit analysis is completely different

The biggest issue with Muirhead is that the team has to adapt to him, rather than him adapting to a team. Contrary to what's been said above, he's only effective off the left-hand side (and has mostly played there), although you could see him in a 4-4-1-1... but again, you'd be setting up that way to accommodate him. The reasons for that are pretty clear: he has no pace and can't compete for the long ball in the air... He's the definition of a luxury player. Imrie's managed to get something out of him, but there's no denying that runs contrary to his general career trajectory. I'd be happy to see him at Cappielow next season if there's genuine competition for his spot in the first team... but not if he's going to play every week regardless, because, for all his contributions when things are going well, you might as well be a man down when they're not.

No problem with King being involved; makes far more sense than carrying 5 senior players in centre-mid. Wilson, Blues, 2 new, King. With reference to the above, fine if he 'features', worrying -- as in, relegation worrying -- if he 'features heavily'.

Seems like a strange one this early, when they don't even know what league they'll be playing in. Hopefully plenty of time to upgrade a one-year deal to two years and/or throw in another hundred quid a week. Crawford wasn't great in the second half of the season, but he's very important to the way we play. Edited to add: nope, he's away. Pretty worrying start to the close-season.

Hope Montrose and (if strictly necessary) Alloa or Hamilton are as entertaining for you. x

True. Forward line is fine, midfield is slow, but respectable... but that back four is back to - and maybe even beyond - our ramshackle worst from the early part of the season. Attack, attack, attack...

Probably the kiss of death, but I spent the first half of the season earnestly hoping that QP would get flushed... which they fully deserved, until somebdy (Charlie boy) belatedly came to his senses... Now earnestly hoping ICT get what they so richly deserve... but I'm afraid you'll have to do it for yourselves, because there's close to zero chance of Morton winning up there tonight (unless it filters through that QP are already 3 up in the first half...).

We understand you're a bit nervous, but try to calm down at least until kick-off...

Old Dougie was a bit mental, sure... but not that mental. And pardon me, but 'scrutiny' isn't quite what's going on here. Is the correct answer. This isn't just a case of a club 'paying a bit' (Thomas at QP or Scott Allan at Arbroath kinda scenario)... this is off the fkn scale.

Five grand a week, apparently... Who else pays that in Scotland? (Clue: fingers of one hand...)

Fkn right he would... That would have got you promotion play-offs for half the cost of the relegation play-offs; congratulations once again to the gang of fkn morons who appear to be 'running' your club. As above, just say you're embarrassed and we'll let it go...

Certainly casts that rumour in a different light... I'd have applied if I knew the money was that far out into la-la-land... Still spunking money that could have been spent on... well, maybe on not being quite as shite as you are. Up to now, I've been a confirmed supporter of Queen's Park disappearing out of our sight never to return... who knew there was a more deserving case, eh? Just say you're embarrassed and we'll let it go...

Did I just read that ICT are paying Ferguson five grand a week?! If that's even close to the truth, you fully deserve to be relegated (and next season as well).

Not keen on the shorts tbh.

Just noticed that Jordan Davies' Connah's Quay beat Declan McManus' TNS in the Welsh Cup final yesterday. TNS had won all five matches between the two over the course of the season and finished unbeaten in the league, 33 points clear of... Connah's Quay. Will be interesting to see how Davies handles the jump to level 2 in Scotland, but the fact that we've gone so far afield to sign a player bodes well... he's also played for the Welsh national team in Futsal, so we can at least expect him to have a better touch than most of our current squad. Wonder if he's ever played at right-back...

Think that's right. This will start out being an 'important game', but I expect the players on the pitch will know it's irrelevant long before the final whistle. We can all then sit back and enjoy Ferguson's tirade about Airdrie 'downing tools' etc...

Pretty clear the injury has completely wrecked French, mentally as well as physically. Looks lost, terrified most of the time.

Aye, ‘probably’ is doing some heavy lifting there…

That's the point (plus dissent and garbage refs). Nobody's getting hurt. Therefore, not a dirty team.

Aye, the only defined yellow-card offence is 'brutality', so you have a good point.

Totally agree. I’d go radical and have winners of section 5-8 and section 9-12 play-off in a set piece final (Tynecastle or Easter Road type gig) for the final European spot. Aim is to keep it maximally competitive (and give the broadcasters another wee sweetie). At the bottom, I’d have one go down automatically, second bottom into a FAIR play-off with 2-3-4 from the league below. Additional benefit here is that being safe all the way down to 14th might be an incentive for top flight teams to vote for change (currently only safe at 10th).