ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds

No pens please. We’re shite at them.

Realistically there are players that good that play in League One quite often. Easton is one, but Shankland and Nisbet have to remembered as well. And I’d also put McInroy in that category, there’s a reason he’s signed for a Premiership team and Easton hasn’t. I’m hopeful Frizzell can hit a similar level of performance this season which I think he’s capable of. However, it is very unlikely we’ll get a like for like replacement for Easton, purely because players like him are so rare these days at any level. People describe tough players not afraid of a hard challenge as throwbacks, but for me Easton is a throwback to a different generation of footballer. Very rare nowadays to see a player that plays the way he does, trying tricks, stepovers, nutmegs. I think there’s a reason it’s not seen as often now as it’s generally less effective than the style of the modern game, but when it works it works well and looks great. As I’ve said before I don’t think it’s fair on whatever midfielder we bring in to be considered “Easton’s replacement” because most likely it will be a very different player and if anything Frizzell will be more like Easton’s replacement and the new player would most likely take over Frizz’s role from last season.

Might not be permanent squad numbers but who knows, at least there’s still some more classic numbers to fill as you said so you’d think there will still be first team players coming in. Will be interesting to see more academy announcements as those five were all described as midfielders so there should still be a lot more in order to have a team. I think the announcement of those five might have been rushed due to McMasters and Gallagher being unavailable. Recruitment so far (as slow as it’s been) has generally been good so hopefully more of the same. Rae and Ballantyne look like big improvements on what we had last season, McMasters like a good player and Devenny so far has been a class act. Deveney I’m still undecided on and like you say another left back would be good to have. Think he was a bit lucky to stay on the park last night after that crunching challenge.

It’s not like Smith or McGill were missing sitters. Most of those missed shots were long range efforts or blocked quickly by defenders and a lot were from Frizzell and Devenny as well. If anything our conversion rate would improve with better decision making by all players in the last third (midfielders and wing backs included) or by having an extra man up top as we did last season to actually overload the opposition defence.

Definitely still a bit rusty and I’d prefer to see us play 433 with Smith out on the left but there are positives there. Think Frizzell could have a huge season for us and I really really like the look of Justin Devenny.

McMaster not in the squad after his knock and neither is Gallagher. The young boys make up the bench and Cole Gibson gets a start. Should be very interesting.

Murray built our squad for a back 3 last season and somehow we ended up with Rhys McCabe playing centre back in a 4. A lot can change over the course of a season.

Gabby’s kept his squad number from last season so I wouldn’t take it as a hint that we’ll have a 23 man squad anytime soon or as a hint that he won’t be a regular first team player.

No idea but they hadn’t been announced before yesterday’s game, even if they had been at the club for some time as trialists. Presumably there is some form of contract involved as there would be no logic in having youth players if other clubs can just pinch them for nothing whenever they show a bit of promise.

The worst kept secret in North Lanarkshire is finally out. Would be good to see a squad list to get an idea of the size of this academy squad, and would also be good to see some of them in action on Tuesday off the bench if we haven’t made other signings by that time.

An injury to worry about is less than ideal. Really need to make signings before Tuesday night.

Max Currie’s just scored an OG

Would be fine if teams were allowed to play trialists in the group stage, but as it is it’s definitely too early to expect teams to have a full squad. There definitely were players from last season we could’ve had that would be decent enough and give us numbers (like Kerr) but the majority of the players released we should be able to improve on. Disappointing we haven’t brought more in yet but if it means a stronger squad come the league starting then it’s fine.

Unable to make the trip to Cowdenbeath today, is there a stream? I haven’t seen anything about one

Looks like it, but I’d rather be in our position than Peterhead or Edinburgh’s who don’t have a keeper

Or Deveney if McCabe plays at the back and Ballantyne at left back

Hopefully a new signing will be modelling the kit

We should all vote no in homage to this classic Rita Ora tweet

Third kit to be revealed today

Deveney has taken the number 19 shirt suggesting we should still expect a first choice left back to be signed at some point

Needed a left back and signed a left back. He’s only 19 so previous loans being unsuccessful doesn’t necessarily mean much (McInroy had unsuccessful loans before joining us and turned out to be brilliant). I wasn’t particularly impressed with him when watching the Stirling Albion game but very hard to judge a player based on one performance in a friendly match, and more time to settle into the team could do him a world of good, especially as such a young player. Happy to give him a chance and happy we’ve signed somebody.

Wasn’t that fussed about MacDonald leaving at the time and he was a bit disrespectful after joining Raith. But he was also comfortably the best left back in the league for them and I’d have had him back for that reason.

He’s not under contract with us so no chance

Football players. Preferably ones capable of playing one of the positions on the pitch.

Forgot about that Gibson “announcement”. Strange considering that tweet was five days ago and we’ve still heard nothing from the club. Was Gibson one of the trialists at the weekend? Agree to an extent we shouldn’t rush signings for the sake of Saturday’s game but I don’t like the idea of not having subs available in case a player takes a knock, especially considering there’s another game the Tuesday so only a couple of days for a rest after.