The Wrong Car

As much as there’s right to be skepticism of any new owner, the original statement confirmed that he’d joined as Chief Financial Officer. There’s always enough questions to be asked about new owners, however the club was fairly open on what his role is For what it’s worth, I’m still very 50/50 on the guy. He hasn’t really done anything (which is a nice change from previous owners) however it’s an odd time to join the club. Speaking of healing rifts, I noticed that our former director and resident pie reviewer is back and active on the Facebook Forum. I guess his decade long hiatus for “political” reasons is over. It’s a shame he wasn’t so interested when he helped oversee the Bollan fiasco, a decision which sent the club into a tailspin

Fair point! I'll stick to the full-time reason next time (well that and the West Lothian connection) In terms of funds - I'd guess that a combination of Martindale/Hastings/Maley and now Rice is possibly cheaper than when we employed more established names like Bartley, Berra, Caig, etc. Bartley in particular was signed as a marquee signing and captain, so his playing wage likely carried on into the dugout.

Alloa fans will probably correct me, but it always seemed like Rice wasn't really going to do anything for them long term. Given they're outside the playoffs this season, the idea of being a coach with a full-time club close to home may have been more appealing at this moment

https://livingstonfc.co.uk/brian-rice-joins-the-coaching-staff/ A good appointment in my option. The coaching staff has lacked experience since Bartley left, and Rice is a much better coach than Berra was last season

The above pretty much sums up my view In a good team Guthrie, Sean Kelly and Shinnie are rotational options however we seem to rely on them on a weekly basis. The signings we've made to give us options in defence (Nottingham and Lloyd) have only kept the physios busy. The rotation in attack and defence is clearly having an impact on player such as George, De Lucas, and Anderson. As much as he's a bit of a target for the boo boys, Obileye is clearly missed Martindale needs to find a different balance to the team, however it's worth noting that some players that fans demand for, such as Stephen Kelly, haven't kicked a ball this season. We've also still not replaced Bartley, as Sangare doesn't have the discipline to play there A 3-4-3 with 3 from Anderson/Bradley/Mackay/Nouble/Kelly up front, or 4-2-3-1 needs to be our formations going forward as at the moment we're a defensive minded team without a decent defence

In terms of McIlvogue, I'm naturally sceptical about anyone who wants to own a football team at this level. Keeping Martindale and increasing our revenue to keep better players in a sustainable way isn't the worst idea, and the idea that a football club owns its own stadium shouldn't be a concern (however previous owners have made it so) I don't think that ambition alone is the big 'gotcha' moment that some fans think it is when it comes to McIlvogue's motives However it does feel like he would be criticised either way. If he came out brashly saying he'll buy the stadium, fund the team and maintain us at Premiership level, he'd be delusional. If he said he wanted to keep the status quo and see where it takes us, he'd be accused of lacking ambition by some fans

I'd say that looks like a penalty these days, however pre-VAR it came down to the ref's view on the day which is the big change. To be honest, McCrorie getting sent off would have been a blessing! The idea that contact inside the box is treated differently isn't exactly new however, if CMs lined up and manhandled opponents in the centre circle like they do at set plays, there would be countless fouls given. Not sure why a clip from 3 years ago is being used to excuse Liam Gordon's idiotic decisions, it's a soft penalty from a situation that was completely avoidable. Gordon can either win the footrace, get in front of Nouble and let the ball run our/buy a foul or let Nouble chase a dead ball without getting touch tight.

I think he's referring to Nouble's comments in the news article, rather than this specific incident

Yeah, it's clear that Martindale has a defensive team (Guthrie, Pittman, Sean Kelly at CM etc) and an attacking team (Stephen Kelly, Bradley etc) Given the opening run of games, and the points gained, his choice to favour the former was probably correct

Playing 3 CBs seems to suit most of our CBs. De Lucas is incredibly aggressive in pressing the ball, however the 2nd goal at Ibrox showed the issues that leaves in a back 2. Obilieye and Parkes are also much better when asked to head and clear the ball as a sweeper I'd like to see a return to 3-4-3, with a combination of Bradley, Nouble, Anderson and Stephen Kelly up front. That group should be good enough to create decent chances further up the pitch

Agree with this. There's a couple of slight clips of the heel and an attempt to nudge him in the back, however Gordon letting Nouble get in front of him before trying to tussle is crazy defending given where the ball is. If he starts this when they're side by side he probably would have been fine In terms of the game itself, a decent point given our defensive injuries. Poor first half, better second half and another point away from home. Given our atrocious away record last year, a win and two draws in 4 games seems like progress

Bahamboula was fairly unlucky at the start of last season and showed some glimpses of quality however, like Boyes, completely failed to nail down a starting role the second half of the season I'd agree that Bradley, like Mackay, look much more suited to playing anywhere up front than Bahamboula. Given he's played RW while left footed, the idea of playing narrower shouldn't be that much of an adjustment for him. Overall, it's been a fairly decent window. Most fans would probably say our issues were a shite defensive record and lack of pace up front outwith Anderson. We've since changed to a back 3 and started to play players like Mackay and Pittman (and hopefully Bradley and Teto, eventually) closer to our centre forward

Did Sean Kelly not get injured in the League Cup games? Not sure what game, however pretty sure he got subbed off early Shinnie, Kelly, Pittman and Sangare, plus Lawal and Penrice can all cover the 2 CM positions. Penrice at RWB is an option, however it does mean we're relying on Lloyd while Montano is injuried. Brandon has looked decent this season as well, and gives the team much better balance on that side. Surprised Bahamboula and Bitsindou are still here, given they've hardly made the squad all summer. Given the length of contract Welch - Hayes will probably train with us, then loaned in January, with a view to next season

I’d echo the above - a decent ball playing CB with a tendency to head it anywhere Fairly unlucky with injuries and a harsh red at Ibrox impacting his form, however he’s been here a year and a half and I’m still not sure he’s Premiership quality. Pretty sure he’s out of contract at the end of the season as well

It's pretty harsh to blame Nouble for not finishing top 6. His performances did drop after Christmas, however he did score in the wins against Kilmarnock, Ross County and St Johnstone. Given our terrible form in that period, that's no too bad He's not been as good this season, however he's still got 2 goals in 7 games and caused some problems to the defence.

Presumably we’ll see Goncalves, Bitsimiou, Bahamboula and possibly Parkes/Boyes leave in the near future?

It's a tough one - Parkes has looked decent (and much more mobile) since returning from injury, however he''ll be 32 by the end of the season Boyes meanwhile has looked decent at times, is almost 10 years younger and a better fit for LCB, however he's never really nailed on a starting place. Am I right in thinking they're both out of contract at the end of the year? If so, and one has indicated they won't sign I doubt Martindale will be slow in shifting them on

I get both sides of the argument Martindale's clearly trying to downplay expectations, however it's not exactly news to Livi fans or enticing to the neutral to hear this. However, there seems to be a growing number of folk within the fanbase that expect us to "push on" without realising that, for a club our size, 5th/6th/7th/8th place finishes are the top of the mountain. Those finishes were based on the talents of players who are no longer at the club (and went on to play internationally), and the expectation that Livi can repeat or better this seems crazy. Personally, there's plenty of areas the clubs improved on over the past 5/6 years. The re-introduction of the Youth Academy, the creation of a women's team set-up across ages, the improvement in the media teams' output are all examples of pushing on while in the Premiership, but only if you look beyond the final placing or points total. There's also plenty to improve (fan representation in decisions, wheelchair/disability access and support etc) that benefits from being a Premiership team.

Did Fitzwater not miss against Kilmarnock late last season? I think by that point it was a case of anyone who fancies it can take one

Presumably it depends on departures. On that note, I notice Bahamboula hasn't made the last few squads - is he injured? I'd still like to see a natural RB brought in, or at least see Brandon given a chance. The last two home games have seen his introduction improve the team. Another CF would be nice, however Guthrie's recent performances may have swayed Martindale towards keeping him on

Agree with all of this, however the idea of Bradley, Kelly and Anderson up front against teams where we can attack is fairly exciting Brandon's a strange one - he's done well in pre-season, not picked for the League Cup games yet made a difference from the bench. Without a right footed RWB the team becomes incredibly narrow Nouble's in the odd situation of playing in a formation that's designed to not include him. He's best out wide, however this new formation forces him into a CAM role, or a CF role, neither of which works.

Pittman dropped out the team a few times last season and, given he's now 31 years old, probably moving towards being a rotational option rather than a nailed-on starter As much as Nouble would be a loss, the idea of Bradley/Kelly/Pittman/Bahamboula as attacking midfield options isn't the worst. The glaring issue is still RWB, as I can't see how we go into a season with two LWB, both of whom are needed in the starting XI

Shows what I know! On the positive, it sounds like he’s essentially Obileye’s cover. Given we’re 3 at the back now that leaves RCB: Devlin/De Lucas CB: Obileye/Nottingham LCB: Boyes/Parkes If Parkes does leave, Sangare and Kelly can still cover LCB On the negative, Martindale’s comments about him at RWB are a bit worrying. I’m still hoping a starting RWB is brought in, even if it pushes Welch - Hayes out on loan. Looking forward to the Aberdeen game where we have a 34 year old, 6”4 RWB, Steven Bradley playing a false 9 and club captain Sean Kelly at CM!

I can’t see the CB signing happening. Parkes was signed as the experienced option, replacing Guthrie (who’d replaced Halkett etc) If Parkes does leave (which makes more sense) we’ve now got Devin as the experienced CB, Obileye in his third year as a Premiership CB and De Lucas who’s fairly experienced Is Boyes out of contract in the summer? If so, that might explain why either him or Parkes will go - punt Parkes to save wages or cash in on Boyes.

To be fair, it looks like this post is combining the coaching vacancy left by Hastings and the Analyst vacancy, rather than a straight replacement for Berra