Livingston - all the threads merged

[Cptn Hooch]

56 minutes ago, Durnford said:

The one in one out comment by Martindale - I assume that's particularly in reference to Goncalves and Bitsindou. As they're under contract I assume that we are committed to paying their wages until they can get another club lined up.

For Goncalves; I'm not too sure of his prospects; he's now 32 and, although his fitness has improved, he's presumably at the twilight of his career. He could probably do a job for a lower league (League 1?) side but would they be able to match his wage demands? With maybe no more than a couple of years left playing professional football he'd be unlikely to volunteer for a huge pay-cut just to keep playing.

Bitsindou is only 27 and presumably has more options.

I believe Goncalves turned up for preseason training in a worse physical condition than he arrived in last season

[mozam76]

1 hour ago, Durnford said:

although his fitness has improved

It really hasn't. 

I'd go as far as to say that if he leaves, we should be able to get two in by way of replacement.

[mozam76]

On 01/07/2023 at 21:14, Cptn Hooch said:

Stephen Kelly is pure filth and won't be with us very long

 

At risk of repeating myself from last season, Stephen Kelly should be nowhere near us. The boy is an absolute diamond, and it staggers/pleases me no end that his name is never mentioned in dispatches when it comes to those who may leave. 

[Troy.1995]

2 minutes ago, mozam76 said:

It really hasn't. 

I'd go as far as to say that if he leaves, we should be able to get two in by way of replacement.

One would do me.Guthrie doesn't fill me with overwhelming optomism Especially for the SPL. We really need someone who will genuinely help Bruce up front imo.For those mentioned they don't..

[LiviLion]

I notice Bathgate Thistle are playing against Livingston B (presumably just our U18s) at the same time we're playing Alloa; hopefully they get a decent result and performance there.

For Alloa I'd probably go for this:

George
Obileye  -  Devlin  -  Boyes
Hayes  -  Shinnie  -  Sangare  -  Penrice
Kelly  -  Pittman
Anderson

Good chance to see some different combinations with the friendlies, Bradley in behind the striker looked excellent, interested to see if/where Bahamboula would be able to fit in.

[Hendo]

59 minutes ago, Cptn Hooch said:

I believe Goncalves turned up for preseason training in a worse physical condition than he arrived in last season

Isma has always had his lfestyle issues. Despite his major role in helping us win the League Cup, more often than not he didnt turn up for us. I remember one game at Tynecastle towards the end of that season where he looked completely disinterested.

There is a story from that time about how we had to send club reps to fish him out of nightclubs before games.

 

[LIVIFOREVER]

1 hour ago, Troy.1995 said:

One would do me.Guthrie doesn't fill me with overwhelming optomism Especially for the SPL. We really need someone who will genuinely help Bruce up front imo.For those mentioned they don't..

Really don't know if Guthrie would help Bruce though, Bruce tends to be subbed off when Guthrie plays, or comes on that late in the game there isn't any time to see how they'd work together. Guthrie and Nouble didn't work against St Mirren & Motherwell though, too similar as target men (albeit Nouble has far superior skills on the ball) but i think Bruce would work playing off Guthrie, doing the running onto knock/flick ons, i'd at least like to see them get the chance playing as a front two before writing Guthrie off completely. 

 

One thing for sure though, Bruce isn't much use as a target man getting balls launched up to him, whilst fending off big CB's, and Guthrie isn't any use as a lone striker, so why not pair them together, and let Guthrie take the hits and feed in Bruce. Bruce gets completely outmuscled and bundled to the deck, Guthrie doesn't, but Guthrie knocks the ball onto nobody, as we haven't any runners playing up with him, FFS pair them together and who knows, it just might work.

Edited July 3, 2023 by LIVIFOREVER

[Greenacres]

On 01/07/2023 at 21:14, LIVIFOREVER said:

And one was playing for QotS after Martindale recommended him to Marv.

Any idea the name of the player Martindale recommended all we have is number 15.

He looked very good for us  when he came  on Saturday .

[LIVIFOREVER]

1 hour ago, Greenacres said:

Any idea the name of the player Martindale recommended all we have is number 15.

He looked very good for us  when he came  on Saturday .

Afraid not, yeah looked a good player, coasted by our players a few times.

[Troy.1995]

19 hours ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Really don't know if Guthrie would help Bruce though, Bruce tends to be subbed off when Guthrie plays, or comes on that late in the game there isn't any time to see how they'd work together. Guthrie and Nouble didn't work against St Mirren & Motherwell though, too similar as target men (albeit Nouble has far superior skills on the ball) but i think Bruce would work playing off Guthrie, doing the running onto knock/flick ons, i'd at least like to see them get the chance playing as a front two before writing Guthrie off completely. 

 

One thing for sure though, Bruce isn't much use as a target man getting balls launched up to him, whilst fending off big CB's, and Guthrie isn't any use as a lone striker, so why not pair them together, and let Guthrie take the hits and feed in Bruce. Bruce gets completely outmuscled and bundled to the deck, Guthrie doesn't, but Guthrie knocks the ball onto nobody, as we haven't any runners playing up with him, FFS pair them together and who knows, it just might work.

I genuinely think Guthrie has something in his locker,albeit I've yet to see it.Im all for giving someone a chance and appreciate that in the markets we're having to deal in weve got to trust Davies judgement. Obviously a section of our support haven't taken to Guthrie, relatively understandable from what we've seen of him so far.Arguably some wanted him punted ASAP but as I've said needs must in this current climate.If were stuck with him I sincerely hope he kicks on.Unless we unearth another gem up front,in which case I suspect he'll struggle to hold down his place,especially in the SPL. .

[NorthBank]

On 01/07/2023 at 21:16, Cptn Hooch said:

He can play anywhere across the front 3 I believe. Could be a backup to Anderson (or replacement if St Mirren really put their money where their mouth is) or could even slot into one of the positions behind the striker that Pittman and St Kelly played today

How much do you think Anderson is worth? He is 25 and scored a grand total of 6 League goals last season. So what sort of fee are Livi looking for?

[lennyzer0]

21 hours ago, Hendo said:

Isma has always had his lfestyle issues. Despite his major role in helping us win the League Cup, more often than not he didnt turn up for us. I remember one game at Tynecastle towards the end of that season where he looked completely disinterested.

I can remember a load of games at Tynecastle when Isma looked completely disinterested. Shame he was playing for Hearts in them.

He did score goals for us, but he was also lazy as hell and always likely to drift out of a game. Looks like he's lost the knack of scoring goals now.

[thruthenight]

15 minutes ago, NorthBank said:

How much do you think Anderson is worth? He is 25 and scored a grand total of 6 League goals last season. So what sort of fee are Livi looking for?

Good question. He's clearly talented and would excel in the right system. If St Mirren offered 350k, I'd probably take it in a vacuum. Although if we lose Nouble and Anderson this summer then we're clearly fucked.

[Durnford]

34 minutes ago, thruthenight said:

Good question. He's clearly talented and would excel in the right system. If St Mirren offered 350k, I'd probably take it in a vacuum. Although if we lose Nouble and Anderson this summer then we're clearly fucked.

He's worth a lot more than the six goals last season but the spectre of diabetes will always impact his potential valuation. With the amount of running and putting defence under pressure in the first half generally means that he's unlikely to last beyond the 70th minute and indeed the danger of diabetic seizure is always a very real risk as his physical exertions lead to lowering blood sugar levels. That being said I feel both he and the club have improved significantly in recognising and managing the situation.

TBH I'm not sure this is a risk that many sides would be willing to take on.

[Dav nan Gael]

Tickets bought for Lesser Hampden on Monday nite 7.45pm k.o

Will be our toughest task to date,interesting to see how we match up with Queens Park,plus another (new) ground ticked off.

(Infact that will be for me all current 42 SPFL grounds visited)

£10 adults and £5 for 15 and under.

[LIVIFOREVER]

2 hours ago, NorthBank said:

How much do you think Anderson is worth? He is 25 and scored a grand total of 6 League goals last season. So what sort of fee are Livi looking for?

 

1 hour ago, Durnford said:

He's worth a lot more than the six goals last season but the spectre of diabetes will always impact his potential valuation. With the amount of running and putting defence under pressure in the first half generally means that he's unlikely to last beyond the 70th minute and indeed the danger of diabetic seizure is always a very real risk as his physical exertions lead to lowering blood sugar levels. That being said I feel both he and the club have improved significantly in recognising and managing the situation.

TBH I'm not sure this is a risk that many sides would be willing to take on.

Aye he had a couple of injuries last season, and Martindale wrapped him in cotton wool after that, leaving him out the team for a lot more games than we needed to, then even when he was back playing it was a rarity seeing Anderson getting a start, or a full game, with Nouble and Guthrie even being chosen as a front two in the St Mirren and Motherwell games, which clearly didn't work, it was crying out for Anderson to be in there feeding off one of them. When he played it gave Nouble more room to thrive too, as he does a hell of a work off the ball, taking defenders away, and chasing down balls. I reckon this season will be his best where we see him scoring a lot of goals, and being our main starter in attack.

[LIVIFOREVER]

2 hours ago, lennyzer0 said:

I can remember a load of games at Tynecastle when Isma looked completely disinterested. Shame he was playing for Hearts in them.

He did score goals for us, but he was also lazy as hell and always likely to drift out of a game. Looks like he's lost the knack of scoring goals now.

His lazyness sticks out like a sore thumb in the Livi team, because everyone grafts like buggery playing for us, even Nouble tracks back and makes tackles around his own box, whereas Goncalves stands waiting on service, till he gets a rollicking from Martindale shouting at him to move his arse back and chase after the ball. As much as Guthrie gets slagged, he at least puts in the graft, and gets involved in the game.

[ATLIS]

5 hours ago, NorthBank said:

How much do you think Anderson is worth? He is 25 and scored a grand total of 6 League goals last season. So what sort of fee are Livi looking for?

Did he not hit double figures the season before that? He has struggled with injury in both those seasons too. 
 

To a direct rival, bare minimum 350k easily. No chance you’d poach him on the cheap

[LiviLion]

 

In his interview after the Queens game, Martindale specifically mentioned Miles Welch-Hayes getting his debut tonight so I'd assume he's the starting trialist. Weird that we haven't named them, pretty sure we named the signed guys on Saturday?

Struggled to figure it out at first but I reckon that's the same shape as Saturday, best guess would be Brandon playing on the left:

Hamilton

de Lucas  -  Parkes  -  Boyes

Trialist  -  Shinnie  -  Kelly  -  Brandon

Pittman  -  Bahamboula

Anderson

Edited July 4, 2023 by LiviLion

[Guest]

If we sold Anderson we'd be half way to relegation which, if that transpired, would cost multiple times more than any current fee we'd get for him. He won't be sold. He's gone above and beyond with how he's connected with the fans here too.