Livi v Queens

[Distant Doonhamer]

All the results went in Queen's favour today, as i said before the 4th spot is still very much up for grabs, the team that wants it the most will get it.

Raith`s game in hand is home to Alloa on 12th January so likelihood is we`ll be 5 behind by time we next paly a league game.

Not saying we can`t get 4th but still an uphill task IMHO.

Morton of course still in the mix.

[LIVIFOREVER]

First half we played it out with not much danger from Queens either but 2nd half we lost the midfield, and just retreated into our shell again, as we did against Dumbarton. It was wave after wave coming at us until the inevitable QoS goal.

Mullen seemed out of sorts today, whenever we broke he tripped over the ball or stumbled and lost it, Hippo wasn't much better when he came on, apart from his throw ins I wouldn't have known he was on. Glen's crosses were too floaty and easily dealt with, the only one that caused them trouble was a header down from a floated corner that hit a Livi player on the shin and neither he nor their keeper knew much about it as it came off him and went straight at their keeper. Pittman was playing too far back to be an attacking threat, our midfield was just pants 2nd half.

Buchanan and White were getting the usual service of balls hit long for them to chase, wasn't until about 68 mins we had a serious shot on goal from Sheerin when he came on.

We just had no goal threat at all today, chronic stuff, we better have a new manager in soon because Hopkin just isn't an option.

[Tam]

Russell was excellent today. He was the standout player for us. Apart from a 10 min spell in the first half when Livi won a couple of corners and made some good moves, I couldn't see us in trouble. In the second half we did most of the pressing and Livi committed suicide by losing the ball cheaply in bad areas of the pitch to allow Oliver to cross the ball for Lyle to put it away. Russell moved in off the left wing leaving defenders in his wake and struck a sweet shot into the bottom right corner of the net to put the game beyond Livi's reach.

Gary Oliver did well today. At least he was in a more central position but the big hoof up the park stuff from our defence doesn't suit him at all. He needs the ball to feet. He and Lyle up front together looked more promising today.

[Livithegreat]

Well done Queens.

Poor, poor Fayre Livi

I hear Darren Jackson has been in and about training.

[QOSQOS]

A good solid victory for Queens today. I would have said comfortable, but the last 10 minutes is always nervy, it was good to see it out, without retreating into a shell....

I was sitting immediately behind Russell's Mum and Dad so it was good that Russell played so well, probably the best he's played for a while.

I have to say Livi weren't very good today, too many long balls which Dowie and Higgins dealt with all day long. Last time I saw them they put 4 past us in the second half, this time they had one shot on target per the stats (although I can remember at least a couple, not sure who was counting and what counts....)

A good day at the office.

[Doonhamer doon south]

Clean sheet, 3 points, rivals for fourth losing and from the reports a good performance. Can't complain. Need to keep it going that's the trick now though

[Hen Broon]

Mullen and Hippo are shite and should never play as they are not good enough and put in zero effort. All season I have witnessed horrendous hoofball football and midfield bypass long hopeful balls. We deserve to go down because we are a omnishambles of a football club.

[19QOS19]

Well done Queens.

Poor, poor Fayre Livi

I hear Darren Jackson has been in and about training.

Is Gary Glen really that bad?!

[Fae_the_'briggs]

A good performance against what is possibly the worst team we have played this season. Livingston did enjoy a bit of early pressure without actually causing any great concern. Second half was totally Queens', the defence was hardly tested and coped with what little threat Livi offered, Hutton and Millar controlled midfield, and Russell and Oliver did what they do best, get the ball on the deck and take on defenders.

Both goals were well worked, a good passing move allowing Oliver to set up Lyle for a tap-in, and then Russell taking the piss out of the Livi defence before slotting it home.

One small thing that did please me yesterday was that we left at least one player up when defending corners, rather than pulling everyone back and crowding the penalty area.

A small gripe is that the coaching staff really need to work on tactics at throw-ins, the amount of time it takes and the number of times we lose possession taking short throw-ins could be improved.

Anyway, three good points gained and extra good considering the results of those teams around us.

[Homer Thompson]

A good performance against what is possibly the worst team we have played this season. Livingston did enjoy a bit of early pressure without actually causing any great concern. Second half was totally Queens', the defence was hardly tested and coped with what little threat Livi offered, Hutton and Millar controlled midfield, and Russell and Oliver did what they do best, get the ball on the deck and take on defenders.

Both goals were well worked, a good passing move allowing Oliver to set up Lyle for a tap-in, and then Russell taking the piss out of the Livi defence before slotting it home.

One small thing that did please me yesterday was that we left at least one player up when defending corners, rather than pulling everyone back and crowding the penalty area.

A small gripe is that the coaching staff really need to work on tactics at throw-ins, the amount of time it takes and the number of times we lose possession taking short throw-ins could be improved.

Anyway, three good points gained and extra good considering the results of those teams around us.

I've said at a few games this season how bad out throw ins are! It's amazing how often the throw arrives at the player at knee or waist high making it incredibly difficult to control or pass. As you say, we lose possession from them too often.

I've often wondered why attackers don't take throw ins in the final thrid of the pitch. The most common throw is passed back to the thrower. If the attacker takes the throw then he had possession in an attacking area.

[Rjc-1988]

I have been very disappointed with our midfield this season - the lack of goals almost beggars belief and an inability to dominate games has been a big negative .

That said I thought yesterday was a massive improvement from the midfield - we did dominate and some of our ball retention was excellent.

Jacobs, Hutton and Millar are all decent players - jacobs is a ferocious battler, Hutton knows how to keep the ball and Millar is a class player with the ability to get forward and create. Millar in particular should be capable of getting us 5+ goals a season minimum and I genuinely believe that if we are to get 4th place we cannot continue to rely exclusively on Russell and Lyle to score almost all of our goals.

Russell was different class yesterday - probably his best game in a Queens shirt.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Hopkin saying we need players in. I think it may be more down to lack of strong management than needing players in to turn it around, we haven't any direction, telling the players what they should be doing. Buchanan gave a wee swing of his leg as he saw it was his number up to come off, which looked like an 'oh ffs me again', the rest of the players looked like they were lost 2nd half and just retreated into their shell not quite knowing what else to do.

Hopkin said post match they were playing as individuals, not a team, well isn't that meant to be the managers job to get them organised as a team so they know their role. Just get the impression the players don't have anyone giving them that clear a game plan for them to play to and they're wandering about on auto-pilot.

Need an experienced manager to take the helm.

[Rjc-1988]

I saw a Livvy a lot last season and was very impressed with their performances and saw them awayat Hibs under Burchill a few weeks ago and again thought they looked very solid in that game. Looking at things from the outside the decision to sack Mark Burchill was very harsh especially after he won the Challenge Cup and masterminded the late Houdini act last season.

He then loses Fordyce, the two Jacobs and Talbot and still manages to compete in a very strong Championship League on meagre resources. Not quite sure what the Livvy Board are expecting a Manager at Livvy to achieve?

An off day for you yesterday but dont forget you had played three games in a week whereas we had our first outing for two weeks. You have plenty of good players but I suspect the big weaknesses are not on the park but off it!!

[LIVIFOREVER]

I saw a Livvy a lot last season and was very impressed with their performances and saw them awayat Hibs under Burchill a few weeks ago and again thought they looked very solid in that game. Looking at things from the outside the decision to sack Mark Burchill was very harsh especially after he won the Challenge Cup and masterminded the late Houdini act last season.

He then loses Fordyce, the two Jacobs and Talbot and still manages to compete in a very strong Championship League on meagre resources. Not quite sure what the Livvy Board are expecting a Manager at Livvy to achieve?

An off day for you yesterday but dont forget you had played three games in a week whereas we had our first outing for two weeks. You have plenty of good players but I suspect the big weaknesses are not on the park but off it!!

Keaghan and Talbot are the only two we miss from last season, Dycey is a CB but was played at RB, Ben Gordon has come in at CB, so has Neill from Motherwell so wouldn't say losing Dycey has weakened us any. Longridge is getting better at LB so even losing Talbot isn't a great miss. Kyle is a wee battler but tbh he was never as good as Keaghan and I don't think he's a great miss, was used as a utility player at LB & RB more than a first choice midfielder too.

Agree Burchill did brilliantly last season with the 'great escape', I think he was only in charge for the cup final so wouldn't credit him solely for the cup win, McGlynn got us to the final.

The Alloa and Dumbarton games sealed Burchill's fate, terrible performances, bewildering tactics & use of substitutions, nope don't think it was harsh punting him, I don't think he was making any progress from last season, we were just the same inconsistent team. Hopkin isn't any better though so we need to get a proper manager in to take charge pronto.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Oh and the playing 3 games in a week is no excuse, was had a fortnight between the Peterhead cup win and losing to Alloa, but Alloa a PT team played 3 games in a week and managed to beat us. We also played 3 games in a week when we beat QoS 4-1, we had a midweek game against Sevco at Ibrox leading up to our game against you for that one. No excuse that FT players can't manage 3 games in 7 days.

[LiviLion]

Sacking Burchill seemed strange from the outside because the only games people will have seen were against Hibs and Rangers, the only two teams we bothered turning up for. For whatever reason every other week it was (and still is) like watching a bunch of primary school kids; no organisation and aimlessly hoofing it up the pitch.

Not going to suddenly turn into a brilliant team when a new manager comes in, but hopefully it's someone who can get us organised and playing as well as we know we can consistently rather than once every couple of months.

[MOTD Wannabee]

[Monkey Tennis]

Excellent highlights, as ever.

A pretty convincing looking performance on the basis of that. Even in the first half, we seemed well on top.

The offside decision at the end looked terribly close, mind.

[Skyline Drifter]

Excellent highlights, as ever.

A pretty convincing looking performance on the basis of that. Even in the first half, we seemed well on top.

The offside decision at the end looked terribly close, mind.

Livi had the better of the opening quarter hour or so without looking an awful lot like scoring. We had the better of the rest of the first half probably. We then were reasonably dominant in the second period until 2-0 up. After that Robbie made one superb save low to his left, they had a looping header land on the top of the bar (may have been a foul on the keeper) and there was the offside goal which was just offside for me but certainly close. White is certainly beyond the two centre halves. It's Marshall behind him who is closest to playing him on. Looks marginally offside on the slow motion replay though difficult to be sure as nowhere near in line. Just going by apparent distance from the 18 yard box line though. Linesman was bang in line to be fair to him.