Livi v Utd

[Mr Zo]

United will continue to slide down the league and he will be sacked in the next few weeks with Robbie Neilson coming in to make a fight for the play offs.

Livi are going to make a real fight of things between now and end of season. Hopefully they won't catch the buds but they will have a terrific chance in the play offs of going up with the team spirit they have.

[EdinburghLivi]

29 minutes ago, Poet of the Macabre said:

You've got to be a little bit pleased for Livi. They've had to deal with an incredible amount of off-field nonsense and mockery over the years but they are absolutely flying just now. Some fans getting totally and utterly carried away but all power to them. Would certainly find it funny as f**k if you pipped Saints to the title.

Haven't seen much of this. I said yesterday that we would probably need 10 wins (including away to St. Mirren) from the last 12 to even consider challenging. I think we've left ourselves too much to do.

Good news is that we are now 12 points ahead of 5th (having played a game more). A few more wins and a playoff spot will be very hard to miss.

[Livi]

8 hours ago, andylivi1 said:

It’s just an absolute delight watching this team, they fight for everything, not the most skilful of sides we've ever had but you’ll go some to find a harder working group of players in the country, as a fan you can’t ask for anything more than that. 

Credit for that has to go to Hoppy and the rest of the coaching team, to get these players running their socks off every week is a testament to the work they are doing and how much the players believe in them. 

I am absolutely loving this season and don’t really want it to end, the team are on fire and it’s just brilliant to watch. 

We started on the front foot from the off tonight and could’ve had the game won by half time, it was men against boys at times. 

2nd half was far more even and I could see the equaliser coming, Dundee Utd started to get on top but what a show of character from our side, to come back and grab a deserved winner right at the end was just brilliant, what a finish from Hardie. 

Don’t think Miller lost a header all night, him and Hardie look like they’ve been playing together for years,  built an incredible partnership in the last 5 or 6 games. 

Rumour has it Scott Pittman and Shaun Byrne are running home now, those boys don’t have give everything, Robinson is class eh ? Makes things look so simple, what a finish his goal is. 

Thought Cadden and De Vita showed a lot of discipline in the wide positions, ran the ball when they could, but defended really well. 

And as usual, Halkett, Lithgow and Gallagher are just rock solid, hardly gave anything away and threw themselves in front of anything that was thrown at them. 

Absolutely delighted, 10 points from 12 against Falkirk, Dunfermline, St Mirren and Dundee Utd is some return, next two Morton and Dunfermline both away will go a long way to deciding if we really could mount a challenge on St Mirren.   

What about Alexander

[mozam76]

You've got to be a little bit pleased for Livi. They've had to deal with an incredible amount of off-field nonsense and mockery over the years but they are absolutely flying just now. Some fans getting totally and utterly carried away but all power to them. Would certainly find it funny as f**k if you pipped Saints to the title.
United are a joke. Be lucky to stay in the top four at this rate.

Kudos to you for this, PotM.

To be honest, I absolutely get why some people WOULDN'T be happy for us. And I include our own fans in that.

Our failings and financial issues are well documented and f**k knows, have embarrassed me plenty over the years. I guess that's why I am one of the guilty "over the top" ones this morning.

Just seen EdinburghLivis post below, in which he's bang on. In order to win this, we'll need to put in a spectacular run between now and the end of the season and rely on St Mirren having an arse collapse (which I think will happen anyway).

[stumigoo]

1 hour ago, MacArab said:

OK. Cannot bring myself to read through the match thread yet, so if I am duplicating, I apologise in advance. I now feel calm enough to post.

Livi - A decent, hard working team, good performance and 2 fantastic goals, the second was like a fucking heatseeking missile. IMO Livi were no more or less physical than any other team we have played, and tbf we won on Yellow cards. I put all Livis’s negative press about physicality down to typical Maureen moaning.

United, where do we fucking start??? Again, we have a team full of decent signings that we have turned into a bunch of overpaid (for the league they are playing in) Shiteawk journeymen. There were a few passages of decent play yesterday, but the majority of it was shite to the point of being almost laughable (ETA - For any Dees looking in, and who have been weighing in with your wisdom, fill your boots - I would have been laughing my cock off if I had been watching Dundee play like we did yesterday).

Overall we were outfought, outthought and lacked any composure on the ball whatsoever for the vast majority of the game.

Our defending was Benny Hill at best at times,  and our flying full backs would have been as well just going down the pub, (I hope Robson enjoyed his brief moment of success on Christmas Eve, as if things continue like this, the goal he scored the day before will be the pinnacle of his career)

Flood did what Flood does (runs about like a Loony), and the rest of the midfield were pretty anonymous, 

Lyng did the sum total off f**k all before having to go off, to be replaced by the even more ineffectual Mikkelson, who spend (as usual) more time on his arise waving his hands int he air than actually doing anything worthwhile. (ETA - Had he decided to have a wee shot rather than going down in the box looking for a pen we were never going to get, the result might have been different)

Macmullan when he comes on has a breakaway against tired defenders, rather than trying to use his pace, (which he has in abundance) he checks ant turns, which shows an abject lack of confidence.

The only good point yesterday was that that was the best I have seen Smith play to date. We had had no joy at all down the right until he cam on, where actually we began to become effective. He found the space for his goal and took it well.

Overall, actually was a really decent game with plenty of chances and 3 really good goals. I reckon a draw would have been a fair result, but Hardie (who was a thorn in our side for the whole game) pulls a pearler like that out of his arse and cuts our throats in the 91st minute - Fucking typifies everything about United just now I’m afraid.

I tend to place myself amongst the more positive/hopeful Arabs, but even I now accept that we are totally fucked, and not going up through any means this year. 

Rant over for now.

Bollocks 

Last night summed our side up to perfection and it happened against a side that are total antithesis of what we are. Livingston were "physical" but in such an organised and competitive way. We were "physical" but in a total shitehawk, running about but not putting in a challenge type way. Livingston played the ball with purpose and pace, we were aimless and laboured in possession. Some of our more experienced players should be ashamed of themselves when you compare them to people like Lee Miller and Gary Harkins who have utterly dominated us in recent weeks. There is no strength in this team, no unity, no identity and to be honest I would be happy for Laszlo to just draw a line under the squad and chuck in a few of the younger players like Matty Smith until the end of the season. If we never see someone like Scott McDonald ever again then I'd be absolutely fine with that. 

Yesterday was a last chance for some of our squad to show that they can at least compete when the pressure is on and they totally shat it.

[djchapsticks]

1 minute ago, stumigoo said:

Last night summed our side up to perfection and it happened against a side that are total antithesis of what we are. Livingston were "physical" but in such an organised and competitive way. We were "physical" but in a total shitehawk, running about but not putting in a challenge type way. Livingston played the ball with purpose and pace, we were aimless and laboured in possession. Some of our more experienced players should be ashamed of themselves when you compare them to people like Lee Miller and Gary Harkins who have utterly dominated us in recent weeks. There is no strength in this team, no unity, no identity and to be honest I would be happy for Laszlo to just draw a line under the squad and chuck in a few of the younger players like Matty Smith until the end of the season. If we never see someone like Scott McDonald ever again then I'd be absolutely fine with that. 

Yesterday was a last chance for some of our squad to show that they can at least compete when the pressure is on and they totally shat it.

McDonald is a complete charlatan. 

I remember laughing at some Saints fans being quite despondent that he'd signed for Utd as he'd be a 20 goal forward we were desperate for. 

Personally, I was more concerned with Keatings but he's done nothing either. 

[stumigoo]

3 minutes ago, djchapsticks said:

McDonald is a complete charlatan. 

I remember laughing at some Saints fans being quite despondent that he'd signed for Utd as he'd be a 20 goal forward we were desperate for. 

Personally, I was more concerned with Keatings but he's done nothing either. 

Keatings started badly and as been hampered by injuries all year so he gets a bit of a free pass. I hated Scott McDonald before he joined United and I probably hate him more now given he is stealing a wage and that he spends much more time trying to preserve his public image via BBC Scotland than actually playing football. 

[Colkitto]

If Livi can get St Mirrens lead down to 5 points within the next couple of games I can see them going on and  winning the league. Bold statement I know, but they are picking up points and playing well. They have found form just at the right time and are rightly just full of confidence.

St Mirren haven't really went through a sticky patch this season, and it happens to all teams at some point. What a finish to the season this could be! 

[EdinburghLivi]

1 minute ago, Colkitto said:

If Livi can get St Mirrens lead down to 5 points within the next couple of games I can see them going on and  winning the league. Bold statement I know, but they are picking up points and playing well. They have found form just at the right time and are rightly just full of confidence.

St Mirren haven't really went through a sticky patch this season, and it happens to all teams at some point. What a finish to the season this could be! 

Agree with the 5 points mark, I'll start to get excited if that happens. We need to go to Cappielow on Tuesday and win then hope for you to do us a favour in the derby.

[Zetterlund]

As much as I've never really liked McDonald myself either, quite often I think criticisms of his performances are harsh as he doesn't have a hope with the way we play. He was signed as a central striker to get on the end of chances in the box, and I recall interviews when he signed when he said this was one of the reasons he joined us, but he spends most games coming short to take passes from the defenders. We seem to have an actual aversion to crossing the ball too.

Also, I've said this before but the amount of goals we concede from outside the box is unbelievable. We seem to have been like this since the days of Ranks n' Pates, when the midfielders tasked with protecting the back 4 are posted missing. It doesn't help when everyone runs away from the ball when the opponent has it 25 yards out, mind.

[Bairnardo]

Livi need to take care here... Morton got a bit carried away with their title chasing patter after a Hibs game last year IIRC. If you go balls out for a misguided attempt at the flag you might end up burning the squad out for the playoffs. This is a hard time for a manager in your position.

How is your squad outwith first 11?

[Forest of Dean]

Had to be Hardie that did it as well!

Well done Livi.

[Afro]

Livi need to take care here... Morton got a bit carried away with their title chasing patter after a Hibs game last year IIRC. If you go balls out for a misguided attempt at the flag you might end up burning the squad out for the playoffs. This is a hard time for a manager in your position.

How is your squad outwith first 11?

There really is no chance of us winning the league at this point, even with the two fantastic results we’ve had against the Maureens and United. I think at this stage every reasonable Livingston fan would be ecstatic with a play-off place, which is looking an increasingly likely bet.

The squad has a good depth to it, with Cadden and De Vita out wide however I feel like we don’t have anyone who can make a major difference off the bench. Josh Mullin is out of form at the moment and has been getting 10-15 minutes here and there since Christmas, and Steven Boyd has been an incredibly disappointing signing. If we can continue momentum and get some of the players on the bench into a bit of form then it’ll be a very interesting end to the season. We’ve already well above and beyond where everyone thought we would end up this season, so I think the majority of Livi fans are just enjoying it whilst it lasts.

[Bairnardo]

There really is no chance of us winning the league at this point, even with the two fantastic results we’ve had against the Maureens and United. I think at this stage every reasonable Livingston fan would be ecstatic with a play-off place, which is looking an increasingly likely bet.

The squad has a good depth to it, with Cadden and De Vita out wide however I feel like we don’t have anyone who can make a major difference off the bench. Josh Mullin is out of form at the moment and has been getting 10-15 minutes here and there since Christmas, and Steven Boyd has been an incredibly disappointing signing. If we can continue momentum and get some of the players on the bench into a bit of form then it’ll be a very interesting end to the season. We’ve already well above and beyond where everyone thought we would end up this season, so I think the majority of Livi fans are just enjoying it whilst it lasts.

Aye, but you are where you are. Nae point thinking about the over acheiving part of it. Might aswell target whatever is acheivable. Second place is a big thing in the playoffs too. Just need to be careful and try to manage the resources based on what the manager thinks is acheivable. Your team reminds me a wee bit of Morton last season. When they turned up at ours and snatched a really important 1-0 last season they were just like you lot in the way their midfield absolutely hounded ours. If a team that plays that style suffers from fatigue setting in though, they end up looking very ordinary.

Not what any fan wants to hear but if you dont go up via the playoffs I hope the Pittman rumours are true and we snaffle him off yous.

[mishtergrolsch]

Scott McDonald is a wee p***k but to play him as a lone striker in that team is fucking ludicrous. When i think on what he was like at his old clubs, he was the wee poacher in the box. Why is the manager not screaming for him to stay up front and not drop deep.

Laszlo hasnt got a clue what hes doing. Hes played the same formation and jumbled the players about in the hope that some shit sticks...the players are stinking right enough.

The defending for the second goal was under 9's stuff.  I laughed out loud.

King cant cross the ball. Especially on the wrong side.

McMullan is fast and scored recently. Play him up front instead of a slow, old, ineffective striker whos more interested in punditry.

What is Jamie Robson up to these days? Havent seen him since November. Shame he decided to leave and his twin brother who's a partially sighted and only has one fully functioning leg cell now plays for us.

Throw Lewis in the bin.

[andylivi1]

I think most people talking title challenges are opposition supporters tbh, I’ve not even considered it, we would need to go on an even better run than we are just now and probably win 9, 10 of the 12 remaining games to give us even a slim hope of catching a St mirren team who would really need to throw it away. 

No matter what happens from now until the end of the season it’s been quite a remarkable season and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. 

I honestly think our squad is as good as anyone’s in the league imo, Keaghan Jacobs can’t get a look in just now, who’d have thought that at the start of the season, Thompson to come back from suspension, Mullin who looked a bit more up for it last night, Buchanan is great cover to have defensively and Boyd who up to now has been poor but could easily come on and do a job.

Next few games are important, Morton and Dunfermline both away from home, then an ICT side that haven’t failed to impress me in all 3 meetings up to now at home, I think if we wanted to be serious about a challenge we’d probably need to get minimum 7 points, as is id be very happy with 3-5 points to keep the tally ticking over. 

[Whitburn Vale]

What a joy watching this livingston team is,as someone mentioned earlier,the turnaround from the shitefest that was the play off defeat to Stranraer to now is incredible !!!

A few people were calling for hoppy's head but the club stood by him and what an inspired decision that was!!

Not to bothered about all this title talk,but like most livi fans would be happy with a play-off berth and 2nd place 

[NorthBank]

52 minutes ago, Colkitto said:

If Livi can get St Mirrens lead down to 5 points within the next couple of games I can see them going on and  winning the league. Bold statement I know, but they are picking up points and playing well. They have found form just at the right time and are rightly just full of confidence.

St Mirren haven't really went through a sticky patch this season, and it happens to all teams at some point. What a finish to the season this could be! 

We went through our sticky patch last week at Livingston. Normal service now resumes.

[Colkitto]

2 minutes ago, NorthBank said:

We went through our sticky patch last week at Livingston. Normal service now resumes.

[Afro]

Not what any fan wants to hear but if you dont go up via the playoffs I hope the Pittman rumours are true and we snaffle him off yous.

I’d say given his personal circumstances, it seems highly likely Falkirk will be his next move come the summer. Bitterly disappointing to lose a player of his calibre but that’s the nature of the beast; we just haven’t kicked on off the pitch as we maybe should have done 5 years ago, and Falkirk are too far ahead of us now financially. I certainly wouldn’t begrudge Pittman a move to double or treble his salary, players need to make a living, it’s a short career, etc.

McMullan is fast and scored recently. Play him up front instead of a slow, old, ineffective striker whos more interested in punditry.

I said that to my mate last night - if I was a United fan, I’d be utterly raging at McDonald’s role in the club. On paper, he should be a leader within that side, instead he looks half arsed. Off the field as well, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was a full-time pundit and not a footballer. My commiserations to the United fans, we’ve all been there.

Next few games are important, Morton and Dunfermline both away from home, then an ICT side that haven’t failed to impress me in all 3 meetings up to now at home, I think if we wanted to be serious about a challenge we’d probably need to get minimum 7 points, as is id be very happy with 3-5 points to keep the tally ticking over. 

I’d happily take a point on Tuesday night given the amount we’ve put in to the past two games, Dunfermline away will be a tricky one if it’s a similar game to the one at Almondvale a few weeks ago. The two remaining home games against Morton will be crucial I feel - really not sure what to make of it given we last played them nearly four months ago, and our side is very different.