The Big Relegation Thread

[johnnydun]

13 minutes ago, SEETHING said:

I would give anyone here odds of 1,000/1 for Hearts being relegated. It simply will not happen, for the following reasons:
 

1. We’re not going into administration. 
2. A global pandemic is very unlikely to reoccur, thus the SPFL will not have the opportunity to cheat us in the manner they did in 2020.

3. We’re f**king back.

4. Hibs are shite.

5. Ross County are shite.

6. St Murn are shite.

 

Point 2 still looks like it tastes very bitter.

[capt_oats]

10 hours ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

We were always streaky under Robinson but it was midway through his 3rd full season where we properly went into a tailspin that he never really got us out of. We obviously still finished 3rd due to Covid but with hindsight it was pretty clearly the beginning of the end for him given the way it carried over into 2020/21. Early days but does seem like he might have a bit of a shelf-life, tactically.

Don't disagree with the general point but the initial dip in 19/20 kind of coincided with us selling Scott last minute and I guess there was the unpleasantness with Robinson going on in the background (although we won 3 of the 5 immediately after he was lifted).

The 20/21 season also seemed to hinge on off the field stuff a bit as well (mind we were awarded points for St Mirren and Killie breaching protocols then weren't - those were match days 10 and 11 when we were on a run of 4 wins from 5 between matchdays 7-13) and in a general sense I'm not sure that Robinson's approach to coaching was particularly suited to the restrictions in place off the back of Covid.

Either way, I'd been thinking about this after reading @RandomGuy.'s post about Robinson's post-match interview in the St Mirren thread earlier.

St Mirren fans can probably correct me but aside from his first 6 months after taking the job where he couldn't buy a win it doesn't feel like Robinson's time with them has had the same streakiness he had with us.

I guess what I mean is that I don't think he's had to blow up an entire team and start from scratch midway through a season or anything like that and again from a fairly limited knowledge on the outside looking in there's probably been less churn in playing staff, recent events with Rooney not withstanding there are probably fewer cases of binning players off after a couple of months (waves at Casper Sloth, Alex Fisher etc)?

For all it's clear that his approach in Paisley seems to have been "just do what worked at Motherwell" it also seems to have been a bit less chaotic but I'm curious to see how he tries to fix it as it definitely felt that his exit from us was as much about protecting his brand as it was having reached his shelf-life tactically.

With him having, again, been overlooked for the Aberdeen and Hearts jobs off the back of b2b Top Six finishes with St Mirren on top of his Motherwell CV I wonder if he'll have learned from sticking around too long at Fir Park when things were going sideways (he admitted himself that in hindsight he should have left us in the summer when he interviewed for the Northern Ireland job).

[Leith Green]

40 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

Hearts have a dreadful start to the season and literally can’t win a game until game 8. 

Game 9 is a derby and hibs are bottom of the league. Supporting Hibernian is a cruel form of torture. 

Pedant alert, next week is game 10 for hearts.

Your last sentence is still right tho.................

[tree house tam]

What is it with Unionists and feeling cheated?

[SEETHING]

8. Dungdee are shite. 

[RandomGuy.]

Not sure if folk are being serious but it's still clearly us and County who are favourites for the bottom two.

Dundee/St Mirren have some underlying issues that could drag them down but they've also strengths that should see them thinking about the top 6 more than the bottom 2.

Hibs are the ones I'm most curious about though, they've kind of stealthily (to me) built a dreadful squad and handed it to a rookie. I think they're the team Saints/County should be aiming to finish above out of anyone.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

50 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

St Mirren fans can probably correct me but aside from his first 6 months after taking the job where he couldn't buy a win it doesn't feel like Robinson's time with them has had the same streakiness he had with us.

I guess what I mean is that I don't think he's had to blow up an entire team and start from scratch midway through a season or anything like that and again from a fairly limited knowledge on the outside looking in there's probably been less churn in playing staff, recent events with Rooney not withstanding there are probably fewer cases of binning players off after a couple of months (waves at Casper Sloth, Alex Fisher etc)?

Aye that's fair to say, even taking the most rudimentary view they seem to be a lot less feast or famine than we were under him- 6th then 5th VS 7th (two Cup finals)- 8th (awful until January then brilliant until May)- 3rd (limped over the line)- and the chaotic last season. 

FWIW looking at the fixtures, once Ibrox is out the way I'd be pretty surprised if St Mirren don't pick up at least 4 points from their two home games against St Johnstone and County- probably 6 tbh. Whenever things got a bit precarious under Robinson I was fairly confident he'd pull something out the bag in that sort of game.

[AW saint]

49 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Don't disagree with the general point but the initial dip in 19/20 kind of coincided with us selling Scott last minute and I guess there was the unpleasantness with Robinson going on in the background (although we won 3 of the 5 immediately after he was lifted).

The 20/21 season also seemed to hinge on off the field stuff a bit as well (mind we were awarded points for St Mirren and Killie breaching protocols then weren't - those were match days 10 and 11 when we were on a run of 4 wins from 5 between matchdays 7-13) and in a general sense I'm not sure that Robinson's approach to coaching was particularly suited to the restrictions in place off the back of Covid.

Either way, I'd been thinking about this after reading @RandomGuy.'s post about Robinson's post-match interview in the St Mirren thread earlier.

St Mirren fans can probably correct me but aside from his first 6 months after taking the job where he couldn't buy a win it doesn't feel like Robinson's time with them has had the same streakiness he had with us.

I guess what I mean is that I don't think he's had to blow up an entire team and start from scratch midway through a season or anything like that and again from a fairly limited knowledge on the outside looking in there's probably been less churn in playing staff, recent events with Rooney not withstanding there are probably fewer cases of binning players off after a couple of months (waves at Casper Sloth, Alex Fisher etc)?

For all it's clear that his approach in Paisley seems to have been "just do what worked at Motherwell" it also seems to have been a bit less chaotic but I'm curious to see how he tries to fix it as it definitely felt that his exit from us was as much about protecting his brand as it was having reached his shelf-life tactically.

With him having, again, been overlooked for the Aberdeen and Hearts jobs off the back of b2b Top Six finishes with St Mirren on top of his Motherwell CV I wonder if he'll have learned from sticking around too long at Fir Park when things were going sideways (he admitted himself that in hindsight he should have left us in the summer when he interviewed for the Northern Ireland job).

Like your views on Robbo pretty accurate.

However I don't think he is looking to leave us like he did with well. He wants a long term gig.

Robbo certainly has flaws. He is blind to some players and doesn't know his best side. He also signs too many similar players. He has the experience to get us up the table once he has a fully fit squad. 

Problem is losing can become a habit. 

 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

20 minutes ago, SEETHING said:

8. Dungdee are shite. 

The same Dundee that beat your mob.

[Crùbag]

28 minutes ago, tree house tam said:

What is it with Unionists and feeling cheated?

Who's a Yoon?

[DeeTillEhDeh]

6 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Not sure if folk are being serious but it's still clearly us and County who are favourites for the bottom two.

Dundee/St Mirren have some underlying issues that could drag them down but they've also strengths that should see them thinking about the top 6 more than the bottom 2.

Hibs are the ones I'm most curious about though, they've kind of stealthily (to me) built a dreadful squad and handed it to a rookie. I think they're the team Saints/County should be aiming to finish above out of anyone.

Our home game against you next Saturday gives us a chance to open the gap up - or for you to drag us into the relegation battle.

[Crùbag]

8 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Not sure if folk are being serious but it's still clearly us and County who are favourites for the bottom two.

Dundee/St Mirren have some underlying issues that could drag them down but they've also strengths that should see them thinking about the top 6 more than the bottom 2.

Hibs are the ones I'm most curious about though, they've kind of stealthily (to me) built a dreadful squad and handed it to a rookie. I think they're the team Saints/County should be aiming to finish above out of anyone.

Shoight by stealth.

They've somehow managed to ship out Hanlol and yon beardie after decades and yet got worse.

Where's Enoch Mackay btw?

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Our home game against you next Saturday gives us a chance to open the gap up - or for you to drag us into the relegation battle.

Or neither.

[tree house tam]

3 minutes ago, Crùbag said:

Who's a Yoon?

I think we all know the top two Unionist clubs in our league.

It's The Rangers and Hearts just to save you googling it.

[Leith Green]

52 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Hibs are the ones I'm most curious about though, they've kind of stealthily (to me) built a dreadful squad and handed it to a rookie.

Not stealthily to us, its been clear for months.

We have - amazingly - made the defence and goalkeeping positions worse than last season. Allied to a toothless attack and our perma crap midfield, then its some laugh - for everyone else.

The squad is genuinely awful.

I would add that Gray is in real bother imo, his subs have been horrendous last few weeks - e.g. not taking off Triantis (v Well) and Newell (v Arabs) when both are knackered and on yellows is almost unforgivable.

[VincentGuerin]

Hibs should have stuck with Johnson.

His fifth place with a pretty poor squad now looks like a job very well done. He followed that up with a decent result in Europe, but Hibs panicked and emptied him due to a poor start to the season in the league.

When you look at the last few years it's perfectly common for Scottish Premiership sides to start the season poorly when they're in Europe. But instead of showing a bit of patience Hibs took fright and tore everything up to start again. His spell is the only time since getting rid of Ross that Hibs haven't been a bottom six side.

Johnson was a bit weird in the way he spoke and maybe isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm certain Hibs would be much better off now if they'd stuck with him.

Edited 11 hours ago by VincentGuerin

[Sarto Mutiny]

The most damning thing I can say about Hibs is that they really remind me of the United team who were relegated a couple of years back. David Gray is your Liam Fox - put into a job he appears to have neither the ability nor the experience for, with overpaid signings bought above his head.

[Crùbag]

1 hour ago, tree house tam said:

I think we all know the top two Unionist clubs in our league.

It's The Rangers and Hearts just to save you googling it.

Based on what?

Most Jambos I know voted Yes. A poll on kickback saw a majority for Yes too.

As to own family, one side of family come from Catholic Irish who just happened to settle in Gorgie.

A bit rich coming from Perth which has one of biggest Tory votes in Scotland. Just as well most of us, older than 16, don't just blindy associate a club's support with certain politics. And, I'm very aware that we have our UJ-waving bozos but on what grounds do they represent our club more than the multi-cultural support as a whole who come from different backgrounds and have different politcal views. Salmond was a Jambo as is Ian Murray.

[Dons_1988]

55 minutes ago, Leith Green said:

Not stealthily to us, its been clear for months.

We have - amazingly - made the defence and goalkeeping positions worse than last season. Allied to a toothless attack and our perma crap midfield, then its some laugh - for everyone else.

The squad is genuinely awful.

I would add that Gray is in real bother imo, his subs have been horrendous last few weeks - e.g. not taking off Triantis (v Well) and Newell (v Arabs) when both are knackered and on yellows is almost unforgivable.

Always amazes me how many teams neglect the defence and goalkeeper when squad building. It can quite literally undermine everything you do. We’ve been guilty of it recently and it’s just so galling. 

[RandomGuy.]

7 minutes ago, Crùbag said:

Based on what?

Most Jambos I know voted Yes. A poll on kickback saw a majority for Yes too.

As to own family, one side of family come from Catholic Irish who just happened to settle in Gorgie.

A bit rich coming from Perth which has one of biggest Tory votes in Scotland. Just as well most of us, older than 16, don't just blindy associate a club's support with certain politics. And, I'm very aware that we have our UJ-waving bozos but on what grounds do they represent our club more than the multi-cultural support as a whole who come from different backgrounds and have different politcal views. Salmond was a Jambo as is Ian Murray.

Your owner is a massive Tory m8.

Fairly sure Perth is the longest standing SNP seat too.