Matty-RCFC Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 £28 for two sides likely to be playing each other 4 times this season is ludicrous in the current climate. Muggins over here will still pay it, though. Weirdly optimistic about this on Saturday. Watching Sportscene on Saturday (admittedly you can’t take too much from a 5 minute highlight reel) I thought St Johnstone didn’t look to carry too much of a threat going forward. Hopefully it takes a little longer for their new signings to settle in and gel than this weekend. That being said, you’re going to get chances out of our back 3 because we still don’t look to have any defensive structure and have conceded in literally every game we’ve played this season (including Nairn). There is cause for optimism - we have genuine pace going forward and creativity in midfield. We just need to get that balance right and hopefully that starts this weekend. I think we’ll start something like: Laidlaw Brown - Smith - Baldwin - Nightingale - Harmon Loturi - Turner Dhanda White - Murray That side is dependant on a few things. I suspect we won’t sign another centre half before Saturday so I assume Dylan will play at centre half as he looked comfortable coming on at Parkhead. Harmon needs to come back to where he’s comfortable as he looked a bit lost at centre half on Saturday. I expect us to probably have the majority of the ball on Saturday so I can see Turner coming in for Randall to give us more creativity in the middle of the park. Hopefully Brophy will be fit for a 30 minute cameo off the bench too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muirton Saint Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 2 hours ago, Sonam said: Steven Maclean will be under real pressure especially as Saints fans expect to at least be near the top 6. Injuries or not. At the moment, any saints fan will take a 10th and above and class it as a good season 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebonce Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 I think we will see a similar starting XI to Celtic Park. My preference would be to see Henderson instead of Sims in a lop-sided 4-4-2. However with Sims you could readily pivot that shape into a back three, with Brown tucking inside and Sims used as a wing-back. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sensible Soccer🏴 Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 8 hours ago, bunglebonce said: I think we will see a similar starting XI to Celtic Park. My preference would be to see Henderson instead of Sims in a lop-sided 4-4-2. However with Sims you could readily pivot that shape into a back three, with Brown tucking inside and Sims used as a wing-back. There's a lot to like with that. All summer Mackay has been pushing the players to press very high, hopefully this is something we'll continue doing and not just against celtic. With that front 4 it could be pretty exciting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentino Bolognese Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 6 minutes ago, Sensible Soccer said: There's a lot to like with that. All summer Mackay has been pushing the players to press very high, hopefully this is something we'll continue doing and not just against celtic. With that front 4 it could be pretty exciting. Better not try that against us. We'll get in behind the midfield gap with our lightning pace and clinical finishing. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sensible Soccer🏴 Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 22 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said: Better not try that against us. We'll get in behind the midfield gap with our lightning pace and clinical finishing. It's this high risk, for high reward football that we've come to expect from this fixture. Goals, goals, goals... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comrie Posted August 9, 2023 Share Posted August 9, 2023 Fairly hopeful. St. Johnstone seem to start seasons slowly, so hopefully there's three points here. I think both sides will score. 2-1 to County. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsjfc Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Questions about what the line up will be with Wright now out. Suspect Ballantyne will drop out so the question becomes does MacLean go 4-4-2 and bring in Jephcott. That has the knock on effect of meaning on of Smith, Phillips or McGowan have to drop out (or McGowan goes back to RB) with Max likely on the right side. The other option 4-3-3 is Smith comes in and you need to replace Wright. Think then play Jephcott through the middle and push May wide or play Max as Wright's direct replacement. None of options feel ideal tbh. Think both May and Jephcott would benefit playing together but that probably weakens the overall 11. If Max starts, hope to see a little more direct play from him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevitt Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Any update on Allardice? Leak fit enough to start here? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 19 hours ago, nelsjfc said: Questions about what the line up will be with Wright now out. Suspect Ballantyne will drop out so the question becomes does MacLean go 4-4-2 and bring in Jephcott. That has the knock on effect of meaning on of Smith, Phillips or McGowan have to drop out (or McGowan goes back to RB) with Max likely on the right side. The other option 4-3-3 is Smith comes in and you need to replace Wright. Think then play Jephcott through the middle and push May wide or play Max as Wright's direct replacement. None of options feel ideal tbh. Think both May and Jephcott would benefit playing together but that probably weakens the overall 11. If Max starts, hope to see a little more direct play from him. Suspect Max for Wright might happen, with Smith also in for Ballantyne. Max has been poor and probably doesnt deserve to start, but if youre committing to youth and to giving them a chance, i guess you have to show patience and offer them opportunities to show theyre learning/improving. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bonham Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 29 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said: Suspect Max for Wright might happen, with Smith also in for Ballantyne. Max has been poor and probably doesnt deserve to start, but if youre committing to youth and to giving them a chance, i guess you have to show patience and offer them opportunities to show theyre learning/improving. Max just isnt suited to playing on the right of a 4 unfortunately. I think its difficult to judge him as a player out there. If he gets a chance to play more central he’ll need to grab it though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSJ.84 Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Gallacher out injured? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Paddy Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 1 minute ago, PSJ.84 said: Gallacher out injured? Jesus h christ...! Is that confirmed? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSJ.84 Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 19 minutes ago, Saint Paddy said: Jesus h christ...! Is that confirmed? Saw it mentioned on twitter - so could be total shite. Guy that tweeted has given a couple of decent ITK type tweets already this season though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 44 minutes ago, John Bonham said: Max just isnt suited to playing on the right of a 4 unfortunately. I think its difficult to judge him as a player out there. If he gets a chance to play more central he’ll need to grab it though. Would agree with that, was on about Max right in a 4-3-3, but didnt realise i never actually said that anywhere I think he'll end up wide longer term, like a Sheerin, tbh. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Paddy Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 1 hour ago, PSJ.84 said: Saw it mentioned on twitter - so could be total shite. Guy that tweeted has given a couple of decent ITK type tweets already this season though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentino Bolognese Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said: Would agree with that, was on about Max right in a 4-3-3, but didnt realise i never actually said that anywhere I think he'll end up wide longer term, like a Sheerin, tbh. I expect it will be 4-3-3. If Gallagher is out that's a big blow, probably one of the top 3 so far this season and not somewhere we have easy cover for. Considine would be the only real option, or maybe Liam Parker(?) which would be a real problem. You can absolutely see Brown's goal from last week on repeat. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 1 minute ago, Valentino Bolognese said: I expect it will be 4-3-3. If Gallagher is out that's a big blow, probably one of the top 3 so far this season and not somewhere we have easy cover for. Considine would be the only real option, or maybe Liam Parker(?) which would be a real problem. You can absolutely see Brown's goal from last week on repeat. Booth is fit isnt he? Sure he was only out last week with a "back spasm" and was on painkillers. Theres more chance of James Brown at left back than Parker, IMO. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebonce Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Just now, Valentino Bolognese said: You can absolutely see Brown's goal from last week on repeat. It’s still a novelty for us to think that we have a source of attacking impetus from right-back, after 18 months of nothing from that position. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentino Bolognese Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Just now, RandomGuy. said: Booth is fit isnt he? Sure he was only out last week with a "back spasm" and was on painkillers. Theres more chance of James Brown at left back than Parker, IMO. I was under the impression that they were both still out. Again the back 5 might be an option, i.e. put both Considine and Parker on the left and hope that between them they give us enough cover. I agree though if Brown is fit he'll play there. James Brown vs James Brown. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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