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I’m hoping our players can perform at the top of their game for the remainder of the season. Said and JT struggling a wee bit so be interesting to see if JBA perseveres with them or tries something different and how he deals with left back situation.

I'm going to enjoy the football on show for the rest of the season but I fully expect for the manager and the squad to get picked apart in the summer. Slattery is OOC. Welsh goes back to Celtic. Maswanhise will be sold. Just and Watt will have suitors and I'm doubtful we'll be blocking moves for them given we market ourselves as a place where you can earn a move. I suspect we'll be another new look Motherwell team next season and we'll have to wait and see how it goes.

Of course we can build. JBA has been revolutionary for us, but the style he plays is very common across most European leagues with teams big and small. The fact that it's unusual in Scotland speaks volumes about our approach to the game, but there is no reason we can't find a replacement who adopts a similar style. As I have said before, you only need to watch the "wee" teams who regularly beat Scottish sides in the European qualifying rounds to see how common our style is. In fact, I predict 2 or 3 other Scottish sides will be recruiting to copy us next season.

I am not convinced Jens will be away. I think a 2nd season for him builds his CV even more. As I said yesterday cash in on Maswanhise and use some money to build and make us even stronger. Hope we get good crowd in Saturday. 4th the priority so we need everyone on board. COYW

I don't think we'll get the opportunity to build our gaffer will be off and unless your giving the job to his rookie assistant manager there's not going to be much continuity. Your also going to have to trust the recruitment to get it spot on again to replace Maswanhise, Slattery, Welsh etc which we all know at clubs our size is hit and miss. I'm not trying to be negative that's just the reality of clubs like ourselves. I have enjoyed this season but can't help but feel it's an opportunity to win something that's been passed up again. The only 2 other recent-ish seasons i've felt similar was the McCall 12/13 team and the Robinson 17/18 team.

My experience of AI too. I'm finding it harder than expected to find the teams for that game but there is a photo here of the players in the bath after the game apparently and Billy is to the left of Davie Whiteford with Willie McCallum left of Billy. He's also in the squad colour foatie for that season: https://x.com/SteelmenHistory/status/1724107481775772032

Elijah Just. Given the treatment that he got from Celtic throughout the game his performance was magnificent. Full of energy, full of running, great out ball and lovely finish for his goal (Im not having it that he didnt strike it cleanly). He is the difference maker in our team and the one player we cant do without.

Especially considering we had a complete overhaul of our style and tactics at the start of the season. Earlier in the week JBA and SOD talked about "the journey" from where we were in our draw against Clyde and narrow win at Stenhousemuir. To come from that to (semi) serious title chat has been far more rapid progress than most of us could have hoped for. The next test is how do we sustain and build.

Thought he did reasonably well when he came on. St Mirren look a shadow of the team they were in the league cup though.

AI is great until you ask it a question on a topic where you have some knowledge. Then you quickly realise it's just a fancy google with a chatty interface. When I bought a new phone last year, I couldn't find a setting I was looking for. I asked ChatGPT and the response was "that model has not been released yet". I replied that it was released 3 months ago, and the next response was "You are correct", and then gave me the answer I needed about the setting. I certainly wouldn't trust it for anything critical.

I agree. Using the above logic our season has been over in January for the last 4 years as we have never thought winning the league was possible. Whether you believe we had any chance of winning the league this year or not, just having a conversation about it was something new. This season wont be over for me until the last ball is kicked and we see how high up the league (or otherwise) we finish. I think 4th and European football would be a very good return on top of the entertainment we have enjoyed this season.

Absolutely. It's one of those rare seasons I don't want to end. While I'd love to win a cup, I enjoy watching us perform at this level week-in week-out, and would be delighted to see us play the same way for another 38 games.

I was sure wee Billy Campbell (N. Ireland) was on the right wing that night. I've discovered recently AI is not infallible by any means.

If you think our season's basically been over since Pittodrie, fair enough. I don't feel that way at all, and whatever happens in the summer, I'll wring every bit of enjoyment I can get out of the remaining games.

Hearts have beat both the OF twice and sit top of the league. They're going to lose games their not a Celtic or Rangers type machine their in unknown territory to them and have been top of the league for the best part of 6 months. I also don't see how any other teams mentality is relevant to what I said. We haven't won any games with pressure on us this season. Went out both cups to teams we're unbeaten against in the league and when the media started talking about a title challenge we've lost the 2 games since. I like watching us under JBA but as far as I'm concerned our seasons basically been over since we went out the cup. I'd like to get into Europe but I'm also wary we'll most likely be without our manager and multiple key players (Maswanhise, Slattery, Welsh at a minimum) and probably Just as well. So bringing in a new manager and half a starting 11 doesn't fill me with confidence.

I was always against VAR because, as I said at the time, it was madness to think the same people making bad decisions on the pitch would somehow start making good decisions when they looked at video. It has turned out worse than I thought, because now they are intervening far more than the original claim of overruling "clear and obvious errors" and are practively refereeing games. When you add the ability to make decisions that change games in favour of big teams then the game, as they saym is gone.

I can 100 percent accept that was a penalty but 100 percent that is not a red card if thats a red card then no match in world football should be being finishing with 22 players on the park at the end. And the fact I witnessed a Ox Chamberlain stay on the park after a horror tackle proves to me that paying for something that doesnt really work you tend to throw it away and VAR as we use it needs to be thrown right in the bin its refs backing up pal refs with terrible decisions. So reading the messages no we haven't been found out,no the bubble hasn't burst and I don't know what game some of the folk here were watching or listening to yesterday but we were firmly in the game until the Red Card.Its like folk on here are itching at the bit for us to get beat have a bad game so they can moan.

All designed so that Celtic win the league .

If beaton needs var to tell him it was a penalty given his unobstructed view of the incident , then maybe refereeing isn't for him. Cowardly bastard.

Also agree about the mentality thing. We' re not perfect, but I see no evidence of a mentality issue. We always knew this approach would sometimes create mistakes that cost goals. It's an intense approach that, more than other approaches, needs all the players to be 100% switched on at all times and all players to be in sync at all times. I also think the amount of success and quality play we have watched tends to make errors stand out even more. A bit like when someones makes an aimless punt and there's a collective groan.

It does have a tendency to make things up. I asked the question again, then asked a follow up if it was Willie, not Bobby and it replied "It was Willie McCallum, not Bobby." Next time I asked, it bottled it and just listed "McCallum" instead of a full name, so maybe it is learning.

The dangers of AI. Was it not Willie McCallum? Bobby was a LB. Don't know what happened to him. He seemed to have a short career which came to a sudden end.

Just was the best player on the park…. By a distance

Bump

ChatGPT says (and sounds correct) Keith MacRae – goalkeeper Davie Whiteford Joe Wark Tam Forsyth Jackie McInally Bobby McCallum Dixie Deans Jim Muir Brian Heron – ⚽ scored Tom Donnelly – ⚽ scored Bobby Watson (captain) – ⚽ scored