Stu92

Oh what we'd do for Danny Johnson these days.

The SPFL (via independent panel) gave the decision in our favour. It was the SFA that overturned it. I’m not sure how much ‘blame’ can be aimed at the SPFL here. The process of having the independent panel adjudicate in the interests of fairness was the right one I think and the decision was pretty clearly justified. They wanted executive powers to try and sort these things out before the season even began, and weren’t given them. I don’t think they’ve done much wrong. I know that the SPFL and the SFA are separate bodies, but they’d surely be on a similar page on matters such as this. By cancelling one another out they’ve just made the game in Scotland into a joke, which makes the end outcome much more infuriating than if the initial punishment had just been the slap on the wrist and token fine. As others have said, I don’t think the club should be saying anything on the decision publicly. I would expect Burrows et al to be following up in private however, for all the good it will do. I doubt that stipulations over what players can and can’t play would had to have been outlined as part of the decision.

The cynic in me thinks that the socially distanced team photo was to emphasise that some clubs are taking things seriously...

The official site has him returning in February. Updated just before Christmas, so you’d hope just a few more weeks. Realistically won’t be contributing to game as we’d like him until into March/April I think, as you’d expect after being out for as long as he has.

The "didn't cut it last time" chat is a bit misleading. How many players need to take a step down as a young player to then make the step back up again? The captain of the national team springs to mind.

Lawless appears to fit within our current financial model as well, which is good.

Agreed. I always remember thinking that he looked pretty decent, and wondered why he had been let go.

The ex-Livi theme is becoming a bit laughable now, but I wouldn't say that makes this a bad signing. Decent pedigree in Scottish football and fills a position we've been lacking in, the 'graduate homecoming' thing is also a nice sentiment.

Doubt it seeing as Kilmarnock and St Mirren are already playing.

Very generous of you to give him 45 minutes before being denounced as shite.

Morally dubious yes, but not sure Celtic have broken any rules as such. If they had failed to play Hibs the other night that would've been a different story but can't see them being charged with wrongdoing on this occasion.

But when fans get back into stadiums, that'll equate to more time to visit the kiosk! Revenue generation at its finest.

The squad is nowhere near as bad as some have made out. Carroll and Donnelly (hopefully back soon) are like 2 new signings. I suspect we'll get 2-3 new faces in at most this window, and likely on short term loans as others have mooted. I think I'd have bigger concerns about GA turning things around if he went out and signed 6 or 7 new players, as that would suggest he isn't capable of getting the few extra percent out of a largely capable but underachieving squad. I'd also be concerned if we started throwing money around during what has always been an inflated January market. Aye, we've done well in revenue terms recently but that money is ringfenced for new training infrastructure and stadium maintenance/improvements surely? I'd be pretty raging actually if we started eating into that, as I suspect those wheels will be put into motion in the next 12 months once fans are back at games. I'd like to think that the board interviewed potential new managers thinking "who is the best man to turn this around" and not "who is the best man to turn this around if we give him a few hundred grand to spend on new signings". You could say that our squad overachieved last season but it is certainly underachieving this season, I have faith that GA will get things right without any major surgery this window and we'll finish clear of the bottom.

It'll be Madden, Dalls and Collum etc in the VAR booth, so I wouldn't hold your breath that they'll all of a sudden start getting things wrong less often.

Just out of curiosity, how does the headers stat compare against other teams. Admittedly we've scored fewer than most, but I would've thought headers make up a minority for most teams. Quite glaring when you see it broken down like you have but I wonder how it stacks up against others.