Goggles & Flippers

Take no joy in him leaving but I think he was scunnered by performances and lack of tempo. He also seemed to lack the drive and vigour he exhibited at the start of his tenure. Looking at the last few SPFL appointments, Lennon, arguably has plateaued St Brendan's team at best, reality is he has made them much worse despite trophies. Davison, don't see any improvement over Wright except he managed to point May in the general direction of a goalmouth. Killie had that Italian who lost the dressing room now it seems Steve Clark's assistant is a career assistant. Hearts, shitshow after another from when Cathro was appointed. Let's not overlook the advantage of Livvy's pitch to Holt's record. Ross County, highlight was beating us in week 1, Yoggie to the rescue? Accies, Brain Rice ... give me strength. It would be hard for anyone (except the usual suspects) to argue over Robinson during his tenure however it did seem to be on a downward trajectory acknowledged by himself. Yes the team is roughly in the table where he picked it up. While not finding and developing, he blooded and played a number of our youth setup for big financial gain. Financially we are immeasurably healthier and would be infinitessimily if he hadn't given wages to a number of imposters. I'd say in our league at present there are 5 managers who have improved their side (some marginally) over what they inherited. Gerrard, McInnes (however I'd argue he plateaued about 2/3 years ago), Goodwin (too early? based on that Rangers result maybe and recent form), Ross and Robinson. Mellon has inherited Neilson's team but they are more than holding their own as newly promoted, don't feel it fair yet to judge. Holt improved his team so should be above but they declined of late and let's not ignore the importance of that pitch in picking up points. The rest are maintaining that status quo or taking their teams backward. Davison, Kettlewell (as newly punted), Lennon and Dyer (probably the worst performer). No surprise Las gets 4 games (in theory), that leaves 8 days before the transfer window closes. In reality, to stand any chance he needs a bounce against Accies and St Mirren. Good results in the current circumstances is not to be drubbed by Rangers and Aberdeen away is on paper tough but oddly one of our most successful away days for the past 10 years. The board will have an idea after St. Mirren if there's promise and shouldn't be expecting much from the following two games. However the wheels have already been set in motion to court outside interest and will potentially gain more impetus on the 10th of January depending on the result the day before. I also guess he will be told he has to get results with what he has unless there were loan signings already in the pipeline. That could be argued as handcuffing but it is a big step up for someone with no pedigree so I have no issue with that. Also if we do appoint outside the club, having 8 days to wheel and deal to bring in players has to be seen as a minor incentive over playing out things till May with what they inherit.

Embarrassing fallout of this. Authorities investigate (sensible as you'd expect), Clubs present their versions (their right), deliberated (procedural with facts), outcome (you'd imagine wateright), league table (altered or not), job done ....... Now we're adding in appeal and re-alteration of league table with potential to be re-re-altered back. Nothing should have been done until every avenue exhausted and all parties in agreement with outcome (if not result). Non negotiable timeframes imposed because speedy resolutions are important. Like red card appeals are heard on the Monday or Tuesday afterwards as if rescinded, the player is available for the next fixture opposed to sitting it out. Nothing should have been done to the league table until this was finalised, it should not have taken 2 months. It could be argued that our opposition could have a sporting advantage over where they were. It's how Scotland got an unlikely 3 points in the Czech Republic in the Nations League after all.

If I was Cole I’d be knocking on his door on Monday saying “gaffer, no offence but what exactly do I have to do to get ahead of some of the pish you’ve got here?”

Positives - Tim Hortons is now open Negatives - They don't sell methadone, only caffeine based products which heighten the senses

It's pretty much inevitable

Semi finalists of St Johnstone, Livvy, St Mirren and Hibs. Granted it looks like the Petrofac draw. Jesus what a time to have bottled it. I hope that realisation dawns on the players tonight and how close they could have had to silverwear if they just screwed the nut. Saying that we'd have managed to arse up the Dunfermline draw. Fair play to St Mirren, managed a result we can only dream about at present.

I was under the impression they were, what took the time was to establish if both clubs done enough and followed the guidelines which it was deemed they didn't. That's what extended the timescale from an early November one weeks later plus both clubs getting in expensive lawyers. Can't help this is frivolous on their part, I'm sure the SPFL belt and braces this decision to avoid it ongoing so it seems purely for PR and to appease their fans rather than get an outcome. Would they have appealed if they were both due to play Newco?

I wouldn’t put Lang in that sorry list. As for Mugabi it took a wee while for both Cedric and Louis to find their feet and that was without injury. The rest can either grow a pair, have freezing cold showers and train like Spartan warriors between now and May or tatty bye. Grafting to get a top 6 finish and fingers crossed for a decent Scottish cup run by early December is rank.

This game highlights our level this season. Highlighted by Hibs opening a gap to a return to European football with little or no answers. No cutting edge but to be fair to them, no rub of the green in front of goal either. But as Garry Player famously said, “The more I practice, the luckier I get”. Few have stepped up and many just seem to be flat and there to draw a wage. As I type this a third goal goes in and makes it a bit of a spanking. All pretty much in an awful 2nd 45. Not good enough all thoughout the club sadly.

Inconsistency is dripping from the menagerie that is season 2020/21. So 5-2 to us, Lamie getting a hat-trick. Of course, after the shit show that was Saturday afternoon for this to happen we'll need both Bevis (running into a post) and Gallagher (square go-ing the ref) to require Lamie's substitution 60 minutes as a last resort.

I think when he was offered a new contract in the summer the astute people at the club may have added in a few clauses. Remember Cedric seemingly getting a new deal every week or so, that was done to ensure a ROI. Based on how the club have performed behind the scenes I'd be surprised if there wasn't some nice wee deal in place.

That prick Peter Kay made a career out of just shouting Garlic Bread

I just realised, since Thursday, our nation became England. I'll take you back to the 2018 World Cup, England are in not the hardest group, but loose out to Belgium (they are pretty good) hump Panama (expected) and squeeze by against Tunisia (not expected). They then get Colombia (tasty but crazy streak) and get through on pens. Next is Sweden who won their group and probably most people's weakest team when the draw was made in F, crazy in itself as Germany and South Korea went to shit. 2-0 vs them and then Croatia, the first team of any pedigree or class other than Belgium, and then they're out at Semi Final stage. They meet Belgium again third place playoff and again papped. They faced 3 games against decent teams and were beaten in all three. The come home as 4th in the world, Southgate given an OBE, English press say "its only a matter of time". I don't want to take anything away from our achievement, the nations league by definition puts teams of similar stature in the same group so games are going to be tight. We scraped through a few, rode our luck in others (but we've been at the worse end of that in our time so I'm happy to accept it). The Czech team getting covid and having to field a virtual brand new one was a major bonus for us away from home. We had 10 points and all we had to do was see it through. I wonder if Clarke regrets not fielding more from Thursday night against arguably the weakest team in our group on Sunday. However the Czech's won it and fair play to them on balance they deserved it as they got results that we didn't ..... but we were in such a good place going into these games. Thursday night heroics maybe masked a few issues we still have. We got there via another penalty shootout in October where an outstretched arm was the difference. While we were immense, Serbia were unexpectedly chronically bad and then it went to a penalty lottery as we didn't screw the nut in the final minute. We just need to be more lethal with our chances in the way Motherwell were so wasteful for the first 6 games or so this season. I don't think McBurnie enhances the squad, he seems there based on the stature of his club team rather than what he has brought.

I dunno, contrary to my earlier post I'm optimistic about their futures in C&A

If you think he’d sign it you’re onto plums. Best we can hope for is a move similar to Louis. By January a team that shipping goals sees him a sticky plaster and will pay an OK sum to get him 6 months earlier than the bum fight if he becomes a free agent.

TV revenues weren't the same then, the Champions League didn't exist in the way it does now and we regularly got 8,500 average where as Celtic couldn't fill up Hampden when they rented it. We were much closer to them then compared to now. Bosman and Euro runs beyond Christmas is what opened the gulf and our dwindling attendances because people looked for alternatives to spend their money on. I can't think of where we'd pick players up from but it certainly wasn't Forest Green Rovers and alike. We now have a mindset against the OF which isn't shared by a few other teams in the league (Killie and ICT being two standouts with budgets around our level or less). The 20 year league thing against Rangers is quite a noose round the neck until you remember they've had "The" in front of their name since 2012. I just wish we'd actually show up and give them a game more often than we do.

Anyone who'd bounce a 50p off Hugh Dallas' spawn ..... I've give them a fiver

We polished off Brendan and I'd love it if we'd earn Lennon his jotters

add "bellend" to Tom Boyd

Oh you mean like Callum McGregor or Scott Sinclair conning a ref?

I get that to a degree Andy, but look at Killie's record. Some of down to the pitch yes but they haven't rode their luck with either of the OF misfiring in all those occasions they've got a draw or a win.

Since you predicted it, 20 quid on it

Jesus this covid thing makes everyone behave differently eh

I feel I may have earned the right to a view on this. As far as I can see the government can do no right here. For many its draconian and for others it is too little too late. Issue is with social media is everyone has a voice it just tends to be the biggest roasters who post the most and shout the loudest ...... I shall refrain from pointing any fingers. I'll hold my hands up and say if I wasn't affected I would have had a healthy feeling of invulnerability and arrogance. Since I have been affected much more than most I have a cautious respect for the virus and what can develop. It comes back to the selfishness of many those lifestyles have been eroded and their intolerance to inconvenience. I can only imagine this is fuelled by: a) I'm young so it won't hit me as bad as it would a granny b) hubris and perceived personal fatigue of adhering to a few basic requests c) some bullshit and misplaced rant how they are looking out for hospitality workers and the economy d) citing personal freedom and a nefarious government plot or e) itching for their hole. Now the debate seems to be tailored local shutdowns over a blanket UK wide one. It's fuelled by whataboutery .... "why can I go to a bank and stand in a queue, go shopping in a supermarket but not have a drink in a pub with music on?", "Why can someone in London can go for a pint and go back to a friends house with 5 pals from 5 other houses?". I even seen it on here on Saturday where people assumed its Grimmy as Barnsley is tier three and he must of got days off in the past month. Lets ignore that Glasgow and Lanarkshire are as contagious as any of the worst pants anywhere else in the UK at present. There are reasons for all of this not fuelled by conspiracy theories or megalomaniac devious political leaders. It is devised by public health experts, immunologists, virologists, NHS logisticians, other medial professionals, statisticians and of course politicians as they ultimately issue and direct enforcement of policy. When this hit if we limited people visiting the UK and only allowed residents or nationals to return, tested them in the airport and ports upon arrival and sent them home under quarantine then this would be mitigated and we wouldn't have one of the worst statistics in the world from preventable deaths. Localised measures are the way forward but only if people adhere to the rules and there's a high degree of "fuck it" just now. There was support and Dunkirk/Blitz spirit back in March through to May but that has dwindled. Evidence is how many OF fans travelled to Fife or over into Cumbria/Lancashire. The amount who gave it serious thought or planned it shows where we are. Our society went through a change in the 80's due to Thatcherism where the self and a notion of as long as I'm OK, to hell with everyone else seeped into wide British society. Community cohesion and compassion eroded, Christ even empathy did too. We are predominately a more socially minded country than down south but as a whole things changed here too just not to the same degree. Flow said privately in July that they'd be nobody in FP before Ne'erday when there was soft talk about a mid September opening of grounds. Safe to say that has been an astute observation.

The Oracle has spoken. The prophecy will now come true. Hastie is not the chosen one.