Goggles & Flippers

Eddiemunster will consider that a challenge

The table at the moment is skewed down to a number of postponements. Partick's games in hand are: Hearts (a) (loss) St Johnstone (h) (draw) Dundee Utd (h) (win) ICT Hearts (h) (draw) St Johnstone (a) (draw) St. Johnstone Partick (a) (draw) ICT (h) (draw) Dundee Celtic (h) (loss) Partick are averaging just over a point a game so you'd think 4 points from 9. I've indicated in red what the form and league placing suggests plus home advantage. ICT 2 points and St. Johnstone 2 points also. It may help us that they all play each other so draws help our cause. Which if we use 26 games today as a datum the truer reflection of the league table could (helmet on) be: 4 Inverness CT 34 5 St Johnstone 34 6 Ross County 33 7 Dundee 33 8 Partick Thistle 32 9 Motherwell 29 10 Hamilton 29 11 Killie 27 So to the split, 7 games to gain 4 points for top 6, all it needs is a little momentum as Ross County showed last season. CAVEAT: All is based on conjecture and hope, consider this and count to 10 before you feel the need to poke holes

Tactical genius, 8th in the table ....... sitting pretty ............

Aye, but he got to shag Jennifer Aniston dressed up as Princess Leia .... swings and roundabouts

It appears Ross from Friends is a Well fan

Looking back through the threads leading to the playoff, there was only a small percentage of people on here who didn't have squeaky bums.

I don't particularly like the guy from what I've read, however I'm sure if I dealt with him face to face regularly I'd have a different opinion. I'm sure he'd be cordial and pleasant in the flesh. Perception and reality rarely match up in our digital age. His management style is autocratic and not matey like the previous two. Good, I prefer that. Am I wanting McGhee to win a popularity contest? Not really, it would be nice if he did but I'd rather he won manager of the month. Can he be at fault for some of the recent mistakes? Yes but as much as he was instrumental in the win at Parkhead and our run in December. Football is a game of fine margins and we've had a particularly crappy run in January. What hasn't helped him and has aided the anti bandwagon is the team selection at times which your ordinary fan finds baffling. Do I think we'll see what he's made of after a summer clearout, 6 weeks of punishing pre-season and his own targets coming in ... undoubtedly. I just hope the season opener isn't against Alloa, finishing 11th is almost certain relegation this term as the three top teams in the Championship are a different entity to last year.

It's an interesting premise that Busta brings to light. I've said before I've been concerned with player power in our dressing room. I think it's safe to say that while Gannon was batshit crazy, senior players in the squad also helped bring about his downfall or at least greased the wheels. A board or owner faced with changing personnel has to look upon the replacement of a manager over that of a number of players with associated transfer fees you'd like to achieve to get harmony back. Ease and commercial ramifications have to weigh on that decision. If you're a footballer in the modern game you know 10 games later you could have a new boss if you bide your time. There has been repeated mutings of disharmony, but I look upon a lot of that as barbershop tittle-tattle. No doubt frustration and male egos brought on by errors and the stress that goes with it naturally bubbles over. I've seen a downing of tools under McCall and Baraclough since then and Saturday appeared to be the same. But for every game like that there is one where everything seems to click and you maul the opposition as everyone is on song everything you try comes off. With respect to some players retaining their starting positions, sure I think many must show more in training than the promise of the fringe players in training. Combine that with instructions that certain players are here to make us money in transfers so I get the impression they are played until they come good, a bit like a chronic gambler throws pound coins into a puggy. A solution for me is the playing staff (without the management as a catalyst) get together and collectively pull together as professional football players and put in extra hours off their own back for the collective good and pride in what they are tasked (and paid) to do. But let's put this in context. It's a poor run yes, we were leap-frogged by the 11th placed team, a lot of our recent results have came down to the last 5 minutes of play and a universal lack of concentration (however it cold be argued a lack of application in the preceding 85 to put the game out of touch). We're not a million miles away from 6th place due to the mediocrity of our league and inconsistency exhibited by everyone outside the top 3 and Dundee Utd. Also if we were sitting just 3-4 points further up the league then this debate may be brewing, but it wouldn't be apocalyptic as many seem to think it is. It was only 6 weeks ago the same players tucked the champions away in their gaff. In the past managers and club officials have cited confidence as key to success, when you lose it getting it back is a tough and tedious wait. It's an age old conundrum, how to make guys who should be better, perform better. Manchester United haven't managed for a while now it with much better personnel and management than we can hope for.

Top goalscorer benched again ..... m'kay

now now

We're going to have to see photographic evidence I'm afraid

With respect to Lionel Ainsworth, this time last year I said on these boards I hoped never to see him in the C&A ever again as he'd effectively downed tools. To be fair however, the only one who seemed to be trying and giving it 100% in every game was Josh Law. I suppose my frustration was born from the fact I look at him and I see a truly quality player, capable of some moments of sublime skill countered by a questionable work ethic at times. However he seemed to buckle down and was instrumental in keeping us on the heels of the other bottom feeders until the playoff with Rangers was a fait accomplit. When McGhee was appointed I also said on here that someone like Ainsworth would not sit well with him. Like him or not, nobody can argue that McGhee puts a premium on fitness and a strong work ethic. Personally I think it's because it's gives players a mental edge thinking they have more stamina compared to the opposition. His double training sessions when he arrived and Jim Paterson are prime examples of this this ethos. I also like to think that in what 15+ years of management he has a degree of man management skills and knows who needs an arm put round them in private and know needs dingied in the media. I suspect it was a last roll of the dice from McGhee to see if he's worth keeping past the summer. If he gets a reaction then ideal, otherwise he's off to be replaced by someone who will cover and track back those extra yards he demands. I sincerely hope the actions of the past week has a two-fold response, first Ainsworth unleashes a "I'll show you" reaction and McGhee's behaviour was seen to be the right move to get the best out of his player. Needless to say, I found myself standing and applauding on Saturday when he came on mainly because I felt others were also due public criticism (unthinkable 12 months ago). I don't think anyone will disagree, on his game Ainsworth can be as good as the best in this league. However I fear he is nonchalant at times is why he's playing with us, had umpteen clubs and not playing at a higher level. Ultimately that is the catalyst of my frustration.

Wasn't Vigurs but regardless I appear to have put the curse of Motson on things

We'll just ignore you failing to list the facts to support your argument then will we?

I don't think it's any secret that we often go close to the bone especially at this time of year with postponements and the latest SPFL cash instalment to arrive. Derek Weir and Jim McMahon in the past have subbed us money from their own savings to get us through tight periods. However we now have a multi-millionaire owner who (unless he has managed to isolate himself from liability but I don't see how) would be required under law to keep things ticking along unless he wishes to wind things up.

With the removal of the dislike button, I'll just say that post is both shite and snide in equal measure. If your views are based on fact, well then list them. However I'm pretty sure it's just half arsed keyboard rantery.

I felt McGhee had his fingers burned in the 3-1 so opted to learn from where the players he had available could address it. I agree with some of the comments so far, while ICT are above us, it's not a huge gulf, it's 3 points. Nothing there to suggest we have to opt for such a defensively minded team at home in a cup tie. I keep on looking through our squad and thinking that on paper they appear to be better players than so many in this league. The only difference I can see is like Leicester, the other teams are more cohesive and compliment each other well to generate something greater than the sum of their individual parts. Too often people forget if we opt for a certain formation or tactic, opposition teams also have to adapt to combat it. Pearson seems to have thrived when bursting through from midfield in support, however when tasked to play so advanced and compliment McDonald, it didn't seem to work. Moult could have been a better bet leading the line as his work ethic can't be questioned and offers slightly more in aerial challenges. Skippy (however as a partner or sitting just behind Moult) I would have started for the same reason at the expense of Marvin who unfortunately reminds me more and more of Chris Humphrey progressively in every game. He is purely a ball over the top and chase it type winger (I don't think he was when he arrived but he seems like that now). Nobody can deny Gomis is a class act and outrageously composed on the ball. However he has to get out of over egging the pudding, at times I felt is was a bit like "haw Robbie Nielson, you watching this?". He will get caught out as the season progresses. Someone like Cadden (who put in a impressive performance) can only flourish learning from a guy like that however. I asked before the game how the stats compared when he had Lasley starting and not. Unfortunately he does a role that is unglamorous and therefore overlooked. Certainly with Pearson, Gomis, Cadden and Lasley as part of a potential 4-4-2 I certainly think we had enough there to combat ICT. Hammell has an incredible first touch on show a few times when he killed balls stone cold, it's what gives him the time many of his teammates lack as their second touches are often lunges to beat an attempted tackle. The other glaring thing that stood out was the 15 yard by 15 yard area of the park that sits just in front of our box. Opposition players are not closed down the same way ours are at the other end. I find too often balls rebounded or cleared from both defensive and attacking corners are mopped up by opposition teams and pressure reasserted or cleared.

Can you imagine what it will be like on here if he sends a 25 yard screamer into the top corner in the 90th minute? Don't understand why so many are ready to drop Lasley, when he's on his game we are generally in with a chance, when he's out we tend to be very poor. Maybe one of the statos can shed some light as how we perform with him?

How about misinformed cunts with an axe to grind and no humility or conscious thought when provided with facts ......you good at spotting them too?

Ironic, as you've just delivered a tosser comment. Derek Weir advised at the AGM that Vigurs was touch and go if he would have to give up football entirely. I'm guessing he probably was told that from a consultant at Rosshall and not a scribbled note from Vigurs mum. I by no means applaud the guys work ethic when he was here, I did see signs of sublimity but they were few and far between. I seen him as an expensive Ross Forbes. But he was injured and to question the integrity of his character is shite.

I'd drop Johnson for Moult, our most consistent player, this is our main chance to make something of this season (however I accept putting a good run of results together opens up Euro places due to how tight the middle of the league is). Ainsworth deserves a start after being unfairly blamed in isolation. As for the calls to shoot, Aberdeen showed that 20-25 yard efforts, even against arguably the best keeper in the league, often work opposed to trying to walk it into the back of the net. I hope McGhee reminds them of how they must have felt after Celtic at Parkhead and offers that or the bus back from Tynecastle as an incentive to perform. Almost every diddy team has had a visit to Hampden since 2011, quite a few of them walking away with silverwear, its key for us to get something out of this match.

I wonder what McGhee would have done with Bara's warchest a year ago

I did wonder when that old chestnut would resurface. I take it we'd need to hire Andrew Lincoln to guard him too?

Wasn't it around this time last year they moved over 10 players in? Look at the movement (scroll down) http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ross-county-fc/alletransfers/verein/2759

Aren't Ross County due a FIFA transfer ban under the financial fair play criteria? Their spending is well in excess of their income. 2 men and dug at a home game, SPFL money, can't be more than £2m, but spending must be way in excess.