Happy Dosser

No, it was Glass's sacking I was referring to. We could have done with him sticking around for a week or so. That said, I don't think anyone will give them a quick bounce or lift, more a dead-cat-splat. It's a real poisoned chalice up there. It's a wee shame for them, soanitis .

Damn! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/scottish

History's a thing of the past .

After my fit of pessimism a few days ago, I was delighted with the commitment and energy shown today: what a difference. KVV is much better with Shields and Efford (thought his goal was wrongly ruled out) on either side rather than being isolated with little support from midfield and it looks like we may have a functioning forward line again. Taking the latter off late on was a bad decision because it took the pressure off the Sheep defence and invited Aberdeen forward. Thank God Kelly did his usual wonder save. Both Donnelly and O'Hara were surprisingly good today in a physical match but I was alarmed at Ojala early on. He didn't look match-ready and was all over the place but gradually he steadied up. A home tie not involving The Cheeks would give us all hope in the cup. Lovely to see Gallagher and Grampa Broon disconsolate at the end.

Quite so: we lost one to Leeds and the whole financial basis of fitba here is shot, compared to the obscenely bloated Sky-financed game down south, largely based on a corrosive and damaging advertising campaign to part desperate working-class people from their money. But "play responsibly" suckers! I loathe the rich Sky panelists who advocate such gambling. I had actually hoped the whole Premiership house of cards based on massive debt would collapse and restore a reset to more sensible values but perversely the opposite seems to be the case. Incidentally, thinking back to the '68 relegation, I think our last home game was against Clyde, and we were narrowly beaten (we seemed to lose by the odd goal so often that season). My abiding memory was seeing some of our "fans" laughing at out attempts to score that day, while I was almost reduced to tears. Silly perhaps, but I have always had a rather dim view of a section of our so-called followers, like the ones who have brandished the union flag in our games against Celtic in the past. I have thrashed myself with birch twigs in an effort to motivate me for tomorrow so maybe I'll pitch up at Firpers in a more positive frame of mind .

Yours is the entirely rational response, and I remember that 60s side (painfully). After that we discovered Dixie Deans, Keith MacRae, Peter McCloy and many others and have only been relegated once since then (albeit for three long seasons, like Hearts around that time). We have no chance of unearthing similar talent from within our borders now and we need to ask why Scottish football is in such a state (as if we didn't know). I completely accept mine is an emotional one but I suspect our lack of ability to compete at all against The Cheeks and our paucity of creativity or even a basic ability to organise a team effectively is the main factor in my pissedoffidity. I rarely post negatively (hence my silly handle) but two defeats from The Sheep and a spineless display and ritual evisceration by the Hens will probably do me for this season. At my age it really is the false hope which "kills", as well as a sense of shame at our lack of ability to compete with the arrogant and gloating Uglies.

I started watching football in 1962 and this is the closest I've felt to jacking it all in, something I've never considered before. The general standard is dire and we are a team without inspiration or identity, a thing of shreds and patches seemingly doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. As soon as I heard Celtic had taken Rogic out of cold storage to play against us I felt it it was inevitable he would score and Watt's goal the other night was no surprise either. In the words of that great political thinker Jim Murphy, it's deja vu all over again when you turn up at a 'Well game. I fear consecutive defeats from the Mutton Molesters will just about finish me off.

The middle photo is particularly nostalgic, with its Art Deco front. As far as I remember the turnstiles had "Irlam O' The Height" as the place of manufacture. Anyone else remember this detail (probably as you were carried over them for free)?

I try to go to every home game but recently I have avoided the visits of The Cheeks. I hate being in the same ground (and streets) with them and having to put up with their snash but the main reason I suppose is that we seem have given up the ghost before we get on the pitch and I can't take the humiliation at my age: I have memories of much better performances and results. It seems an age ago that the likes of Higdon and Ojamaa could stick it to them good and proper.

Yes, some excellent results today from our point of view. When you see how close Kidderminster H. and Plymouth Argyle came to causing upsets in the English cup against much better opposition than we're facing, should we not be able to cause an upset of our own if we show the right attitude and choose the right tactics? I feel "Brick Shit-House" Carter-Vickers could be particularly vulnerable at the heart of the Celtic defence but so much will depend on the extent to which GA can inspire the players to really believe they can win. Oh, and TETW we get a referee with a backbone..... May The Force be with us.

I predict his shortbread empire will crumble. Did someone mention Aberlour 12-y-o?

In a nutshell..... To which I would add: all three should have some level of football brain/awareness for the perfect midfield grouping.

We could do with unearthing a Louis Moult Mk.II then, plucked no doubt from the obscurity of English tier five football or some such. I wonder how much dosh we have left in the kitty for this season?

I don't see Woolery as a first XI starter: Roberts seems much more talented, more nimble and faster and with more of a football brain than the guy who has seemed a nailed-on starter under GA. To me he doesn't know when or where to run, and that's since I saw him in the first game against Hibs. But what do I know? KVV seems not to have totally convinced the manager, or maybe he doubts his attitude. Yet, once he came on yesterday, things started to happen. I still think he could work alongside Shields, with Roberts as a "winger". Watt was great as an out ball: the ball seemed stuck to his laces and he was great at winning "fouls" while emerging as a genuine goalscorer with great awareness. But those days are gone now and in the past they must remain . His comment that he went to DU for footballing reasons and not the money does not convince me at all. False badge-kissers always get on my nazzums. I doubt we'll move for a striker this month so GA will have to be creative and use what he has at the moment.

You may well be right about 0-0 and well_said may also be right about John Arrol, although for some reason Herriot stuck in my mind. I'm sure some results scholar will set us all right soon. I have a mental picture of the Watson header in my failing mind, but I may already have entered The Matrix. A persistent story re the Goodwin sending-off right at the start was that when he was summoned by the referee after the tackle, he said, "Aw ref, you're no going to book me already?" The latter reputedly replied, "I'm doing better than that, Sam. I'm sending you off." Something else I can't remember is his name . I also have a memory that the replay had been previously called off for fog because I turned up at Firhill, having walked from the city centre to the ground, only to discover it was off. Ah, here's nursie coming with my medication.........

Yes, an absolute bowling-green, innit? . Around this time it was a pleasure to go to Celtic Park because we had a purple patch of victories there and Wee Bobby and Willie P gave the likes of Fat Pat and Big Roddie absolute nightmares. Always a pleasure to see that footage again!

I think Firhill has long had a problem with the pitch. It's next to the canal and one Thistle fan told me it was actually below the level of it (don't know if that's actually true). I remember a cup replay in the 70s after a 1-1 draw at Fir Park when Jim Herriot broke his leg in a clash with Willie Pettigrew. (he went in with his legs rather than his head/hands). There was so little grass on the pitch that the glare off the bare clay from the floodlights gave me a splitting headache. My memory is we won with an amazing long-range header from Willie Watson (ex-Man Utd), an excellent full back whose overlapping was impressive too.

Pretty much how I saw it too. The unfashionable players gave their all and the overall physical commitment was impressive. Also, the team seemed to know exactly what to do when the Hearts attacks broke down and used the wings to good effect. By contrast, the Jambos rarely got behind us. Haven’t been a great fan of Goss but he shapes a free kick/ cross beautifully and I’m hoping Shields’ goal will give him confidence: he looks quite fast when given a ball to chase. Hearts never really got a sniff, which was a wee shame for them

So many conflicting emotions after last night. I couldn't believe we went two up (and all down to TW) after a dire first half but equally couldn't believe how we blew it after that. It all started with a heavy Mugabi "pass" and a defence which was caught dossing big-style. I am beginning to think that Alexander, like McGhee, may enjoy stubbornly sticking to selections and formations just to prove the great unwashed wrong and himself right. As so many have said, a five-man midfield with Watt and The Flying Dutchman up front would reduce the chances of the opposition running through the middle at will and could produce more goals if the front two get some wide service. I felt Shields gradually grew into the game in the second half but I would have brought Van Veen on for the last 15 or so. Is the reason for him not starting a niggly injury or some problem with the manager? As for last night's refereeing, I can't improve on Kmacalpin's analysis. I await some linesman pulling up a Rangers or Celtic goalie for the same "infringement" as Kelly. Would he/she dare? Naw. Apart from the possibility of a legitimate humping from The Hens on Sunday, what chance do we have of any major decision going our way in any event? I hear their "penalty" against The Sheep was another of the ghost variety and quite incredible. Even ex-Ger Frosty Foster said so on Sportsound, having watched it ten times or so. GA's pre- and post-match comments are becoming as excruciating as Robbo's in his final months: deeds, not words, please. Can't say I'm looking forward to Sunday's match: the usual bad company in the ground and little prospect of success without a major rethink from the manager and some impartial refereeing. At the moment a radical reform of my sock drawer is looking a more satisfying option.

Good catch, rinkydink. Great interception by Bevis: got the ball cleanly. Far from Turnbull's knee being hurt, I saw him holding his ankle, perhaps because he went over on it a bit. No Celtic players made anything of the tackle, Big Bevis went over to see what the problem was and the two players shook hands. What a bunch of delusional whingers their support are, obsessed with victimhood.

"Ohara would be the better option !!!!! Did you watch him at Tynecastle chasing shadows and failing to make one challenge - reminded me of a mix of Shauan Fagan and Mark Fitzpatrick." And so Grimmy is the answer? Trouble is we are picking from a shallow pool/ basket of deplorables. Why is that and what do we do about it?

Well, I have to admit I almost believed GA in his ballsy pre-match interview that we had belief and would seek to exploit weaknesses in the opposition, who had lost three away games already, I think. Instead we sat off Celtic and conceded the initiative after about 15 minutes. Our three-man midfield was badly exposed with Slattery outnumbered and doomed to come second-best in every challenge while both Grimshaw and Goss (admittedly in his first start) were largely absent. If even I can see this, why can't the manager? I think Woollery is far from the answer because he doesn't know where/when to run and I'm presuming Van Veen was injured not to play from the start. Is Sondre also injured also or is there a problem with him in the manager's eyes? Admittedly, the midfield is the main problem area but I think O'Hara would have been better than Grimshaw. That said, a three was always in danger of being outgunned. Once again, even with Collum thankfully absent with his wee strain, the officials seem to have missed a clear penalty, although I was in the POD and only saw/heard the crowd reaction. A goal at that stage might have given us the momentum for a scrapy draw, because the Sellick defence is really shaky. Difficult games coming up so it's the time for the manager to have a major rethink, if he is capable of that.

They're not all like Laphroaig: other malts are available .

I'm pretty sure I heard Richard Gordon pre-match on Radio Shortbread saying Zander Clark should maybe be disappointed to be dropped and Liam Kelly retained in the squad. Nothing against Hairy Zander at all but maybe we should allow Richard and Willie Miller to nominate Aberdeen players more worthy of international duty? D'oh! Joe Lewis is English who poops his pants at Fir Park... Problem solved: select Jon McLaughlin as number 2 behind Craig Gordon. Keeps Hens listeners happy and listening figures up.

He and George Stevenson were the legendary 'Well left wing pairing in the early Thirties and the story is that Herbert Chapman, the Arsenal chairman, offered Sailor Hunter a blank cheque for the duo, which was refused. Unfortunately, Bobby was born in Sheffield of Scottish parents and so could not wear the dark blue as rules stood at the time. I actually worked with a man who had seen them play and watched the league-winning team as a very young boy. And so we go on......