weeyin

After I moved the US in 1997, despite many trips back to Scotland, I didn't see us win a home game until we beat Hibs 3 - 0 in 2019! I saw us win away a few times, and plenty of draws at Fir Park, but I was starting to wonder if I'd ever see a home win again.

Is it just me, or is our assistant gaffer looking more and more like Andy Bell.

Effords is the new Humphreys

I'll be happy if we are just better in our own box. That has to be the foundation for any success.

I've said a few times that I thought Baraclough set the perfect tone for the play-offs, with the team and the media. It's also interesting to note that after a poor first half of that season, our form picked up shortly after Robinson joined Baraclough as assistant in February.

Goes live on the Friday night game and the rest of us get the pleasure over the weekend.

As long as Big Kev is playing we must be favourites. We have a decent record against them in recent seasons, even when our form hasn't been great - so looking forward to this one. Just hope VAR doesn't wreck it.

Just call me Nostradamus. (Or don't - because I already predicted what you are going to call me...)

Thoughts and votes for the player providing the least joylessness...

Ironically it was the "doubt you take any joy from anything" that gave me the most joy.

Ah, the "I'm a better supporter than you" attack - the last resort when someone is losing an argument. Granted, I don't predict a loss every week (and then double down on a loss after conceding a goal), but I suppose that's because I'm not a real fan. Enjoy your evening - I think your big team's on next.

More fun that you're having. But I think I could say that if I was at the dentist right now.

I'm OK with entertaining football and a few less wins. There's no expectation of winning the league these days, so outside of a cup run the main reason for forking out gate money is to be entertained. I'm OK with "it's the result that matters" in a cup tie, but managers like McGhee (the first time) and McCall showed we can have some entertainment on the pitch and still finish in decent league position.

It would be if football worked like that. In fact we could just skip the season and toss a coin to see if Rangers or Celtic that get the trophy.

Best chance ever etc. etc. Take your pick while I have my breakfast...

For a team managed by a defender you'd think we'd defend better.

A not untypical Sunday at 12 o'clock game. After spending most of their professional lives building a routine training and preparing for a 3pm or evening kick-off, games at this time often lack a spark. And I'm sure it's mostly related to the time of day. It's rare you see a noon classic.

That's the one. Not as far back as I was thinking.

There were a few experiments with an offside line. I think it was in some of the U21 or U18 UEFA competitions. They experimented with one around the 18 yard line at one point. (Didn't they try similar in the Texaco or Anglo-Scottish Cup at some point too?) They also tested the sin-bin idea and replacing throw-ins with kick-ins in the youth competitions, but (obviously) neither of those were taken any further.

I have a vague recollection they tried to interpret it that way in the MLS for a brief period in the 70s. Which meant that when defences (or defenses) played on offside trap the striker was deemed onside because it was the defenders that were seeking the advantage. I think it died out even before the shoot-outs after a "tied game".

I also agree with that. Which goes back to one of my original thoughts that if you can't make a call in 20 seconds or less then the decision on the pitch stands. In a lot of the VAR reviews I have seen, the "big toe" decisions often take a minute or two to decide. That is far too long in my mind and I'd much rather the benefit is given to the attacking player. I know I'm an old man these days, but when I first learned the laws of the game the offside rule was written using the phrase that the player had to be "Seeking to gain an advantage". By that standard, having a toe 2cm in front of a defender's toe does not meet that standard. Of course, they took that wording out, but I think the same spirit should be applied. I hope I'm wrong and everything goes well with VAR, but I'll need some convincing. My biggest beef with it is how it kills the moment of celebration when you score and need to wait 2 minutes for a check before a goal is awarded.

I'm with you on that one. I'm sure most fans would prefer the advantage going to the striker rather than getting called offside because a big toe is ahead. I'd be fine if they just used it for reviewing penalty and red card decisions and left it at that.

We are apparently using a "thicker line" for the offside decisions - we'll see how that helps. I've always said that if VAR can't make a decision in 20 seconds or so then there was no clear and obvious error so the ref's decision should stand. The escapades down south where they have incidents that are reviewed for 3 or 4 minutes are ridiculous.

VAR confirmed as an early arrival and we'll have the pleasure in our home game against Aberdeen on October 22nd. Looking forward to Goodwin being on the end of a poor decision.

Just caught the highlights. While Rangers looked like they chucked it, Salah's close control and vision is on a different planet. What a hat trick