mfc88

Agree with most comments made, particularly the one about needing a leader. But IMO, we don't just need a leader, we need someone who the opposition fear, who will leave the boot in at times if necessary. Personally, like a lot of others, I don't like this style of play but our team at the moment is a bunch of jessies who players like Forrest and brown will run at all day.

Jeez, look at the bigger picture, currently top of the league, good last two seasons with finals and semi finals thrown into it on one of the lowest budgets in the spl. Questioning McCall is absolutely nonsense. In my opinion, we are crying out for a 'c**t' type player. Someone who doesn't care what fans, other players, the ref, etc thinks of them and is just a c**t. I don't mean someone like riordan - he is a ned c**t, I mean a professional c**t - someone like ian black, jim Goodwin, lee mcculloch, who will scream at a player for not pulling their weight, clatter an opponent if they get on their nerves and fears no one. Someone who the home fans love but the away fans hate. Someone like this in our team would be priceless but we don't have and haven't had anyone like this for a while.

Randolph Hateley hutchy cummins hammell Murphy hetherington lasley law Higdon OJ Would be my line up, but could just as easily be Kerr in at RB and hateley CM. Fancy murphy to have a good game......3-0 well (murphy, OJ, Higgy)

Given the happenings over the last 3 months is anyone surprised though? Mccall had to cut the wage bill by 200k before all that and presumably his budget has been cut further (albeit, not as bad as first thought) since. If you look at other SPL clubs, who has actually strengthened? Hibs and aberdeen maybe? 11th and 9th last season. I would have liked us to sign stevenson as he is a good player but I wouldnt be breaking the bank for him. I'm not saying were going to meet the heights of champions league football again but our squad as it is is more than capable of a respectable season, given we have only really lost jennings.

So we miss out on Ryan "I'll never play for hearts again" Stevenson. We only lost 3 first team players last season, craggs, Clancy and Jenno. Craggs we knew wasn't going to last forever. Ramsden in for Clancy. No one in for Jennings. But add in the 3/4 young lads who look like making a name for themselves this year and.........what's the f***ing panic? Relegation? Come on.

On the balance of play, st mirren did deserve a point but the manner in which it happened makes it feel like an absolute robbery. Some encouraging performances from the young lads. Hutchy was immense, thompson in his pocket...what happened there by the way? Was it a punch or elbow or something? I thought it was disgusting when the ref stopped play as soon as we were breaking after allowing st mirren to attack for a minute or so with hutchy on the ground....then them not giving the ball back after. So well done to the ref for ruining the second half. Completely lost control of the game. Pure and utter incompetence.

Oh no, certainly not arguing with his first 11. But when players are playing poorly they need a kick up the arse. When they play well, they rewarded with their place in the team. Last year was an exception because for the most part, players played well. But I don't necessarily think that playing more youngsters throughout last year would have disrupted the harmony on the pitch. We kept our form going in the games where we were forced to draught in carswell, cummins and page.

I just feel we have most of our first 11 that need not worry about their place, have thought this for some time. Lasley is one of our best, most consistent players but playing him whilst ill against st johnstone last week is a perfect example of this. Similarly playing hammell centre mid in the cup final 2011.

So ZFA has to hope hammell either plays shite or gets a long term injury then, otherwise he won't get a run out? May have to agree to disagree on this one. But one way or another, ZFA is in or around the first team because he's technically good and fit enough to cut it at this. Doing the business on the park is another matter but he's shown he is capable of that and on last weeks performance deserves to hold on to his place.

I do see your side of the argument BUT I firmly believe in competition for places. ZFA gets his chance and takes it, proves he can cut it against the likes of killie - that should be rewarded. IMO it's more mental to have a team in which 7-8 players never need to worry about their starting spot which I feel we have that at the moment. When Ramsden is fit, does he walk back in over cummins? Regardless of the fact that cummins played a big part in an important 3 pts and one of the few that actually played well last night?

Not dropping hammell as such....just not dropping ZFA from last saturdays team, he came in and played well. Does that count for nothing?

Hahaha, love it!! Would like to see: Randolph Hateley - hutch - cummins - ZFA Humphrey - lasley - carswell/hetherington - law Murphy - mchugh Reasoning is that ZFA played well last weekend and understandably dropped last night for hammell but deserves his spot. Would rather see law in a more attacking role with murphy up top. Higdon dropped since he's been boggin' all season (just to point out - I do generally like him though). Plus bobby doesn't get a fair crack at it. 20 minute stints here and there, he needs and deserves more time to prove himself.

Hutchy was unlucky with his red card. He had no choice but to go for it and as soon as he did, gekas got his body in a position where he was going to be fouled. Clever play from gekas I suppose even if it's a bit sneaky. I'm more concerned at the fact we found ourselves in that position than the red card itself.

That really really pissed me off as well. The ties not over until its over and we really should have been doing everyting we could to give us the best possible chance next week, it would still be a tough task but 2-1 is so much more surmountable than 2-0. We could do something over there, they weren't any better than us - even if theyre Spanish and play in Barcelona strips. Obviously Im often disappointed with results, decisions etc but this is the first time I have felt really disappointed in the team for some time.

Cummins and randy the only contenders but cummins gets the nod from me. Humphrey and hutchy were ok, everyone else from the starting 11, pish. Has to have been the worst I have ever seen lasley play, just one of those days for him. Higdon utter gash, and has been all season. I am a higdon fan but bob must deserve a spot ahead of him this weekend. No chance McCall will drop him though.

Any offers less than 750k for our best defender should be told where to go. Would much rather keep him and lose him for nothing in 2 years. Can't think the board will see it any differently. Arguably the difference in a few league positions and a cup run.

Murphy. Put in the type of performance we all know he's capable of when playing with confidence.

Having said that I don't want to sell either hutchy or law, not for pishy offers anyway. Think given the current state of the game and contract situations, no less than 1M for the two

If my memory serves me well: Stevie hammell was a ready made replacement when we sold Steve McMillan...After the money spending willy nilly days of billy Davies and Eric black, Keith proved a class act...When we had to go in to admin, the likes of Pearson and faddy stepped up and shone...First game after faddy left, clarky scored a double in a 2-0 win v hibs...Soon after clarky left, murphy scored a hat trick in Europe....When we were in dire straights at the back Reynolds was drafted in and then never dropped...When Reynolds left hutchy was his ready made replacement... BELIEVE in our youth system, its there for a reason.

For the goal, I know whoever was supposed to be marking davidson lost him (hutch?) but lasley also ran off the front post leaving the hole there. I know he went to challenge Davidson but he shouldn't have. Again given the possession we had in the first half I just feel we could have done so much more with it with more of a cutting edge somewhere, don't know if we're missing humph or what but something's definitely missing. I like the look of Hetherington, always looking for the ball and looking up, trying to do something positive when he gets it. Think next week it will be a straight swap francis-Angol in for hammell and surely mchugh deserves a start. Thought vines second yellow for his tackle on hutchy was a fucking shocker by the way. Straight red IMO. His first wasn't too clever either but a yellow was fair enough.

Not according to sky sports..... http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11710/7987866/Jennings-in-Sky-Blues-talks

Fully expect that to be the line up too as it is pretty much the eleven established players we have fit. Would like to see carswell or hetherington given an opportunity though and drop daley to the bench, with law out wide. Shame humphreys out for this one, I could see him giving Callum Davidson a roasting.

They certainly seem to have strengthened this summer more than anyone else. Brand new front three of hasselbaink, tade and beattie? Doesnt sound bad, plus (just checked) four others, one of which another striker!! EDIT: Just seen they actually lost a handful of strikers...

Six months?????? Shit!! Admitedly had no idea but I assumed it was a matter of weeks. Didn't realise it was that bad. Hopefully he makes a speedy recovery for his sake.

Think this means that hutchy is away or McCall sees ramsden or hateley in midfield. Otherwise don't see the logic in a 6 month loan signing if it's not going to make an impact on the starting line up. We have Saunders, page and cummins for cover in that position.