Ya Bezzer!

Take a point now!

Cannae blame Craigan this week.

Injured.

According to Radio Scotland... Ruddy.....OUT Moutaouakil....OUT Hutchinson....OUT

Also the 4-3 semi final defeat to Rangers. With Faddy on fire I really thought we were going to win it that year. We completely outplayed Rangers that day, I think Rangers scored every chance they had including a 25 yard balloon from Bert Konterman that somehow went in. Jammy bastards. Life is so unfair.

Or getting thumped off Ayr United. Another one that springs to mind was up at Tannadice. Dundee United scored a couple of minutes in while we were still waiting in line at the turn stiles. I'd just paid in and was going up the stairs when there was a big roar and Dundee United had scored again. 2 down before I was even in my seat. We ended up getting gubbed about 4 or 5 nil.

These would be two of mine. Also Brian Welsh putting us out the cup after the last minute Big Softy game up at Tannadice. I also remember us losing our long undefeated run against Celtic with Pat McGinlay scoring at Parkhead to give them a 1-0 win. The thing about that match was it was actually the coldest night of the year and the temperature went down to about -15 or something! It was absolutely fucking baltic! You had to eat a constant stream of pies and bovril just to survive on the terrace. Then there was the 4-0 humping by Hearts at Tynecastle on the open end behind the goals in monsoon conditions. The definition of misery. I still say though that the Llanelli match was the worst performance I've ever seen. I was utterly ashamed after that one, I felt like I'd turned inside out.

I'd be surprised if McGarry and Fitzpatrick are on big wages and when you add in things like signing on fee and appearance and win bonuses from playing regular football it might well be worth them moving on rather than sitting out their contracts. Even if its a small step down in wages it might be worth it for the security of a new longer term contract and getting the minutes on the park.

Yeah, that was it, I checked it out. Getting confused in my old age!

Well Hibs are 2nd in the league and were undefeated last month. Even just watching Motherwell matches, never mind the rest of the league, I'd have picked Steven Saunders over Jutkiewicz.

It's obvious McGarry and Fitzpatrick are on the way out. To be fair to both those players, they aren't Top 6 quality and probably not SPL quality. Time to find their level. It also looks like Gannon doesn't fancy Lasley much. It's hard to tell though as Forbes and Coke have both played virtually ever match they have been available. Personally I think it would be a mistake to let Lasley go, as far as I can see an on form Coke is no better a player than an on form Lasley, and I don't mean that as an insult! I'd definitely want both at the club in case of loss of form or injury. One I think might be away in January is Steve Jennings. He's only on a one year contract and he hasn't settled in at all. He's not been injured recently, hasn't been selected and he's not even been coming off the bench lately. The fact that Lasley came on before him against Hearts maybe tells you all is not well.

Strange. Hamilton Accies have only won two games this season, against Hibs and St.Mirren - the only teams we've lost to! Even stranger, they won at home to Hibs and away to St.Mirren!

I think there is some kind of psychology behind it in that it draws the eyes and therefore makes it more likely the attacker will shoot closer to the goalkeeper.

Mios at Hibs Kinniburgh's header that put us 4-3 up against Celtic McDonalds brace against Celtic Dougies winner at Ibrox Fitzpatricks last minute of extra goal v Hearts Coyle winner against Rangers after Andy Goram had saved everything we throw at them for most of the match.

Reynolds did pretty well except for one really important aspect of playing at full back - he can't cross for toffee. We got away with it yesterday because we were playing 4-4-2 (or variant of) but I don't think you could play him there in a 4-3-3.

I think he means the blue one that seems to be the 'first choice'. If I remember correctly Ruddy has only worn the pink strip once and even then it was only the top with black shorts/socks.

Saunder and Hutchinson played well yesterday and looked very comfortable but I think Hearts were so poor as an attacking force that, as good as Saunders and Hutchinson both played, you can't really say they were under vast amounts of pressure. I think the MotM should have gone to a player that had to work a bit harder yesterday, either through endeavor or creativity.

A few good performers today but I'd go Jim O'Brien.

Much better today than recently if not quite what you'd call brilliant. Perhaps the improvement was down to playing two strikers today. I think the refs haven't been too bad this season but David Somers had a shocker. John Ruddy - 6 - Not much to do, didn't seem hampered by the injury Yassin Moutaouakil - 7 - Good match up until the closing stages when gave Driver far too much space. Steven Saunders - 7 - Excellent at the back except for one slack pass. Shaun Hutchinson - 7 - Another sound performance at the back. Mark Reynolds - 7 - Did well at left back but just doesn't have the delivery that Hammell does. Tom Hateley - 7 - Decent in his usual role. Giles Coke - 7 - Much better than recent performances Ross Forbes - 6 - Not at his best today but still made the difference between 1 points and 3. Jim O'Brien - 7 - Caused Hearts all sorts of problems. John Sutton - 7 - We looked so much better going forward with Sutton up there. Lukas Jutkiewicz - 6 - Did reasonably well alongside Sutton than he has done in a lone role. Keith Lasley - 3 - Not on long but got stuck in, nice reaction by the crowd to his introduction. Jamie Murphy - 3 - One good run. Chris Humphrey - 3 - Worked hard and made the runs when we needed them.

At least we don't have to worry about this anymore!

You might all like to know Hearts haven't won a game in any competition away from home since the 28th Feb - a run of 12 games. They come to Fir Park on Saturday. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I wasn't at the game last night but I think a lot of people are confusing Gannon's very professional image in the media and our reasonably good start to the season in terms of not being beat too often with actually being a good football team. We're not a good football team. I've been to 8 matches this season and we've played 180 minutes of good football - a half each against Kilmarnock and Steaua and the game against Flamurtari. Basically we are an OK team with a small squad and inexperienced players. As for our players being better than St. Mirren's.....put it this way, if St. Mirren signed our first team how many of them would start on Saturday? Craigan, Reynolds, O'Brien, that's about it. There is no gulf in class between the teams, so don't believe it for a second. If anything on paper they are stronger than us, which is how it played out last night. Gannon deserves praise for taking a limited squad and eeking out results (you can't say its been anything more than that) but our squad just isn't good enough or experienced enough to be used as some sort of tactical experiment in formations. I think Gannon sometimes over thinks about the game. Perhaps you can give Gannon the first quarter to try things out but teams play best to a set system, constantly swapping things around, in the long run is the wrong way to go.

I'd rather United went through because they have more chance of beating the OF. Let's face it St. Johnstone and St. Mirren aren't going to.

Losing 6 goals in a week at St. Mirren just isn't good enough. Gannon on the radio now....

3 goals a quarter is decent enough. If he can keep that up the quality of his performances won't matter too much because I'm of the firm belief (not very fashionable at the moment) that you judge a striker on goals scored.