Ya Bezzer!

When we used 21 different players over 7 matches, 20 of those in starting positions? Or when we didn't play the same starting line up twice at any point and made 2 or more changes in all but one match (which had 1 change). Last December the Robinson happy clappers were using the fact that he couldn't name a settled side to defend him. Facts don't stack up on that statement I'm afraid. Remember I have a spreadsheet! BTW, Alex Fisher. Took less than a year to completely forget about him. 1. Richard Tait 7 2. Cedric Kipre 7 3. Ryan Bowman 6+1 4. Charles Dunne 6 5. Craig Tanner 5+2 6. Andy Rose 5+2 7. Carl McHugh 5+1 8. Gael Bigirimana 4+2 9. Allan Campbell 4+1 10. Liam Grimshaw 4+1 11. Peter Hartley 4 12. Trevor Carson 4 13. Alex Fisher 3+1 14. Chris Cadden 3 15. Russell Griffiths 3 16. Elliot Frear 2+2 17. Steven Hammell 2 18. George Newell 1+3 19. Deimantas Petravicius 1+2 20. Louis Moult 1 21. Ross MacLean 0+3

If someone could intercept the walkie talkie signal so we don't get Bowman on as a sub on 70 minutes that would be grand. This is a game we should be winning - St. Mirren have 1 win in the last 17 league matches and have taken 2 points away from home all season. But as I said over on P&B when we have a team that can go from Aberdeen match level of performance to Livingston match level of performance over the course of a week it's very difficult to make any kind of accurate prediction. Our inability to score goals* is always a worry because you are basically looking at one or two players to be on form to have any chance in a match and St. Mirren have been outscoring us recently, St. Mirren have score in 6 matches in a row, something we haven't managed for a year. Still we should win. * Main, Bowman, Sammon - 43 league appearances this season, 3 goals.

It's one thing if officials are being harangued or abused during a match but what exactly is the point of giving managers bans for after match comments? It's ridiculous when managers can't answer questions after a match for fear of a touchline ban. Every single journalist, player, manager and fan knows that referees in this country are diabolical. Every single week poor refereeing decisions are costing teams results and yet guys like Andrew Dallas are virtually guaranteed top level football matches without sanction while managers get hauled up to Hampden for speaking the truth.

For me the U20s took a huge step forward when Craigan came in. He will be a big loss.

Did you bother to go tonight?

The bigger picture is we gave up 3 points without lifting a finger. It's totally unprofessional and that lack of professionalism is one of the reasons we've been at the end of the table that we are. I didn't go to Celtic Park expecting a win tonight but I did expect the team to put in more effort than I did walking from Bridgeton station. A no effort performance. A nothing performance. A pointless performance. And I'll say it again Celtic weren't even any good tonight. We rolled over like a trained dog.

Perhaps instead of a season ticket we should just have a bottom 4 ticket. You know, just the important games.

Funnily enough I've been watching a few Bill Shankley videos were he reiterated over and over - play for the fans. Well the fans, paid £28 tonight to see not an iota of energy expended in what was clearly a match written off by the management, based on team selection, and the players, based on performance. And the thing is Celtic were garbage and still went 3-0 despite barely pressuring us in the first half hour or so. Charles Dunne is a player who has won me over despite some obvious weaknesses in his game but his performance was embarrassing tonight. The rest weren't much better. A team that turns it off and on based on whether they feel like it. Won't get relegated is good enough for these guys.

I'd experiment with the shape rather than the personnel. I really don't like the idea of 'saving' players, especially at a club that doesn't really have consistent performers or top players. You should make the next team sheet by putting a performance in this one. For me it just sends out so many wrong messages, as does writing off some matches in favour of others. Didn't many of the soothsayers write off the last Celtic match were we ended up getting a point before getting pumped off Livingston? Sure, if we are getting smashed at HT play it clever and save some players legs but every game needs to be competed. I'd be thinking about putting something like a 4-3-2-1 out for this. Every player in midfield and forward areas for Celtic needs to be matched off. This Celtic team are not amazing creative if you close them down. However we give them space and areas to run into we make it easy for them.

For the second week in a row Gillespie was crucial to getting the points. Penalty save and very good performance in what was tricky conditions for goalkeepers.

Assuming St. Johnstone used all three subs that's at least 3 minutes right there. And while there weren't any major injuries there were a few instances of players going down plus, lets be honest about it, some time wasting by us. 4 minutes doesn't seem unreasonable.

Gillespie has been better than Carson on this seasons form.

Depends. Didn't play amazing football or anything, we were actually defending a lot of the time, but we came to a tough away ground, took our chances and defended well enough to just about get over the line. If St. Johnstone had scored 10 minutes earlier I suspect we might not have got 3 points. We kinda fell apart in the last 10. McHugh, who overall had a good game, lost the plot, gave the ball away to a St Johnstone forward in front of goal, got booked and gave a couple of fouls away in dangerous areas. St. Johnstone also had a penalty claim. Gives you a flavour of the closing stages! We had a decent wee spell of pressure earlier in the second half and might have scored a third, I thought St. Johnstone were very ropey at the back today, overall it wasn't a classic but in the weather conditions that's not much of a surprise. Overall, we probably created more chances and deserved the 3 points.

Wee bit luck and take your chances and you too can be 2-0 up at McDiarmid. Funny St. Johnstone came into the game with such an impressive defensive record but the two goals they conceded were very poor. Not out the woods yet, you get the impression if Saints could get a goal back it could get tough for us. Gillespie has been excellent.

Gonna be a lot of slips and fumbles today. Wind is really blowing as well, diagonally across the park.

Howling cold wind and torrential sleat. At least I don't have shorts on.

If anyone ever doubts my commitment to Motherwell Football Club, I got out of bed this morning to go to this game. Believe me, it wasn't easy.

Even the best team in my life time, McLean's title challengers, I seem to remember got pumped at McDiarmid.

St. Johnstone normally play 4-4-2 but the last time we played them they matched up with a 3-5-2. Did the same against Livingston, although they kept their 4-4-2 against Accies who also mostly play 3-5-2. Will be interesting to see if they do the same again. For us I'd like to see James Scott get more game time, probably as a sub over Bowman.

It's probably, roughly, about the same level but slower and less physical.

Seemed like a nice enough guy in the post match interviews but being as kind as possible I don't think our form is going to plummet as a result of him leaving.

The last time I was there I got sunburned pretty badly. The day of the infamous Carson 18 yard controversy. That was August to be fair.

This combined with one of the longest walks from the train station in Scottish football means I'll probably be even more grumpy than usual. Hang on to your hats!

On the first paragraph I'd pretty much agree with everything you say, except you could also describe Robinson in broadly similar terms (mistakes excluded!) and he wins a lot less often and doesn't finish Top 6. Personally I think the current crop of coaches in our league are highly retrogressive and contribute hugely to the poor standard - McInnes, Levein, Wright, etc. - it's football from a bygone age and we need a massive injection of technical and tactical modernity right across Scottish football. As for wages, St. Johnstone are very prudently run. Any difference is probably down to not paying off significant debt like we are, and of course higher league finishes over a number of years brings in more money - the difference between 5th and 8th is hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Tommy Wright, in the main, recruits local players that know this level of football. It seems to me our support reacts better to bringing in unknowns and hoping or imagining they are better than they are. I don't think there would have been a very good reaction on here if we had signed Ricky Foster, or Ross Callachan or Liam Craig. In fact if you look at the squads of the three over performing sides in the league - Livingston, St. Johnstone, Kilmarnock, those sides are the ones with the most Scottish players. Contrast with the 'foreign' legions at Dundee, Hamilton, ourselves or even St. Mirren. That might be a coincidence....but it may also say something about where you recruit your players.