Kmcalpin

Has Craig Moore been banging in the goals for Ayr? The answer to that question will influence our decision no doubt.

Yes we were, Terry Butcher brought him to Fir Park for a trial but thats as far as it got. Not a bad goalie.

Ruddy was the most brilliant keeper I've seen in my years of going to Fir Park. However he was a tad mercurial. He could also drop the odd clanger. Darren Randolph wasn't quite as brilliant and his best wasn't as good as Ruddy's but his worst was better. He dropped fewer clangers and overall achieved a consistently higher standard. At our level both very, very good keepers but different. Ripley and Long were both decent but inexperienced custodians.

As an add on to his transfer fee. Its not uncommon for these clauses to run and run.

The sole question for me is are we due any further payment?

I've seen various shots of the incident and watched 2 versions of the highlights. My guess is that the whole ball was not over the line but I've not seen conclusive evidence either way and certainly not strong enough to argue either way.

Hateley was a decent full back no more no less. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd rate him as a 7. We've had better right backs and we've had worse.

I talked to Alan Mackay in hospitality today, who older fans will recall joined us from Third Lanark in the late 1960s. A real gent.

A hugely important win today and we managed to bag 4 goals. So, it was job done. We got off to a great start but then retreated into our shell and took stage fright. We didn't work hard enough and gave ICT the room they wanted to target Samson's goal. For quite a spell, either side of half time, our 3-4-3 formation just wasn't working. Tweed's words came back to haunt me "The 3-4-3 works if Cadden and Frear can get forward, it doesn't work if they get pinned back as if they do we can't get out and the midfield gets overrun". Both Frear and Cadden became old fashioned defenders having to make runs from deep. MacDonald retreated back into midfield leaving a gap between Bowman and Moult. Credit where its due Robinson then made game changing alterations. Our defending at times was very poor but we did hit the net 4 times and that will boost confidence. I was impressed by young Campbell who played well and scored an important goal but he'll be sore all over tonight after taking a bit of a battering by bigger opponents. Frear and MacDonald also played well. Ainsworth too did well when he came on. Was Skippy's goal over the line or not? I don't know and its impossible to tell from pictures. We're more than due a bit of good luck and so I'm not complaining. Two more dubious calls in our favour will even things up. I was bit sick of BBC radio's incessant carping on about it. I don't recall a similar furore over our disallowed goals against Partick, Dundee and Hamilton. Oh, and I'd say Kat is correct about Inverness's 2nd goal. As the ball is played their player is fractionally offside. So, they weren't as unlucky as the BBC would have us believe. Over the piece in an up and down game we deserved the 3 points. Over the next fortnight we need to work on our defensive organisation and on getting players like Moult, Tait and Pearson fit. The latter is clearly carrying some kind of knock.

Sameroff wasn't great but we've had worse, far worse.

I know thats how it works all too often but its something that I detest and always have done. Not for me Alex Ferguson or Matt Busby tactics. Thats not to say that players shouldn't put in heavy but fair tackles. I recall the days of Tiny Wharton when players were targetting a certain opponent. He'd call the offending side's captain over, eyeball him and tell him in no uncertain terms that if another of his players targetted the player, he (the captain) would be sent off. It almost always worked.

Not for us surely?

Money/income?

I'll be surprised if we don't play Accies reasonably early on after the split. Can't see it being the second last game and certainly not the final game.

Yes, some cracking goals especially the fourth.

Much has been posted on here about the role of the players and manager, in this upcoming game, but we the fans have a huge role to play also. Irrespective of our opinions we have to turn up on Saturday and get right behind the team in this important clash.

I see our Under 20s have only 3 named subs tonight. Surely we could have picked one or two more?

Very true. Successive managers have failed to address this problem despite having had more than enough money to do so. Any formation involving a 3 man defence on paper ie 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 inevitably ends up as 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 or something similar. I don't why Robinson has settled on this 3-4-3 formation as it doesn't work (it did at Ibrox for some reason). It places intolerable strain on the 2 wide men/wing backs. Prior to coming back Robinson earned a reputation as being a good tactician but we've seen precious little evidence of it lately.

Agreed. Going back to the Accies game by way of an example, he had several saves to make, 2 of which came into the very good category. That was because the defence and midfield in front of him failed to protect him. The Accies keeper had perhaps one save to make all game and none in the second half despite heavy pressure from us. Accies players were closing us down and preventing efforts on goal by throwing themselves at the ball. Thats been pretty much the story all season. Samson is far my from my ideal keeper but the cover he receives is woeful.

Just about to post the same thing. All very well in principle but if we discount Lasley, Pearson, Clay, Ainsworth and probably Lucas who is left? Cadden would need to play on the right; Frear on the left; Campbell and Gordon in the middle. Only other option is to move McHugh out of defence. In that scenario, if we want to leave Jules out then its a case of playing Ferguson in the central defence. Not likely in my view.

As did Gary Warren who was red carded after the final whistle.

Not sure but here's the link. http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/Disciplinary/CurrentSuspensions/Season2016/17/PlayerSuspensions/LOS39%20(06%20April%202017)%20CW.pdf

In my view we should not field Keith Lasley as he is suspended for one game starting on Saturday (see above). Its a risk not worth taking. Other than that I agree we should go 4-4-2.

Yes, hoofball isn't working. However our midfield choice will be limited. I've no idea whats happened to Lucas and Lasley is suspended. IF Tait is fit, our central midfield might be a choice from Pearson, Cadden, Clay, Campbell and Gordon.

A good summing up of where we are at the moment. I have seen worse Well sides but not in recent years.