MelvinBragg

You did well to avoid the phrase 'if you don't like the circus, ignore the clowns' about the media..

Have a funny feeling we'll get Hibs at Easter Road in the draw. No idea why..

Frankly (and I say this every year) seeding in the cup draw is a nonsense. It's not like it was in European football where every single team has has to go through the group stages so finishing first rather than second in the group should entitle you to some advantage. But even there, I'm a bit 'open draw, see what happens'. If the 'big teams' want to win the cup, they need to beat everyone else anyway...

Seems pretty clear what the manager considers his first eleven at the moment given this is the same team that started vs Morton. Although I've only seen two games so far, irrespective of whether they're good enough, I find it hard to argue that it's the best eleven we have...

Someone did the maths including his wages, I'm not going that far. But initially I thought £500k profit, take it. I was forgetting Newcastle Jets may have negotiated a sell on percentage. So while we'd still make a profit, might not be a huge one. Large enough to make up for having to bed a new striker in seven days before the season starts? That's a judgement call for the board and the manager... That's the conversation people are having. No one is suggesting Stamatelopolous is the only striker on earth...

I'm not giving him a rough ride. But half a million profit after one (injury hit) season. If the Miller money wasn't incoming and we had another striker worthy of the name, I reckon that bid gets accepted. But the Miller money is coming and, as you say, we have no other strikers so it's a very much different situation...

Every player has their price and these days I get the impression that clubs rarely put a bid in for players where there's no possibility of a deal. Agents are contacted before clubs to test the water.. We may not be "actively looking to sell" but you have to figure that Viking have a fair idea that we (and Stamatelopolous) are open to a conversation. On that basis, we probably have a contingency plan in place...

Obviously I have no idea what we paid for him but it won't have been £800k so that'd be some profit after one injury blighted season...

Regards Miller, a bidding war would be great obviously but, unlike other players we've sold, I'm more concerned that he makes the right move for his career. Because as well the fee right now, I think any add ons we manage to negotiate could be huge for us down the line...

Nae need to get personal...

Without being specific about Bair, we do have a habit of bringing players back to the club. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.. There have been suggestions on here that it's lazy or unimaginative recruitment. But if (and this hasn't always been the case when we've done it) it's a type of player we need, I can see why it might be a thing that appeals to the club. Not for sentimental reasons either. If someone has been at the club before, you know what kind of personality you're bringing into the group. They know the area, you don't need to worry about them settling in. You know they're not coming expecting state of the art training facilities As I said, I'm not advocating for the return of Bair. But there are sometimes advantages of signing a former player...

Would be unsurprised...

For the second time. Apparently Robbie Neilson released him but the technical director (Naismith) offered him another chance...

Which was cut short by injury apparently. Only fair to mention given the chat about McGhee being a typical Kettlewell crock signing. Not suggesting we shouldn't be looking at him but just worth saying given the angst on here when we sign someone with a recent record of injury...

This the St Mirren who lost to Arbroath on penalties in the opening game and only beat Forfar by the same scoreline we beat Peterhead by? The 8-2 was very much an outlier... I agree with your general point that we should be winning these games but this has happened in cup games for as long as I can remember. Smaller teams raise their game. Liverpool got knocked out of the FA cup by Plymouth last season...