MelvinBragg

Injuries happen but it seems to be that whenever we get people injured, they take ages coming back. Might be just bad luck.. Numbers wise, this season we've had McGinn Maswanhise Longelo Koutroumbis O'Donnell Sparrow Williams Priestman Bjorngolfsson Stamatelopolous Hendry all still injured or having been injured at some point (suspect I've probably missed someone as well). It's a long list barely two weeks into August...

On top of the ones we came into the season with, we've lost Williams, Sparrow and Priestman (maybe for some time, I'm hearing) already. So there's definitely something in that...

I think most of us get the need to rest some players today. My own personal opinion would be start with more of your first team to set a tone (I'm sure Stenhousemuir got a lift seeing our team lineup) and sub first teamers off rather than on. I know the first team guys didn't make a huge difference today but I kind of feel the tone had been set by the time they came on... One of those things and there's no guarantee that we wouldn't have lost anyway but just think we probably gave an unbeaten opponent an unnecessary boost...

I note Hamilton Accies' two wingers today are Dom Thomas and Stuart McKinstry...

Not moved for TV, moved because we're playing on Thursday...

Ainsworth another one that could hit the ball hard...

I think you get one 'extra' that can be registered 24 hours before kickoff in the first leg..

Oh, I get it. We probably have more options at left back than we do centre half and we need two of them and one left back every week. If we could free up a wage by moving on a left back (Wilson would be the obvious one) and it could go to more options in midfield (where I'm currently praying every time Fadinger or Priestman go into a challenge) that would be helpful...

I'd argue we could do with a bit more experience in the team in general. Midfield, hard to see anyone displacing Fadinger or Priestman right now, so any experienced guy coming in to start would be a more attacking option, I'd assume...

First half of that sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, particularly given McGinn is out for a while and one is Jordan McGhee..

Age of tonight's goalkeeper, back four, and midfield.. 24 23 22 25 22 23 25 19 Bit of disorganisation in the defence could be put down to them having not played together much but I'm concerned that a slight lack of an experienced organiser either in defence or midfield might also be a factor. Maybe age isn't necessarily a factor, it's leadership. Both games I felt lke there wasn't anyone being particularly vocal. Likes of Watt, Welsh, McGinn and even Slattery were there last season. Maybe it'll come with the likes of Moorman when he settles in but I'm putting the shaky defence down to that lack of am organiser rather than individual abilities....

Thought Koutroumbis' injury wasn't too bad? And O'Donnell said he'd be back in 3-4 weeks...

Where did the chat of Charles-Cook being injured come from? Haven't heard anything about that...

More players will need to be players back from injury which I'm not sure is likely. To be eligible to play in the second leg, a player needed to be registered by last night..

This...

Given Maswanhise and Longelo are being mentioned as possibly being available for this game but can be nowhere near fit and with other injuries and departures, it's conceivable we could start Thursday's game with only two of last season's first eleven in Said and Fadinger. Although they were in the squad, Priestman, Sparrow and Charles-Cook weren't first picks. Given that and a new manager, this will be more difficult than it might have been. So much so that I think taking any lead to the Faroes would be a fantastic result...

Won't know til it's made...

Draw for the next round is today so at least we'll know what awaits should we manage to squeak through...

I get what you're saying there but he's still in 'winning over hearts and minds' phase. Obviously with the fans but possibly more importantly with the players. We all saw what happened with Russell Martin at Rangers when he had a go at the players before having them onside. I think for Johansson to be negative now (particularly given the injury/transfer issues affecting the squad) would be counterproductive...

Fee would certainly help cover a couple of signing on fees for new guys, I'd imagine, which will help balance books a bit...

Where are we seeing this confirmed?

I think you need to look up the word 'disappointment'. I think you'll find it fits the bill more than 'disaster' for what you're describing...

Franz Resch but points for effort...

I'd argue that Vogt is already yer Maswanhise replacement. Yes, Just will be sold. But the fact you don't rate Stamatelopolous, Charles-Cook or Hendry doesn't remove them from the wage bill. If Just leaves, that frees up a wage. But if the other guys are as useless as you say, trying to get them out the door (when fit in Hendry's case) will not be straightforward...

Doesn't matter whether you think they're any good or not, they're still taking home a wage so the original point that we need to free up wages before bringing in replacements remains true...