MelvinBragg

When any new manager comes in, any players not starting regularly should always be thinking that the new manager is an opportunity. Miller is in that situation. Can he make the best of it?

There's a case to be made for prioritising Girdwood-Reich over Knight-Lebel as he's our player that we've paid money for and are looking to develop as long as Knight-Lebel isn't a marked upgrade.. What I think would help (and I know it's a squad game) is to stick with thw same back four for a few games (I know injuries haven't helped on occasion). The manager has made several references to building connections and relationships in the team, that comes with consistency of team selection. There is no point of playing O'Donnell for a couple of games then Girdwood-Reich for a couple and now maybe bringing in Knight-Lebel. And I say that as someone who was impressed by Knight-Lebel. Defensively, I think we're all hoping and thinking that the return of Priestman in front of the back four will help hugely...

Indeed but it shows you don't need a striker to hold it up for it to work. I actually think the absence of Slattery is more an issue here. His willingness to take the ball whether he had a man on him or not and hold on to it was vastly underappreciated by a lot of people...

We didn't have one last year and coped...

Longelo, Fadinger and Said looked capable at this level last season. Koutroumbis and Priestman also although they've been unavailable for pretty much all of this season. Lowry looks good enough. Others, the jury is out... Problem is, of those players who have proven to be good enough at this level, none are centre halfs or centre forwards. So in both boxes (where it counts), no one proven. And very little leadership or experience anywhere in the side.. Are the players simply not good enough or could another manager get more out of them? What counts against the manager is the fact that the more training time he has had with the players, the worse we seem to play.. This is only going one way for the manager...

Happy enough with the squad we have. Slight concern that we're an injury to Paulsen or Connelly away from a very inexperienced goalkeeper as backup. Last season we had Oxborough available to recall. I imagine we have a list of free agent goalkeepers in a drawer somewhere...

Good to know...

Roma ladies away strip would be better..

Several people have said to me without fear of argument "Well, the keeper is an upgrade on Ward". I'm not so sure...

I think Priestman was showing real signs that he could fill that gap prior to his injury. I agree they're all excellent players. Interesting to see when they're all fit, how we set up. Don't think any of them could play the role Lowry is playing so you figure one of the three drops out...

Priestman is injured...

Maybe a bit of experience for game management...?

I think you're being harsh on O'Donnell given the season he had last season. He may be 34 but he definitely contributed a lot. And although this may be seen as a poor reflection on our wingers, he's probably still the best crosser at the club... EDIT Also provides cover as you only have three centre backs listed...

What senior players? The 25 year olds in the team..?

And Riku Danzaki...

Someone saw it on Instagram and sent it to me. If you look at the other posts this person has made, it's clearly nonsense...

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...