Barney Rubble

Sat in a bar in Supetar, Brac watching nothing continuing to happen from Inverness on my phone. 26 degrees of blazing sunshine and Croatian beer @ EUR3.50 a pint was an excellent way to soothe the boredom though.

Saw that result coming all week. Merited, and the score tells the truth. Arbroath have a midfield that digs, hits and scores. We have a midfield that looks pretty on the ball and ineffectual when we cannot get on the ball. Like today. No dig meant no ball for Graham and `Fitzpatrick. And Lawless was negated to the point of being useless. Dools has to find a way of integrating BG and TA into the same staring line-up. There is a complementaririty there that could be outstanding going forward, but not if TA is kept on the bench every week.

What Doolan did with McCall's squad in 3 months last season spoke volumes. Much as I like him, McCall's a busted flush as a manager now.

Calvin's revenge for having the audacity to enjoy yourself on a day out springs to mind.

Thank you for articulating that analysis WJ.

Every single one. 1) Our bus providers would be wary about the implications for their licences (rightly so). 2) The authorities would go after low-hanging fruit (us and those like us who have a decent travelling support) before they would ever look at the ugly sisters' travelling bands.

In my case, gone are the days where travelling to most away games constituted an attraction. Rotten, and expensive, public transport coupled with - in my opinion - overly inflated gate prices, and inflexible policies (no cash option - see the other thread) mean it is no longer a priority to attend away games. That one is down to the clubs themselves to address. Cappielow should be one of the most attractive and hassle free away fixtures to attend given the proximity of the ground to Cartsdyke station, however the frankly unwelcoming and unfriendly attitude of the home club meant that yesterday afternoon was spent in a Thistle friendly boozer in the West End when an unusually pleasant day (weather wise) might have seen me attend the game. And I fully accept that is sad.

Not in any way having a go at you DD, because you raise a very good point. What possible reason is there for a business to refuse custom on the basis of non-digital (i.e. cash) payments? Is it moral or even acceptable to do so? People may not have bank accounts, or be in town for a few days from a foreign country without access to digital payments, or just prefer to pay cash anyway. And they are entitled to do so if that is their choice. What the **** is it with this big brother attitude that has clearly been accelerated by the pandemic?

Any business that chooses not to accommodate cash payments deserves to go bust.

For heaven's sake Jim, give it a rest. Regurgitating the same stuff about the timing of McCall's sacking doesn't change a thing because none of us know what happened or have answers as to the rationale. Please let it go, you aren't convincing anyone on here, and you never will when you are repeating the same tired rhetoric.

You really don't need to post it. Repetitive and circular diatribes won't change what happened JJ. What would you want to change and what difference would it make now anyway?? (Rhetorical question - please don't feel the need to respond.).

That throw-in stemmed from Neilson deciding to go long to relieve the defence rather than play in Fitzpatrick on the halfway line. While Fitzpatrick was still berating Neilson, Graham and McInroy found out the number 15, who thought he was Franz Beckenbauer 1974 all game. Lovely chipped finish from McInroy. Apart from losing a needless goal immediately after going two up, and and a frankly dodgy ten minute start to the second half, where we afforded them far too much space in the wide areas, that was a pleasing performance today. Lots still to work on, particularly in the defensive mode, but much much more to be happy about this evening. A hearty well done to the players and the management team for that one.

A scrappy 1-0 win will do me perfectly. Doubly so if it stops this thread becoming like the previous game's thread which from page 3 had nothing at all to do with the game in question.. Whatever happens tomorrow, please refrain from hijacking this thread with historical irrelevancies.

I've said before that in all likelihood the decision to fire him had already been taken ahead of the cup-tie in anticipation of a horsing similar to that which Hearts administered on Sunday. When that horsing did not transpire, it made the manner and timing of the removal seem insensitive. However, was McCall's removal justified? In my opinion, yes as the previous two performances on their own were beyond unacceptable. As regards your question in bold above - perhaps it would be more accurately answered by Ian McCall himself rather than by anyone who posts on this forum.

Fair analysis all told.

Alston's the one that concerns me. Should be a good addition to the squad given his experience. However he's been introduced three times and every time we've lost a goal!!!

Leaving aside the gulf between Hearts and Thistle right now, there is a great big hole in our midfield which Ross Docherty used to fill that is empty.

It was. 1-0, Steven Craig.

Would prefer we weren't having to compete in this tournament. However, given we are doing so, I would expect KD to demand that the fixtures are taken seriously, and that the objective is to win the tournament. Getting to the semi-final on average once in every five attempts sounds very similar to being happy to finish fourth in the league (not meant as a dig towards you LJ). Should that be the level of our ambition?

Aye, but who does Albert REALLY support? As for Ian Cameron, although both his brothers are of the blue persuasion, that is not the case with Ian.

Six competitive games in. W 2 D 3 L 1 F 11 A 10. Scored in every game, conceded in every game. The message is clear.

Hmmm. You may be losing your touch big man..................

How long is time?

As things stand, we have Bannigan as a defensive midfielder. No one else, unless Muirhead is employed in there in an emergency. Let's not beat about the bush here: 1) For all his qualities, Bannigan is never, ever a primary defensive holding midfielder, period. 2) Bannigan can very successfully play off a a primary defensive holding midfielder and be a good defensive midfielder - see Ross Docherty for evidence. 3) Bannigan will almost certainly get injured and/or suspended between now and Christmas, And if not before, for certain in the new year. As far as I can see, there is no primary Defensive Central Midfielder in this squad and that is a major concern. Williamson certainly has qualities, but being able to read a game and be a hard ******* when required are not part of those.

The app's a disgrace. While it shows my season ticket - which is the most important thing when all is said and done - the information is all to do with the beginning of last season, and features Ricky Foster (and Brian Graham) on the main page. That's not acceptable.