Mr Bunny

Maybe this is what our manager meant by the benefits of having close contacts with Ra*gers?

Didn't know their contract status though in the past McCall has said he rates Lyon highly. As for the other players, when I said "I wouldn't mind signing" someone (this isn't addressed to you, just a general comment) I wasn't giving a great endorsement, just saying he'd be OK but of course I'd prefer someone more goals-proven but I've no idea who that could be. I realise Graham will need to be used more sparingly next season so we probably need 4 forwards or at least three and someone who can play forward even if his main position is wing/midfield. Thing is a club at our level can't just go out and sign a proven goal-scorer (except in case of someone like Graham who is near the end of his career) we need to take a risk on someone scoring at a lower level who we hope can step up to the next level, possibly through coaching (possibly where Graham could be good for us - if our main strikers are backed up by a couple of youngsters he could help bring them along). It's always possible McCall will prove me wrong though and dig another Kris Doolan out of the hat.

Both are signed until May 2023 and hopefully can be persuaded to add a year or two before that time is up. If memory serves, Sneddon, Holt, Brownlie, Akinola, Docherty, Bannigan, Turner, Tiffoney, Graham and NIang are all contracted for next season. Obviously Dowds as well now. I think it's important we have more than 2 decent forwards in the squad next season. Missing Tiffony, Graham and Jacubiak for a while this year nearly scuppered our season. I wouldn't mind Jacubiak signing but feel we need a fourth, possibly a loanee but if so better than our current third choice.

As an aside from the pitch discussion, todays' results suited us (as did in the long term Arbroath's defeat of Kilmarnock). In fact I think some results last time we missed a game suited us. We have lost very little ground and now have 2-4 games in hand over the teams above us. I know the old adage that points are better to have but we don't have to win every game - a rn of draws would put us in the mix and a couple of wins would shoot us right up.

A man sees what he wants yo see and disregards .. EDIT: Ooops, meant to quote a post. That makes no sense on its own.

Think part of problem is our lack of genuine overlapping full backs in the SOD mode. Foster and Holt are solid defensively but slow to get forward (Foster a bit better than Holt). If we had that option to give width we could play Turner centrally rather than in a flit-between-midfield-and-wing sort of way.

Good points. I can't answer them all but 2) Campbell when he was our manager had a reputation (earned) of being able to get teams up to the Championship but could never keep them there. Obviously with Arbroath he has learned from these years. We need McCall to show he can learn too but more quickly. 4) Hit nail on head here. I feel we don't seem as organised in attack, kind of hit and miss. As a result we don't keep sustained pressure on teams and goals are harder to come by. Tiffoney is an example - he still shows great skill, and can still beat a man but seems to do it far less in dangerous areas, and does things like running into midfield, beating a couple of men then losing the ball. One thing today I noticed we didn't back up our forwards - they created enough problems that defensive headers landed in no man's land but our midfield was too far back to pick the loose balls up. When they hit long balls it was the opposite - 3 or 4 Arbroath players charging forward and picking up loose balls from the battles between their forwards and our defenders which was basically how they were more dangerous than us. Rest of your points speak for themselves.

I thought that it looked like the manager decided, with Docherty out, to go for a team with 4 forwards. Sure you can tell players to go back and help n midfield/defence but it's not their natural game. Bannigan was basically left on his own in midfield hence the lumped balls forward and so Arbroath found lots of space to attack us. Their big black centre forward is a bit of a handful admittedly and our defenders found it difficult to deal with him - maybe Brownlie would have but we have to forget him. When Smith and Gordon came on we looked better and got a bit more grip of the game but at 3-1 down seemed to attacking in a desperate kind of way so didn't get anything. Thought managers initial tactics and line up wrong but players take some blame to, especially just after their second goal (good play on the wing by the big forward but totally unmarked player in box to score from his cross) when we seemed to lose the place and could have lost more than 3. Conclusion, still see good things from some players but don't seem to have completely gelled as a team and defence seems to blow hot and cold.

I've reckoned since the first defeat v Dunfermline that the manager doesn't think we have any chance because of that and is playing to give players game time rather than get through the league section.

Pretty pish video stream to match the game. When games on the other side of the pitch it's like watching a bunch of toy soldiers on the other side of a field. Don't think we're that bad but we're dead predictable at the moment, making it too easy for the opposition; need to vary things more. Would suggest TIffoney coming on but would he be affected by a rather ragged looking artificial pitch?

Agree. We all thought he was set for a big transfer just before he got that really bad injury when we were in the Premier league.

Hit the post as Jags commentators said at time and reported in paper today. Though did look as if Sneddon might have had it covered.

I was praying we'd hold out after that so I could answer the old question .. "nil-nil - who missed the penalty?"

Not mood. Depends where the pressure is coming from - from hospitality, business, medical experts and football authorities. Problem is government trying to juggle between them all instead of taking an honest, simple line and sticking too it.

If Rangers have issues with the SPFL it shows some folk can never be satisfied. The SPFL and SFA have bent over backwards to help them - and continually ignore issues with their fans - so they don't have any reason to have issues with them, except of course they give the occasional minor decision against them to keep up their pretence of neutrality.

Not particularly interested in this game (though hope we put up a decent showing) but have bought a ticket just as a donation to the club. Hope plenty of h^ns not too stingy to buy a few tickets too.

Been asking that myself. I'm beginning to worry he's either got a bad injury or he's being sold.

Good to see second keeper almost signed. From what McCall said O'Ware seems to be in the plans at least as a back up centre back. Unless he plans to move him on once he's fit and bring someone else in. That would be OK with me if it was some one who could play two or more defensive positions. We're probably looking for another winger/attacker but everyone knows that.

I seem to recall that Hendry and Lindsay played together for a few games before Hendry got transferred and this was down to injuries to defenders. Long term injury to someone I can't recall who led to Lindsay getting a lot of game time and the chance to really develop.

Hmmm. Perhaps but perhaps its transition coaching (for want of a better term) that we get wrong, that is developing the young player who is ready skill wise and even physically but needs to be right mentally to make it as a first team player. I know it's more than that but I think you know what I mean. Of course fact we are so often in a position where we're nervous about blooding youngsters doesn't help.

Don't think it's necessarily about Penrice not being 'good' enough. I think it is that he just won't fit easily into the style McCall wants the team to play. Probably not quite good enough at left back but think he could develop into a very good midfield player.

Graham, Docherty, Bannigan, Foster, Brownlie, Rudden, Holt, O'Ware, even Gordon. Not sure how many games Turner has played in the Championship but he and TIffoney are likley to be able to handle that league OK. Tiffoney's pace will be a great asset.

That's what the forum's for, throwing in our opinions. And the odd argument too, as long as not too heated.

People easily forget players' form before they had a bad period. Njang (Senna) was fine in the first half of the season (when we were defensively pretty solid, our problem being scoring) . But the game against Dundee United after the restart when he made one bad blunder and another mistake (which was exacerbated by the ref ignoring a foul on him by Clark), both leading to losing goals, put a bad dent in his confidence and he lost his form. McCall gave him a couple of chances to get his confidence back and then brought in Bell. However, the boy is only 20 just now and can easily recover from that. Whether he ends up as a defender or midfielder depends on the coaches at Firhill and what they see in him training every day. Young players can lose confidence more easily than experienced players and we have to give them a bit of leeway.

Come on, they tried to force brand new club into the Premier League and then ignored years of cheating and breaking of SFA/SPL regulations by Ragers (intentional sp.) which should have deprived them of trophies. What's a few quid in bribes compared to that.