Dick Dastardly

Just in (from watching the highlights on Alba which I recorded last night) Fist thing to say is that Inverness will play worse and win, also Thistle will play better and loose. That was 2 well matched teams and the difference was our finishing and our pace on the break. I can see why Inverness have made such a good start. There defence is well set up to deal with the long ball pumped down the middle, which is what they will usually face. They didn't like it when we ran at them, and through out this Jags team we have pace to frighten any defence in this league. I know that it is different from actually being at the game, but I have to disagree with much of what has been said about Stevenson. What he does do very well is to tie up one sometimes 2 of their players. He wasn't given an inch and this allows space for others to exploit. Lawless and Banzo made a lot from Stevenson just pulling players towards him and I suspect that if you ask the other players they will say that they love having him in the team. I would also disagree with some of the things said about Lawless. What impressed me was the way he put himself about. There was one crunching tackle and several times he held off robust defending from ICT, not least when he set up Higgy's goal. The Lawless of last season would have been shoved aside too easily. Not quite sure what to make of Jake Carroll. There is a player in there, but I think that he is being asked to play the game that ATS used to play and that is not his natural. It looks as if he is thinking to hard about what he has been asked to do, rather than just playing the game. Once he settles in I'm sure we will see a different player. Higgy could become my favourite Thistle player ever if he continues like this. Rightbacks must be terrified of facing him. That said, he (and Banzo) are bookings waiting to happen. Defenders target him to wind him up and he does react. He could have been booked for the shove when he was fouled in the first half and that would have been him off when he went in on the keeper. Abdul Osman ! He's some boy, by the way

Very hard to predict where we will finish, but one way or another Celtic will win the league with something to spare. St.Mirren and Ross are going to be cast adrift and fighting for the bottom 2 spots. There is very little to pick between any of the other sides and I genuinely think that we could finish anywhere from 2nd to 10th. It all depends on who can get a run of results going. I've been following thistle for too long to believe at this time in the season that we can, get that sort of run going, so, in a typically Jaggy way. I think we will end up 7th with more points than the team in 6th. As for will Archie be in charge. Stupid question.

Is that correct ? Would it not be 2016 before it is legal ? Enough politics. I'll have a wee dram for a great day today.

3-1 will do for me. Cracking result and back on track. Well done thistle

Dools misses

Penno

Craigen would be the other possibility if the gaffer wants to keep Stevenson up top.

I think that Big Ecc will start up front. I have a feeling that he is Archies favoured starter. Duggan is away, so Dools on the bench, along with Craigen and Lawless and from Jags on Tour's list, Wilson dropping out.

I think that is my point. A development at the City End would make it 4 sided (even if the main stand is not fully used) and therefore less of a joke.

Why ? As a football stadium, a development of any sort at the City End will surely be better than the bing. You can argue about the developers taking advantage and making a good earner, but I can't see why it would make it a "joke of a football ground"

Approximately 4.5 hours wages for Falcao (allegedly)

Conrad for England ! (or Germany on Sunday)

Archie certainly looked at enough options for central defence over the summer, so clearly he has confidence that Muirhead was better than any of the others that he saw

I was wondering if this is now the Thistle squad with the smallest percentage of native Scots ever. By my count (leaving out Duggan, Keenan and Wilson), we have 19 first team players and we have 8 - Balatoni, Carroll, Craigen, Eccleston, Elliot, Higginbotham, Osman and Seabourn - who are not native Scots. In the reserves there is also Basalaj, Colina and Richards-Everton, I've not got a problem with this, as a club we need to bring in the best talent that we can afford, but many on this forum have been talking for years about developing Scottish players for the good of the national side. Is this a sign that there is just no longer the depth of talent within Scotland to sustain an SPFL side ?

I know these Mackems can be a bit difficult to understand, but is that not borderline racist to say we won't be signing anyone from a particular city ?

FFS. Sometimes this forum just does my head in. You show me a manager who IS happy with his squad and I will show you a manager who should be sacked on the spot. Man City and Real Madrid enquire about Falcao and don't get him, therefore Pellegrini and Ancelloti are not happy with their squads and the whole transfer window is written off as a disaster I would be surprised if Thistle had not contacted every English Premier League club to see if there were any loan options. It is called ambition. I am sure that there were deals that could have been done, every player has his price, but for one reason or another, the club management did not think that they would improve the squad sufficently for the cost to bring them in. Now I am not saying that I am totally happy. I would have liked to see another central defender, but what I am, is very pleased that we didn't just jump at the first player that came available. We had a good look at Barr and the Gateshead boy who's name I forget, but for one reason or another, they were deemed as not improving the squad over Conrad or Aero to warrant the cost of bringing them in. Long may we continue looking at players and long may the manager, who ever that is, continue to think that the squad could be improved.

Anyone seen Owen Coyle on Maryhill Road today ?

Wecome Nathan and good luck. I hope you brought your shooting boots with you.

So we lost to Aberdeen. Big deal, can anyone remember the last time we got anything from Pitodrie , or indead any game against Aberdeen, because I can't. We were never going to get anything from this one. What is more important is to use the 2 weeks off to sort out how we intend to line up for the rest of the season. One think is clear, Stevenson up front on his own is not working. We need a striker up there, be it Doolan (my choice) or someone else. We also need Stevenson to play in his best possition as an attacking midfielder. I think we have the rest of the midfield sorted, and with 2 weeks off for Conrad and Dan to get their act together. We have options for left back, which I never expected and SOD or McMillan for right back is probably horses for courses. Are we better or worse than we were at this stage last year ? Probably about the same, but looking around, that is probably better than many others. I would argue that Celtic, St.Johnstone, Motherwell, St. MIrren, Kilmarnock and Ross are probably worse than last season. Hamilton are better than Hearts were and Dundee on a par with Hibs of last season. Inverness and Dundee United are about the same, so only Aberdeen, from what I have seen, have moved on. Time will tell, but I am not too dispondant. I thought we might have had 7 points by this stage (only a shambolic last 5 mins v Hamilton stopped that). We are through to the next round of whatever the League Cup is now called. A couple of days of transfer window left and 2 weeks to let the squad gel is just what we need. I think we could easily do better than last seasons 10th, and that would keep this supporter happy.

And Ross down to 10 men

Another former Jag on the mark ..... Buchanan for Alloa v Hibs

Good news is that Ross and Buddies are both behind (Erskine scores)

Not at the game either, but can I suggest Super Krissie Doolan

Welcome to Firhill Jake

That will do. Hardly inspiring result and the "Just In" will be interesting, but we are into the next round and Dools has staked a claim to start on Saturday.