lady-isobel-barnett

I do agree but just as I was reading your post I was watching Suarez of Liverpool stick his penalty about 6 foot over the bar.

Read my post again. I only mentioned those two games to highlight the fact the guy can play. The only player you mention that I can identify in context is Chaplain, who if we didn't have a youth policy might still be with us as a fringe player. Grehan may well be 2nd or 3rd division quality but this season he's a first division player. You might as well get used to it.

I suppose Falkirk have to play youngsters, we don't. In that respect Jackie is just like most managers who prefer to introduce teenagers gradually and preferably when the team isn't under pressure. I'm not saying that's correct in our case and imo we're over protective. Guys like Fraser & Campbell are physically strong while Bannigan has played against SPL opposition yet not one in today's squad. Can see why Lindsay was on the bench but for the life of me I can't understand why we needed another centreback (Balatoni) especially with Robertson able to go back there if called on. I don't think there was enough energy or directness in the midfield particularly the longer the game went on. I'd never have subbed Rowson, Erskine could probably been taken off earlier but either Robertson and Cairney could have been replaced if we had Bannigan or Campbell on the bench.

I thought as the game went on Robertson was passable but even at that got to agree with above. Again as the game went on Stewart looked more the player most of us thought he could be. A draw might have been a fair result today but we could so easily have been three down in eight minutes.

Last season anyone who was at Palmerston (2-2) game and at Falkirk (3-2) game will know Grehan can be of use. I don't know what it is with the guy but I can understand why McCall & others saw potential. Out and out duds simply aren't capable of turning it on at all. The real question is why can the lad be arguably man of the match on a couple of occasions yet struggle to get pass marks in so many other games? Anyway hardly surprised he wasn't in the squad today tho' I'd have thought Fraser would have been ahead of Burns on the bench.

BTW heard there was roadworks on the M876 going north/east. Down to one lane. Shouldn't be too much a concern but if a severe tail back better to come off early and go thru Bonnybridge.

Not only can we not afford a "Just In" thread I see we've had to cut back on a "Match Preview" as well. Times are hard indeed.

Even I know what Rockford Files is rhyming slang for.

Especially if he repeats what he did in the Cup game there . One of the best debuts I can recall. Seriously tho' coming off the bench Fraser seems to make more of an impact than Grehan.

Is that rhyming slang for Barbara Dickson?

Could someone tell me what it says I can't open the link. I really can't. My pc is too pc.

My memories from last season's three games at Falkirk were you had to line up attack minded to avoid stalemate. I feel whether we go 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 is of little consequence if Cairney and Erskine are involved. Cairney rarely works down the flanks and Erskine is, well, Erskine. I'd imagine the starting eleven will be as posted above.

My point tho' is that the linesman evidently if consulted could have influenced the ref to change his mind. I don't mean it to sound all sour grapes but if this is ref policy post Tannadice then we're in for a season of dying swans. Bad enough just about every team has their designated diver, the refs usually know who they are but now it'll be anyone in the team.

Agree but on both occasions the official with the clearest view was the linesman. Evidently the Hamilton one said it wasn't a penalty. As someone else pointed out it looks like that since all that nonsense up at Tannadice last season the linesman's duties have been marginalised. Whether it was naivety or not, and I tend to agree it looks that way certainly with Robertson, both Riley & Imrie probably dived or to use the vernacular went down easy. I'm less seething about us appearing to have been conned more that referees won't ask for or accept a second opinion. It's all very well folk saying that if it was at the other end we'd be shouting for a penalty or it'll all even out throughout the season. That may well be true but it just makes the game we watch that more ridiculous.

Arguably Boyd's best game for us was at Tynecastle shortly after he arrived. The fact he never developed with us much thereafter backs up your point. But be gracious and admit that the Bunnet at least knew he was a decent prospect by signing him three times.

corrected that for you

better at this stage getting rid of the deadwood.

Was thinking that myself but a few years back we'd either have co-opted fans with genuine expertise on, or just as likely be discussing getting some fan(s) with expertise onto, the Jags Trust Board. Getting fans opinions and concerns across thru the only recognised collective available. Undoubtedly the thread would veer off on a tangent when someone posted some diatribe about the Trust. Some would argue it's the only game in town while others would take the expired canard stance while someone else would post something cryptic about a supporters bus and so on. Once the thread was a respectable dozen or so pages long with hardly a fish pun posted we'd be little or no further forward. Maybe we're no worse off with apathy than all that in-fighting? More importantly I wouldn't consider a guy, who denied us what could've been some of the greatest funk/fusion by being too drugged out to collaborate with Miles Davis, hipper than Doris Day.

Iirc Boyd couldn't be guaranteed a starting place as we had Robertson, Archie, Storey and a certain Harkins chappie all playing centreback, or in Storey's case capable of playing there. For a dud Boyd's kinda done alright, even getting to a cup final.

They don't want Clarke so there could be a touch of brinkmanship in his case. Buchanan would settle with us right away but I feel we'd have to send Fraser and/or Burns out on loan. If Liam came on a half season loan he'd be desperate to score at our level. Could benefit all three parties but there's possibly cost & insurance involved that would put us off. Still far from convinced any additional striker will be much good if we continue to provide such few chances but I feel a loan deal with a striker till January would be the way to go. That buys us time and if someone like Fraser did well out on loan over the same period he could fit into the squad place vacated by whoever we got in on loan.

Just noticed THIS. Courier might just be short of news. Are the Pars short of under 21yo strikers by any chance?

In this one instance I think it would be prudent to let the guy make up his own mind on that.

And how would that work at a club our size? If you have everybody on one year deals they're all out of contract at the same time. What we can't pay in wages has got to be compensated by some sort of security. It's up to the manager to make sure he gives extended deals to the right players. There's been some spectacular failures of judgment in that department in recent years but rarely as poor as the situation that let Craigan & Burns walk away for zilch.

Jackie said we're not pursuing our interest in him.

He did say in that interview "with the season starting earlier", which indicates to me that he's still got his sights on the SPL. The fact he's been training with us is interesting but I wouldn't read too much into it. Tam McManus has trained with us in the past as well.