lady-isobel-barnett

It's maybe hard for me to argue against that as I've not seen Rangers play of late. I watched Hutton closely yesterday and thought he wasn't ever caught out with lack of pace. He also got about the pitch fairly nifty. Up at Dingwall he may not have been as mobile but again he wasn't caught out for pace. Naturally I hope Mr Bunny's right and Hutton's got considerably more improvement in him. Even if what I've seen of the guy so far is as good as it gets I feel we've got one of our best ever loanee players for a long while on our books.

OK, I think I see where you're coming from, BJ. If you're somehow saying that without modern dietary advantage and advances on training regime Barry Smith would have required to have been carried onto the field of play then I can't argue with you. I would say however it would have taken at least four of our five substitutes to carry this out. In that respect guys like Brown Ferguson would've come into their own. When it came to getting a portly and/or unfit gentleman player such as Dundee's current manager onto the field of play BF was yer man. But substitutes trained in fireman's lifts and other similar techniques are rare. So in bygone era's when there was but one (latterly two) subs on the bench it would've been unlikely that a Barry Smith could've been conveyed onto the field in the first place. So I guess this is a rather long way round of saying that our past diddies were every bit up there with our present diddies. Barry Smith was therefore no more than a white elephant. NURSE!!!!

Trouble with these sort of worst of threads are that they're nearly always weighted to relatively recent time. I feel sorry for our diddies from yesteryear who rarely get the mention they deserve. Some of these guys hang around for years putting in consistently appalling displays but are sadly overlooked.

Must of been prepared for a real barney up in the Star as all the glass framed prints etc had been taken off the walls. Either that or they're re-decorating

Very sorry to hear that. I don't suppose there's many families without a skeleton or two in their cupboards but that must be very hard for you to bear.

Great photos as always Jim Well, I ain't superstitious, brown fox just cross my trail

The linesman/referee thingy is something I can't get a grip of. I was thinking after the Dundee and Hamilton (cup game) penalties (both of which shouldn't have been given*) that the linesmen were deliberately not being involved in any other than offside/throw in decision making. On both occasions the linesman had a better view but still did nothing. Someone pointed out that it could be to do with what went on at Tannadice last season with Celtic and I could see why this could come about. But at Falkirk the ref wasn't going to give a penalty to us but the linesman did get involved. And then there was the Czech "penalty" when I don't think the I'm assuming fully qualified ref of a linesman intervened. I don't see the point in giving a linesman pelters if the referee has told him he doesn't want his input. If that's not the case then they deserve all they get and they're as guilty as sin of incompetence or more likely indifference. Maybe someone could shed some light in what seems to be at best inconsistency. On too many instances giving these guys the handle assistant referees is just laughable *going by Dundee & Accies fans and evidently the linesman in the latter game.

You've got to ask the question why he's not playing for another club and then if he's got an attitude problem. It's not that he could've ever have been on a "big" wage in the first place. Maybe he's got a job outside football? Go along with kevin energy & MWM that he's generally played well against us. Seem to mind he had a bit of dig about him and a hard shot. While Fraser & Burns are out on loan we're probably an attacking player short and Gemmill could fill a gap in the squad. But in saying that I'm putting finances aside and can't see the point of bringing a player in on say a short term contract that would need to get match fit.

There were two polis minibuses in Firhill Rd just after the final whistle. One pulled away in quite a hurry.

I'm hoping the Archie substitution was more preventative than any serious injury. The timing immediately after our second goal suggested there may be only a strain. We certainly would be asking a lot of a central defence of any two from Balatoni, O'Donnell and Lindsay and I agree if Archie and Robertson are joining Willie K on the lengthy injury list we'd have a real problem. We could with Hutton now slotting in play a back three with Rowson in the Simon Storey role but again that would only do for a couple of games. Bit of a concern

I'd love to believe Ayr were combative in the 2nd half but I've rarely seen a team so easily pushed off a ball. Either that or Rowson, Cairney & Sinclair are extremely dangerous bullies. Anyway that's two weeks in a row where we've improved our game as the match progresses finishing up looking by far the stronger team. The addition of Hutton has really helped Cairney & Rowson push on. I'm not a big fan of statistics but I'd love to know what Hutton's passing success rate over the two games he's played has been. He's rarely misplaced a pass. Also didn't feel Balatoni deserved the bombscare tag today. He might have been a bit shaky early on but I thought as the game went on he was as good as any defender. Oh and Rowson's contribution to the lead up to the third goal was excellent .

How do you know where the last place to look is?

Aye, but only Arthur and Tuffey didn't play in at least 6 different positions under DC. An experienced pro like Young should have led the way in demonstrating Campbell's unique vision of total football.

Nailed it

I'd go along with that as well.

I was hoping to see Bannigan get a run out at some point tomorrow. He'd know what to expect from most of the Ayr players having gained that insider knowledge last season. I don't think we'll need both Balatoni and O'Donnell on the bench. I'd go for the latter as he's evidently more versatile. Not for the first time I agree with 1JL's team prediction.

I don't really see what there was to like about him. He was clearly a much better player than he was ever prepared to be for us. One of those players that because he came down a division he thought he didn't have to do the spadework. Saw him play for us in a reserve match at McDiarmid. St Johnstone had a strongish side out that day but Young was clearly the best player on the park. The very fact the guy was/is a good footballer but chose too often not to display his talent doesn't make him that likeable in my book. That said, and I wouldn't read too much into the fact he's training with us, it may be no bad thing to get him on the short term. I get the impression McNamara is very switched on when it comes to fitness and effort. I don't believe Jackie would be easily Barry Smith'd.

To me the most obvious in recent years would be Kevin McGowne. Not sure if Gordon Dalziel was any good before he arrived at Firhill but most certainly he was a better after he left than he ever was for us. Struggling to really think of any others. Someone will mention Grant Murray but I didn't think he was mince for us his first season.

Great to see Just an observation but not exactly full of the younger brigade. Seriously tho', why should that be?

No feckin' wonder how that mob at Cathkin went out the game on no more than a whimper. Anyway, Matt, you've got my respect honeymooning in Livingston

Sad to hear. He most certainly was one of the most descriptive of radio commentators.

maybe not bigger things but I thought both could have more than held their own in our Division. Off on a tangent, I don't like to mention a couple of the youngsters from a few seasons back as they never really received the dedicated coaching at the most important time of their development. One or two might have made it for all we know.

No kidding. I thought the very first one the best followed by Jackson's for Morton. The Annan fella is taking on an SPL outfit. Love the way he heads and chests the ball before he starts the run. Jackson's was a real striker's goal.

Agree. Keeping it down to £18/£19 will make it affordable for many. Sort of thing that might also be of interest to Morton fans who work in Glasgow area. Pleased to see the Club showing imagination and making hospitality packages more affordable.

Mason would have been nothing without Della Street.