Stephen1876

Also think the Scotland U19s are playing Andorra U19s at Firhill that Saturday, so presumably a Sunday match (or Saturday evening since the Andorra game is at 12).

I’m not a massive fan of the Colts teams in the tournament but I really do like the concept. It would be good to see us play teams from other countries as opportunities will otherwise almost always be limited to pre-season friendlies (and even less chance these days with the League Cup group stage). I have always liked the idea of a British League Cup but it will never happen, and probably for a range of very valid reasons With only four Championship teams left in the draw, we should be looking to win this, could be a good boost to morale and team spirit as well as a final and trophy, no matter how noddy!

I feel we should start with the team we will use at Arbroath to try and get some consistency in selection and a settled side. It gives those guys a chance and means anyone who loses their place, including Shea and Banzo, have to fight for their place if they do well.

We have played some nice football first half and look the equal of County...but: - can’t see that forward line scoring 20 goals between them this season. - we lack creativity. Mitch Austin has been here over three weeks and isn’t fit enough for a place on the bench, which is hard to understand. - this trying to play out from our six yard box will cost us countless goals this season, and even when we do it successfully it ends up with a big punt anyway. - McGinty gets sucked in and spun far too often

Montrose away, a decent away day. A number of all Championship ties which may open the draw up Sevco Colts off to Northern Ireland, what could possibly go wrong?

Think he was sent off in his last game for Barnsley so suspended I think

That first half was appalling, as bad as any under Caldwell. No pressure on Alloa when we don’t have the ball, slow and ponderous on the ball. We seem to be treating this like some sort of pre-season game

The group stage of this competition has been strange for us over the four seasons it has run. We have never looked brilliant, one drubbing of St Mirren aside, and have consistently laboured against lower league teams. However, our record must be the best of any team - P16, W13, D2, L1 and qualified all four times, three times as group winners

There is an excellent book by Michael Calvin called “The Nowhere Men” about scouting - well worth a read if you are interested in the scouting side of things

Off topic but I see Paton has just been released by Saints, surprised at that one

Interesting to see that Steve MacLean still doesn’t understand the handball rule...oh well, he will get his £900 odd a week whislt he thinks about it a bit more

I think an issue for Celtic would be that they like their keepers to be comfortable playing out from the back, building attacks that way. For all of Tomas’ immense quality, that for me isn’t one

Brilliant performance today across the team. The ref was one of the worst I have ever seen - he generally officiates in the lower leagues and must have won a competition to get a shot in the SPFL. I’ve no idea about the penalty but he gave us nothing all day and seemed determined to be the centre of attention. Had a wee chuckle to myself walking back to the car listening to a group of Saints fans complaining about Cerny’s outrageous time wasting - what goes around, comes around chaps

I thought he was excellent again. I think he may have been Archie’s most important signing to date as he really solidified the midfield when we were struggling in November and helped us gather some crucial points

Saints are missing Paton and Davidson tomorrow through suspension, so we really need to be looking to dominate the midfield tomorrow. They are also down Easton and Foster so we should be causing them problems in wide areas too. Despite our poor away form, we turned in one of our best performances of the season at McDiarmid in the cup and should be looking to do so again

My cousin is a Cherries fan and rates Cargill very highly and is surprised he hasn’t been around the first time more. Hopefully he turns out to be another inspired Archie centre half signing

I remember him playing for us back in 2007 and didn’t think he was up to much, although he was a reasonable journeyman forward. I was just reading there that he coaches the strikers for the England national team. Good on him for getting to that level. We should have asked him to help Azeez out last season...

Is Woods out injured today?

Northampton is only a stones throw from Coventry so it may be that he has a mortgaged house or family, partner etc. Nonetheless, bad news to lose him as he was a good player and happy to play out from the back. His pass to put Dools through against Dundee at Firhill was excellent. All the best and thanks Jordan. We do need a left sided centre half now unless we are comfortable that Penrice could step in there at SPFL level

I always find it interesting that it is suggested League 1 in England is miles ahead of the SPFL except Celtic. For the best part it probably is...but then you see guys like Carlton Morris playing for the team second top of the table. Lukas Akins also bagged hatfuls of goals in that league whilst Lyle Taylor seems to score more than he did in the SPFL

Great thread - just had a read about our 1886-87 FA Cup run, would be brilliant to have something like that now. I appreciate all of the practical issues but it would add some real excitement to the season ETA - we would probably draw Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the first round and lose 1-0!

I’ve been saying for a couple of months that McCarthy should be given a run. Just couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting a go when the midfield was so poor and he had never let us down in some tough matches previously. He should play a key role for the rest of the season - if he drops out of the picture when Ozzie and Banzo etc return, he may not see his future at Firhill. Same with Penrice - he should get a run until Booth and Elliott are fit Well done Jags, great result and incredible we are still in the mix with the horrific injury list we have had

BBC saying Turnbull is suspended tomorrow...so that my force Barton back if we stick with the back 3, but it also means we will have a right sided centre back at LCB. Also suggests that Fraser is our injured again...

I just don’t get it, I’ve no idea why the management team and players can’t see it. Whilst we are suffering from a lack of holding midfielders, it’s still bizarre. When Moussa rag dolled Keown today before the second goal, he was then faced with three Jags players, all of whom retreated faster than the French army. Why didn’t one of them step out? That’s meant to be one of the benefits of playing three at the back

That was shocking and gutless. When are we going to learn that constantly to backing off costs goals? Incredibly, and the one glimmer of hope, is that if we can win our two home games against Accies and County (despite being awful, we have been picking up results at home of late), we would stand a fighting chance of being off the bottom by the end of the year