simoncordiner

I also think Carroll has great all round attributes, apart from his positional sense. If he sorts that out he could be excellent.

I'd like us to get back the shape in midfield when we looked best with Fraser having the free role. So, line up for me: Fox O'Donnell - Frans - Seaborne - Carroll Osman - Banzo Elliott - Fraser- Higgy Doolan Playing Fraser in the hole gives us more options all over the pitch with Fraser's passing and drive. And eye for goal. I fancy us to win this tomorrow...

Apart from his goal, Craigen was awful. He's definitely not undroppable.

Just flicking through this thread and noticed a few folk complementing Craigen's performance. Some of you may perhaps remember I've previously made my views known about Craigen. Anyway, on Tuesday night, I thought he was truly awful. He carried absolutely zero goal threat. He never made any attempt to get beyond the striker (which is crucial when playing one (non-pacey striker) up front to give the striker some space). And he shat out of every challenge. I remember one incident where he received the ball on the penalty spot and, instead of shooting, played it back, first time to the guy on the corner of the box who just played it into him. The move broke down. The game is about scoring goals. Craigen inhibits our ability to do that. Rant over.

No, I believe we had agreed a fee with Sheffield and terms with Lyle. Don't know if Scunthorpe eventually paid more but he was always going to choose them because they are local. Shame, is exactly the type of player we need.

As well as sage, I've heard he's got a bit spice about him, and hates being nutmegged.

I agree with others, Gabby has the attributes, he just needs to be taught positioning and when to challenge. He improved a lot over the course of the season, I don't see any reason he won't continue to develop.

Don't see this as for a position we already have filled. We don't have anyone on the books who can play in the hole behind the striker. Erskine, Buaben, Doolan, and Craigen all played that position last year with limited success. Stevenson is a natural fit for that position or right midfield and will get goals from both positions. Great signing.

Lawless missed not having Erskine about at the start of last season. He's most effective when him and another are playing in the hole behind the striker. But the form of Higgy who prefers to stay wide means our shape is better when we've got someone wide on the other side, and Stevie's just not as effective a winger. I still think he's an excellent player, just our shape no longer suits. If he plays he'll score goals, and that's an asset we want to keep. For me this is an excellent bit of business.

Got it, thanks.

Can anyone please recommend a stream that I can watch the Scotland v Nigeria game from USA, in San Francisco? On my holiday and need my football fix. :0) PM me if you don't want to post here.

Rather than move us from the North Stand, can we instead address the root cause of the problem? The only reason Celtic fans are in the North stand is because they can't be trusted with flares. So, the root cause is the possible fire damage to main stand and associated safety concerns. Could be addressed by: Better communications and policing of old firm fans to remove flares Fire proof the main stand Moving us to the North stand is just sticking a plaster on the real issue.

He played well. The first 15 minutes he got stuck in which isn't really his thing. Had a geat volley off the crossbar. Then he lost out to a couple of strong challenges and faded out the game. He's definitely better playing where he did today, in the hole behind the striker. However, my main complaint is that he doesn't get beyond the striker, which Doolan needs to free up some space. Happy to say he did it a few times today so overall he did well.

We're better than our position suggests but we've not won once this season when we had to. This has been a season of missed opportunities... I don't expect that to change now.

Agree that Buaben was poor for most of the game but thought the last 15 minutes when the pressure was on he come onto a game and won a lot of challenges. Definitely Bannigan back in next week. Buaben starts but Doolan comes on if needed. Buaben is very tidy on the ball, is better defensively, but definitely doesn't off the same up front.

I doubted his end product for the first half of the season but since the turn of the year he's been lethal. For instance, that second half performance at Motherwell was one of the best individual displays I've seen from a Thistle player. The big question, does anyone know if he is eligible for Scotland? Any Scottish grannies?

I didn't say he put on the players to shore up the defence. But he took off the key players that were keeping Motherwell on the back foot. Totally changed the game.

10 mins to go. 3-2 up and playing well. Erskine's finding more and more space. Higginbotham is playing a blinder and full of confidence. Taylor is holding the ball up well. Replaces all three of them unnecessarily. Archie, you don't need to make substations if you don't need to make substitutions.

I think, and hope, we'll go with two up front. Now that we have Bauben in midfield we can have Bannigan, Bauben, and Fraser to cover midfield. Leaving Doolan and Taylor to play up front with Esrkine in behind. This should give more space to our full backs, but the three in midfield just need to be disciplined to support our full backs. Seems a good balance to me and we know we'll create with the understand Doolan and Erskine have. I don't think this is any less defensive than the formation we've been playing. McMillan stays because he's a better defender. Higgy dropped because he's not been producing an end product. Gallacher McMillan - Mair - Balatoni - Sinclair Fraser - Bauben - Bannigan Erskine Doolan - Taylor

Most of our moves broke down today with a poor Elliott first touch. He's not good enough, I doubt he'd get a game for a Championship. As another poster said, he's the worst player in the squad. I'd like to see us play the same midfield three as today with Erskine, Doolan and Taylor ahead of them. Would mean Higgy dropped but for all his effort I think we'd be more dangerous with the Erskine Doolan and Taylor.

"We only need ten men, we only need ten men, we only need ten men.... (sing to fade)" I'll try again, with the new signings; Gallacher McMillan Mair Balatoni Sinclair Bauben Moncur Bannigan Lawless Higgy Taylor What a difference a day makes... time for our first home win of the season.

I'd like to see us go with an offensive formation, desperate to see Fraser get a run of games, his passing, shooting and drive from that area gives us something extra. Gallacher McMillan Mair Balatoni Sinclair Fraser Bannigan Lawless Higgy Taylor If this is too open then swop Muirhead for Fraser. And if we fall behind, give some decent game time to Doolan and Taylor up front. Need to get support up to Taylor, too often when the midfield sits too deep the gap is too large and gives Taylor too much to do.

Archie continues to show learning, which for me is the most important thing, and gives him the potential to be a great manager. Most recently, I've admired how his signings have improved. And that's he's learned the error of signing Baird and Kerr and can hold his hand up and move on. Great work. I think he still needs to work on his substitutions, set pieces (our corners are completely ineffective), and different formations, but hopefully that'll come.

Ok, so to sum it up from me, James Craigen typifies our season, one of missed opportunities. He persists in the first team even though he's not good enough. I don't really have any issue with Craigen, but that fact he's played week in, week out through a dismal spell when we've been desperate to try something, anything, different sums things up for me. I don't think there's a a single person on this forum who thinks either he's not being played in his best position or there's better players that could play in his position yet every week he gets a shirt. All season we've been crying out for a more attacking threat yet he plays. As an attacking midfielder, he doesn't score, he doesn't create. As a defensive midfielder, he's powderpuff in the challenge, he gives the ball away time and again in dangerous positions, he doesn't win the ball in the air, and he doesn't create space for other players. The argument that others aren't doing much better doesn't wash, he simply shouldn't be playing as he's not good enough in this system. We need to try something different.

I thought Fraser played well second half on Tuesday. Everyone was crap for the first 35 mins. And Lawless was not worse that Craigen today. Fraser deserves a run to see what he can do, because one thing he definitely has in his locker is that he can pass.