Ayr away Friday night.

[a f kincaid]

According to their website there appears to be a live stream available for £18.

[Auld Jag]

Commentary of Ayr v Thistle on Radio Scotland.

[jags on tour]

I hope we gub them and they get relegated for charging £18, Killie were charging £9 earlier this year, even our £12 is steep for a piss poor live stream!

I wonder what team we will put out, it’s going to take the absolute clusterfcuk of clusterfcuk’s for us not to be in the playoffs so I’d be looking to rest a few guys but on the other hand they are fighting for their lives and I don’t was us to lose any momentum going into the games vs ICT. I’d play a sort of fringe team like this but can’t see McCall risking it.

Sneddon

Hendrie

Bell

Akinola

Foster

Murray

Crawford

Doch

Mcallister

Jakubiak

Alegria

 

 

[CotterJag]

1 hour ago, jags on tour said:

I hope we gub them and they get relegated for charging £18, Killie were charging £9 earlier this year, even our £12 is steep for a piss poor live stream!

I wonder what team we will put out, it’s going to take the absolute clusterfcuk of clusterfcuk’s for us not to be in the playoffs so I’d be looking to rest a few guys but on the other hand they are fighting for their lives and I don’t was us to lose any momentum going into the games vs ICT. I’d play a sort of fringe team like this but can’t see McCall risking it.

Sneddon

Hendrie

Bell

Akinola

Foster

Murray

Crawford

Doch

Mcallister

Jakubiak

Alegria

 

 

It's a tricky one to call.

We've shown that on the wrong day, we can ship 4 or 5 goals.

Haven't looked to see if Raith are capable of scoring as many but I'd rest a couple of 'injured' players and try and keep it tight.

Don't think losing 1 or 2 nil does much to the confidence, if it's obvious we've rested one or two.

[jags on tour]

Yeah the team won’t look anything like I’ve posted but if we are to have a chance of winning the playoffs we need to rest as many as we can!

[ChiThistle]

I’d give Alegria substantial minutes and Jakubiak a good 60 at least.  If one or both of them can offer something on goal then it could give them confidence for the playoffs and maybe give us options if Graham and Tiff aren’t firing at 100%.

Also would get Ben Stanway a full half at least.  Reward the kid for making the step up and see what he’s got.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Agree with above post tho' Stanway probably needs to grow/bulk up a bit to play in his position. Would imagine we'll do what the bigger English clubs do in the FA Cup and play an "experimental" starting XI but retain a strong bench for insurance. I say "experimental" but that's really the wrong word as just about everyone in the squad has had regular starts this season. I don't feel we've even known our strongest line up until recently. Ideally I'd have liked to have seen Firth get a shot in goals before now, but that's not been possible and I guess Jamie will retain his position for continuity as much as record breaking reasons.

[laukat]

I would expect a strong-ish defence to start the game with most of better attacking option on the bench. There are a couple of players who could do with a game to be ready for the playoffs (Firth, Foster, Akinola, McAllister) So something like this to start the game

Firth 

Foster-Akinola-Holt-Hendrie

Turner-Docherty-Bannigan

Smith-Jakubiak-MacAllister

Subs: Sneddon, McKenna, Mayo, Graham, Alegria, Murray, Crawford, Bell, Stanway

If the scores are looking good by 60 minutes I would expect Docherty, Bannigan, Holt and Jakubiak to be taken off for Crawford, Stanway, Bell and Alegria. Conversely if we need a goal expect Graham to come on or if we need to stop losing goals expect Mayo, Sneddon and McKenna.

I wouldn't have Tiffoney on the subs bench. He's so key to our chances that we can't afford the risk of him picking up a skelf in his backside from the subs bench.

 

[Thistle88]

Brown lie was up hospitality last week saying he’s Hoping for a run out this week,

Id go

                                       Sneddon          

     McKenna Brownlie    Akinola  Foster

                                              Bell  

    McAllister   Crawford   Smith  Murray 

                                          Algeria 

Risking anyone else worries me.

[Dick Dastardly]

4 hours ago, Thistle88 said:

Brown lie was up hospitality last week saying he’s Hoping for a run out this week,

Id go

                                       Sneddon          

     McKenna Brownlie    Akinola  Foster

                                              Bell  

    McAllister   Crawford   Smith  Murray 

                                          Algeria 

Risking anyone else worries me.

Having an entire country up front might cause a bit of a packed goalmouth.

[sandy]

I must admit, that midfield above would make me fear for the result tonight. I do think we need to rest the likes of Tiffoney, but not at the expense of being humped by a team who need to stay above the Pars. 

[fifexile]

From Archie's update it sounds like Tiffony will not make it tonight.  Upside is the rest of the squad is available so there's a chance for those that have been out to get some game time

[lady-isobel-barnett]

3 hours ago, sandy said:

I must admit, that midfield above would make me fear for the result tonight. I do think we need to rest the likes of Tiffoney, but not at the expense of being humped by a team who need to stay above the Pars. 

We can make five substitutions. Even if we hold one or two subs back in case of injury we can easily strengthen the team if things ain't going to plan.

In my mind going into the play offs requires a different ethos. The normal "take each game as it comes" should go out the window. We have to plan ahead for six matches (seven if you include tonight) and strategize accordingly. If we were to reach the final round and lose out narrowly to the Premiership side it would admittedly be an achievement, but in truth it would still be a hollow achievement. Resting certain players whenever it's deemed safe enough to do so would be key to ultimately achieving the only worthwhile outcome.

[sandy]

That’s a fair point m’lady. Of course, I’m often proved wrong so I’ll eat my words when the midfield play a blinder tonight. 

[BILL.H]

Anyone heading to the game tonight be aware.  A77 currently closed following an accident, traffic  tailed back to Fenwick on M77 Please allow plenty of time.

[Thistle88]

10 hours ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Having an entire country up front might cause a bit of a packed goalmouth.

That’s midfield  It’s what we are left with without Banzo Doch and Turner.  

[Gary Peebles Tackle]

Is there a non £18 stream available anywhere? £18 is a shocker.

[exiledjag]

It's a difficult set of decisions facing the manager.

The first decision is do we want to win the game or not? If so then we have to field a team that will achieve this (or at least not lose the game). This decision also has to take account of Ayr's position as well and the determination they will show to avoid being sucked into the play-off position.

This means a strong team along normal lines with perhaps only one or two regulars rested - on the bench.

If the strategy is to focus on the play-offs  then it's anybodies guess what our team will be tonight. I hope the manger decides we go for winning the game and fields a strong team!

Afraid I still fall into the one game at a time scenario as I don't think resting 5 or 6 players is right if it will risk a 4-5 goal thumping.

Means Raith only need to beat Killie by  4 or 5 goals which could be  easily achieved against a hung over or very weakened Killie!!

[CotterJag]

11 hours ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Having an entire country up front might cause a bit of a packed goalmouth.

Strange night if Murray Firth, and Lewis Mayo play.

[ChiThistle]

I wonder how many times this season two teams in the same game week have combined for an 8-goal difference.  It has to be an amazingly low percentage.

Just play all the reserves.

[elevenone]

Mccall misses out due to illness in what would have been his 100th game in charge.  

[elevenone]

36 minutes ago, ChiThistle said:

I wonder how many times this season two teams in the same game week have combined for an 8-goal difference.  It has to be an amazingly low percentage.

Just play all the reserves.

Not impossible.  Mind Hamilton won 10-2 v Morton a few years back to claw back the 8 goal deficit they needed for title albeit in vain coz Dundee won their final match to take the title.

[elevenone]

[Gary Peebles Tackle]

Pretty sensible XI, maybe have left Sneddon out, but otherwise all makes sense. 

[exiledjag]

2 minutes ago, Gary Peebles Tackle said:

Pretty sensible XI, maybe have left Sneddon out, but otherwise all makes sense. 

Agree. Sensible team selection!

I have to say though I just don't see where the goals are going to come from.  Perhaps a team for a  0 - 0!