Livingston v Stenhousemuir

[LogieLivi]

I sit behind the dugout and there were some fans today that were shocking. An injured Josh Mullin ran 30 yards for a lost cause and kept it in, but had no support and was praised with shouts of 'thats sh!t' or 'what was that?!?!' when he was forced off the ball. 
Some bad bounces and the ball not falling to us in the box had some fans foaming at the mouth.
 
At points today i felt like i was the only one trying to cheer the team on. Shots of 'unlucky lads' or 'good effort' etc.
 
The team were brilliant today. We could have won by 6 and it would have been justified yet there were some boos at the end?
 
Some people are just not happy and i dont understand it. Also, a 20 year old boy on the stretch just misses a chance after bursting a gut to get there, and instead of praising his effort he is shouted at from the stands!
 
Someone did shout at hopkin whilst Buchanan was being subbed that he was an arsehole, that was a bit harsh.
 
I was the guy who said 'were lucky theyre sh!t, at the end. And we were. Dunno who made the personal comments to hopkin though, that was out of order and came from a few rows down.
 
Honestly, i was fearing the worst after we invited them onto us and thats where it came from, and i shouldnt have shouted, however whoever is making the personal comments to hopkin, the players, moaning when thd dont shoot and moaning when they do, it is really begging to wear on a bit now.
 
I have sat there for as long as i can remember and i have never been surrounded by so many angry and unhappy fans.
 
Wheres the support? Felt at times i was the only one trying to show encouragement when something didnt work out for the guys. They put in a great shift and got a well deserved win.
 
Hopefully we do a clean sweep on Airdrie this weekend and the fans can hopefully enjoy it. I will be there, cheering them on

The boy who shouted abuse at Hopkin sits right up the back of Block A I believe.
Has done for years

[LiviLion]

2 minutes ago, LogieLivi said:

The boy who shouted abuse at Hopkin sits right up the back of Block A I believe.
Has done for years

 

A lot of it in C2 as well, shouts of him being clueless and a joke etc. I'd have agreed with them last season, but we were winning the game and strolling to the league title, what the f**k else is he supposed to do? 

[ATLIS]

Just now, A Livi Fan said:

Cheers mate,

I would just hate to be tarred with the same brush as those around me.

A but of nervousness near the end there after Hoppy's 3rd sub, still trying to figure that out by the way, but was not the direct attacks on Hoppy or the players that others around me do.

I will be the first to admit, i get really into the games, get excited, nervous, frustrated and i love it. But i would never attack the players the way some people do. 

We will never be that team that finished 3rd in the SPL again, and i have been very close to telling folk around be that and to maybe show some encouragement to the young guys out there.

Nobody seems to remember that we have a young team. Kelly, Halkett, Cadden, Josh, Nikolay and Danny are all younger than 22 I think. And you could see how upset they get when they miss a chance. Applaud the effort and pick them up!

Thanks for the welcome, i have read thd forums for a while but felt I had to join in here. Some of it was too far today, as a guy said earlier, calling Hopkin an arsehole whilst Buchanan was being subbed was too far

I think taking off Todorov was the mistake, I'd have taken Josh off for Nicky, swapped in Danny for Buchanan and maybe even Sinclair for Millar. Todorov was holding the play up and justifying the long ball. Fair enough after the third sub the players were a little clueless about the formation but Hopkin is learning as much as the players out there are.

We need to be behind the team and support them, we're winning the league by 9 points - what more do people want?

Our average age in the squad is roughly 22/23 I'm sure, plenty of time to mature. Halkett has been amazing this season and rightfully captain right now too. We need to help these kind of players develop by supporting them, not hounding them at every chance.

As much as I've said about Hopkin, I'm realising that we wont get a top class manager in. We need to get a manager in that will learn alongside us and grow, a bit of stability is always good too.

[A Livi Fan]

5 minutes ago, ATLIS said:

I think taking off Todorov was the mistake, I'd have taken Josh off for Nicky, swapped in Danny for Buchanan and maybe even Sinclair for Millar. Todorov was holding the play up and justifying the long ball. Fair enough after the third sub the players were a little clueless about the formation but Hopkin is learning as much as the players out there are.

We need to be behind the team and support them, we're winning the league by 9 points - what more do people want?

Our average age in the squad is roughly 22/23 I'm sure, plenty of time to mature. Halkett has been amazing this season and rightfully captain right now too. We need to help these kind of players develop by supporting them, not hounding them at every chance.

As much as I've said about Hopkin, I'm realising that we wont get a top class manager in. We need to get a manager in that will learn alongside us and grow, a bit of stability is always good too.

Exactly.

I dont think folk were unhappy buchanan was subbed, more when he was subbed. I mean to make it 1 up front when we looked like killing the game off.

You could see Josh was knackered because he was all over the park today, platlyed brilliantly. Yeah he had a few bad touches near the end but it doesnt help when your 'supporters' berate you for every mistake. 

I would have taken Buchanan off when Danny came on. And i do also agree that bringing Jacko on was a good option too, but maybe Rafa or Josh should have come off becuase they had both put in a shift and were visibly knackered. This would have left us in 4-4-2 with big Toddy up as an out ball too.

Getting the balance of going for the 2-0 to kill the game and ensuring we do not concede is tricky. But they did not look dangerous until we invited them onto us.

As always, Decs is a class above and Halkett is a stick-on for POTY this year. We NEED him signed up. Top player.

[A Livi Fan]

9 minutes ago, LogieLivi said:

 

The boy who shouted abuse at Hopkin sits right up the back of Block A I believe.
Has done for years

 

I sit the back row of A, older blokes along on the top closer to the away end like to shout at everything.

Bloke a row down likes a good rant. Wouldnt stop going on at the lino today either as well as Hoppy and the players.

[andylivi1]

Our fans are absolutely clueless at times, some of the abuse that Hopkin has taken this season has been outrageous and unjust, I'm one of few who has backed him all season and I still do, that's not saying I agree with everything he does, sometimes I'm baffled but he can't really do much more than what he's doing, we are 3 wins from the title. 

As you say there was one guy who took exception to the linesman tonight, I actually thought he got most things spot on, there was one iffy offside call but that was about it. 

I wasn't happy tonight because of our lack of taking chances and what had happened in previous games we've dominated but the players gave everything and putting the missed chances to one side we played very well tonight and dominated for large spells of the game.

Oh and if I have to tell someone that you can't be offside from a goal kick again I think I'll go crazy 

[LIVIFOREVER]

I'm glad I sit behind the away dugout and can't hear these angry wallopers over behind the home dugout.

Difficult to say if Hopkin was completely wrong to decide to see out the game, we've been hit with sucker punches before when we tried to score another goal and instead lost one because we were hit on the counter. We were setting up chances all first half and for the first 20 mins of the 2nd half too, but hadn't taken them, so can see why Hopkin decided to hold onto what we'd got rather than risk being hit on the counter. But it did invite Stenny onto us and we gave up the midfield to drop deeper into our own half, which made it nervy for the fans.

Anyway. job done and another win in the bag, with a game chalked off. Hopefully we'll have a relaxing time against Airdrie and score some goals against them.

[LIVIFOREVER]

54 minutes ago, AMC13 said:

 

Technically 3 wins because if we beat Alloa they can't catch us.

 

I said a wee while back that i'd love for us to win the title against Alloa, would make for a great build up to the game knowing we could be over the line with a win against them. Wont complain if Alloa drop points and we keep winning games and win it before then though.

 

Just to add, I thought the pitch looked a lot better than it has, a few bad baubles but it didn't cut up like it did a few weeks back, expected it to be a lot worse.

[AMC13]

I'm glad I sit behind the away dugout and can't hear these angry wallopers over behind the home dugout.

I sit at the back of b3 and there is some cretins there as well one guy constantly moans and actually got pulled up from another fan and told to start supporting the team. He had some outrageous shouts tonight such as "How's the fucks he the leagues top scorer" about Buchanan when he lost the ball in midfield and when it was the last minute the team dropped back to defend and Mullin got the ball and ran up the wing he shouts (bare in mind he's injured) "go quicker towards the goal this is top vs bottom, Hopkin terrible".

[Livithegreat]

8 hours ago, ATLIS said:

Agree with you there, he sits just up from me - he's an arse every game. The club would be better off if he went to support Clyde  

Why not use fan power and call him out. If he thinks it acceptable he will continue to get away with it. Fans should stand up around him the next time and tell him to feck off somewhere else. 

Even if we had had a crap manager and we were bottom of the league no individual deserves abuse at there work - why does this guy think that's acceptable. 

[A Livi Fan]

7 hours ago, andylivi1 said:

Our fans are absolutely clueless at times, some of the abuse that Hopkin has taken this season has been outrageous and unjust, I'm one of few who has backed him all season and I still do, that's not saying I agree with everything he does, sometimes I'm baffled but he can't really do much more than what he's doing, we are 3 wins from the title. 

As you say there was one guy who took exception to the linesman tonight, I actually thought he got most things spot on, there was one iffy offside call but that was about it. 

I wasn't happy tonight because of our lack of taking chances and what had happened in previous games we've dominated but the players gave everything and putting the missed chances to one side we played very well tonight and dominated for large spells of the game.

Oh and if I have to tell someone that you can't be offside from a goal kick again I think I'll go crazy 

Totally agree.

I have already held my hands up to the shout of 'we're getting lucky here'. Shouldn't have shouted at all and it was not meant as any kind of attack but more an outcry that was prompted by the nervousness and sense of 'here we go again' with absolutely dominating the game but failing to take the chances as you mentioned. However, it is the folk round about me that are shocking. I would never shout personal or insulting comments to Hopkin or the players and I don't understand why anyone does.

In the last few seasons, the bit behind the home dugout has grown in the number of seemingly angry people who must like the day out to vent their inner frustrations or something. As said before, some older men along from me with their 'DON'T GO BACK THE WAY' and 'GET IT SORTED HOPKIN. USELESS!!' and 'COME ON THIS IS SH!TE' were the same folk that would shout at Jordan White for not scoring a header from 20 yards or something. 

Some more folk a few rows down from the back and closer to halfway always seem to be watching a different game. Someone not happy that Josh could not run faster in the 94th minute when he was giving his all with one leg. These are the people which just make even winning games unpleasant at times.

You can imagine the kind of Dad's at the side of their kid's under 10's who swear at the ref, seems like the type of supporters we have adopted now. 

Did anyone else here folk towards halfway booing at the end?

 

[Neilly]

We were so poor with the ball I'm not sure if it was lack of belief or what but our instinct was just to batter it forward aimlessly as soon as we got it. Not a great tactic against 3 monsters at the back.

We always have a chance at 1-0 but really I never truly felt we were capable of creating anything on that performance.

Livi tore us apart first half could have been 7 or 8 they were dire second half and we still couldn't muster much.

Really strange outfit though in a lot of ways. They will win this league at a canter but come straight back down unless they make major improvements. Also how can you remain full time on a hardcore fan base of 500 is strange and just utterly pointless really. I still don't understand what's trying to be achieved by staying full time when the town does not give two shits about the club.

The fans also hate the manager and the needle between both was obvious.

A guy crossed himself and looked to 'God' coming through the turnstile which was bizarre as well. You don't need any special help to best us mate that's for sure.

The catering is abysmal. What the f**k is that soup? Heated pond water?

Onwards to Saturday and beyond that Stranraer away we have to win at least one if not both of these games. Play like we did last night and there is no chance of that.

[beaver1]

Can't comment on the soup, but the rest of this is pretty accurate. 

[LiviLion]

I think last night was the first time I've seen the ref give an offside that the linesman didn't, that was a bit bizarre 

[andylivi1]

Have no idea about the soup as I've never tried it but the pies are a huge improvement on what we had recently, I'm sure they are from a local butcher now, the steak pies are particularly excellent. 

Also noticed that last night, the ref blew for offside before the far side linesman had even put his flag up, was like something from a school game where the ref decides offsides.

We have a special lot in our fan base, Hopkin could have us 20 points clear and some would still not like him, for me he's done a reasonable job and I'm all for continuity, too often we sack managers, it's about time we stick by one. 

[LiamA]

The refs & linos are wired up now so the ref probably reacted to the buzzer in his ear before the flag was raised

[LIVIFOREVER]

2 hours ago, andylivi1 said:

We have a special lot in our fan base, Hopkin could have us 20 points clear and some would still not like him, for me he's done a reasonable job and I'm all for continuity, too often we sack managers, it's about time we stick by one. 

I think he has done a better job than a lot of our fans realise. Alloa were on incredible form at the start of the season, with 10 wins in a row (incl wins over ICT, Ross County* & Raith), the first defeat they had was to us, we didn't have the best start with defeats in the cups to St Mirren, Ayr and Accies, but we got off to a flier in the league and kept up with both Alloa and Brechin, then beat them both. We eventually got our nose in front and have stayed there. Now Alloa have hit a good bit of form but we're actually on the same form as them over the last 10 games in the bbc league colour charts, 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat, I think Hopkin deserves a lot of credit for having us 9 points clear and holding off Alloa in this late push. He wont get any from those guys that think we should be rolling over everyone in this league though.

 

" Forgot they beat Ross County too.

[LIVIFOREVER]

4 hours ago, Neilly said:

We were so poor with the ball I'm not sure if it was lack of belief or what but our instinct was just to batter it forward aimlessly as soon as we got it. Not a great tactic against 3 monsters at the back.

We always have a chance at 1-0 but really I never truly felt we were capable of creating anything on that performance.

Livi tore us apart first half could have been 7 or 8 they were dire second half and we still couldn't muster much.

Really strange outfit though in a lot of ways. They will win this league at a canter but come straight back down unless they make major improvements. Also how can you remain full time on a hardcore fan base of 500 is strange and just utterly pointless really. I still don't understand what's trying to be achieved by staying full time when the town does not give two shits about the club.

The fans also hate the manager and the needle between both was obvious.

A guy crossed himself and looked to 'God' coming through the turnstile which was bizarre as well. You don't need any special help to best us mate that's for sure.

The catering is abysmal. What the f**k is that soup? Heated pond water?

Onwards to Saturday and beyond that Stranraer away we have to win at least one if not both of these games. Play like we did last night and there is no chance of that.

If I remember correctly when we played East Stirling the soup was home made and excellent, think I went back for more at HT. Our pies are good though, as andy said, a local butcher does them now, they were crap when it was Lindleys.

"They will win this league at a canter but come straight back down unless they make major improvements"

I don't know why folk say that, why look at a team playing in a league below and compare how they'd do if they were in a league above, we're in League One and are winning it, that's all we needed to do.

Actually disagree with you though, having just come down from the Championship after having Hearts, Sevco and Hibs in it I know what to expect from playing there and there are some very average teams in it too. I don't think we need to make major improvements to be able to compete with them and stay up there, we've a core group of players that are good enough to play at that level, but obv we'd need to add to that and that's normally what teams do when they move up a division and have a bigger budget to work with.

 

Agree with you on our fanbase though, but there are fans out there that have been supporting the team, we really need to get our act together and make an effort to get them back. Hearing changes are afoot on ownership of the club though, hope to feck they do something to get bums on seats because the current lot are treading water on that score. 

[Devilmaycare]

Really good first half where we dominated play and could've run riot, comparisons could be made to the East Fife game where we lost 1-0 but this time we got a goal and all 3 points.

Second half we could've made it a bit more comfortable too with a couple of good chances going a begging, and thought we shut up shop a bit too early giving ourselves quite a chunk of the game to have to hold out for, but I remember us being 1-0 up against Cowdenbeath and firing a ball into the box from a corner when we had about 5 minutes left and then losing a goal on the counter to drop 2 points. We're at least showing we can see out a game and are using the head a bit to get all 3 points.

If we'd stuck half of our chances away it wouldn't have had to end the way it did either, with us making changes to hold onto our slim lead, and that isn't Hopkin's fault. We had our chances to make it 2,3,4,5 or even 6 nil, we didn't take them so Hopkin made a decision to hold onto what we had and we did so. If we'd conceded a goal he'd have got stick for it but we didn't so some folk need to get off his back.

 

[LiviBoy2603]

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