St Mirren v Livingston - Winner Goes Top Edition

[BIG BEN]

Tears and snotters from every one of the Livi fans who were in attendance...all 14 of you. Thug team and no fans...just accept the facts and slither away.

Livi are a small club compared to us. We are a small club compared to old firm. Its all relative. We don't need to be patronizing like arsehole old firm fans. Were better than that. It may not be a huge away support but fair play to each and every one of them for turning up and backing their team

[Fony Titz]

Didn't realise we were so heavily disliked by St Murn!

Don't take it personally we tend to dislike everyone.

I think most of the crowd wanking was kicked off by a dundee united fan in all honesty. You guys are obviously their main rivals for league position this season.

C'mon the Livi (in the games against all other top 4 challengers)!!!

[Fony Titz]

Probably because Pitman had been obstructed in exactly the same way only minutes before. Referee was consistently poor all evening. 
Anyone know what the penalty was for?

Jack Baird got fouled.

[Mr.Blue]

6 hours ago, Ayia Napa Daz said:

Never one for the crowd numbers patter, but would have to say that given the circumstances here 180 is a pretty poor following.

St Mirren got wise to Livi in the 2nd half and surrounded the box and upped the tempo with sharper passing. I think against most teams we'd have won 2/3-0 tonight. St Mirren are the best team I've watched this season and I think they'll win the league. 2nd half they passed and moved very well and looked a cut above for this division. A good crowd and their fans made plenty of noise so fair play. I like St Mirren, it's a good club unlike the rest of the boring fuckers in the Championship.

Livi are very direct and physical. It's a game plan and for the majority of the time it's worked. Hard tackles, big headers, broad shoulders, long throws. I'm happy to watch it if it gets us results and keeps us in with a chance of getting back into the premier league. No time for all the soft bent boys moaning and crying about it. Go and pick flowers with your boyfriend if you can't handle some proper direct old school football.

Wow.

[Fony Titz]

I didn't really see the incident with Todorov and Baird clearly either. To be honest, I thought that Todorov was rubbish. Once him and the other guy game on it was a stroll for Baird and Davies. They looked far more uncomfortable dealing with Carrick.

It was right in front of me. The guy came on with one intention, to ruff up our defence. He lead with the elbow. Then chased every pass between our 2 CH's and keeper for about 3 mins and was blowing out his arse after that. Thought he was a stick on for a second yellow though he just couldn't get close enough to anyone to foul them.

Enjoyable game of football. The ref was hopeless but in my opinion to our advantage.

[Fony Titz]

Rafa could control Gazza on a 5 day bender, I doubt he can't control a tackle [emoji3] When he came back to us last season I thought his tackles like that were bad, it's the way he goes in that looks bad but when you pay attention he's going in across the ground and trying to trap the ball with the side of his foot. It was a yellow card at worst, there was no danger of the player getting injured in it.

Erm the same player that limped about for the next 5 minutes trying to run off his injury?

[Doakes]

Might be in the minority here but I was impressed by Livi - they were physical but had a few good players , Carrick in particular was a handful. They'll take points off a lot of teams this season. 

Livi support got behind their team with the numbers they had, shame the locals don't seem to follow in bigger numbers, especially when the team is doing well...

 

[Coventry Saint]

I don't get the hate for Livi - their history is what it is, doesn't bother me that much. Also, their fans on here are, almost to a man, a decent bunch.

Plus, I bumped into a Livi fan on the train after the League Cup final in 2013 and he was a gent.

I didn't see the game but it sounds like Harry Davis' return hasn't just improved our defence: it has also been the key to an improved Stephen McGinn. 

 

[Smeato]

Never one for the crowd numbers patter, but would have to say that given the circumstances here 180 is a pretty poor following.

 

St Mirren got wise to Livi in the 2nd half and surrounded the box and upped the tempo with sharper passing. I think against most teams we'd have won 2/3-0 tonight. St Mirren are the best team I've watched this season and I think they'll win the league. 2nd half they passed and moved very well and looked a cut above for this division. A good crowd and their fans made plenty of noise so fair play. I like St Mirren, it's a good club unlike the rest of the boring fuckers in the Championship.

 

Livi are very direct and physical. It's a game plan and for the majority of the time it's worked. Hard tackles, big headers, broad shoulders, long throws. I'm happy to watch it if it gets us results and keeps us in with a chance of getting back into the premier league. No time for all the soft bent boys moaning and crying about it. Go and pick flowers with your boyfriend if you can't handle some proper direct old school football.

 

Thought this was a fair comment until you went full raging homophobe at the end there. Pipe down, grampa.

[paisleysaints]

Enjoyed the game last night,  was also impressed with Livi looked dangerous on the break hardly a team of thugs,  But you'll call them during the 90 mins when things are going your way.

They are a well organised physical bunch who play to their strengths.  In saying that we dominated the game from start to finish a well deserved 3 points with morgan giving that RB absolute nightmares.  I thought Eckersley was fantastic last night also.

Our Corners are absolute gash not really much height in the team to hit though

[BIG BEN]

I don't get the hate for Livi - their history is what it is, doesn't bother me that much. Also, their fans on here are, almost to a man, a decent bunch.
Plus, I bumped into a Livi fan on the train after the League Cup final in 2013 and he was a gent.
I didn't see the game but it sounds like Harry Davis' return hasn't just improved our defence: it has also been the key to an improved Stephen McGinn. 
 

He's another captain for me. A talker and a leader

[Biscuits]

Enjoyed the game last night,  was also impressed with Livi looked dangerous on the break hardly a team of thugs,  But you'll call them during the 90 mins when things are going your way.
They are a well organised physical bunch who play to their strengths.  In saying that we dominated the game from start to finish a well deserved 3 points with morgan giving that RB absolute nightmares.  I thought Eckersley was fantastic last night also.
Our Corners are absolute gash not really much height in the team to hit though

Good point about the corners although tbf we do try some different variations, one of which led to the first goal

[paisleysaints]

1 minute ago, Biscuits said:

 

Good point about the corners although tbf we do try some different variations, one of which led to the first goal

 

Very true as we didn't whip that one in,  Suppose after the end of last year when Gary Mack was heading everything in this is what i'm comparing it against!!

[billyg]

I didn't see the game but it sounds like Harry Davis' return hasn't just improved our defence: it has also been the key to an improved Stephen McGinn. 
 

I said that last week , McGinn has really missed his presence. Although S McG is team captain , Davis is really the captain on the pitch and takes responsibility off McGinn who can flourish with a bit more freedom.

[Buddist Monk]

That was a great result considering the form Livi are in and that Untied had sneaked ahead of us. Don't remember Livi being so physical last time - they were this! Quite how they managed to keep 11 on the park is beyond me, numerous instances of a doubled yellow or a straight red, especially the one against Liam Smith late on in the game - when other fouls you felt could be considered physical play that was just out and out assault. No idea who the ref was but he really should have seen the way Livi were operating and tailored his officiating.

Still, no injuries our side so that's a plus. And I don't really want to tear into Livi/Hopkin for their strategy. It's clearly been working for them and from what it looked like last night it was if they were told to go out and frustrate and niggle for the first half and see where that got them in the second. The reason I say that is after their goal, which you've got to put the problem at Samson for although he wasn't helped at all by the defence, they seemed unsure where to go next.

I've never seen Jack Ross shut up shop before. I mean it worked, but the last ten minutes was a bit odd with the substitutes to the point I wasn't sure what formation we were playing at the final whistle. It's clear he's a happy boy after the result, his post match comments are accompanied by an almost perma-smile.

On a final note, the combination of Baird and Davis seems to work well, and it's great to see Davis back in a Saints top but it'll leave Buchanan kicking his heels. I had actually assumed he'd been bought more for a holding midfielder role rather than defence, and with Gary Mac due back some time it looks like there won't be a position for him to play. Maybe he'll up his game to fight his way back into the team.

 

I'm sure this is meme worthy.

 

[flyingscot]

10 hours ago, NorthBank said:

Toderov's first involvement was to elbow Baird in the face without even attempting to go for the ball. Could have been a straight red.

Toderov could have easily walked last night. The first one could have been a red, and he very much got away with it and some other robust challenges on a booking.

DeVita's challenge was one that some referees, looking at Collum/Thomson here, would have got a red out for. No better than Irvine's in the reverse fixture earlier in the year where he was sent off.  

[glenburn bud]

De Vita only stayed on the park last night because he got the slightest touch on the ball, which in all honesty was down to pure luck. 

He attempted the same lunge twice on Liam Smith with the second attempt making sure he got his man.

The fact that he did get a slight touch was as I said down to luck.

He should have been given a straight red, Toderov should also have received a straight red for his blantant elbow in Jack Baird's face. 

By all means play to your strengths  Livi are a big unit of physical players who will give everyone in this division problems. But as the QOS poster said they are agricultural in their approach at times, which is a shame as they have some very decent players.

[dylan_leggatt]

1 hour ago, Buddist Monk said:

I've never seen Jack Ross shut up shop before. I mean it worked, but the last ten minutes was a bit odd with the substitutes to the point I wasn't sure what formation we were playing at the final whistle. It's clear he's a happy boy after the result, his post match comments are accompanied by an almost perma-smile.

 

I thought it was pretty smart, Only way Livi were going to get a goal back was to launch balls into the box, so sticking on Buchanan helped put an end to that plan.

The way we closed the match out after going 3-1 up was another positive, 

[Soctty]

1 hour ago, Buddist Monk said:

That was a great result considering the form Livi are in and that Untied had sneaked ahead of us. Don't remember Livi being so physical last time - they were this! Quite how they managed to keep 11 on the park is beyond me, numerous instances of a doubled yellow or a straight red, especially the one against Liam Smith late on in the game - when other fouls you felt could be considered physical play that was just out and out assault. No idea who the ref was but he really should have seen the way Livi were operating and tailored his officiating.

Still, no injuries our side so that's a plus. And I don't really want to tear into Livi/Hopkin for their strategy. It's clearly been working for them and from what it looked like last night it was if they were told to go out and frustrate and niggle for the first half and see where that got them in the second. The reason I say that is after their goal, which you've got to put the problem at Samson for although he wasn't helped at all by the defence, they seemed unsure where to go next.

I've never seen Jack Ross shut up shop before. I mean it worked, but the last ten minutes was a bit odd with the substitutes to the point I wasn't sure what formation we were playing at the final whistle. It's clear he's a happy boy after the result, his post match comments are accompanied by an almost perma-smile.

On a final note, the combination of Baird and Davis seems to work well, and it's great to see Davis back in a Saints top but it'll leave Buchanan kicking his heels. I had actually assumed he'd been bought more for a holding midfielder role rather than defence, and with Gary Mac due back some time it looks like there won't be a position for him to play. Maybe he'll up his game to fight his way back into the team.

 

I'm sure this is meme worthy.

 

Re Buchanan and the holding midfield role, that is a position I think we're weak in, and it is a weakness that leads to pressure on our defence. Neither McGinn or McShane are defensively minded players, with both looking to go forward whenever possible, which leaves spaces. I've no idea who would drop out, but there are occasions when I would use a defensive minded player in the midfield to provide protection to the defence.

[Buddist Monk]

27 minutes ago, Soctty said:

Re Buchanan and the holding midfield role, that is a position I think we're weak in, and it is a weakness that leads to pressure on our defence. Neither McGinn or McShane are defensively minded players, with both looking to go forward whenever possible, which leaves spaces. I've no idea who would drop out, but there are occasions when I would use a defensive minded player in the midfield to provide protection to the defence.

He played defence whenever I saw him at Dumbarton (which was only a few times to be fair) so I had no idea if he could come in and do a job as a holding mid, but at the time we didn't look like Davis was coming back and Gary Mac doesn't have a lot of years football left in him. It made sense to bring him in, and clearly Ross is a fan.

The McGinn/McShane partnership will improve a lot once the defence settles down with Davis there. Even the last two games you can see the difference he has made. McShane is a bit of a sideways passer who you don't tend to notice much in the game while McGinn clearly wants to impose himself in that area. With the luxury of our attacking players we have I think the balance is OK to be honest. To say neither are defensively minded is a bit unfair, imo, as I think both most definitely are.