Looking at the BBC site, Queens have played 6 home games this quarter, which has given them an advantage. Will be interesting to see how 6 away games next quarter effects them.

Given that playing at home gives an advantage, Livingston and Dunfermline have both had a good 1st quarter ( 4 home games).

League is to close to call at the momenet and I think the luckiest team is the one thats going to come out on top. Dunfermline getting a point from Dundee, while down to 10 men, is the sort of gritty/lucky result that indicates they'll do well.

Dundee will not win the league. I think they'll be lucky to finish 4th/5th.

They've a good goalkeeper and a decent defence, but their midfield is poor and they have a toothless attack, to rival ours.

I was about to say that this is just a repetition of the pre season thread and as pointless as the thread we will have mid season. However I almost overlooked the fact that no-one had us as a challenger pre season so things can change

I am willing to bet that by mid-season there will be no more than 10 points seperating the top 6 teams.

We're 4th fave.

Stop picking us.

I believe that when Buchanan gets fit, Thistle shouldn't be totally discounted either.

Queens I have to say at the moment are looking good, while the Saintees are beginning to hit form.

Dundee being discounted is the way I like it.

I think a lot of the posts on this thread and the one about the best/worse teams that we've seen in the division thus far only serves to show how wide open this league really is. For Saints, to be only four points behind first place despite losing 3-0 to Dunfermline, 4-0 to Thistle and 3-2 to Clyde is something that probably wouldn't have been realistic in seasons gone by. There is no one team emerging as a serious contender, capable of going top of the league and staying there for the duration of the season in the same way teams like Accies, Falkirk and St.Mirren have in seasons previous.

Our next three games are all away from home. If we are still top after them then it is game on. We have got the squad to go close.

The teams I am most worried about are St Johnstone and Dunfermline (who I voted for). Dundee can't seem to score goals and Livingston looked poor on Saturday. Any team with pace will tie them in knots.

Pretty much agree with that though I reckon St Johnstone are my favourites (they were pre-season as well). The worrying thing is that I found myself on the way up the road on Saturday struggling to think of reasons why we couldn't do it. Our starting eleven is good and our squad depth is better than most other teams in the league (Saints maybe excepted).

Interestingly, how do this seasons points tally and form for your own team stack up with last seasons at the same point? After nine games last season, I think we were on fourteen points after three wins, five draws and one defeat. Nine games into this season, we're on fourteen points after four wins, two draws and three defeats. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think Hamilton had surged to a points tally of something like 22 points.

As you say the squad is good enough and big enough to win the league - but we are talking Queens here.We have a long history of 'if only'.

They had a fake pitch

I know! As I say I spent about 15mins in the car on the way up the road trying to figure out any logical reason why we couldn't challenge and the best I could come up with was 'because it's Queens'. I much prefer to look on things with a pessemistic outlook so found it most disturbing to come to this conclusion.

Two words will stop QoS from winning this league. Injuries (and) Suspensions.

If we could steer clear from them I feel we have the squad and ability to win this league.

Thats the same for everyone though. I think Chisholm has succeded in putting together a squad with as much depth as almost anyone else in the league. The most likely problem will be the departure of Sives who has been a rock at the back - he reminds me a lot of Brian Reid and forms a similar partnership with JT.

I genuinely think that Livingston can win this league. The main problem we have, as has been mentioned, is depth. We have a very strong first team, but are limited outwith that. I think our result against Queen of the South at the weekend was a blip and am confident we will bounce back for the next quarter.

Aside from ourselves, the teams that have impressed me have been Dunfermline, St Johnstone and Queens.

I have posted elsewhere that an extended loan deal for Sives is a real priority and I'm sure Chisholm thinks the same.
Fingers crossed we keep him till May.

Doubt it. I think if Morton, County, Airdrie and Clyde were to stay injury free then they certainly would not win the league.

I'm not sure but I don't think we'll be able to extend his loan deal - is he not over the age limit for season long loans?

An extended loan deal for Sives, who is on an emergency loan lapsing in early December, is simply not allowed under the loan rules regardless of who thinks what about it.

I think he could return in January on a second half of the season loan potentially (sure St Johnstone took Rocco Quinn on two different types of loan last season) but if he did it would rule out bringing in a loan keeper over 21 years old for the second half of the season which is another issue since Bell's loan also can't be extended under the rules.

Come what may, we will be without Sives for the entire month of December.

Yeah but that wasn't what you were implying - you seemed to be indicating that we were at a disadvantage compared to other challengers. Personally I don't think we've got the excuse of a small squad anymore - firstly because Chis has strengthened well and secondly because none of the other suspects have really got more depth than we do.

At least somebody can give the right answer!

Table after nine games last season was:

1. Hamilton - 22pts (+12)
2. Dundee - 18pts (+6)
3. St Johnstone - 14 points (+5)
4. Dunfermline - 12 points (0)
5. Morton - 11pts (-4)
6. Partick Thistle - 10pts (-1)
7. Clyde - 10pts (-6)
8. Livingston - 9pts (-2)
9. Queen of the South - 9pts (-3)
10. Stirling - 6pts (-7)


I'm not convinced Livi even have a very strong first team and Saturday kind of showed that. They do have two or three really top notch players who are right up there amongst the best in the league but I'm not sure guys like Fox or McPartland would get anywhere near the starting XI of the other top sides in the league, whereas if you look across the midfields of Queens, Pars, Thistle and Saints, I don't think their players would look out of place in any other side.

Regards depth, as discussed in other posts, we beat Airdrie on Saturday missing six players (McLean, Anderson, James, Morris, Hardie, Samuel) and I think Queens could cope with that sort of injury list but I'm not sure how many other sides in the league could? Thistle are doing well considering their absentees but the Pars and Livi have probably been least affected out of the top sides so far. Nothing to say that won't continue though.

We took Rocco Quinn on loan originally from 31st August to 31st December and then again on a 93-day emergency loan in mid-February.

Does that not mean you don't have a good enough squad?

I was implying that if we had a full strength squad all season we would be able to win the league, nothing else.



If we were to lose Dobbie, O'Connor and say Burns or Tosh long term then I don't believe we would have the strength to win the league. I think we have depth in the squad to maintain a place in the division but I don't think we have the quality in depth to help us gain promotion if we were o lose 3 or 4 key players.

We have coped with all the above not available on occasion so far.
The odds on all four being out long term must be quite long - touch wood.

Exactly what Dundee fans thought about our key players. Still, the International break has came at the right time for us, and a few players will be back for the County game. Curier's call up to the national team will have his confidence back up, and he'll be back on the scoring trail soon enough.

How anyone can predict that Queens will win the league while retaining any semblance of dignity is beyond me. What a ridiculously simple "prediction" to make, f'cking bunch of Alan Hansen's. It's not even a prediction, it's called "exactly what everyone else is thinking", a reflection on the reality of the situation.

Nine games down the line these same people will be predicting glory for the latest league leader.

Funny. No seriously.



One of few interesting posts made in this thread. Nice info.

Other teams have yet to go through their annual injury hell, maybe Dundee have started it at the right time.

Starting when?

Dunfermline to shade it just now, i will proberly change my mind as the seasons goes on mind you.

Who knows, between QoS, Saints, Livi and Pars for me.

Saints: Strong Squad seasoned campaigners and I just think they will have the mettle to shade it. Their response to their 'blip' in form is there to see.

QoS : Can get the goals and aren't concedeing too much. Don't let the Airdrie result fool you too much.

Pars: Same as Livi, still outsiders for me. Not as prolific as Q0S but a good defence with plenty clean sheets so far but with Wilson out now just shows how the squad can be weakened quickly due to injuries. Steady team so far and again would fancy them to delve into the transfer market come January if things are looking good.

Livi: Need to be more consistent, I don't favour them us much as my first two picks but think they could also delve into the transfer market come January.

In short Saints and QoS with Pars and Livi possibly going from dark horses to major contenders come January.

Dundee? Doing worse then even I thought in terms of league position but lets face it they are only 6 points off top. Although in this league 6 points is a lot of ground to cover against the competition.

Us.

Greenock Morton Football Club.

Correct.

Cheers.

GMFC FTW.

I dont know what other Pars fans think but the good run of form we have had recently has been encouraging...even more is the way it seems we havent really had to push too hard to get these results. I think there is a lot more to come from our team. Confidence, more and more experience and a bit of luck and we will be up there.

Having said that....lose a few players, of which we already have lost and we are significantly weakened. I think if we lost Kirk or Phinn as well as Wilson we might well be in a bit of bother.

yesterdays result just show how competitive this league is! any team from the top 8 could go on a run to the top. Dundee are by no means out of the running as long as teams above them will keep dropping points. After a run like they have had and saints had earlier to be so few points behind will make the rest of the season very interesting.

Difference is Dundee just do not have the right squad and are slowly but surely being found out in this division this year.