Monkey Tennis

Yes, you've got a bit of a loathing for Annan that I've never quite understood. I'm with 19QOS19 on this. I like Annan fine as a club and I want them to stay up, as long as we do too.

Ferguson will be fine with it really. He's had worse outcomes after playing Raith Rovers.

The kick off time for the St Mirren game must completely blow the guy's tiny mind.

He's no right.

I disagree with the bit in bold. Surely the better sides in League 2 have more quality than us?

Consistency has been ours.

Yeah delusion can be fun. I prefer reality though.

Yes, another stodgy nothing performance, but thank Christ, we dug out a win. Gibson takes the credit, while Bartley looks ever more flawed. I think we're almost there now, but if Stirling beat us, we're not. Annan have done tremendously well to now have such a good fighting chance.

I hate to break it to you, but your attitude won't actually impact on how the team performs.

Well the day has finally dawned. I can't believe the moment has actually arrived when Bartley finally gets to pit his managerial wits against the big boys from the capital. In Bartley's first full season, I think it's fair to say that he's surprised us all with the quality he's brought in, and the performances his young side is capable of delivering. Today should give us a clear indication of just how successful this season will prove to be for us. It remains to be seen whether we get our just reward for all the ability and application that our team has displayed. I, and literally dozens of others, can't wait to find out.

Yes, it's a spectacularly unappetising fixture, but it really matters. If we win (and despite everything, I still think we will) then it goes a long way towards keeping us up. If we drop points at all though, I think it means we're favourites for 9th spot. I can still hardly believe that this is where we are. What a pathetic season.

It really is. Many of us have tried, but it's almost impossible to capture the scale of how terrible he's been in the role. I honestly doubt if anyone, anyone at all, could have done any worse.

I think there's probably something in this. We've been poor for years and we can be hopeless in games frequently, regardless of where they're staged. it is unusual for it to be no better, or even worse, than we are away over successive seasons though. I do sometimes wonder about the lack of connection between team and town, but as you say, we've generally trained elsewhere, and it's hard to see past the logic of us doing so. I don't really hold with the criticism some made of fans for not creating an atmosphere though. Our gates are absolutely terrible these days, but I genuinely think it's remarkable that they're not worse.

Surely we'll win this one. I predict that we do so in laboured fashion. If we dont, it'll be horrendous and the firmest indication yet of where we're heading.

Yes, very much this. We're not a militant or rebellious crowd at all. When it's this bad, we don't revolt, we just dwindle. As you say, the environment is not remotely toxic. There's really no logical reason at all that explains why it's been so bad at home for so long.

That's probably sensible. I just watch them because I quite enjoy getting annoyed. I know he's on a hiding to nothing in them. What the Hell is he meant to say each week? I do find his shirking of responsibility irksome though. I doubt if he's clinically narcissistic, but I do think he has a large and resilient ego. Regular humblings don't seem to have resulted in any accompanying humility. It makes you wonder if he's capable of genuine improvement.

Yip, right down to the content of his latest interview. Again we get the elongated focus on a goal we lose, as if each incident is entirely isolated. Again, we get the blaming of individuals as he names Reilly for missing a chance. Again we get the abdication of responsibility, as he distances himself from the debacle, saying that it's "not tactical". He signs off by saying that if we win our last 4 games "that's enough". Even if we leave aside how unlikely such a scenario is, he's wrong to think that finishing outside of the play-off spots at both ends of the table is enough. This is so far short of anything that's remotely acceptable for the club. I genuinely think he doesn't know that.

Maybe, but don't rule us out. Bartley has us hanging on in there.

As others have said, there is literally no debate on this among fans anymore. He's absolutely hopeless. The length of his contract must surely explain why he's still in a post. It'll probably see him also remain there for a while yet. In bald terms though, he's been an utterly disastrous manager for us. Truly terrible.

I can scarcely remember when I last didn't feel this way in the spring.

Yeah, precisely this. I still think (but obviously can't know) that we'll slither clear of 9th due to no virtue of our own. It's absolutely bloody desperate though.

Christ almighty!

Have there ever been two terms that belonged as badly in the same sentence as 'Old Firm' and 'Intellectual'?

I'm just worried in case that's our best chance of scoring.

Of course I have. I've also seen sides slump and underperform. I've seen both happen in September and in April, as well as at various points in between.