Valentino Bolognese

Edited my post because I just can't be bothered with dragging out any more Joe Shaughnessy chat.

I have the same worries as there were a few reasons as to why the slump happened. All I know is that the team that played at St Mirren on the straight after New Year were not the same team that played at Dens and it seemed to get worse from there the more Tommy tried to fix it. What's the real team that we have? But broadly I'm in agreement. If we only get in a striker, and nobody else leaves other than Alton it's not a disaster. Given we'll free up wages and we should have more out than in I'd like us to push the boat out a wee bit up front. On the Joe situation I'd like him to stay too. I don't think there's bitterness towards the player but Saints are generally a pretty open and straight team and I think the problem was Joe (or more likely his dad) trying to play the media game for leverage. If you do that you have to accept the risks if you don't get it right. I also think it was one of the contributing factors to the slump as it unsettled a defence that up till then was one of the best in the leauge. In addition to your plan I'd try to unload Swanson. If we can get some cash to cover costs that would be great but otherwise I'd try to cut our losses. Put the extra wage towards our 15 goals a year boy.

Don't usually disagree with you Paulo but do this time, purely on the basis that Paisley involves having to walk across Glasgow between train stations and probably having to visit the in-laws. From every other perspective it makes hee haw difference who ends up winning this but I'm going to be a half-arsed DAB for a week. Also, just St Mirren.

Nursed him back to fitness over the last season. Would hope he would have the integrity to consider that, but no disaster if he goes. Anyway well done Hamilton, another great achievement, and glad we were able to help. Nice to be nice. Now, please use that extra cash to rip up the carpet tiles and put some grass down.

f**k 'sake. I can't figure out if this poster simply has no concept of what happened today, or is ungrateful, or just plain rude. We did the right thing here, like grown ups. We had a wee rest because, frankly, you're not as cunty as St Mirren and we had absolutely, literally, nothing to play for. The 'performance' of either team in the 'game' is of no consequence whatsoever. Our manager pretty much said 'help yourselves'. Can the rest of the Accies sort this boy out please? He's letting you down after what has been a solid performance in the last few weeks.

#Matchday Accies v St Johnstone, 1230pm at Hope Stadium. Admission £22 / £12. Meh.

What's the deal? All I can see is ST holders get to bring an extra free. Bit pish if it's home only.

Wasn't going to be able to go but now might .. tempted to try to enjoy the great capitulation. Does anyone know if Accies are doing the cheap* at the gate prices that they sometimes do? *actually still overpriced

After 25 years of marriage, that's all I've got these days TBH.

Sleep easy tonight, you'll be fine. We'll be similar in attitute to Livingstone last weekend. Taxis for the airport outside visitor away changing rooms, engines running.

Please no. He's been utterly honking this year and he's had plenty of game time. I disagree about Kane and Watt. They both get in the right positions but neither of them are consistently good enough finishers at this level. With the wingers we have, we need a penalty box striker. Good ones seem thin on the ground in Scotland. There is a postive in all this which is that as long as we don't lose key players over the summer we do have reasonable strength throughout the squad, enough for top 6, so we should be looking to spend half decent cash on someone that get us the 15 goals that TW is looking for. With out full-backs and midfield options you'd think we'd be able to create the chances for a decent striker to do that.

Yep. And we have to consider the competition. Can't think of any team this season that have wowed the crowds with liquid football, and there's been far worse cloggers than us this year (stares hard at Hearts, Accies, pre-Cosgrove Aberdeen, the unmentionables) .. actually pretty much all of them bar Celtic, sometimes and Rangers, sometimes.

Price is the cost component of what is called 'the value equation'. People buy value, price is relative to how the individual perceives that value, which is again a component of what drives demand. Are we expensive? Depends on your individual view of value. Anyway not really the point. I would say that Tommy's hit rate of signings has not been too bad. Kennedy and Wright have really worked and MOH is really starting to kick on. It was billed as a transition year after all so a few mis-steps are to be expected. I've been to I think every home game and a big chunk of aways. I agree we are not a team with attacking flair but you can see that there's been progress. I think Tommy is going for evolution rather than revolution, which is sensible and very St Johnstone. We will build our sexy team of ballers in a very pragmatic and risk averse way...

You are absolutely right in all this Paulo. The cup win bounce was squandered, and it's all about value not price. I would say though that we could be playing exciting football and not getting the results. I think we made the decision some time ago that it was one or the other but not both (possibly a reasonable position given our budgets). I'm hopeful that TW is trying to build a more exciting team to watch and that this summer will see signings that continue that trend.

I think that's all true, certainly for the 'football' factors. I'd also say that the internet, globalisation etc had eroded the sense of community and people don't really identify with a 'place' as much as they used to. And outside of football, people have far more leisure choices now and time's more important. Saturday afternoons are premium downtime so it's harder for football to compete. Think we have to protect what we've got and try to grow by giving people a more relevant product. Maybe even changing the format of the game that way that golf and cricket have done to make the whole thing less of a time drain. 30 minute halves?