Valentino Bolognese

Eh? I'm looking out my window and it's covered in snow.

Looks worse at the top of Newhouse Road and seems to be getting heavier. I'd say 50/50 at best.

I agree. He's an OK shot stopper but it's frustrating that he's pretty silent, whereas Zander is more vocal. My biggest gripe is that he never sees a throw and it's noticable how much slower we are playing out from the back. Even when players are asking for the ball he'll slowly, methodically put the ball at his feet and kick. Even when we've been down and still in the game, minutes to go, Cammy takes his own sweet time. He seems to lack any sense of urgency, and can seem lost at crosses and deep corners. I also like Kyle's team but Kennedy (swap with Swanson) needs to play and I'd ditch Muzz for Callachan. I reckon he'd offer more energy and creativity and balance well with Craig.

I saw Zander walking into McDairmid the other day with no trace of a limp. Means nothing though. Also saw Tommy with those tight sports leggings on walking through reception. Not a great look for a man that age but I guess he's earned it. Clark Foster - Kerr - Gordon - Tanser Alston - Callachan - Craig - MOH Kennedy Kane A team with pace and chaos. And no small amount of risk.

It's all about context. Yes, at the start of the season any Saints fan would probably have been content with where we are now. Happy even. But it's NOT the start of the season, and on 2019 form we are the worst team in the league. The. Worst. Now, we've had a hard run of fixtures and like everyone else, injuries, but if you've been at the games you'll have seen that it's not really the results, but the manner of the losses and the team's performance that's winding people up. We see the same mistakes again and again and again and seemingly every player on the park except Kennedy and Kerr failing to turn up. There's only so often you can see defenders hoofing the ball out the park or 20 yards too long, or literally throwing the ball out of play from a throw-in, giving the ball away in midfield, giving up on chasing or simply falling asleep, and players missing chances it would be easier to score. We're a mid-table club at best, we'll win some and lose some, of course . That's fine. But before the break we were beating teams below us and at least giving the ones above us a game (ex. Celtic). Now we're losing to relegation candidates and - in back to back games - losing when we've been ahead. Calling for Tommy's head is absolute lunacy and should simply be ignored. Nobody is taking that seriously. All that said I'm also holding out for a top 6 finish as, surely, the wheels have to come off Motherwell soon and I just don't think Hibs are there yet. But in that field of 3 we're the 3rd best team right now.

Agree 100% with you Paulo. I rather like Goss but agree he's not what we need. Matty Kennedy and Jason Kerr are the only players in the St Johnstone team right now that I think we can be happy with. Radford, I don't understand why you don't rate him? As for the others Watt's an enigma right enough, Swanson for me should get to the end of the season and MOH hasn't had anywhere near the game time to make a judgement yet. Callachan, Alston and Craig should be the first names on the team sheet for modfield for the next game. Let's see if Tony can fire up front with Matty. I hope Easton can get back and replace Tanser, Gordon for Joe. We have literally nothing to lose now.

I'd agree ref Swanson and MOH. Don't really get folk saying they've been a waste of money when (especially with O'Halloran) they've not really had the game time to make fair judgement. I'd say Danny was twice the player that Wotherspoon was today and there were flashes of form. Playing in front of Tanser doesn't seem to work, but I put that down to Tanser's attrocious form, tocuh, invention and decision-making. I still like Watt. I honestly think if he'd started we'd have had a bit more to offer but he needs to play with a partner up front. That could be Kennedy but we need MOH and Swanson to start motoring (and Wright back) to take the pressure off our shortage of wing pace and invention.

I think we've been marginally the better team. Usual suspects. TW surely must give up on Spoony. Loyalty is one thing but stubborness is another. Cammy has the sun in his eyes this half.

Yes, we agree entirely. It would be above the surface if the various catholic/celtic, protestant/rangers factions hadn't self-segregated themselves into population pockets, but they're happier becuase they live with 'people like them' so it doesn't come up on the daily walk to the bakers. Get a few drinks in though and it bubbles up. To be united, you need something to be 'against' so communitues gravitate towards bigotry. The whole sorry situation is enabled by deeply embedded social sectarianism, from school segregation to football teams. Although it's mostly to be found in the ex shipbuilding and mining areas there's still too much influence at higher levels of society, whether that's the SFA or Holyrood.

Apologies I wasn't clear, it was in an earlier post. Do you think people need to regulary experience violence or intimidation to feel like they aren't welcome? Not looking for an argument but I know these villages and they are often defined by the lodges, the bands, and of course 'the Rangers'. I realise you're an Ayr fan so not part of that crowd, but to live in that community and not see that it's a harmful influence is surprising.

Eh? That's not what I said. Anyway my main points was that segregating schools encourages and maintains a culture of sectarianism and bigotry. It also encourages people who feel 'different' to move to other areas, producing pockets of populations that are homogenous. I don't think that's a controversial view. As it happens in those small Ayrshire villages the numbers of catholics is very small, as it is in other areas of the country. Possibly related to the same cultural dynamics that cause people wander out of pubs at closing time singing sectarian songs. In all of this, football is a factor. Specifically Celtic and Rangers. The fan base and to an extent the clubs enable and encourage it. Scottish football, and Scotland in general, would be a much better place without it.

Ah. They used to get bussed into Queen Margaret from that part of Ayrshire.

I'm sure you are Tam, don't take my comment the wrong way. As someone who has experienced both I'm sure you'll agree that there's a world of difference. In all honesty outside of Glasgow, Lanarkshire and bits of Ayrshire the rest of the county plays at it. That's not to say it's not horribe but we all know where the hotbeds are and the football teams that by their inactions (or in come cases actions) support it. Edit now that I remember I was asked at a job interview for DC Thomson "what school did ye go tae". But they were quite well known for that pish.

So somewhere like Cumnock, Maybole, Drongan? I grew up in Alloway and I can assure you that they are hell-holes of sectarianism to the extent that there's almost no catholic population there. I guess that's why there's no daily evidence of bigotry.

I lived on the edge of Lochee for about 5 years, and now that you mention it I do recall that it was regarded as somewhat catholic by the locals Catholic. It's not really the same as the west coast, I can assure you.