LM_0803

Said it in previous post but he won't change his team, and even though he shouldn't have to given we are on a 3 game winning run, I just can't stand the fact he keeps on picking Byrne. Folk will no doubt reply to this, saying he has a "role" or job to do in the team. Bs. Footballers shouldn't be constricted to just having one singular role in the team, they're able to move about and contribute to the game, which Byrne just doesn't do. His awareness is poor imo, even though he's tall he's not that strong, especially when he's on the ball, and even though he moves into free spaces alot in our own half he doesn't always want the ball all the time, like Spence when he was here. My opinion of course, but he just saunters about the pitch at half pace, and doesn't seem to get properly involved at all.

He better not drop McGowan this time....We looked better in the 2nd half of the derby in August when him and Nelson were on. Still conceded one more after they came on so the damage was done but McPake won't make any changes unless anyone has an injury. Seems unlikely but you never know

Phew[emoji36][emoji36] That was tough to watch. Slow passing, slow movement, slow build up play. Boring. Result is what matters at the end of the day but it helps if you pass quickly and be direct against teams that sit in all the time. Anyway, small matter of the derby next week. Hopefully Marshall is back as I don't rate Mackie at all.

I know we have two massive games before it, but we can all agree that the first name on the team for the derby has to be McGowan. Can't be dropping him for this one again.

Can't see many times in which all 3 will be on at the same time this season. Thought Johnson was fantastic against Aberdeen in league cup but haven't seen him much since then, albeit I've been working alot on Saturdays. We've got 3 fantastic strikers I feel, with each one having different abilities than the others. Johnson's hold up play is fantastic I think, and his finishing is very good along with his penalty taking. Hemmings' ability on the ball is great, although i feel he's been trying really hard to create chances for others alot instead of scoring chances himself since he returned, largely due to the fact we don't have Stewart and Harkins, and he's been played up top on his own alot. Nelson has pace and ability, albeit he strikes me as a headless chicken sometimes (in a good way though) as he runs about alot without really thinking about it it seems to me. In January we NEED 2 competent CB's (I really like the look of McGhee so far), a creative midfielder and another GK. Again, just my opinion.

My team for tomorrow night. (The team I want to see anyway, not the one i think he'll go for) Same back 5 that started v Ayr. Robertson in for Byrne as I think he offers very little and feel it's time for Finlay to have a run in the team again, as I can't stand Byrne. Todd for Nelson as he will track back more and is the natural option for LM. Was a toss up between Nelson and Johnson for the sole striker position. Even though I don't think he'll drop Kane, I feel it's the right time to start Danny and/or Andy now. It's been a while since Johnson started a game (I'm sure) and he holds the ball up better than Kane and Andy, even if Kane was fantastic in the 2nd half at it, and Andy put in a great shift on the left for the majority of the game and did well for McDaids goal. Striker selection could go any way as far as I'm concerned. Hazard Kerr McGhee Forster Marshall Dorrans Robertson McDaid Gowser Todd Johnson/Nelson

Don't worry lads, he'll end up getting the new manager bounce with a win on Friday night against us....[emoji23][emoji849]

Can't see the pic. Who would you have in ?

Cammy at RB and McGhee. Gives us 1 shite CB instead of the usual 2

Need to put a run together first. Win some games consistently

Agreed. Been a standout in defence. One of our most consistent players

Sorry if my standards and expectations are too high[emoji23][emoji23]

My expectations of these professional footballers who are able to think for themselves in games must be too high then..... we're not going to be playing consistent football or pretty football at all this season. Agreed robertson over Byrne. He's anonymous in every game so far. Doesn't offer anything going forward. Not convinced at all. Regardless of where he plays and what his role is he should be mobile enough to actually have an impact on the play in games, and not just fill a position on the pitch. Could tell that the fans were getting pissed off at the slow build up play, especially in the first half at 0-0. Don't think any of you Would've been happy seeing that until McDaid scored. Forster and Meekings, whenever they chose not to play quick passes into midfield or to play the ball to Hemmings to his feet or through to him on goal, would always punt it up to him, with no hope of him winnings headers against their CBs. No imagination in the team at all, and no-one trying anything different. No quick free kicks to unsettle them or to do anything that was different to what they were told to do before the game. Sometimes thinking outside the box can have a positive effect. Only reason all of you aren't agreeing with me is the result. If we'd have drawn or lost the game today you lot would be tearing them apart one at a time. Even if we did win you can't say it wasn't hard to watch for the majority.

We won the game (scored more than them) and dominated (had more of the ball) but we didn't play well. Don't know what's so hard to grasp[emoji23] a better team than Arbroath wouldve exposed Mackie on the left, Byrne in midfield and the two donkeys at CB. Meekings caught napping on the ball in the first half almost cost us a goal. Happy that we actually won a football match but we were dreadful. Would want to be entertained when I pay hundreds of pounds a year to watch my team, but that's too hard to ask.

Just because we won and dominated doesn't mean we played well at all[emoji23][emoji23] Nah that's enough internet for me today [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]ffs ahahahahahah

Dee man. RE your comments on Byrne, ie a 5 a side player. Does a simple job etc. Just my opinion on this, but he's brutal. Not a creative player, and not a defensive one. He's not quick on or off the ball, and doesn't constantly look to want the ball all the time. Doesn't offer anything to the team imo, and is showing us why he couldn't get in a team that played shite football like livi did last year. Dorrans was fantastic today and McDaid took his goals well. Just being realistic today. Not sugarcoating anything for the sake of it

So if we conceded from that chance in the box when the defence doesn't deal with it properly, and Hamilton stays rooted on his line, would you not be annoyed aswell if he didn't come for the ball when it was 5 yards away? Players make bad decisions all the time, we know that, but we can surely get on at him when he doesn't bother coming out to collect a cross from 5 yards out that could well end up being a goal for Arbroath.

P&B crashed when I was composing my last reply. So far imo McPake hasn't delivered good football, which is hard when you have Meekings, Forster and Hamilton in your defence, or results so far. He is the one that sets the team up, and picks the players. It must have been him that told the centre backs to pass it back and forth between themselves just for the sake of it. Byrne is just a headless chicken imo, runs about and doesn't get involved much in the game. He isn't a creative player, or a defensive one, and i can see why he couldn't get a game for Livi last year. Mackie rubbish today. Enough said about him. Only positive was that we didn't concede, McDaid took his goals well and Dorrans looks like a great signing. Result masked the performance today. Don't think that it didn't. Game was wrapped up at 2-0 on the hour but we didn't have a shot after that for 30 minutes. Just because we "dominated" doesn't mean we actually did anything useful with the ball. Just passed it around for the sake of it.

Horrible performance from us today. Byrne, meekings, Forster and Mackie all terrible. Started off way too slow and rarely increased the tempo at all.

Hemmings*

If give Nelson a start up top with Danny. Hemmimgs on in the 2nd.

Anyone want to take a crack at a possible line up for the game ? Haven't managed a game since the derby so I'll reserve judgement for later on[emoji23]

Crucial that we win tomorrow now....knowing us we'll f**k up[emoji23][emoji23]

Couldn't care less about the league cup QF matches tonight, but was happy to see Hearts beat the sheep, given the way in which we lost against them in August having dominated the game[emoji1]

Dele any word on when it'll be announced if true ? Free agent if we are doing it after the deadline ?