SJFC 🔵 ⚪ v 🔵 🔴 ICTFC. Playoff Final.

[LIVIFOREVER]

4 hours ago, Coventry Saint said:

If it wasn't for Caley's injury/suspension-hit squad, I'd agree with you. But I think you'll have enough to scrape a draw then edge them in Perth. 

That said, losing 4-0 to a manageress Hibs team chasing... (checks notes)... 8th place is some laugh, though. Resting/relaxing players, if that's what you were doing, is absolutely insane management when momentum is so critical. And if you weren't holding something back for the playoffs, and are actually that bad, then yeah, ok, you may have a point.

You say that but we played Utd in our final league game, a team we'd very likely have faced in the play offs, and we ended up having Ryan Hardie injured and out for the play offs. Risking your best players in a meaningless league game before a very important play off is equally insane management.

Ended up we lost to them in the league game anyway, and lost Hardie to an injury, but beat them in the play offs without Hardie, and then DeVita (after they injured him too, in the play offs).

 

Also not sure momentum is that critical going into the play offs, we lost our final 2 league games before winning promotion in the play offs. Your players may well be holding back a bit when not playing for anything in the final few league games, and will 100% be giving it their all in the play off games.

[LIVIFOREVER]

16 hours ago, SandyCromarty said:

Top flight attack?

St Johnstone made twats of themselves all season against what turned out to be the bottom six.

Truth be told there is only Celtic and Rangers in 'the top flight' the rest are also rans.

As good as those two are in attack, with all the millions they spend, it's quite funny the top goal scorer in the Premiership wasn't from either of them.

[TheScarf]

1 hour ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

As good as those two are in attack, with all the millions they spend, it's quite funny the top goal scorer in the Premiership wasn't from either of them.

Giakoumakis?

[SandyCromarty]

1 hour ago, TheScarf said:

Giakoumakis?

He's punting Charles-Cooke who equals goals scored with your man Giakoumakis, but with a lot less games Gia scores a 1.11 average with Cooke at 0.89 putting him far less consistant. and Giakoumakis easily top scorer.

Anyway where's the achievement if your club ends up 6th.

[mizfit]

Feels like the site is waiting on someone to flick ticket sales on for our home game. Been monitoring it all day.

[LIVIFOREVER]

1 hour ago, SandyCromarty said:

He's punting Charles-Cooke who equals goals scored with your man Giakoumakis, but with a lot less games Gia scores a 1.11 average with Cooke at 0.89 putting him far less consistant. and Giakoumakis easily top scorer.

Anyway where's the achievement if your club ends up 6th.

Like for like budgets maybe no achievement, but huge achievement for, to quote you, " the rest are also rans", and having a players being top scorer in the Premiership in your team.

Would be interesting to see how many goals Charkes-Cooke and  Giakoumakis scored if they swapped teams for a season though.

Edited May 16, 2022 by LIVIFOREVER

[RandomGuy.]

8 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Would be interesting to see how many goals Charkes-Cooke and  Giakoumakis scored if they swapped teams for a season though.

Never understood this type of argument.

Charles-Cook would be going from a key focal point every attack goes through to a big part cog who barely sees the ball, while Giakoumakis would go from a "Plan B" option who just sees occassional game time to a key focal point every attack goes through.

I'd wager if they swapped clubs Giakoumakis would get on better.

Edited May 16, 2022 by RandomGuy.

[LIVIFOREVER]

8 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Never understood this type of argument.

Charles-Cook would be going from a key focal point every attack goes through to a big part cog who barely sees the ball, while Giakoumakis would go from a "Plan B" option who just sees occassional game time to a key focal point every attack goes through.

I'd wager if they swapped clubs Giakoumakis would get on better.

Yeah i'd love to see if that would happen, or he'd be nowhere near as good as Charles-Cooke was, but we'll never know. Anyway, great achievement by RCC to be top goal scorer in a team that finished 6th. Anyone saying 6th isn't much of an achievement might change their mind if they' get promoted and their team finishes 11th or 12th right enough.

Edited May 16, 2022 by LIVIFOREVER

[Central Belt Caley]

We’ve appealed the red card given Danny Devine on Friday night. Still not seen it back but I’m not hopeful 

[Stephen Malkmus]

25 minutes ago, Central Belt Caley said:

We’ve appealed the red card given Danny Devine on Friday night. Still not seen it back but I’m not hopeful 

If the SPFL have the power to add an extra game ban for appeals they deem to be spurious then I've no doubt that's what will happen.

[Radford]

Anyone give me a reason not to select Liam Craig over Butterfield or, especially, MacPherson? 

[PSJ.84]

15 minutes ago, Radford said:

Anyone give me a reason not to select Liam Craig over Butterfield or, especially, MacPherson? 

The depressing thing is you know he’s probably correct…

[nelsjfc]

Anyone give me a reason not to select Liam Craig over Butterfield or, especially, MacPherson? 

If anything Butterfield sometimes looks even less mobile than Liam is.

There's not been a obvious reason not to do so for months. This is the first game we've gone into with a question over the shape of the midfield after he stumbled on to a successful change in the Aberdeen game.

Think of all the guys that Murray Davidson has had in beside him in that midfield in the last decade. What must he think when Crawfords strolling around or MacPherson is trying to hit a wonder pass. f**k, it's enough to have him longing for Paul Paton.

[Jamie_B]

11 minutes ago, nelsjfc said:

If anything Butterfield sometimes looks even less mobile than Liam is.

There's not been a obvious reason not to do so for months. This is the first game we've gone into with a question over the shape of the midfield after he stumbled on to a successful change in the Aberdeen game.

Think of all the guys that Murray Davidson has had in beside him in that midfield in the last decade. What must he think when Crawfords strolling around or MacPherson is trying to hit a wonder pass. f**k, it's enough to have him longing for Paul Paton.
 

There’s no question at all in my mind that we should be starting the same XI that started against Aberdeen. The only possible change would be May for Middleton but I think this is a game that could well suit the latter and we need someone in the side that can make direct runs at the opposition. Hallberg has to start in that more advanced role and Davidson/Butters sitting in front of the defence suits us fine.

Ill despair and expect to lose if I see Crawford or, especially, MacPherson in the line up.

[PSJ.84]

11 minutes ago, nelsjfc said:

There's not been a obvious reason not to do so for months. This is the first game we've gone into with a question over the shape of the midfield after he stumbled on to a successful change in the Aberdeen game.

 

This is probably the reason I’d stick with Butterfield. He’s far from perfect (an understatement), but it’s fairly obvious for some time we’ve been crying out for somebody to take the ball off the centre halves and leave Davidson to run around and do what he does. Butterfield isn’t quite what we’re looking for but he’s probably the closest thing to it

[RandomGuy.]

48 minutes ago, Radford said:

Anyone give me a reason not to select Liam Craig over Butterfield or, especially, MacPherson? 

I've been pondering this for a while and think there must be some major reason he's the only CM who's not getting a chance. 

As for this game it'll clearly be MacPherson, Davidson and Hallberg, with Davidson expected to sit in front of the defence. Sean Welsh will look like Pirlo.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

1 hour ago, Stephen Malkmus said:

If the SPFL have the power to add an extra game ban for appeals they deem to be spurious then I've no doubt that's what will happen.

Ryan Porteous got an extra game tacked onto his 3 match ban for a frivilous appeal

Would be a good laugh if the SPFL meet tomorrow morning and suspend Devine for the 2nd leg too.

[Nelly78]

The main positive of playing Butterfield (other than the fact it means there's less chance of Crawford or MacPherson being on the pitch) is that it enables Hallberg and Davidson to play roles they are far more effective playing i.e. getting forward to support the forwards more in the case of Hallberg; charging round the pitch getting in tackles, knowing he's got someone covering behind him, for Davidson. Davidson doesn't have the positional sense or ability on the ball to play in the holding role.  

[Valentino Bolognese]

1 hour ago, Radford said:

Anyone give me a reason not to select Liam Craig over Butterfield or, especially, MacPherson? 

In the spirit of playing devil's advocate ...

I think Liam's done now tbh. Butterfield's not exactly mobile, but he's the better footballer and I think he manages the fitness he has quite well. He has a better range of passing and more composure on the ball. Arguably because JB has too little application, and LC has too much, he's never getting himself sent off. 

Also, given that penalties is a fairly likely outcome, just imagine putting Liam Craig in the position of having to take, and miss, the penalty that relegates us? That's just not fair. 

But nah, I can't really in all seriousness but I'd expect one to replace the other, possibly in both legs.

[The Saintee]

Imagine... Crawford or MacPherson on that final pen