RicoS321

Would love to know who's interested, and why. He's not as shite as Calvin Zola. That's how I'd advertise him. He actually just looks a bag of nerves, rather than a horrendous footballer. Good to get him out the door though, and hopefully it'll be the first of many, as that needs to be a priority. Yengi, Ambrose, Besuijen, Clarkson, Palaversa, Nilsen all need to be moved on, with a view to loaning out Milanovic and one of Gyamfi or Molloy. If they can save money by sending Karlsson back, then they should too.

JT is responsible for the signings. However, whoever gave him responsibility for the signings is the one at fault! McInnes would get bogged down in transfers too, and insist on pish like Tansey because of a couple of good games against us. It's completely understandable, because when you have so many responsibilities, you either have too much focus on one area, or not enough. A sporting director should be there to ask the guys in recruitment and management the sort of question a child might, because often people will struggle to explain their workings. They can force a manager or scout to pull back from looking at the individual player, and address how they fit the wider whole. That clearly wasn't done in any of the windows since McInnes left (and definitely wasn't whilst he was here), and I think it has cost managers their jobs, and will probably cost JT his. If Thelin fails, it's because we've created the conditions for him to do so, just as we did with Glass, Goodwin and Robson. They all might have failed anyway but they've been setup to increase the chances. Hopefully the penguin fucker is sitting down with Thelin and asking him what he's actually trying to do. Managers seem to get lost at times, and running back through what they're trying to achieve and how might just help them think their way out of the slump.

I said to my mate last night that in the first half Nisbet played much more like Lazetic would. Previously, he's been assuming the centre of almost a flat front three, but he actually broke away from that and pushed further forward. I couldn't tell whether it was just because their defence was pish, or it was a change in approach.

You might be right, but Nisbet has shown throughout his career that he's really only useful in a two. It doesn't have to be rigidly a two of course, Nisbet was at his best when playing in a 4-2-3-1, with Gueye occupying defenders ahead of him - a role that Lazetic would be great at. Lazetic wins headers, but can also take the better ball on his chest or just generally get his body between defender and ball and do something. Nisbet is great at bringing the ball in and distributing it, just not when under concerted pressure. Two up front doesn't mean less in midfield either. It does mean less width, but we should be good enough at home that we can allow the wing backs to play a lot higher (like how Lobban started yesterday). We could have two sitting midfielders, with Armstrong in front, a flat three, or one sitting and two in front of we choose to go long. The width would be the biggest concern, as you point out, however none of our wide players are operating in a role that prioritises width currently - they are all inverted. Our width, with Karlsson, Keskinen, Milanovic basically serves to narrow the pitch, or make the run for the very difficult over the top ball. If we had Morris still, I could see how we might lose something by playing two, but I think it could only be a gain, in that we might get more out of a guy who will score goals.

I guess it's whether two or three targeted good players can bring the best out of the ones who are technically good footballers, but not quite good enough. Guys like Jensen work hard, and are comfortable on the ball. They'd be fine with a couple of strong midfielders for example. We've overloaded on safe, technical players, basically, but they do have their uses. One or two good signings could comfortably get us through to summer until we can recruit better, and clear out again. I'd like to see us revert to a back four once we get signings in, and play like we did when JT first joined (which is essentially what Motherwell are doing, and I suspect they'll get found out in the next round of fixtures too).

I don't think we'll find out how good a manager he is, as I think we'll sack him before we can find out. It's fucking simple stuff, you get the sporting director in, and then you spend the money. Thelin was appointed on the basis of having a recruitment team doing the work, while he managed the team. He's had to do the recruitment part, which he clearly can't do, but most importantly there is no devil's advocate in there questioning his motives and decision making. To not have a box to box midfielder in place (now relying on Aouchiche to do that, and he was okay last night), was criminal. To fill our team with project players and guys with zero SPFL experience also criminal. To re-sign Nisbet to play a role he can't play, and to sell Morris with no replacement. To have zero plan B. All errors in recruitment and squad building. I have a very strong suspicion that he is getting the best out of our players. Of course, a new manager bounce might temporarily add something, but it'd revert to the mean. We've signed a bunch of very average players, on top of those that were already average, or ageing. Our squad is gash. We need at least seven moved out in January.

Known our signing policy, it'll be us.

That wasn't worth the money. Really shite performance against a shite team (who scored a nice goal). The conditions weren't great, with both teams struggling to control the ball (they passed it out of play on several occasions). We should still have been walking that game though. No urgency, playing like little kids, regularly not paying attention. The subs, to a man, were honking. Milanovic needs to go on loan in January. He's not athletic enough to play in Scotland, and any technique he might have is hidden by that fact. If he works very, very hard on his fitness, running and strength then he might make it, but there is zero point in persisting. I'm going to save tonight's rage for Karlsson though. The guy's a fucking charlatan. Poncing about like a cunt. Clearly thinks he can come here and automatically be the best player on the park. Jogging around and doing wanker-flicks instead of playing the fucking game. He's a clogged drain. Sucks everything through him and then blocks it, making it impossible for those around him. We need to send him back. We can't be playing him every week.

Oh well..... Nisbet earned his start by walking around a bit after he came on against hearts? Karlsson a better player than Armstrong, possibly, but I'd have Armstrong all day long. Although I guess we don't want him to be in a similar position to the one he was in against Hibs, where he was fucked from the first minute. Not sure about the lineup, but no idea what these lads will be like either.

That is the first time I've ever heard anyone say those words in a sentence.

Tonight's game is of biblical proportion

Oh, undoubtedly, they're Huns after all. Their decision the other week was another that was absolutely fine as the ref called it. I wouldn't be surprised if their reaction to it had a subconscious effect on the decision made against Livingston. Which they know, hence the bullying statements. The problem that we have is that all our clubs are firmly embedded in the decision to implement the single worst thing to happen to football. They're still right behind VAR, despite it ruining the experience of the paying customer. The dishonesty of all our clubs, and managers, has led to the "technology" being implemented, and is seeing that it remains. If the Huns were genuinely concerned, as they said in their last statement, about the decisions made by VAR, they'd have released another statement after the Livi game. As would all our clubs. Unfortunately, they're only interested in how it doesn't work, when it doesn't, for themselves. It's why we get compliant shite with Collum explaining his staff's workings every month, but we didn't previously.

I'd leave it up to the player if possible. Depending on the type of guy he is, and the closeness of his relationship with his grandfather, then he might be even more determined to play. Obviously, don't know the first thing about his situation, but it could be that his grandfather was a big influence on his career, or whatever, and he might feel it fitting to go out and perform in his memory. It'd be a shame to take that decision from him unnecessarily.

I don't think it was that bad a call. It merely highlights the stupidity of VAR, and the arsehole of a handball rule it has created. It's fairly easy to explain what the ref did or didn't see, and fairly easy to think of a reason not to give the pen, and also fairly easy to think of a reason to give it. Had the rule still been the existing deliberate rule, I'd have no problem with playing on. The player doesn't try and block the ball. In real time, instead of shitey slow motion, you can see the player has no time at all to properly react. He realises the ball is going to hit his arm and does the involuntary movement that goes towards the ball rather than away from it. Anyone who has played football has likely experienced it, regardless of the level your playing at. It's an entirely different movement to going in with your arm raised (making yourself bigger), or making a deliberate save. If he'd had time to move his hand out of the way, he would have, but there wasn't because it was close to him, and the unexpected shiteness of the shot would have taken him by surprise. If the ref had given it in real time, that's an entirely acceptable call too. It's hit the player's hand, and he's moved his arm slightly towards it. It's a subjective game, filled with subjective decisions. There's no such thing as clear and obvious, and never can be. A decision can almost always be explained either way. I tend to look at things through an honesty lens. The player didn't try to gain an advantage by handling it, it just happened, so you play on. Sportsmanship, basically. Anyway, Livi will get a dodgy pen against the next unlucky fools who have to play them to even things up.

I don't know if the rumours are true, but it was suggested that the club was lining up a swap deal involving Ambrose plus cash for Karlsson's grandfather, which is why they encouraged him to return to Sweden and miss the weekend's game.