Ajja

Motherwell fans (via P&B forum) still seem slightly nervy about tonight. I guess that’s just the legacy of being a lower level side who aren’t used to this sort of regular winning and outplaying better sides. They seem more convinced they are in a title race than cup winning mode

I think we are still in a little bit of unknown territory given the changes in the side. Completely revamped midfield brings an equal number of reasons for optimism as well as concern and the next steps could go either way. Just being willing to play what looked like a 3, certainly out of possession is a plus for me. Been screaming for it all season so we aren’t so easy to play through. I thought we were relatively successful at containing the ability of Motherwell to do that. I’ve seen them take better teams than us apart by playing through the middle of teams with ease. If Geiger has the legs to continue or even build on his work on Sunday and Cameron is willing to put in the yards again then we have a chance of containing them again and creating platforms to build on. Agree the right side needs reinforced. Lengalo (?) had too much freedom to run at our RBs due to Olusanya not tracking back. I’d play Bilalovic there as I think he works harder and does track back (although as Jute says he isn’t brilliant defensively). With Topi and Nisbet I genuinely think when they start to have more faith in our midfield not to be like the parting of the Red Sea they’ll be more confident to press higher up the park and start to create more of a threat. Couple of times on Sunday you could see Topi wasn’t sharp into the box for a couple of chances, almost like he isn’t gambling for fear of leaving us exposed behind. Nisbet has been doing that all season. My only concern after watching Sunday is I can’t see Maswanhise having another stinker and they will have Fadinger back who by all accounts is the engine in their midfield. Hopefully home advantage and a bit more comfort between players who are just getting to know each other gives us enough to be in the battle and win. COYR.

Suspect everyone is just a bit scunnered with losing despite the new players and potential positives to take out of today. It’s a tough gig supporting us right now. Hopefully we can get a much needed lift from cup game and start building some confidence in the team. I genuinely think if we can get some results, we’ll improve.

Almost feels like if we win this it jeopardises our ability to win on Wednesday. Utter nonsense thinking I know. With Utd winning, we need to keep them at bay and closing the gap to Falkirk gives us a remote possibility of top 6. At this stage even that feels pretty empty as an achievement but it would be fun to have Hearts coming to Pittodrie post split and stick a hole in their boat.

They are way ahead of us in terms of system and confidence. They have some decent players but very few, if any, great ones. It’s really impressive what JBA has done there. Funnily enough, I don’t think they’ve dished out a beating to us this season, which they have probably done to every other side. The LC cup game they were the better side but not by miles and won it 0-1, they needed a Mitov howler in the last minute at FP and we should have beaten them at Pittodrie. I’m clutching I know and I suspect we’ll lose this as our away form is poor but I give us a decent tilt at them in the cup game midweek.

Utd play the Spartans and then Killie on that pitch before we visit. Oh joy.

Aha, finally potentially an actual game of football. Oh the irony of the Fir Park pitch being one of the more playable ones in the Premiership.

Still haven’t bought that Grandad ticket offer. I’ll be waiting until 2pm when I meet birthday boy in Platform 5

Surley after the overnight rain they’ll be able to make a decision. Of course they’ll have an official ready and in the City and definitely won’t have to get someone to drive from Dumfries to make the call.

Think we need to keep some perspective on what we can reach for in terms of manager. We are unlikely to be buying in a market for experienced European managers who have a successful track record at a number of clubs. Very much like the players we are shopping for, we are taking a degree of risk with those who have shown performance at some point on their career but may have drifted off that trajectory. If they had continued to grow (Palaversa, Aouchiche etc and Horneland) we wouldn’t be close to getting them. It’s a calculated risk that hasn’t really paid off so it’s reasonable to question the strategy but if we bin that idea then we go down the McGlynn route. No guarantees that doesn’t fall flat on its face either. Knowing the Scottish game isn’t a recipe for success. Someone like McGlynn has spent a long time crafting Falkirk, would we give him that time?

Massive fixture now on 18th. Play kids against them in the league, bamboozle them for a riding in the cup game (more likely to bamboozle ourselves I hear you say?).

Is it wrong I’m hoping it’s off? Season is all about the cup and I’d prefer we have players who have at least played 90mins together before we take them on

Expect Killie will look to thwart Topi so might overload their right side of defence . Could give more opportunity for Bilalovic on our right. If we don’t take this game by the scruff of the neck and win it comfortably I think we are resigned to bottom 6 as the next batch of games will be tough and we need the confidence of a run to go into it.

Luna (dug) & Rufus. Safe to say the dug is less keen on the bed sharing but Rufus (or doofus as I call him) is a wee dick and bullies her.

Well this is fairly indicative of the levels of excitement that a game in Killie brings . I’m going to put up pictures of my wee nutter of a cat

Struggled to impose himself tonight for sure. Pitch was honking though, bollocks to trying to play football on that.

The ABZ pod guys had some Kaiserslautern fan commentator dude on for a short run through of Aremu. Sounds like a tenacious, battling type but likes a foul and can go in heavy at times. He’ll win a lot of balls but don’t expect him to move the ball forward in any form. Hopefully, the other more creative, technical types around him can do the neat, progressive work while he does the heavy lifting on the physical side. Worth a shot as we’ve been over run in the middle of the park since around Oct 2023.

It’s one of two things, either the player is back-pedaling on the ‘misheard’ ticket or everyone has agreed to say nothing while investigations happen. I’m suspecting the latter. All the dons podcasts were def following the whip and making statements and platitudes rather than getting into it which suggests a request form the club maybe?

I’m clinging on to the idea that a CDM might not need as much time to ‘get up to speed’ when his primary function is to be an angry bastard and crunch folk in midfield

Falkirk away at CP and Hibs host Huns. Could be a good weekend for us if we hold up our end.

February has a lot of tasty fixtures across the top end of the table. Suspect a few teams will be shedding points. Our own run is pretty tough with no clubs below us in our next batch of games after this one. At the moment, Hibs are looking like the only team who could slide out of that top 6 but they’d have to have a stinker in Feb and we’d need to pull out some surprises. Not even sure I’m that bothered about getting top 6 when it all shakes out. We should be putting everything we’ve got into cup games from here on in as far as I’m concerned but Killie game is a must win if we are entertaining even a sniff at top 6.

Is there a place for Aouchiche in the midfield as the hardworking battler or is he too soft and similar to others (and crucially not ours or likely to be). I’ve probably answered my own question there to be fair. As you were

An amphetamine Yengi. Huzza!

Think QPR are sniffing about Luke Graham.

Please don’t, you’re making me scared.