Other matches.

[valleyroad]

75 mins and Hirst has just come on for his debut. So he's getting longer on the pitch for Scotland than he does for McKenna's team then, lol

Hi did well when he came on. I think he will be an asset to Scotland

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

75 mins and Hirst has just come on for his debut. So he's getting longer on the pitch for Scotland than he does for McKenna's team then, lol

Hi did well when he came on. I think he will be an asset to Scotland

Really? Cos in another thread you said you wondered if he was good enough to play for Scotland. What happened to change your mind so quickly?

[valleyroad]

75 mins and Hirst has just come on for his debut. So he's getting longer on the pitch for Scotland than he does for McKenna's team then, lol

Hi did well when he came on. I think he will be an asset to Scotland

Really? Cos in another thread you said you wondered if he was good enough to play for Scotland. What happened to change your mind so quickly?

I wasn't sure if he would step up but in the ~20 mins he came on he showed up well, so on that basis yes he looked like he could be an asset to us but we will see. Time will tell on it.
Its also a jump to international football and not all players make it.

[Ricco]

Its also a jump to international football and not all players make it.

I had to make sure I was out of Marko's reach before saying this... but Hirst is a Premier League footballer, I'm pretty sure Greece v Scotland is a jump downwards?!

[hallamblue]

Hirst is a very undervalued striker at Town in my view. He's a class act who has a lot to his game. Our front line stopped scorng goals when he got injured. He's a true leader of the line and a team player, and I feel he's been crapped on by McKenna this season. I just hope he decides to stay at Town, but wouldn't blame him if he left.

[marko69]

Its also a jump to international football and not all players make it.

I had to make sure I was out of Marko's reach before saying this... but Hirst is a Premier League footballer, I'm pretty sure Greece v Scotland is a jump downwards?!

Its been literally an age old conv linking domestic and international football. I remember someone saying the 1990s AC Milan would pump England. No doubt true.

Charlton Athletic would pump Scotland.

[Ricco]

Its been literally an age old conv linking domestic and international football. I remember someone saying the 1990s AC Milan would pump England. No doubt true.

Charlton Athletic would pump Scotland.

Complete apples and oranges ain't it. And Scotland have won as much as England have in my lifetime anyway!!

[marko69]

Its been literally an age old conv linking domestic and international football. I remember someone saying the 1990s AC Milan would pump England. No doubt true.

Charlton Athletic would pump Scotland.

Complete apples and oranges ain't it. And Scotland have won as much as England have in my lifetime anyway!!

True, club & country comparisons are apples & oranges.
But comparing Scotland & England could arguably be the same

ANYWAY……..

More importantly…… LOONS win at Stair Park! A four thousand mile round trip and they take back the precious life saving 3pts

[hallamblue]

Marko / VR , how do you think Celtic and Rangers would do in the English leagues and what level do you think they'd be eg Championship/ PL?

[marko69]

For me they’d be a pair of Evertons, Hallam……. Lower end EPL.
But unlike Everton, they’d both dip into the Championship on occasion.
Opinion only of course. I know some people (actual people!) who reckon Celtic would “challenge” ——->> errr, nope!

[valleyroad]

Marko / VR , how do you think Celtic and Rangers would do in the English leagues and what level do you think they'd be eg Championship/ PL?

Current Rangers would be bottom 4. Celtic mid table to at best 10th of PL.
Celtic would easily win Championship. Current Rangers play offs.
Two huge clubs who over 3 to 5 seasons in England would be top 8 with all the wealth that would flow from PL.

[marko69]

Marko / VR , how do you think Celtic and Rangers would do in the English leagues and what level do you think they'd be eg Championship/ PL?

Current Rangers would be bottom 4. Celtic mid table to at best 10th of PL.
Celtic would easily win Championship. Current Rangers play offs.
Two huge clubs who over 3 to 5 seasons in England would be top 8 with all the wealth that would flow from PL.

What about St.Mirren , Hibs & Hertz , Valley?

[valleyroad]

Marko / VR , how do you think Celtic and Rangers would do in the English leagues and what level do you think they'd be eg Championship/ PL?

Current Rangers would be bottom 4. Celtic mid table to at best 10th of PL.
Celtic would easily win Championship. Current Rangers play offs.
Two huge clubs who over 3 to 5 seasons in England would be top 8 with all the wealth that would flow from PL.

What about St.Mirren , Hibs & Hertz , Valley?

St Mirren best about 10th in League One.
Hearts and Hibs at best bottom 10 Championship.
Its hard to really speculate as with more finance from EFL etc, clubs could buy better players and compete better.
Hibs and Hearts have both underachieved for a long while now whilst St Mirren have overachieved.

[marko69]

Can’t speak for the buddies or Hertz …… but Hibs would be a consistent Bristol City type. Basically doing fk all season after season. No massive change there really, but “Cups” stand a chance!

[valleyroad]

Marko / VR , how do you think Celtic and Rangers would do in the English leagues and what level do you think they'd be eg Championship/ PL?

Btw Hallam you don't want them anywhere near English football. All their sectarianism and bigotry. Its a nightmare in the West of Scotland because of it, pollutes the rest of Scotland too.
Was one of things I enjoyed when i lived in Ipswich was being away from it.

[marko69]

It was getting better as time went by but the "new youth" seem intent on bringing the anger back. Even Edinburgh derbies now feel more toxic than the 90s / early naughties.
In Glasgow, the sectarianism continues and no doubt (regarding their new youth) most of them don't even know what they're supposed to be angry about!

[arana peligrosa]

Can't comprehend what happened with Scots in that return game. You go to Athens or wherever, take a victory from the trip out then get whacked by the same opposition with a home advantage. It's bizarre if not regrettable but believe it were a nations league thing not World Cup qualify so damage appears minimal.

Spain endured a more relevant score by getting beyond Netherlands in the latter stages of former mentioned although a penalty contest was required to select a winner. Germany got past Italy which doesn't happen all too often, they could be a good bet to win the World Cup next year.

[hallamblue]

Broadhead is playing the lone striker role for Wales tonight, I see.....

[hallamblue]

I've just been watching Bournemouth vs. Man City, and I've found it really frustrating tbh. The merest of touches on a player and they fall to the ground, and get given a " foul" / free kick. It's a complete load of bollox. It's not a non contact sport, and it's not a foul . The players are making a mockery of the game as far as I'm concerned. Give me the 1970/80 any day. What a state the game has gotten itself into. It legalised cheating.

[hallamblue]

With regard to Bournemouth and our game against them on Wednesday. If McKenna just uses his head and changes from his usual approach to one of defend first, and hit on the break, in the first half, we might actually get something from the game. The Cherries played a very high, aggressive press in the first half. The second half, they're a spent force. THEN we should bring Delap on. Start with Hirst.

[arana peligrosa]

Take a moment to check out action from lower league. For instance this weekend Southend took on and beat Oldham Athletic in Conference League or whatever it is now, fact of the matter it's outside of the actual professional divisions and it's the fifth league from the top.

Point being wasn't too far back both club names were battling for promotion to the old First Division (the latter actually made it) and a list of recognized names on both squads. Now what you have is non-league obscurity with either team not going to be able to make it back any time soon. Helps to be of a certain age to figure but for some, it's a shame to see.

Even further down and beyond you got teams such as Torquay, (hate to mention the name, but) Maidstone, and Chester City. Wasn't far back all these would feature at much higher level. It's the fans involved you have to feel for, some or many just won't or can't recall when their respective club name could blaze a trail or were participating at a far greater level or path of action.

[marko69]

Could be wrong but isn’t it a completely different Chester City? I mean i think they’re obviously from the same place but they might’ve ceased to exist for a number of years, then came back? New badge, new club?
Unlike Rangers FC. Who were liquidated and creased to exist. But snuck back and pretend to be the same with the same badge and ground etc etc.

[Blue Wilf]

More VAR rubbish again tonight - Chelsea have perfectly good goal scratched off after a 4 minute review for a player who was offside but who was not interfering nor involved in the build up or scoring of the goal - f**king joke and the PL is killing its own existence as a result of this nonsense. Bring on the Championship with proper teams, proper fans and no boring VAR

[hallamblue]

Amen to that ^^^^^

[arana peligrosa]

Yes but the Premier League is where you want to be, where we want to be. Hell it only took 22 years to make it back, it's been a long enough wait for a return and then some. Of course VAR is a nuisance. It's something that just gets in the way and causes confusion and irritation rather than an actual solution however if you can overlook these (minor) things and focus on the fact we are at this minute, a top level club name, you just got to make the most of being a part of it.

Championship or lower league may be devoid of certain EPL injustices or things you can do without but say again the wait has been ridiculously long or overdue to make it back (that) some just won't be content to drop back or start again at a lower level. If the team had been more effective at Portman Road this season, if we had totalled up enough points to be in a safe position right now because of it etc there wouldn't necessarily be this conversation.

Essentially we've orchestrated our own downfall this season by simply not being good enough to compete. You can use VAR or incompetent game officials as an excuse however on the face of it the blame lies largely with the team (and manager) itself. Last two seasons in lower league were phenomenal for us, we moved mountains, but have been effectively caught out back at top level by not being able to challenge with the players available. Haven't always made the use of opportunities that came our way, made use of a home advantage etc. 1 win going into April tells it's own story.

[marko69]

^^^^ ^^^^

A somewhat positive, devils advocate post which ALMOST made it to the end with a miniature feel good factor about it……..

Then ……. “One win at home going into April…..”

Ah, well! Fk! Depressed again!

[RRanger]

I'm a KMc fan but I do think that his perseverance with Muric has probably cost us our Premier League survival (if we do go down). Every decent manager has blind spots and make mistakes but although Muric had moments of brilliance , too many basic mistakes must have cost us at least 9 points.

[Bluemike]

Muric is the biggest factor as to why we are going down, he's not the only reason though.

[marko69]

Jack Marriott scores for Hollywood FC @ the Racecourse. ....., and Steven Fletcher as well? Jeezo, feels like about 400 years ago when he played for The Cabbage.

[marko69]

Sad to see no Saint Jude “SPL reports” on a weekend where the Cabbage pump Sevco at “Eyesore”brox and Celtic embarrass themselves in Perth. Come on, Ariana Grande Peligross-Spider……. SPL run down please, complete with how great Aberdeen were in the 80s.