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Make sure you've got plans to be at the Fleetwood game

If Yogi and Russell are happy with the performances in terms of what they are looking to achieve then thats good enough for me. I was probably slightly harsh in my review having a bit more time to reflect as there was a lot of positive stuff being played on the field. Number 18 yesterday was a Chris Brown and I agree looked comfortable on the field. Would have liked to have seen Ryan Baptie a bit more as have heard some good things about him from some of my hibbie friends. I think the real positive we have to see for the future of the club is these young lads coming on and making an impact Christie, Polworth and Ferguson are all up there in my eyes and excited to see them develop at the club.

Enjoyed the game at Stark's Park yesterday. Our play looked a lot more fluent and we controlled long stretches of the game far better than in the equivalent fixture last year, and as Don mentioned above, the changes in line-up didn't disrupt the fluency; in fact, our dominance became greater as the game wore on. We did lack impact in the final third: some of the final balls were a bit disappointing, and the Raith defence marshalled Mckay well and didn't give him much freedom, despite some excellent first touches. Williams seemed to be playing in a more central role than towards the end of last season, almost in the hole behind Mckay, and he had a very good half. Christie again provided real creativity in attack when he came on, and I really hope that the manager is thinking of him as a first choice starter in the coming season. I also liked the look of the number 18 when he came on (I thought it was Calum Ferguson, but someone mentioned above that he was playing for the U20s yesterday, so presumably it wasn't) - he seemed to have a good turn of pace in wide areas, which is something we could really do with. The Fleetwood and Birmingham games will probably provide much tougher tests, but there was plenty to be happy with yesterday.

Thought today was a good demonstration of what Yogi is trying to achieve in terms of ball retention and movement....in all areas of the pitch. What we all need to keep in mind is that these are essentially training games and the main objective/focus (for now) might not be how many goals we can score. I know from discussions I've had with Russell and stuff we're putting in place for video analysis (first season where we're being asked to produce footage specifically for that purpose) that the team are concentrating on positioning at the moment and both he and John were happy with what they witnessed today in terms of the progress being made on that front. Raith Rovers are no slouches and having spoken to one of their guys after the game he was both surprised and impressed by how much we frustrated them by not allowing them to get any time on the ball and limiting their options to all but trying to catch us on the counter....and credit where it's due, they just about did on a couple of occasions. What was also reassuring was the fact that we made 5 half-time subs with a further 2 later on in the game....and every player that came on slotted into the team seamlessly. That goes a long way to removing the fear I've had in previous seasons where injuries etc have left us having to rely on untried players or players without much match time. Anyone who's not had a chance to see much or anything from the pre-season games should make sure they get themselves along for the Fleetwood game next Sunday....I have a feeling you'll regret missing it if you don't.

Other score today : Rothes 2-3 Inverness CT U20's

Heard we are wearing body paint and wode this season.

Forres game is the latest addition, confirmed in yesterdays P&J. Here's a scary thought, our first game (Clach) is only 2 weeks and 6 days away! Wed 2nd July - 7.30pm (Grant Street)...Clachnacuddin Wed 9th July - 7.30pm (Mosset Park)...Forres Mechanics Sat 12th July - 3pm (Borough Briggs)...Elgin City Wed 16th July - 7.30pm (Dudgeon Park)...Brora Rangers Sat 19th July - 1.00pm (Mackessack Park)…Rothes (ICT U20’s) Sat 19th July - 3.00pm (Stark’s Park)…Raith Rovers Wed 23rd July - 7.30pm (Princess Royal Park)...Deveronvale ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sat 9th August - Season starts