The Mantis

Sounds like your heart is telling you dado, you're supporting the wrong team. You're not the first :023:

Yngwie's right. Too many people (step forward EWS :001:) passing judgement without seeing the game (and we could have done with another couple of hundred fans there today let me tell you). I've not got much time for Rory but I finally found what he's good at. Working hard to consolidate a defeat :015: :015: :015: Just don't bring him on if we're trying to win the game. Seriously though, we've got another game in 48 hours and they looked tired enough today so I had no problems with CC using the subs to rest players. If we went for it with 10 men they would just feed Stokes to pick us off on the break and we'd lose 6-0. Also Barry was rested and nobody was able to fill his boots, but everybody knows that already. If Barry gets a good 90 mins in on Monday, maybe we can risk Zander in the Cup next week, or more likely Morgan. As for the game, well, until 32 mins we were the better side and Falkirk hadn't threatened at all. We hadn't done much more than them, but Latapy was being kept quiet by Black/Rankin and possibly CC was waiting till he tired after an hour, like last time. It all went crazy in a 10 minute spell, when Rankin seemed to be letting the ball go for a throw, then at the last minute kept it in and passed it straight to Craig. Up the park to Latapy who plays in Stokes for a goal totally against the run of play. Our heads go down and Falkirk have their best spell. Unlike us they make the best of it and score 2 more. Fair play to them but without Stokes and Latapy I think they'd be down alongside the Pars. Stokes is a class above the type of player you normally see in the SPL. Haven't seen any TV, and all the goals were at the far end, so can't comment on any offsides, whether it was the 1st or 3rd goal. Second half was just a formality, with the Bairns fans expecting a high score and the team passing it to death trying to break us down. Rankin's goal was another peach, but I'd rather have done without it if he hadn't given away possession at 0-0. It's St Mirren's turn to be tired after their efforts to hold on for a point at Ibrox, and they lost Hugh Murray too. The players will produce a performance on Monday and get the points- you heard it here first :021:

I've not been Blackie's biggest fan but I'm surprised at the turnaround in opinions since the last game. I was at the game and part of me says he's finished, but part of me says he needs a spell in the reserves till he sees what he's missing. He'll get a ban anyway so he'll lose his place. For the record he never crocked the boy against Motherwell, the guy was booked for the challenge on Black in which he injured himself. It was Brew who pitched him into the team as a regular. I would have used him more sparingly as he's still very young.

I think our stand counts as 'North'. As well as the temporary one behind the goals they have been using another temp one along the side this season.

Poof.

Well done big erse.

Today's results were bad for us, but looking at the fixtures this morning, no way could we expect to gain anything. I still feel no club wins 20 points like we did and then stops winning any more. This is a bad slump but realistically I can't see us continuing it all season. Next season is where I would be worried if we lose players. Anyway the difference between us and the Pars is, we get draws (9 out of 20) while they get defeats (13 out of 21). Dunfermline are in a worse state than us, where are they going to get the points from? Kenny has not done much in his 5 or so games at the club. What miracles can he perform in January apart from maybe bring in 2 or 3 of the Derry lads, and who says any of them are up to it? CC will know at the end of the season if he has the stomach to carry on. If this sounds like scraping the barrel, remember I'm one of those who felt survival would be enough. I never went for the top 6 stuff. Five of those places are already filled by the teams who get 10 000 fans or more every week.

Ahem!!!! What does 'disatrous' mean anyway?

If we beat Rangers 3-0 we'll be 7th :001: I was saying the other day the Pars have got problems, they got another sending off today (Hamilton).

But that's what he's trying to say if you ask me, just a wee bit progress each year. BTW that was your 1000th post, you can retire now :023:

“The best thing we could have done is avoided relegation by one point in our first season and two points in the next." I think everybody's reading too much into this. He means by doing so well, narrowly avoiding top 6, the team has just made a rod for its own back. He means nobody would have been disappointed if we'd just stayed up the first season, everybody expected us to fail anyway.

Yeah, seen it now. Barry seems to stamp/land on the player's foot. Thought Crawford had to go though. Definite yellow card for the late challenge.

Never mind the Italian Charlie- a good day in the hills will sort everything out :015: He's right though, as TM4TJ says elsewhere, everybody thinks they know better than him how to do the job.

RIG- 1st stramash. Barry got involved with Muirhead (11) right under the main stand. Muirhead pushes Barry who falls over the player on the ground, like what you used to do to people in the playground. Only Barry gets booked, never saw the start of it so don't know why. I actually thought Muirhead got booked later on, but the BBC site has only 5 bookings.

Heard today that Hart is out for the season, and Dargo has no chance of playing Wednesday.

I agree with donkeyjaiketman. See youse on Wednesday.

Don't know how you can say a draw was better for Dunfermline. Home team, if they can't beat us (and they never looked like scoring) how are they ever going to beat the form teams? We were gash, don't get me wrong, but I can't see any hope for the pars this season at all. They've been dodging relegation for 3 years now. Now Crawford's suspended and the rest are on bookings. We've still kept most of the squad fit to play. Big physical side though, but we did show enough fight to match them, in contrast to Tannadice 2 weeks ago. Couldn't agree with CCs subs at all. Took off Dennis for Bayne then Rory (overdue) for McSwegan. Also Duncan for Black. I felt this week Black was controlling his temper and his weekly booking was unlucky (not harsh I hasten to add, just unlucky). I would have kept him on and taken off Barry, who gave everything as usual but was knackered. With Zander on in his place we could have gone for the win against 10 men. Also the 10 men only had about 4 left unbooked so Zander could have got them to complete the set :003: First half was very poor. I actually enjoyed the second half immensely. The football was pish, but the action was great, about a zillion bookings and a couple of punch ups :010: :010: :010: Well worth the money. OK, I got a comp :015: :015: :015:

Well, I haven't actually solved it myself Gordy- obviously it's the work of a true intellectual, probably worked at GCHQ for a while is my guess. The number of permutations of the 6 words is 6!= 720, but I reckon we can eliminate the one actually given, so that leaves 719. I'd be delighted to buy you a dram anyway as I haven't seen you for feckin years. BTW I got a card today from your neighbour, you know, the teacher. Haven't seen him for donks either.

I usually remove personal abuse from posts when I see it, but I'm actually going to leave it in this time so people can make up their own minds. Maybe other admin will see it differently though.

Feck me, it's Lord Haw-Haw again.

Aye well done on the updates old chap.

Xmas puzzle: rearrange the following: record the change feckin

I was just thinking it was a while since the Jailender was on here :015: :015: :015: :015: :015:

You've got mail :003: Can't make up my mind whether they're better with players in them or not :015: :015: :015: County doing not too bad with 8 shirts but obviously digital cameras haven't reached Dingwall yet clicky linky thing

We're doing better at this than on the park. 14 shirts, 7 more than Celtic. Champions League here we come! EMacca if you're out there, maybe you should amend the Thistle shirt from 94-95 :017: