The Mantis

Is there a separate area of the site where you can access programmes? Hardly ever visit the official site and only buy programmes for Scottish Cup games. I have the Dundee one from last season as an actual issue (not digital) so wondering when the club started doing digital downloads, I'm sure it was before that.

I'll come back to the stats later. Excellent post though. Austin playing off a big man like White or Oakley has never really been tried. I fear that Robbo knows what most of us have worked out - Polworth is our best CM by a distance, but Polworth plus A.N. Other in CM ( e.g. Trafford or Chalmers) will get overrun. So he uses 3, which means we can often dominate the possession, but do sod all with it. Maybe if we got somebody like Draper on loan we could get away with it. Now, back to the stats. You're trying too hard in repeatedly saying that the strikers are "decent". They're not, not at the level we aspire to be anyway. Bizarrely you've quoted starts/goals rather than the other way around. You're implying that our 3 are somehow just behind Shankland etc. The fact is there is a huge gap between the best strikers and the rest. If you take White as 8/13 = 0.62, then Shankland is 18/16 = 1.13 (league only). That's double the strike rate. If you include Cup games it's 1.26. White is 26 and has had 10 clubs. His most significant spell by far was 2 years at Livi where he scored 21 in 69. At 3 of his other clubs he scored no goals at all. For a big man he can't jump, and his second touch is a tackle. Oakley and Austin have similar histories. George had 3 years at AFC Wimbledon where he failed to score at all. OK, only 9 appearances, but he's been loaned out to lesser clubs and failed to impress. Somebody recently, an AFCW fan, said he was surprised George had ended up at us, as he thought he wouldn't make it at English League 2 level. I don't know if you're old enough to remember Wyness, Ritchie, Wilson, Bingham, Hislop, Xausa, Christie. All players challenging at the top of the second tier and coveted by rival clubs. And later on, Hayes, Foran, Rooney. If any of the current 3 are transferred/loaned in the window it will be to Lg 1 clubs. I realise we are where we are though.

As long as they can afford the compo.

I had a ticket for the Kenny Dalglish Stand on Sunday. I thought he was doing a grand job ?

Nice photo ? Here's one of mine:

While I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of your post, I don’t agree with this part. The thread contains a number of ‘man in the street ‘ type responses which you are right to challenge. You may meet similar views in a pub but I would like to think you would challenge such views rather than leave your pint half finished and walk out. The gadgie post was rightly removed before anybody could react to it. Some will greet your words with ‘snowflake’ etc but as in so many aspects of life, the key to dealing with prejudice is always the same - education.

Was down at the Dunston v Gateshead 4th prelim round the other week but that’s ancient history now as they’re both out ?

That Partick Thistle one still annoys me. Especially Liam Fox missing a chance to make it 3-1. Somebody sitting behind me yesterday brought up the Hearts - Gretna final and it set me off again ?

Edinburgh City May well bring a coachload, possibly even just players and supporters together. Can’t see any more than that. Hope our guys break with tradition and come out for this one. It’ll be a bit like the Crusaders game crowdwise if you ask me.

What RiG and SO said. At half time I think most of us reckoned it would probably end up a comfortable 3-0 win, but unfortunately the players must’ve thought that too. A pitch like that just shows up White’s deficiencies, and not just him either. Maybe he can do a job in the winter on a heavy park, but I’ll not hold my breath. I didn’t think the other two contributed much either. Austin really should have scored after about 15 minutes. As RiG says we seemed to switch to a 3-5-2 second half but the 5 were largely redundant as the ball spent so long in the air. When we’re resorting to long punts against a team two divisions below us, it’s appalling. The equaliser looked a bit fluky but that made the last few minutes quite nerve-wracking. I was puzzled as to why Doran didn’t start- although he’s been poor, I would have thought this surface against lower league opposition would have been tailor made for him.

I went to see Cowdenbeath v Brora yesterday. Dale Gillespie started, as did Ally MacDonald (left back - was he one of ours? He was outstanding). Zander came on at half time and ran them ragged. He was a class above. Brora were the better team by a mile but couldn’t finish a fish supper.

Toss-up for MoM between big Coll and Polly who was involved in everything. Sean Welsh and Jamie McCart not far behind. Last half hour was like the good old days when Pele was in charge. However the first 60 minutes are best forgotten. Plenty possession but very little creativity. Have to agree about Trafford, never been a fan. Credit to Robbo for throwing the subs on and going for it. George had very few scraps to live on and the debate about which strikers should start is no nearer being solved, as White actually did reasonably well when he came on. Austin might have nicked it at the end. We’d be some team if we played at that tempo every week for say 70 minutes instead of 30. Let’s not kid ourselves though, even with Tremarco and Rooney and the mythical Beith available, we need a really commanding Draper-like CM to replace Trafford and a proven goalscorer. And somebody mentioned that Doran might be finished. Sadly, reluctantly I’d have to agree. Did everybody notice that Edinburgh City came back from 2 goals down to beat Alloa on pens?

The regulars use Morrisons, there's no problem parking there.

Great idea L_G especially since we don't get visits to Edinburgh in the league these days. Don't see the attendance being a problem as Edinburgh City only get crowds of about 300. Should be a few neutrals there on the day as it's the only show in town. 500 seats and grass banking so just like the HL days ?

Can’t see this mentioned anywhere else but the game is now Tues 20th at 7.00pm.

Welcome back Mr Eager, I remember you ? I was at two on that list. The ICT one obviously, and Ayr United. Imagine 25225 crammed into Somerset.

Also telling the twitter guy that Walsh cut in from the LEFT ?

Looking forward to telling the grandchildren I was there the day ICT won a match ?

Which bit?

Beat me to it while I was composing an answer. ? doesn’t explain why Spamtins get priority though.

Find that hard to believe.

Exactly. I've never shirked away from stating on the forum that imo players are simply not good enough for the club, whether they are likely to read the forum or not (and if I was a player I would steer clear of reading the self-defeating crap that occasionally appears here. Football is played 75% in the head). But I draw the line at the type of OP made here. Absolutely out of order. Likewise abusing your own players on matchday. We're all passionate but do you honestly think it helps the player or the club? Jeez.

I take it you couldn’t see them yourself ?