IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

Simply shocking first half - What will the inhabitants of the Western Isles make of this.

Tha mi a 'smaoineachadh a bheil meas a th' aig an ex-tidsear mu dheidhinn a 'Ghàidhlig?

If you want proof of how Scottish ingenuity has transformed the world you need only look at the inventions which have shaped us all, and there can be few inventions that have had greater impact than the telephone and television. The day after the 91st anniversary of the first successfully-transmitted television picture seems a good day to celebrate John Logie Baird, the Helensburgh-born inventor who, in 1925 gave the world moving pictures beamed into homes for the first time. Prior to that, the world had been connected via telephone, courtesy of the pioneering work of Edinburgh native Alexander Graham Bell who patented the first device in 1876, though he did not live to see Baird’s invention. Given our modern obsessions with both the telephone and the television, and notwithstanding the well-documented problems they sometimes cause us, both Scots have changed society in ways they could never have envisaged.

Never really noticed before but Baird and Bell are going on identical runs and do NOT appear to have an awareness of each other ?!!

And then on 21 minutes we go close to the passing / goal move of the Season. And then more nonsense and Donaldson clearing off the line !!

I have just switched over to Come Dine with Me on channel 147 - will be back at ad breaks.

So glad I have Alba, sitting in a warm Chorley room, watching a brave just over 1000 punters in Sneck watching dire stuff on a cold and rainy November night.

Sweet left foot strike from Chalmers just before the 10th minute

Ceart gu leòr de Ghàidhlig na Fèinne air sgàth we are being sloppy.

Bi math a bhith a 'faicinn Tremarco freagarrach às dèidh Livingston

fhuair e drochaid agus caisteal bho tha Inbhir Nis iongantach

Tha Doran air a 'bheinn na naidheachd sgoinneil.

Bhiodh Win agus Crusaders air falbh fiadhaich

I doubt if you are Ghana find anywhere

Feumaidh gur e seo an aon chothrom a th 'againn faighinn gu cuairt dheireannach an seusan seo.

A bheil feum aig duine air eadar-theangair airson craoladh telebhisean no a bheil thu a 'bruidhinn Gàidhlig

Is it still live on Alba and Chorley FM ?

I cant believe that any human being would chant about another human beings impediment. Anyway I preferred the Marius Niculae ditty at Paisley.

Ya olde black pudding

The glory hunter theory evidently comes in to play financially but I don't think that we can blame individuals. Running a football club is a collective. To me what has gone awry falls into three main categories. Fitness levels have been woeful in the last two seasons. We were streets ahead of rivals in the glory years, especially in the Brewster reign. Our scouting system was second to none. Look at the list of former players and where they are now. And thirdly it is our reluctance to play youngsters. Ryan Christie is a good example of what can happen if you give them a run in the team. I also feel that our younger players do not get to play at a high enough standard or even in a consistent league set up. It has always surprised me why we have not adopted a Highland League club as a feeder team.

Now this could lead to an interesting debate. My opinions are undoubtedly skewed by my traditional preference for a "big man-wee man" combination up front. Baird and Bell are clearly two wee men and nowt wrong with that. Baird resembles a young Robbo in his style, albeit not near the Robbo standard. I felt sorry for Baird at Livi as he had to take on the "target man" role - IMHO a role better provided by a big man. When you are a tall defender it must be a bonus as you know that you will not get beat in the air and your job is to jockey, hassle, use your strength and not allow the wee man to turn and run. That is probably why Oakley looked so good when he came on. The Livi central defenders had to alter their game and they did not like it. To be fair to Oakley I thought that he did run the line, was not static and I have not witnessed that before. With a wee man / wee man combination you are highly dependent on width and the ball play and support of the central midfielders. Again we have two of the better midfielders in Vigurs and Polworth but that can also be combatted by not allowing those playmakers time and room to display their talents. How many times did we see Polworth gambling from midfield on Saturday ? To neutralise that pair is also what Livi did well. Renegade talked about Oakley as a number 10 but that would probably need a 3-5-2 formation and we are not ready for that - yet. So I would go big man / wee man every time and that is why I enthused about Oakley. I suspect it is the main reason why Robbo gambled on the likes of Susan. How many headed goals or assists have we seen this season, other than dead ball situations. I would love to see Mulraney, Chalmers or Raven sending in a bye line cross and a big man exploding the net with a towering header.

RETURN TO THE TOEKNEE MACARONI - NO GOALS BUT PLENTY OF POSITIVES First game I have been to since Dumbarton and it was like watching a brand new team – a much improved and organised outfit – and I was advised that this was below the standards set at Tannadice and against Dumbfarmlife. Well dropped the missus off at the Travelodge, a swift pint in the Hungry Horse at the top of the Hill and down to the petite Stadium Bar and a few swift voddie and cokes with Top Six. And then we were all paraded into the Main Stand. It was packed and we must have had close to 50% of the attendance – and we certainly made ourselves heard. A 0-0 always conjures up the idea of boredom and a lack of entertainment. Apart from the first 2-3 minutes - when Livi flew out of the blocks and had fashioned two chances – I felt that we were always in control, if anyone deserved to win it was us but most of the play was confined to the middle sections of the pitch. On show were two very well drilled defences but two teams clearly lacking in the necessary firepower to clinch all three points. In many ways we cancelled each other out as Livi’s style and system was almost identical to ours. We had two good chances to steal three points in both halves. Mulraney had the first half chance after a great through ball from (?) Vigurs, he outpaced the defence but brought out a good save from the veteran Alexander. IMHO Connor Bell had the better chance and really should have tucked it away. And what a through ball from Polworth. So we looked very solid and confident at the back. We won the midfield battle but I felt that we were lacking up front and the two “wee man attack” against the likes of Livi will not work. But we are getting better and better – fitter and fitter – and all of a sudden a play-off place is very much back on the cards. Only negative was our discipline (again) and picking up three cheap yellow cards – Mckay, Donaldson and Tremarco. And we picked up praise from both coaches. Inverness manager John Robertson: "That's six clean sheets and something the players should be immensely proud of because they're working their socks off. We had to match a really honest, intense, direct Livingston team and we managed to create a few opportunities. Livingston manager David Hopkin: "Inverness have really picked up defensively and Neil Alexander's pulled off a couple of great saves to keep us in it as well. Before the game I'd have taken a point. We were playing against an experienced and well-drilled side. SMILEYMOMETER RIDGERS Nowt to do with fitness, all to do with confidence and a much improved back four. RAVEN May not have many more opportunities so I will give him the MOM Award. More like the old Rave, kept going and overlapping for 90 minutes. MCKAY Not pretty but dogged and efficient. DONALDSON Mighty close in my MOM choice. Cant believe the difference in him in comparison with Dumbarton. TREMARCO Probably a real influence on the improvement defensively but I suspect he will be missing in action for another few weeks. MULRANEY Appears to have been given some “play for the shirt” medication but also played wide right and offensive which is undoubtedly where he is at his best. POLWORTH Another 110% display. If only we had a Brewster or Dargo to feed to. VIGURS Showed the usual class touches but I suspect that he was singled out for the “don’t let him play” attention by Livi. CHALMERS I really (always) liked him in midfield. A real battler and a great foil for Vigurs, Polworth and Mulraney. BAIRD Needs a goal. Plus he is the target man and I don’t think that he is comfortable with that. Better player running off the front man. BELL Well I would simply pick him in front of Baird – as the runner – at the present time. Great run on to a greater pass which led to him missing the 1:1 opportunity of the game. CALDER Looked a bit dodgy and not the ideal cover for Tremarco at full back / wing back OAKLEY WTF – what an action packed half hour put in. Probably boosted by the fan chants and evidently clapping enthusiastically at the final whistle. ROBBO Continues to improve. Will be interesting who he plays at left back and surely Oakley has booked a start as the Number 9.

Report later but Tremarco was injured, looked like a hamstring, he looked close to tears coming off.

"He will use it as an exercise to get minutes for Aaron Doran, Zack Elbouzedi and Collin Seedorf, who are working their way back from injury."