alternative maryhill

Just back. Funny reading through the optimistic posts based on the first half radio commentary - I guess we did make a few chances, but by the end of the game I'd forgotten all about them. The second half was as poor a 45 as I've ever seen, I think. No midfield composure at all - without Blackie to put his foot on the ball look for passes, we just seemed to be chasing around aimlessly. Probably didn't help that Brewster still seems to be getting left and right mixed up. Subs made no difference - Barrowman did nothing. The most frustrating thing was that Falkirk were pish as well - no better than the game earlier this season. The difference was that we seem to have gone backwards rapidly since then. On tonight's evidence fears about relegation are justified. Oh, and it was cold. Away to defrost my arse on a radiator.

Anyone know why I've managed to get away end tickets for Celtic Park on the day in the past but can't do the same for Rangers? It says something about Strathclyde Police on the sticky but I would have assumed the police policy would be the same city wide? I wouldn't know if I could go until Friday afternoon, by which time it'll be too late to get a ticket from the club. Not that Ibrox is ever that enjoyable an atmosphere or view, but I'd like to get to as many games as possible, and I still remember the joy of that Graham Bayne goal a couple of seasons back...

Nah. I'm bored with the league now. Time we won a cup. Or at least got to a cup final. Those back-to-back semis at Hampden were excellent. Have high hopes of being able to go to Falkirk - took a lot of work home with me tonight to free up tomorrow. I hope both teams play the way they did at the same venue a few weeks back...

As a lone striker? Or as one of a partnership? I think Rooney is our new Bayne - do you think should he have played alone up front today, or alongside Wood? I think Wood played well with the ball to feet today and that Brewster was proably right to start him - just can't decide whether we should have started Rooney alongside him in place of McBain, or played Vigurs in midfield in place of McBain.

Don't really know how you can justify that. Wood worked hard and created chances for himself as well as scoring our only goal. Before the game I thought Brewster should have started Rooney, but once I saw how we managed to press the Celtic midfield in the first half and give the ball into Wood's feet, I realised Brewster had made the right decision. With Rooney as a lone striker, it might have been too tempting to start punting high balls to him early on. I suspect Rooney is most effective as the ballwinner in a pair up front when we are playing further up the field rather than having to play on the break - wasn't it Rooney that won the ball for Wood's goal?

I don't know what I'd have done if I'd been around to take that opportunity... would be interesting to see the old place again, but I didn't particularly enjoy my years there, and I suspect it might have been depressing as I seem to have stumbled into teaching as a career rather than seeing it as my vocation, and still kind of kid myself that I've not really crossed the rubicon and become the boring b*stard in front of the blackboard. The thing about nothing seeming to have changed is interesting though - the place I'm in now is a really traditional old school, and depending where you walk, you're still assailed by the smells of old gym shoes, or wood shavings, or sulphur. It's very evocative: occasionally I'll turn a corner and be teleported back to Millburn and imagine that Baillie is approaching with knuckles outstretched...

Got to nominate the Academy St chipper, if only because one of the owner's daughters was my childhood sweetheart when I was thirteen. Thought I was coming into a fried food empire for a couple of weeks or so...

Another timeless moment on Soccer Saturday seconds ago: Hartlepool go 3-2 ahead after being 0-2 down, James Brown the scorer; Jeff leads the assembled panel in a chorus of "I Feel Good" by the Godfather of Soul. Sometimes impartiality is overrated...

I'd agree with that except for Wood's score - thought he worked well and managed to get on the ball (unlike Barrowman) without dropping so deep that we lost any threat up front (unlike Niculae). The missed chance was frustrating but it was a moving ball and he did manage to get it on target from a first time shot - it wasn't exactly Iwelumoesque. Think he would get 3 and a half smileys from me, if we did half-smileys.

Pretty good performance - we didn't deserve to lose. Like most other posters, I felt Imrie had a great game and Cowie also looked far more positive than previous games this season. Wasn't happy to see Wood starting ahead of Rooney, but I thought he did well. We shouldn't judge him too harshly for that miss in the first half - he created the chance and placed a moving ball on target; he just didn't get enough lift on it to beat Boruc. Also took his goal well. The only player that didn't seem to contribute much was McBain - would have preferred to see Vigurs in the midfield as Celtic were nothing special today and a little more creativity might have given us a few more clear cut chances. Frustrating but encouraging, as long as we can take the same attitude and focus into our next matches.

Fraser Tokely McGuire Munro Hastings Cowie Black Duncan Vigurs Imrie Rooney Cowie and Imrie have been inconsistent, but I get the feeling both will be right up for this one (Cowie hopefully remembering his MOTM display in the 3-2 last season), and they are the two players best equipped to come up and play off Rooney if Barrowman is out. We need Duncan in the holding role against Celtic - he's often excellent in these games, where his concentration is at its sharpest. Vigurs just shades it over McBain for me - more creative with the ball at his feet and hopefully he won't be overawed. It's a great stage for him - don't think he's started a live TV game yet, has he? Most experienced defence needed for this one, I think - Roscoe is usually up for these games and I think McGuire was good enough during Granty's absence to regain his place from Duff.

I voted "better" based on our points total, because I was pretty pessimistic about the season and expected us to lose at Aberdeen and Falkirk, but I agree with Don about some of the performances. In the two away games I mentioned, I was surprised and impressed by how we played, but listening to the Hamilton and St Mirren games was frustrating and depressing - we seemed to have very little fight or composure. If we don't start dominating teams in the lower half of the league, especially at home, then we'll definitely be in a relegation battle right up to the end of the season - there's no Gretna this year.

I never saw the game...was that the craic? have to say....stating the obvious but, 2 VERY valuable points dropped at home.....am not fancying our chances for second place at this rate. We seem to have taken a footballing step backward under Burley. Having defended Fletcher in your earlier thread SMEE, I've got to admit that he was pretty pish today - didn't seem to know where he should be playing, and a certain ex-ICT player was by far the better of the attacking midfielders. Just posted a lengthy post-mortem on P&B so can't be bothered going over the same ground again, but 2 mistakes on Burley's part are clear: McFadden should not be on his own as a lone striker, and Morrison should not have been picked in the first place, particularly when Brown, Robson and McFadden can all play wide midfield (in addition to Maloney, who was, IMO, on the wrong wing).

Until the recent Scotland campaign, I always felt he played much better for Scotland than for Man U as he had more freedom on the ball and got forward more. His passing and ability to shield the ball and look for a pass are excellent - better than Ferguson IMO - but he cannot tackle and should never be played deep. I think he's one of those players who would be outsanding in the SPL but looks average compared to the other players when playing for Man U. Yet the fans there seem to appreciate him more now and I remember listening to 606 after the 7-1 game against Roma, when almost every caller nominated him man of the match for his use of the ball. As for the captaincy, he seems the obvious choice to me - experienced, intelligent and will command respect from the other players. Who else is there? Gordon possibly. Caldwell? Hartley?

Are these line-ups confirmed? Interesting changes - McGuire, who scored last week, replaced by Duff, and Duncan, who apparently had a good game, replaced by Cowie. Is Duncan injured? He's not even on the bench. First away game I've missed this season.

Don't know how the place has become conflated with motte and bailey castles, but I think you're refrering to Torbreck Wood - accessed from the Dores Road just past Holm Mills. I think the southern distributor road runs past it now. There were various shock-horror stories in the Courier about evidence of black masses there about 15 years ago, but I'm not sure whether the wood had any natural features that made it particularly suitable for occult ceremonies, or whether it was simpy secluded enough that people could get pissed and crucify cats without fear of discovery...

That's a bit harsh... Ultimately, though, the thing people care most about is: are they enjoying the games?

We lose 1-0 to Hearts... ;) Only joking. Sounds like Imrie took a lot of confidence from midweek and really played well. Good for him. How did Barrowman look to you, goal apart? He did my head in at Tynecastle because he did so little. I know he's a goalscorer and wants to keep the shape of the team correct, but he did so little last week that it looked like he was taking the pis5.

Black given BBC motm.

FT 3-1. Great result as our unpredictable season continues. Sounds like we worked hard and also kept our heads while Killie's players lost theirs. Also sounds like Black was superb again. Well done to the team - looking forward to Tanndice, although Utd fairly turned over Hearts today.

Black score with a header. How bizarre, yet how wonderful. Rooney and Wilson on for Barrowman and... someone.

Cowie for McBain. Can't say I've heard McBain mentioned much during the game - certainly less than any of the other midfielders. Fowler sent off. Let's get this won.

Sounds like Brew should take Vigurs off before he gets sent off for dissent or persistent fouling. Maybe bring Barry on and reshuffle the midfield a bit?

Fantastic! Barrowman and McGuire both justifying selection it would seem. Killie players sound like they're losing it.

Get in! BTW Guy Krr scores for Elgin.