Inchcolm

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2015/matches/live/day=-6/session=1/match=2014735/index.html LIve updates from UEFA

Half time stats Luzern Saints Possession 66% 34% Corners 7 1 Shots on target 3 1 Shots off Target 3 0 Yellow 0 1 Red 0 0 Defensive tactics working Good to restrict them to 6 shots

Must confess I have been negative during the close season. But it has taken this post to bring back from the dark side. Nothing but positivity from now on. Lets get together and get behind the team and the squad for this season and hope they can bring success on the field. Best of luck to the team and much enjoyment to supporters home and abroad. I will cheering from the stand at almost all the games in Scotland. Win, Lose or Draw always a Saintee.

Lets be honest football is not about fashion its about what is inside the jersey. Some will like it some will detest it (me). We are not going to survive on the sales of the away shirt. I guess we would sell the same number no matter what colour it is. However I am a traditionalist and red and black is not our colours (unless you old enough to remember the 1800s)

Never liked it, I prefer yellow or white. I suppose another reason was I became an Inter fan when Italian football started on channel 4.

Its a big gamble if he was taken off in the first game after 15 mins and did not play in the second game to pull the wool over the Swiss eyes. In my opinion I cannot see how missing 175 mins of game time does anything to prepare him for this game. I believe it is a genuine injury and he will not be on the team sheet Thursday. Sorry but it does not make sense for him not to have game time to bring him up to match fitness just to fool the Swiss. They are Professionals and will have watched many recordings of our league and cup games from last season, so they will know exactly how we play and who are our danger players. I am sure we have also done pour home work on them.

Now that the dust has settled we can safely say we will be weaker at the start of this season compared to the squad that ended last season. Why, because Mr Brown has stated there is no money to bring in new players. We lost Clancy, Dunne, Cregg, Hasselbaink, and Iwelumo and have replaced them with Brown, Kane and Caddis. However I hope time will prove me wrong and these three can fill the boots of those five who have left.

The team is difficult to call due to lack of fitness and injuries. Having watched both friendlies and game time given to players I believe the team will be defensive formation. Mannus Miller Wright McKay Easton Brown Millar Croft Wotherspoon O'Halloran McLean I do not think he will risk May having played only 15mins this season and missing yesterdays match due to injury. I also do not believe he would chance playing two inexperienced players in central midfield (Brown and Caddis). Scobbie was given a lot of game time in both games but in my opinion he would be a weak link at full back (he is all left foot and struggled at right back against East Fife) also at left Centre back his ability to win the ball in the air is severely lacking. But this is only my opinion. I think he one of the Players that the Chairman referred to as a just incase player and this may be a situation when TW needs a just incase player

Disappointed by today's performance and we cannot hide behind the forth coming European game. Against East Fife I said Croft looked over weight, I take it all back, he run his heart out for the team. Wotherspoon was the only other with pass marks. Brown continues to impress. As for Caddis, I disagree, I do not think he will make it at this level. Wright had a poor game but he cannot be judged on this game, I am sure he will play better next game. I believe Scobbie is not good enough to fill in at centre half or full back and will be found out as the season progresses. I was disappointed with Midge he seemed to upset players with his comments; at this time of the season we need to encourage each other, I seen couple of incidents when our players were unhappy at his comments.O'Halloran was good when on the ball but he became frustrated when he was not involved which was the majority of the match. I think his unhappiness was not at being substituted but at his performance. As I said in other posts I believe our preparation of two friendlies for our European game is not enough. I believe we are not ready for this game. I hope I am proved wrong. Sorry about the doom and gloom but this is how I see it after watching both games

What utter nonsense. I have seen many protest and calls "sack the board" but it has been when a team is under achieving or relegated. We did not get relegated. Are we under achieving; top six finish, third season in Europe, League cup semi finalists and Scottish cup winners. Just because the Board do not give us what we want is no reason to ask for their heads

Brown said: “In January and February the manager was in a hurry to get his personnel signed up as soon as in order to avoid the scramble in June and July. He added: “The manager would like two or three players just incase we have injuries. The manager was given players last season when he needed them because unfortunately we had four or five serious injuries. I have picked these two comments made by Brown. Can someone tell me how many players resigned in January and February and it would be interesting to know how much their salaries increased to have put us above our budget. Looking at the length of contracts of our better players, he will have to do the same again or risk losing them. Will he be willing to do so after stating if was not for the Cup triumph we would have made a loss? Also can we get replacements for injuries when the window is shut? Secondly I do not recall TW saying he wanted just incase players. He would be failing as a Manager if this was what he wanted. Managers want to strengthen the team by recruiting players better than what he has or to fill a gap in the team. He wanted a left sided midfield player (we do not have a wide left footed midfielder) He also wanted a box to box midfielder again we do not have one. He wanted another striker this to me is more difficult to explain unless he continues to play one up front and McLean as a link between May and the midfield. It appears to me that Brown has used fact and fiction to create his Press release. But Credit to him he eventually came out and gave an explanation better late than never,

I do not want to pour water on the Brown fire. In my opinion he did OK, but remember who we were playing against. Does this make him a good Div 1 player? Do not put too much pressure on the boy too early. He needs time to develop and hopefully he will be ready next year to compete against the best in the premier league. I still believe our priority should be an experienced defensive midfield player

Just back from the game and enjoyed it. Pleased with the game and the time given to the probable European starters. Thought the stand outs were O'Halloran and Easton. Brown held his own in the middle but there are more stern tests ahead. Kane showed a lot of potential as did the trialist who had a good goal ruled out for offside. Only disappointment was Croft who looks as if he has put on a good few pounds and struggled.(I am sure he will lose it and get back to his best). Last two penalties missed need to get this sorted out. Looking forward to Saturday and hope he plays most of the probables from the start.

Yes that what TW said. Cannot understand why, when we only have this and Raith game to prepare for Europe. He must know the vast majority of his team for Europe, why not give them game time?

Thanks, I'm going

How much is the cost of admission?

I cannot see into the future but it does not look bright. All those whose contracts expire in 2015 will be able to negotiate a free transfer in January. If we have no money now, we certainly will have no more in January. We could lose our brightest prospects Wotherspoon, O'Halloran etc for nothing and our team will go into freefall and relegation is a clear possibility. If your were May and TW would you sign long term contracts with this grim future. Goalkeepers 1 - Alan Mannus - (31) - 2015 15 - Steve Banks - (42) - 2015 30 - Zander Clark - (21) - 2016 ------------------------------ Defenders 2 - Dave Mackay - (34) - 2015 3 - Tam Scobbie - (26) - 2015 5 - Frazer Wright - (35) - 2015 6 - Steven Anderson - (28) - 2016 19 - Gary Miller - (26) - 2015 21 - Callum Davidson - (37) - 2015 24 - Brian Easton - (26) - 2015 43 - Gareth Rodger - (20) - 2015 ------------------------------ Midfielders 7 - Chris Millar - (31) - 2015 8 - Gary McDonald - (32) - 2015 10 - David Wotherspoon - (24) - 2015 16 - Liam Caddis - (20) - 2015 18 - Murray Davidson - (26) - August 2014 20 - Scott Brown - (19) - 2015 22 - Lee Croft - (28) – 2015 29 - Michael O'Halloran - (23) - 2015 31 - Dylan Easton - (20) - 2016 --------------------------------------- Forwards 9 - Steven MacLean - (31) - 2016 17 - Stevie May - (21) - 2015 41 - Chris Kane - (19) - 2016

The club cannot solely concentrate on new customers. Yes we need them but this must not be to the detriment of the team. These new customers are coming to see the Scottish Cup Champions and will expect to be entertained and watch a winning team or else they will not be back. Hence the information and marketing will have been pointless. We need to strengthen the team or at least bring it up to the standard we had at the close of last season. Others have been improving we must not get left behind

Sky transfer news 'Sky Sources understand that David Goodwillie is set to sign for Aberdeen this week'

I am sure some one will put me right, not knowing much of the finances of the club but according to web sites our wage bill for 2011 was £2.72 mil for salaries with turnover of over £4 mil. I believe it will not have changed too much. I would imagine most are on between £52,000 to £104,000 a year i.e. £1,000 to £2,000 per week 22 players would be min of £1.1 mil to max of £2.2 mil. Which compared to other clubs is not one hell of a wage bill.

Hence my previous post about our lack of preparation for this tie. They have had 4 games and more to come. TW said he will give our players 45 mins in the East Fife game and another 45 mins in the Raith game. In my humble opinion poor preparation. I believe he should play his cup team in both games. This would give the team a chance to get match fit. Those who have played the know there is a big difference between being fit and being match fit. May be this is just our lack of experience at this level rather than bad management.

Sky Sports Transfer News St Johnstone star Stevie May insists talks are ongoing over a new deal to keep him at McDiarmid Park. May has been locked in talks with the Scottish Cup winners for some time over a contract extension, but as yet no new deal has been agreed. A number of clubs in England are thought to be keepings tabs on May, but the 21-year-old is hopeful of sorting out new deal. "It was never a case that I had said I wouldn't sign a new deal," May told the Daily Record. "Negotiations are ongoing and talks tend to drag on rather than get thrashed out overnight but I'm hopeful it'll be sorted soon."

What price and value our goal machine? Whatever a Championship or Div 1 team is willing to pay. I believe would be sold for £500,000 plus add ons although his value is twice that.

In our formation we have attacking midfielders Croft, Wotherspoon and O'Halloran (the fourth was Hasslebaink) they are wide players who supported our front two. TW may be planning to change our formation this year as he wants an attacking central and left wide midfielder. Personally I would keep the winning formula with two defensive midfielders and two wide attacking midfielders

Looks like a lot agree including me but TW thinks different he wants another striker. He said he wanted 4 and O'Halloran is not one of them.