holdnudgehold

Dont forget this guy. One of the greats imo

We got nothing more than the going rate for a player who was outstanding in a team that was a kick away from from winning the Europa league. Surely that's levels above the Dutch league overall. Whatever the flaws in his game and as good as Ajax might be its up to them to use him effectively.

Disappointed but not despairing. Utterly convinced we are better than them if we can get the right team on the park. When they utterly destroy other teams every game hope this shows they're not untouchable. But we were as guilty as those teams at handing games on a plate for 60 minutes today. What a waste.

In at the shop/ cafe during the week later afternoon. Virtually empty. Don't know how that compares to other teams fan zone buildings during the non football days but hard to imagine it's making much money at those times. Early days and a rainy afternoon in February I know but hard to see it being sustainable 7 days a week at current opening hours. Maybe when the museum is operational it'll be more of an attractive prospect.

You'd normally expect that the other team might try to throw some body's forward at somepoint though as nothing to lose. It just didn't happen with St Johnstone today.

Happy enough tbh. At 2 there was no need for us to score and St Johnstone didn't appear interested in going forward to risk a hammering so both teams going through the motions. It was almost too comfortable. Game in midweek more type of game to see how we've progressed.

Fair enough if this is just man management to see us through for a bit, but if he's genuinely happy with the level of our goalkeepers 1 2 and 3 then that is deeply worrying to say the least. Saying best in the country and the other 2 being close is just opening us up to unnecessary ridicule. If you look at our in game stats how often do you see something like shots against 2, on target 1, goals 1? It feels like pretty much every game.

Need to gamble a bit now. Current manager and team in current state isn't winning this or any other league. Even when struggling in league Gerrard could at least bring in revenue and improve overall perception with decent European results. This team look utterly spent and just can't see that ever happening as it stands. So if it's about money surely the gamble of getting rid of Gio is worth taking the hit. Can the board be trusted to get right replacement? That's a different matter

And yet he seems to be the one that actually gets chances at that level. Colak did nothing either in any of his games. OK Morelos has messed up a few chances now but he was in positions you'd want to fall to our best finisher. As much as anything I'm gutted that when we actually got to the champions league, everyone got to see the worst version of us and players such as Morelos you could have ever have imagined since Pedro.

Very well. If we'd been put out by them and went on to do what they've done in the Europa I think we'd all be a bit happier. It doesn't offer much consolation but I think this shows we still have potential if not suffering an injury crisis or low confidence. Doesn't excuse our poor recruitment or resigning players obviously past their best.

Feels like today is a major test for him. In the team with Kent so will know one way or another if he's any use this type of game with some extra space if they double up on Kent. If he turns in an annonymous Diallo v them type performance then think we've definitely seen enough. Hope he can prove he's got something about him.

That's what it felt like. We were swept aside like any of the usual dross they typically face. We're proven to be actually several levels above that but that's twice in 6 months it's happened . Difficult to know how much to read into it. Utterly head scratching set of players. Wouldn't be surprised to get a result tomorrow then drop points again to Aberdeen.

That was depressing but so was Feb. Failed to win the league obv, but in many ways it went better than we expected from there on in. Got to hope same can happen from here. This squad/ manager always keep up guessing which version will turn up.

Frustrating going into this without so many big players. Also that still don't seem to have figured out our best system yet. No right to win any game but if we lose will definitely wonder what might have been. It was close last week even with our current limitations so just shows the small margins. Also please, please no zonal marking tonight. Surely if anything was learned last week it was that.

Nice list of actual big clubs without the corporate skew of Man City etc.

I've never seen a player who so many times allows opposition crosses to come in whilst standing about 6 yards away. I used to think there must be some reason for it, 2 managers and different coaching teams have failed to address it. Never watched him at international level, does he do the same for Croatia? Just some of the stuff seems so basic to fix but never seems to happen.

Ritual humiliation this stage of year for the other teams. Don't care about them individually but the collective fucking up the coefficient continually makes things an uphill battle for us. The thing that makes no sense is that the type of teams that beat the other Scottish European representatives play our lower league/ colts teams in the challenge cup year on year and never actually win it.

Worrying based on that. Kane and Son won't be anything like our usual level though tbf. Prob OK against the domestic dross. Thought we also lacked some strength up front, the Morelos type hold up that brings others into play. The ball kept getting turned over and they were in behind us. Should've been more. Anyway it was worthwhile and hopefully learned more today than being comfortable against West Ham.

Remember him coming on vs shkupi early Gerrard, changing a flat game, thinking we'd a real player on our hands then that's about as good as it got. 4 years ago.

Absolutely fucking loved that. With the week we've had and what's went on this season, already surpasses Florence/ Manchester imo. Wow. Those players, take a bow. They really suffered that 2nd half and came through. The ultimate rollercoaster season. BTW that referee was nothing short of a disgrace and we should launch a complaint regardless. That we were up against 12 men makes it all the better what's been achieved.

As much part of the fabric of the club as the bricks and mortar of the stadium. Just there and ever present throughout everything. Will be so strange not seeing him. Awful news to wake up to.

Again the media frame this as "title nerves" as it can't just be said we're the better team when we're the better team. Had a look at some stats over the season. We had way more shots at goal and somewhat surprisingly slightly more possession given the world class "angeball" over the 5 games played we played them. OK there's context within these stats (even the most staunch would struggle to make a case for winning the 3-0 game) but overall shows our performance levels v them weren't too bad. Again our failings lie within the stupid points dropped against the other teams whereas for some reason they mostly seem able to turn up and score at will, even with utter dross in their side such as Ralston and Taylor. Problem is I don't see this changing next season. Whatever their limitations it's been more effective than what we've managed. We're going to need to be 20/21 season consistent to get the title back by the looks of it.

Feel bad for McGregor but really has to be McLaughlin till end of season. An audition to see if he genuinely can be 1st choice next season. Never felt nervous with him as have with McGregor this season (bar the dribble out the park Sunday). Difficult scenario; feels as if nothing to lose based McGregor's overall form this season and yet everything to lose with what's still to play for and maybe the possibility of McGregor actually coming into some form.

Over the past 20 odd years our record (and theirs) against the teams from that league must be equal if not better, yet the transfer fees and TV deal going about over there are astronomical compared to ours. To be fair they've a big 3/ 4 teams compared to our 2 but to me just again shows up the failure of those meant to be leading our game in how we market ourselves. I know we live in the shadow of the English Premier league but they live in the shadow of the Spanish La Liga. For some reason that seems to work to their advantage whereas it's almost used as an excuse for the pitiful amounts we receive. Just pretty depressing we seem stuck with what we've got.

Have we ever been so far ahead in a game for so long, yet it be so close to disaster at the same time? Far, far superior even before any of the sendings off. 120 minutes of stress but utterly deserved.