Livi v County

Toughie for us here, yes they're down in the relegation scrap, but after listening to the TalkLivi podcast, where a County guest came on and spoke about them having decent performances but not results, and being quite good defensively, i checked their recent games. Narrowly lost away to Sevco to a deflected goal, conceded early away to St Mirren and the Midden doing what they do game management wise it's tough to get back in the game from that and they lost 1-0, lost 2-0 to Motherwell but only after a red card reducing them to 10 men in the 69th min, did Motherwell get their 2 goals in the 74th and 88th min, and they scudded Utd 4-0. Oh and before those games they beat Killie 3-0 and drew 1-1 with Hibs, both home games.

The bright side of that is them losing away from home in both their away games, but as i said, a deflection and a red card were a big part of that, will their bad luck be worse than ours is the question?

That'll put the wind up you all then.

Just to make things even worse for you harbingers of doom, Collum is officiating and Beaton's on VAR.

Yep, wur doomed

Purveyor of doom here.I suspect County will come down here fully confident of getting a result.We are nowhere near firing on all cylinders atm and I just don't know where our next win will come from.All the talk about Nicky Holtey and Fitzy certainly isn't helping matters either.Last chance saloon as far as top six aspirations are concerned, although those chances are slim at best for me.Were at home though and I just wish the lads would grasp any lingering hopes of reaching the promised land.I have my doubts and albeit reaching our perennial goal to stay in the division, kinda get the feeling the season is coming to a dissapointing conclusion. I could be wrong of course in which case I'll eat ma bunnet.‍�.

All depends on St Mirren's result against Utd, because we play St Mirren next, so that is prob the last chance saloon for a top 6 game if we don't win this one.

We were sitting pretty comfortably in 4th with 3 or 4 games of a cushion to have us almost guaranteed a top 6 spot though, incredible that all those games haven't gone our way and we're still in with a decent enough chance at it. We're now getting to the stage where we need wins to go grab that spot, as it's slowly slipping away from us. I'm still not at your level of acceptance it's gone though, imo we've still another 2 games where it's in our own hands, then after that we'd be depending on other teams losing 2 or 3 games and us having to win ours.

Anyhoo, it feels like we need to get a 2 goal lead to win a game just now, County were spawny the last time they won here, and we'd be extremely nervous trying to see out a 1-0 win, the fans and the players. The confidence boost it would give everyone getting a win would prob lift us enough to get that top 6 spot. A win here would afford us the luxury of being able to draw with St Mirren next week, then take advantage of them having Hearts and Sevco in their next 2 games.

I actually fancy us to go a goal up quite early in the first half again, and think Nouble will rag doll their defence, but we need to get another goal to take advantage of our dominance, because we've seen how Nouble and the rest of our players fade in the 2nd half. I'll go for a 2-0 or 3-1 Livi win.

The don’t fade in the second half, they disappear from the re-start

Having Collum and Beaton in charge of proceedings really gives me the jillops. Couldnt have asked for two of the most inept officials in the top flight.Got a feeling VAR will have a field day here.Suspect my friend Orco will be taking notes preparing for the obligatory obituary. ‍�.

County stole the points from us the last time we played them here. They should have been down to ten men early in the game but refs apply different rules when Livi play. I have a feeling the game will go on till after five today with VAR decisions.

County have improved since their last visit so it won't be easy. On our day we can see off most teams in this league but we've blown hot and cold for a while now.

I hope lady luck smiles on us today because she has been absent for a wee while now.

We haven’t blown hot since the first half against Killie, at best we have been tepid since then.

Now is the time for the guys to step it up, they have let us down in the last two home games and they have let themselves down as well, now is the time to make amends, now is the time for boys to become men and men to become heroes, now is the time to show we are better than the rest.

Yass a win and back into the top 6 we go.

Not the best we've played but 2 clinical first half goals, and we looked comfortable 2nd half to take all 3pts. Then County get a contentious goal with the lino flagging late for offside. His taking so long to stick his flag up meant they scored and it went to a VAR check, that overturned his decision. Will have to see the highlights as it looked yards offside when their player ran onto the ball.

Ended up a nervy finish, hanging onto the win, particularly when they play 5 going on 7 mins added time, but we got there. Brilliant block by Penrice late on in our box, and Nouble a few times taking the ball down and getting us a foul to break up play. Fans and players really needed that win, and sets us up nicely for the St Mirren away game on the 1st of April. Got to think a win there would secure us a top 6 spot, with their next 2 games being Hearts and Sevco away.

Apart from 10 minutes before and after half time that was very painful to watch. The first 35 minutes was enough to get all 22 players on the pitch arrested for breaking trade description laws. What a compete borefest. The only player that looked like he was trying to do anything was Anderson who was working his socks off closing, chasing & harrying their defenders and keeper.

Then Penrice whipped in a superb cross & Nouble headed a fine finish back across the keeper. A minute later Devs rips a terrific shot that the keeper saves but Pitts recycles it and Devs hits an even better shot into the bottom corner. 2-0 and we started to play a bit. Half time came & went and we started the second half well on top but couldn’t capitalise. Then we reverted to the first half ineptness while they flooded on their subs. They pull one back (looked offside to me) and it’s squeaky bum time. Penrice made an immense block at one point and I felt sure there would be a VAR awarded penalty shortly after that but it wasn’t even reviewed.

The officials once again showed a complete lack of consistency in their application of the laws of the game. You have to wonder how much shirt you have in your hand is actually required before a foul is awarded#. Collum awarded a delayed free kick to them early on when no advantage accrued (don’t think it was even a foul but that could be my amber specs) but didn’t do the same for us when we were attacking.

In the end it was a very important 3 points and I’ll take winning games over good performances but apart from that spell when we scored the goals and the opening 10 mins of the second half, it was pretty poor stuff.

One final thing, we need a goalkeeper. Shamal is one of the tallest players on the pitch but never comes to claim a cross, the only time he came for a cross today he had no right doing it and only got a bad punch on it and then fell over causing panic as County tried to get the ball back into the mix. He is also quite slow to react when the ball is heading into his box with a defender trying to shield an attacker from getting to it. He should take charge in such situations either grabbing the ball or clearing it.

Other results weren’t too bad, could have done with United holding out for a win but a draw was ok.

*Late edit:
*Just saw the highlights and Shamal should have been sent off for “Schumakering” Brophy (and Devlin).
# Judging by the highlights last night, if you’re a Hibs player not much “shirt in hand” is required to be awarded a penalty but if you’re a Livi player it would appear the opponent has to obtain your shirt and run around the pitch with it for at least 10 minutes before the Livi player gets booked for removing it.

Just watched the highlights, County had a couple of decent chances early in the first have,but didn't take them thankfully.Yeh,Shamal got away with one there surprisingly givin who the officials were.Delightfull ball from Penners to see big Joel guide it into the bottom corner for our first.And Nicky who had a terrific game with a piledriver that gave their keeper no chance to double our lead deservedly.And he was so unlucky not to score after the dubious decision for their goal,officials letting us down again.Back to winning ways at a crucial time for us,which was pleasing if a bit nearvy at times.Weve givin ourselves a chance of top six again.Its up to the players to take that chance if they want it.Its so tight in the middle but yesterdays results have certainly givin us a chance.Well done lads..

It has put us back in the driving seat for top 6 anyway, but it's so tight between 4 teams for 3 spots, we need to pick up more points and make sure of it.

A win against St Mirren would practically knock them out of the running, with their next 2 games playing Hearts and Sevco away, but we also need to pick up as many pts as possible to go for that European spot too, post split it'll prob be just as tight for 2 European spots* between the 4th, 5th and 6th placed teams, so although the main priority is securing that top 6 place, the more pts we can rack up pre split, the better chance we'll have going into the final 5 games of getting a European spot too.

Would be brilliant if we could go into the split with a 6 games undefeated run building momentum for the final 5 games.

*Providing one of the erse cheeks win the Scottish cup for 5th place to count too.

Auld Nick wrote:Apart from 10 minutes before and after half time that was very painful to watch. The first 35 minutes was enough to get all 22 players on the pitch arrested for breaking trade description laws. What a compete borefest. The only player that looked like he was trying to do anything was Anderson who was working his socks off closing, chasing & harrying their defenders and keeper.

Then Penrice whipped in a superb cross & Nouble headed a fine finish back across the keeper. A minute later Devs rips a terrific shot that the keeper saves but Pitts recycles it and Devs hits an even better shot into the bottom corner. 2-0 and we started to play a bit. Half time came & went and we started the second half well on top but couldn’t capitalise. Then we reverted to the first half ineptness while they flooded on their subs. They pull one back (looked offside to me) and it’s squeaky bum time. Penrice made an immense block at one point and I felt sure there would be a VAR awarded penalty shortly after that but it wasn’t even reviewed.

The officials once again showed a complete lack of consistency in their application of the laws of the game. You have to wonder how much shirt you have in your hand is actually required before a foul is awarded#. Collum awarded a delayed free kick to them early on when no advantage accrued (don’t think it was even a foul but that could be my amber specs) but didn’t do the same for us when we were attacking.

In the end it was a very important 3 points and I’ll take winning games over good performances but apart from that spell when we scored the goals and the opening 10 mins of the second half, it was pretty poor stuff.

One final thing, we need a goalkeeper. Shamal is one of the tallest players on the pitch but never comes to claim a cross, the only time he came for a cross today he had no right doing it and only got a bad punch on it and then fell over causing panic as County tried to get the ball back into the mix. He is also quite slow to react when the ball is heading into his box with a defender trying to shield an attacker from getting to it. He should take charge in such situations either grabbing the ball or clearing it.

Other results weren’t too bad, could have done with United holding out for a win but a draw was ok.

*Late edit:
*Just saw the highlights and Shamal should have been sent off for “Schumakering” Brophy (and Devlin).
# Judging by the highlights last night,  if you’re a Hibs player not much “shirt in hand” is required to be awarded a penalty but if you’re a Livi player it would appear the opponent has to obtain your shirt and run around the pitch with it for at least 10 minutes before the Livi player gets booked for removing it.

Think it was offside before the collision, and that's what was given to us, so one offside went for us not getting a red card and the other went against us for them getting their goal.

I really don't understand the lino's with offsides, sometimes they flag straight away, and others they wait 30/40 seconds and flag after a goal has been scored, waiting so long could also see players being injured carrying on full pelt trying to block/stop goals being scored. Fair enough if the lino isn't sure and just lets VAR sort it out, but the lino yesterday sticks his flag up after they scored, so he must've thought it was offside when the County player ran onto the ball starting their attack on our goal. If the clown had stuck his flag up straight away VAR wouldn't have got involved, but after they scored it revues everything leading up to the goal. Stupid imo, and another inconsistency to piss us all off.

Still not convinced it was even onside, there were a few dubious goals given yesterday in games where VAR gave onside and it looked offside to everyone else. Showing lines across the monitor isn't convincing folk either, looks very amateurish, like a bairn's crayon being drawn on the screen, don't think we have the tech to calibrate it accurately either.

From the bbc live text saying it was offside before Devlin and Brophy got injured by Shamal, maybe the Sportscene pundits need to do more research before making such a big deal about not knowing why Shamal didn't get a red card, and why he got a "foul", as it wasn't for a foul it was for Brophy being offside.

Something that has been bugging me since the ICT defeat, and has continued to be an issue for us against Hibs, and County, costing us goals, we're obv trying to play a high line and get offsides against teams, but we either aren't doing it properly, or the officials and VAR are that shite it's just too risky a strategy. Maybe a bit of both.

Is it since Berra joined as a coach i wonder, we're becoming a soft touch for teams hitting long balls in behind our defenders though, i was positive one of Caley's goals was offside too, when they did this, and again yesterday with County's, fortunately it didn't effect the result this time and we still got the win, but def did against Caley in the cup.

Against Hibs we just completely fecked it up with Devlin playing Youan onside, and that goal gave Hibs the momentum to not only get back into the game but score more goals.

You’re right LF; I remember saying it at the game… the lino gave offside after the collision left two players needing treatment, I’d forgotten that when Sportscene reviewed it. I actually had a wee rant at the time about how useless the officials were and how stupid the offside rule to not flag straight away is.

Sportscene’s review of the County possible offside was as useful as a chocolate fire guard. No camera angle at all and no still VAR picture with or without the bairn’s crayons (I mentioned the lines looked crayoned on at the game as well).

The onside decision for Cantwell’s goal against Motherwell was ridiculous, you could see with the naked eye Sakala was offside and even with the crayoned lines drawn on you could see he was offside.

They should get rid of VAR because it’s just not working because all you have is clowns with computers rather than whistles and they just ain’t funny.

Apart from that two minute spell when we scored I thought it was a rather turgid affair. Willie Collum let a lot of the physical stuff go for both sides.
Re the Shamal challenge on Brophy and Devlin, if the linesman had flagged as soon as Brophy was seen to be offside then Shamal would not have had to come so far from the goals and so the collision would not have happened. In any case we have had so many dodgy red cards this season that it didn't bother me that there was no action taken.