Livi v Clyde's MMA cluggers (League Cup)

Getting drawn on Monday at 2:30pm

Unseeded teams and numbers

16. Peterhead
17. Dunfermline Athletic
18. Ayr United
19. Stenhousemuir
20. Stirling Albion
21. Albion Rovers
22. Queen's Park
23. Arbroath
24. East Fife
25. Annan Athletic
26. Clyde
27. Elgin City
28. Berwick Rangers
29. East Stirlingshire
30. Montrose

Cups are always a chance to get to a ground I've not been to before so any of Stirling/Albion Rovers/Arbroath/Clyde/Montrose away would be decent for me.

Fed up getting Albion Rovers away, only been to Stirling Albion's once and it was bloody freezing. They only had one stand and the wind blew right across it.

Couldn't possibly get another home tie for a cup draw could we!

Not long till the draw now, mon Montrose @ Home.

Clyde again? This is like last year with QoS?

Only easier, we should breeze past them in both cups.

Can't believe we're getting home draws, get to see Barry back pass with a torn face after getting gubbed twice, canny ask for any better.

Should be two easy wins back to back

Contemporary wrote:Should be two easy wins back to back

Gonnae no dae that!!

I will say only this Annan away Sc Cup 2014

lol could be a tricky tie though lads lol

Tbh the 2nd tie for the LC should be harder, they should be able to learn from our Challenge cup game and make tactical changes to expose any weaknesses they spotted. Still, with the fire power we have can't see us losing either tie.

Buchanan was the type of player we were missing last season, we'd have been comfortable in mid table with him playing last season.

The Clyde fans are seething. I think we'll do well to win both games without extra-time, I've no doubt the familiarity might cancel things out slightly.

I'll take anything as long as a side managed by Barry Ferguson doesn't come out victorious against the #AM.

Hopefully as Orco said in the other Clyde thread, we get a better referee for this game that will protect our skilful players from Clyde's cluggers.

My head says another scrappy narrow win but when have I ever listened to common sense where Livi are concerned, 3-0 Livi, FG 12 mins.

You mentioned that Clyde learned from the first half and closed us out in the second, so hopefully we have learned how to exploit their weaknesses. Unfortunately it is much easier to defend in depth than to be creative.

Livi to edge another close one, 2-1 again; fg 18 mins

3-0 Livi FG 15 mins

If Cole is fit again who would you leave out?

I'd also expect Nelll to be staking a claim again.

Not sure if Pittman playing defensive midfield really worked he more attack minded than that;Gibbon fitted right in though - a real find.

Too many good player and not enough gaps.

Durnford wrote:If Cole is fit again who would you leave out?

I'd also expect Nelll to be staking a claim again.

Not sure if Pittman playing defensive midfield really worked he more attack minded than that;Gibbon fitted right in though - a real find.

Too many good player and not enough gaps.

Good question, I'd leave White out if Cole is fit and go with 5 in midfield with Buchanan up front but Mullen and Hippo supporting him and not leaving him isolated. Wouldn't play that formation with White playing as he hasn't the mobility Buchanan has and normally I'd like Buchanan and White as our front two, think this would work better against Clyde though.


...............................DJ


Millen............Gordon........Sives............Longridge



.........Gibbons............Cole............Pittman.


..Mullen...................................................Hippo

...........................Buchanan

Liviforever wrote:

Durnford wrote:If Cole is fit again who would you leave out?

I'd also expect Nelll to be staking a claim again.

Not sure if Pittman playing defensive midfield really worked he more attack minded than that;Gibbon fitted right in though - a real find.

Too many good player and not enough gaps.

Good question, I'd leave White out if Cole is fit and go with 5 in midfield with Buchanan up front but Mullen and Hippo supporting him and not leaving him isolated. Wouldn't play that formation with White playing as he hasn't the mobility Buchanan has and normally I'd like Buchanan and White as our front two, think this would work better against Clyde though.


...............................DJ


Millen............Gordon........Sives............Longridge



.........Gibbons............Cole............Pittman.


..Mullen...................................................Hippo

...........................Buchanan

Its a possibility although I'd swap Gibbon and Pittman around; Pittman seems best on the right. Also would think about bringing Neill in as he's as strong as both Sives and Gordon but faster on the ground. Clyde will undoubtedly try to hit us on the break again but Neill should easily outpace their tubby centre forward.

Don't think White did anything really wrong on Saturday but the arm pulling; barging and shirt tugging he had to put up with was ridiculous - hopefully we'll have a better ref this week.

Yeah Sives dealt with everything hit his way in the air but was caught for pace a few times and near got sent off when he got turned too so you're prob right about Neill. Thought the same about White too, he kept getting fouled when he had his back to their tubby No6 and wasn't getting any joy from the ref about it. That's why I'd rather go with pace this time and not give the big cluggers a chance to barge into us when we're standing still.

Liviforever wrote:Yeah Sives dealt with everything hit his way in the air but was caught for pace a few times and near got sent off when he got turned too so you're prob right about Neill. Thought the same about White too, he kept getting fouled when he had his back to their tubby No6 and wasn't getting any joy from the ref about it. That's why I'd rather go with pace this time and not give the big cluggers a chance to barge into us when we're standing still.

If we are going to accommodate Cole and keep Pittman and Gibbons in the team then maybe a couple of different options could be tried.

Go 433
With same back four .. Pittman Cole Gibbons in the middle , agree with Durnford that Pittman looks better on the right. Front three of Mullen White Buchanan
Hippo on bench good sub to bring on

Or go 442
With same back four ..... Move Pittman to right side of midfield just like we did with Keaghan and that worked ok. Cole and Gibbons in the middle with Hippo on left.
White and Buchanan up front
Mullen on bench good sub to bring on.

My view would be 442 as like LF says his first choice would be White and Buchanan as a partnership,but for this to be effective we need some creativity from centre mid and the wide areas.Mullen on the left and Hippo on the right does not have that as they are coming into their strong foot and will try to shoot all the time. Think Pittman and Gibbons doesn't work as double in the middle.

In all honesty would love the big Portuguese guy to be signed him an Cole in the middle Pittman on the right and even Gibbons could play on the left.

So many options available but if we want to create a good front two we need to play 2 out of three players Mullen Buchanan and White for them to gel as a partnership.

Burchy wants competition all over the park and hopes to sign another two players ,hope it's Dec and Hugo.

Yeah we've got some good midfielders in Gibbons, Pittman, Georgiev, plus Mullen & Hippo playing as attacking midfield, but we could do with Faria &/or Cole to add a physical presence in there when needed.

Hmm, I still see us conceding in this game, but I fancy us for another goal against Fergie's Fakers.

3-1 Livi FG 29 mins.

Would like to see Neill and Gordon at centre-half, nothing against Craig Sives but it'd be good to see what Neill is like with Gordon in a competitive match. If Cole is 100% fit I'd go with three in midfield, Mullen and Hippolyte as the wide forwards with Buchanan as the striker. A lot more incision from the midfield in terms of through balls, think it's been mentioned previously but Millen was in acres of space several times last week and the pass never came. Don't think he's the quickest in the world but his delivery is top notch, should definitely utilise it when he's got space.

3-0 Livi, FG 31 mins.

Afro wrote:Would like to see Neill and Gordon at centre-half, nothing against Craig Sives but it'd be good to see what Neill is like with Gordon in a competitive match. If Cole is 100% fit I'd go with three in midfield, Mullen and Hippolyte as the wide forwards with Buchanan as the striker. A lot more incision from the midfield in terms of through balls, think it's been mentioned previously but Millen was in acres of space several times last week and the pass never came. Don't think he's the quickest in the world but his delivery is top notch, should definitely utilise it when he's got space.

3-0 Livi, FG 31 mins.

Agree about Sives; he's done well but Neill did very well during the friendlies. Also Neill is on a two year contract; I'm guessing the reason for this is probably that Burchill expects him to do very well and be a potential for a transfer fee at the end of the season. He's only going to achieve this if he gets game time; the same goes for a number of the other boys signed on two year deals.

From Callum Carson:

Livi midfielder Ryan Currie is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after dislocating his elbow. Spas Georgiev still awaiting international clearance.

Doubts over Cole and Hippo too according to a report today. Still should have enough to beat Clyde.

Glen* might be starting in midfield if Hippo isn't fit, will be expecting him to put in a good performance if he wants to get into our starting 11 though, needs to show more consistency this season or he'll be getting skelfs in his arse.

*Just read Glen is also a doubt for the Clyde game, jeeze these Clyde cluggers are as bad as Martin O'Neill's Celtic team when we played them, always gave us an injury list after the games against them.