Motherwell v Livi

This is going to be a very tough next three games, starting with Motherwell away.

It's getting like a broken record now, but we really need Dykes playing or I can't see us getting anything here, think i'll just copy and paste this for further match threads.

Is Souda back for this game, can't be bothered looking up the SFA disciplinary site to see how many games he got banned for. On a positive note, it's good to see Pittman back playing, he almost scored v Hibs, with his shot cleared off the line, hopefully he bangs in a goal or 2 against Motherwell, maybe Tiffs could get us some goals too, Motherwell might be the team he likes scoring against *he says grasping at straws*.

Anyway, i'm not expecting us to win this so hopefully Livi give me a pleasant surprise and take all 3 points. Mon the Lions.

We must have started this topic at the same time LfL.
I deleted mine.
Souda still out. An overhead kick is obviously deemed dangerous play these days.
Don't think we'll get anything from this one especially if Dykes and Devlin are still out. Mothwell play similar to us but with decent strikers. Hope there are no more injuries. Still it's only Rangers and Celtic next up. Could it be worse?

Tbh i'd take a defeat and no Dykes playing, if he was able to play against Sevco at home and we beat them.

Just a short post from me tonight guys.Simple,home win tommorow and i suspect our gradual slide into the bottom four in the coming weeks.Gary saying we are down to the bare bones at the moment and still no Dykes.Sorry for the negativity but it seems the gods are against us at the moment.Good luck Livi,feeling apprehensive.

Considering who we've got in our next 3 games it'll be some going if we take any points from them. Others will have to play these teams too though so it's where we are after the next 11 games that count.
Another 13 points would do us nicely, and keep us on track for league safety. Actually think we'll be stronger after the Winter break with the players coming back from loan deal, and i'm still holding out hope for Dolly coming back.

This game is a bit like the Celtic and Sevco games, none of us are expecting a Livi win, or even a draw, so nothing to lose with little expectation from the game, it's the very games we manage to take something.

Close but once again we couldn't see a game out. I think our best team might have got something here but injuries are killing us.
The guys that came in did their best and came close a few times.
One thing it proved to me is that when Dykes/Miller are fit Tiffoney will be a useful foil for all those headflicks. He is a real handful for opposition defenders and is a lot tougher than he looks. Game time can only see him improve.

Gutter seeing us equalise then lose the game, but for the first time this season I didn't see us getting anything from this game, so it isn't a shock that we didn't.

That's 3 games Dykes has been out, and there were rumours he would make the Hibs game, so he can't be far away from coming back in, would be great if he made the Sevco home game, because I think we have a chance in that one.

On a positive note, Accies managed to pull a goal back to draw with Ross County, so not much damage done. Still reckon we can finish above those two, as well as St Mirren.

Well that was nothing to write home about. First half I was actually bored and willing the half time whislte to blow.
Second half better, but oh dear Sarkic !! what were you playing at for their first goal?
The penalty brought us back into it and I thought after that we looked like we might sneak a win but as per usual this season we simply cannot stop conceding late goals. To be fair the goal looked to have a fair bit of luck for Motherwell with a deflection I think of Guthrie and landing straight at the Motherwell player's feet.

So its The Rangers next week so we might just raise our game and carve out something positive.

At least this week we're not speaking about another inept referee who I felt had a decent match.

As a post script just a few questions
What is the position with Dykes?
Why are we still hanging onto Miller?
Any chance the Club might keep the fans informed about injuries as its frustrating each week turning  on Twitter to find out we've no natural strikers playing or even on the bench.

Echo your sentiments about the game and the performance of the referee.
And I also think a bit more information to the paying customer about our injured players would not go amiss. I understand the silence in the odd game where you don't want the opposition to know our teams formation but Pitts, Miller, Pepe, Savant, Erskine, Dykes and now Devlin have been out for a while at times. It helps with fan expectation just knowing what the situation is likely to be. It's easier to accept player longish term absence instead of turning up to every game and being disappointed again.

When i saw the team lineup i was dreading this thinking damage limitation at best.TBF in that respect was surprised at the final score.Its a sore one to take with another late goal to scupper us and the least said about Sarkiks howler the better.we are ravaged with injuries at the moment and god knows we need these guys back the sooner the better before we get dragged down with the rest at the lower end of the table.Pity we didnt take the few chances that fell to us,on another day we could have had a share of the spoils but not to be.Personally i cant wait to see the back of the old firm games by which time hopefully our injury problems will have eased a bit.The joys of being a Livi fan and the journey goes on.

Holt saying we're down to the bare bones just now too, we'd be as well bringing Raffa back right now then, since McCall took charge he's only getting sub appearances and yesterday he was an unused sub. So what exactly is the benefit of having him there on loan to sit on the bench not getting any game time? We can't even fill our subs bench just now.

Patrick are likely paying his wages.

Normally they pay a percentage of a loan players wages yep, but the idea was to get him match fit for coming back in Jan, he's not getting that sitting on the bench, and we're getting desperate for players to fill the starting eleven and bench. We've also got Stobbs on loan and will be paying a percentage of his wage, from what I've seen we'd have been as well keeping hold of Raffa and not bothering with Stobbs.

After the Winter break is brutal too, no games for 3 weeks then 3 or 4 crammed into the next 2 weeks, playing midweek games. We didn't fare well last season at that period, need to be better prepared for it this time.

Beginning to wonder what was the point of signing Sevane, he's always out injured, and wasn't anywhere near match fit to start with. Big Pepe is also injured, he's hardly played for us, when did that happen? Same with Lee Miller, has a couple of subs appearances then back to the injury table. These injured players are doing my head in.

Did Miller get injured scoring the other week?

Orco, your comment on Tiffoney being a good foil for Dykes or Miller, I’ve been saying pretty much that all season but we are persisting with the lone striker formation which requires our wide men & midfielders to bomb on, we aren’t doing that though & most of our best moments have been when we have actually played the football we know we are capable of but are accused of not playing.

We saw last season & the season before that Hardie was good in a front two but often ineffective as a lone striker. Miller plays the lone striker role well in a hold up the play sense but doesn’t have the pace to harry defenders. Dykes is capable of both but that restricts his scoring opportunities. So both would benefit from having Tiffoney alongside.

Couldn't agree more re Tiffoney. He is a menace to opposition defenders. His off the ball movement is good and he is not shy to take a shot. He can only improve once he learns to compose himself when chances come.