Livi v Kelty Hearts

Needing a few things to go our way here, but can only try and win the game then see what happens. Firstly we could do with knocking a few past Kelty to try and catch other teams with better GD's, so hopefully start Bruce and Josh.

Saying that i'd be shocked if we do, Davie will prob start Hammy (noticed he played in a bounce game yesterday), or Shinnie centre of a front 3. And save Bruce for the 2nd half, leaving Josh sitting on the bench all game. Go on DM, shock and surprise me.

No Hammy, he’s away to Paul Hartleypool on loan with an option to buy.

Agreed, we need a win with a few goals but given Kelty bounced back from their shock loss at Albion by matching our odd goal win at Cove but managed a 3-2 score line then it probably will be harder than we were expecting after their loss to Rovers.

As they are out of the running to qualify they will probably go all out to take us out with them.

We ought to be good enough to win but I can’t see it being enough to qualify.

Fully suspect Saturday to be one of frustration and hopefull expectation for us.All the stats could ultimately count for nothing here potentially. Reckon a home win should be on the cards here,but I wouldn't bet my house on it.Davies starting selections for one reason or another baffle me at times.With Hammy away and Ismeal suspended,surely Bruce and Josh will start this one and get a foothold of the game,but I wouldn't bank on it.Yeh I'm sure those around us will keep up with other games prevalent to us.End of the day we need to make sure we take care of our ourselves first and most and see if its enough to send us through.I have my doubts, but hopefully a good result will send us home Happy.Good luck and Mon the Lions. .

I'd love for Kelty to go all out against us, making it an open game, but i think they'll sit in with a low block and make life difficult for us, hoping to hit us on the counter, which we've struggled with in this cup comp.
If we can score early it might also open it up more for us, again we need Bruce on from the start to give us the best chance of doing that, reckon if both Bruce and Josh start we would create and score a few against them, showing Davie he made a mistake not doing that against ICT and Cove too. Which is why i fear he'll stick with his stubborn game plan to bring Bruce on 2nd half, and go with Shinnie or Nouble as the central striker in a front three.

Kelty also seem to run out of steam around the 80 min mark, and concede goals in the last 10 mins, so important we keep on pushing for goals right to the end and try to score 4 or 5 past them for best chance of qualifying against other 9 pts teams.

Would be FAF though if we stuck 5 past them and Cove beat Caley, for us to top the group, now that would be a miracle.

Jack Hamilton out on loan freeing up a wage, Leigh Griffiths training with us, it's going to happen isn't it?

If he screws the nut & focuses on his ability I’d give him as go. Not sure he fits Davies’s 3-in-1 description of what he’s looking for but he certainly can fit the bill when it comes to putting the pig-bladder in the pokey, IF he screws the nut.

FWIW - I saw him at M&S in Uddingston/Bothwell a few weeks ago and he looked as slim as I’ve seen him in a long time.

FWIW we need another striker ASAP.With Jack gone and Ismael unreliable and unfit.Then throw in the possibility of Bruce getting injured at some point.Were as thin up top as my receding hairline.Necsesity will arrive at some point when we realise how short we are up front.The support is split regarding Griffiths. If he's as lean and fit as some including Davie are suggesting I wouldn't be adverse to him coming back,but he would have to give it 100%.And that I'm so sure of.There again as I've said for us,needs must.

Yeah i'd take him for the first half of the season even, it would get him in the shop window for a bigger move. More clubs would be willing to sign him if they could see he is up to it and worth taking a punt on him. As it stands he's too much of a risk for clubs that would pay him decent money. We've a decent record of getting players a good move, if we can get a big unfit haddie like JET fit enough for a move to Aberdeen just think what we could do for Griffiths.

By George we've done it, results all went our way and we're through.

Liviforever wrote:By George we've done it, results all went our way and we're through.

George wiznae playing, good that he’s signed though… as for our qualification… never in doubt, I said after the loss to ICT that 9 points was usually enough…. Meanwhile, St Mirren, St Johnstone & Hibs all crash out.

Seeds for the draw will be
Celtic
Rangers
Hearts
Dundee U
Motherwell
Dundee
Arbroath
Ross County or Aberdeen (Aberdeen have to win in 90 mins tomorrow to oust County)

I’d take a home tie against any of the teams outside the gruesome twosome & say we’d have a chance of progressing and any of the teams below Hearts at home would give me confidence of progressing.

Yeah hopefully a home draw.

Hearts away it is then?


Omeonga and Holt made all the difference coming on today, esp Omeonga, who set us our 2nd goal again. Would expect both to be starting in our next cup game.

Just in.Good to see you L/F today.That was excruciating at best.Our goalie hardly had a save to make.For me were a million miles from the team we were last season despite Davie saying we are stronger.Reckon Rangers next week will expose how far we are behind.Well done to the lads for getting us through.As per the competition,.As much as we can get £££.We ain't gonna win it.Cancar did look impressive today.Other players should take a leaf from his book. Gave 100%and thats what we want from the squad. Testing times ahead i fear.

Thought Pittman was good today too, him, Holt and Omeonga should be starting against Sevco, the 3 of them are small but aggressive in the press and winning balls.

Don't think we've seen our best starting XI yet so looking forward to the Sevco game, would expect Shamal to be straight in goals for that game too, and we'll get a better indication on how the team are looking, although obv that and the Celtic games aren't where we'll see us playing at our best attacking wise.
I think things are starting to take shape though, and we'll be fine again this season.

Just want to get the Rangers game out of the way.On current form we'll get gubbed.Big surprise there eh.We are nowhere near to getting a surprise result against the unwashed. Team wise,not anywhere near having a chance against them.But what do I know. I'm a Livi fan after all.🤪.

Also good to see a keeper who is so tall, 6ft 6, defending high balls from set pieces has been a weak area for us of late, would expect someone of his size to be coming for, and claiming any high ball into our box.

Omeonga made a big difference when he came on. It was the same up at Cove.

I'd rather Max played against Rangers. Realistically we'll probably get beat and if it was by a big margin it wouldn't be great for the new guy's confidence. Max has been there before v the Rangers and knows what to expect.

IMO best time to get them is 1st game. They are only playing friendlies at the moment and will have one eye on their CL qualifier the following midweek.

I’d be starting Mullin ahead of Moyo; the latter has good control and skill but no end product, so far. Arguably the same can be said for Nouble but he links up better with team mates.

Midfield is a difficult conundrum, as was mentioned above, Holt, Omeonga & Pittman are feisty wee guys that get stuck in but Shinnie is one of our best players are reading the game and finding a pass and Kelly has shown his ability in breaking up play especially in the first half of the games he’s played this season and takes a very good penalty. So maybe we play all 5 in a 4-5-1 with either Bruce or Joel up top giving their all for 45 mins each?

Sevco wont pump us, they never have, esp at home. We'll frustrate the shit out of them and look to grind out a 0-0, 1-0 type of result, we'll do to them what ICT and the like have done to us in these cup games.

Shamal has come from Liverpool's youth academy, he knows what big crowds are like, need to get him in there, our defenders will also give him decent protection, the likes of Devlin and Fitzwater through everything on the line blocking shots and our lads will be pumped up for it.

This game will suit us down to the ground, no pressure at all on us either.

orco wrote:Omeonga made a big difference when he came on. It was the same up at Cove.

I'd rather Max played against Rangers. Realistically we'll probably get beat and if it was by a big margin it wouldn't be great for the new guy's confidence. Max has been there before v the Rangers and knows what to expect.

Superb assist. https://twitter.com/i/status/1551158623291772928

The substitutions made a difference yesterday and against Cove as they injected energy when we appeared to run out of it. They lifted us to raise our game again. Omeonga’s run for the assist was excellent and Cancar got himself into a position you’d expect a striker to find. Excellent goal all round.