Livi v Stranraer (the League Opener)

Ok pre season and mickey mouse cup games are over, the serious stuff begins now. I'm liking the shape of our team with Cadden and Mullin on the wings.

A few observations from our games so far:  Longridge and Halkett need to work overlaps, esp on Mullin's side as he hasn't the skill Cadden has to trick his way past players.

Buchanan also needs to be up front, not in midfield, I was actually wanting to see him playing deeper last season, in behind White and Sheerin, but we've not got those guys now and Mullen isn't physically able to hold off defenders, so Buchanan has to be up leading the line.

And the one that bugs me the most, yep you've guessed it, putting pressure on players lining up to take a shot from outside our box. Too many of these shots are flying into our net, get on them and don't give them the time and space to pick out their spot and I guarantee it'll put them off enough that we wont be conceding anything near the amount of goals we are.

Anyways, really looking forward to this game, lets get off to a winning start and exact some revenge for the play off game last season. 3-1 Livi, fg 13 mins. Mon the Lions.


BTW is anyone doing the prediction league this season?

We can only hope the season ticket books are available for collection before kick off.

I agree with your assessments LF, however Hoppy has shown no sign of sending Halkett or Longridge on the overlap, no sign of getting the players to close down the potential distance shot and even less sign of playing Buchanan in his strongest position, nor does he show any sign of actually going with 2 up front rather than the 4-4-1-1 formation. I praised his substitutions against St Mirren but he has failed to impress me since then.

If he persists with this we will struggle to score; home game to kick off the new league season and if we fail to get off to a winning start then I foresee another difficult season at home, the poor home form is very frustrating.

Unfortunately I suspect a draw in this one, 1-1 fg 34 mins

Certainly would appear Stranraer have got cash to burn (in the context of this division); I can see them being a real threat for the majority of the season, and they'll quite rightly fancy their chances of taking the league title.

A win would be a major confidence boost for us, especially given what happened the last time we played them at home...

2-1 Livi, FG 21 mins.

Worth noting that recent history doesn't favour us in the opening games:

2015/16 - Lost 3-0 vs. Raith (Away)
2014/15 - Lost 2-1 vs. Hibs (Away)
2013/14 - Lost 1-0 vs. Alloa (Away)
2012/13 - Drew 2-2 vs. Morton (Away)
2011/12 - Drew 2-2 vs. Queen of the South (Home)
2010/11 - Drew 3-3 vs. Alloa (Home)
2009/10 - Won 2-0 vs. Montrose (Home)

2-1 Stranraer, FG 14 mins. Mass hysteria and panic to continue for some despite the fact we never win opening games, will probably be the better team and beaten by a great goal.

Notice this is our first opening home game for 5 seasons and we didn't lose an opening home game the 3 seasons before those.

2-1 to Livi,but it certainly won't be easy to watch as Stranraer are no mugs,but would livi to put one over this crowd especially after last season's finale.

Incredible that we haven't won an opening game since 2009. IIRC, Armand One was up front for us that day.

How times have changed.

And I'm sure that was his only decent performance for us as well!

Difficult to see Stranraer not scoring so I'll go for a 3 - 1 win for the Livi with FG 24 mins

As an additional it will be 1-1 at HT

Was interesting to watch the LiviTV highlights of the St Mirren game; Nicky Cadden seemed to be going absolutely ballistic at them not having closed down Morgan for the third goal. He saw it even if Hopkins didn't.

Just seen something suggesting that Halkett is suspended for this game?

On spfl list as "immeadiate" so assume he could be

Yrp a And Stranraer fan said he was suspended a few days ago, they've several players suspended too which is good for us. And tubs Nade isn't fully fit for playing a full 90 mins.

He'll score

Our defenders should be ashamed of themselves if he does, he's slow as treacle running up a hill and was pish against us last season.

Now he'll definitely score.

Nade's biggest skill is falling over whenever a defender even comes near him. For a big man hes got some chronically poor pins.

Would like to see Miller at RB to replace Halkett (if suspended) and a pairing of Watt or Byrne with Pittman but Hopkin will realistically go with:


We'll still be let down by our CBs and CMs. 2-2, FG 18 mins.

I really haven't been impressed by Byrne but maybe he (and Sinclair) need to settler in.

Neill wasn't great at left back but right back is a disaster waiting to happen. He's pretty good in the air but not so great on the ground; the only positive would seem to be the that the fact that, I seem to recall, he is heavily reliant right footed.

I didn't think he was too bad in the central defence but please not as a full back; or wing back for that matter (too slow).

Durnford wrote:I really haven't been impressed by Byrne but maybe he (and Sinclair) need to settler in.

Neill wasn't great at left back but right back is a disaster waiting to happen. He's pretty good in the air but not so great on the ground; the only positive would seem to be the that the fact that, I seem to recall, he is heavily reliant right footed.

I didn't think he was too bad in the central defence but please not as a full back; or wing back for that matter (too slow).

Like the majority of players, I think Byrne will only play consistently if he gets a consistent run of games. I know Dunfermline fans on P&B said he went missing during the big games but it looks like he didn't get a consistent run of starts and seeing them out.

Other than Halkett, our next options are Neill and Miller. Mullin has played at RB before but he's done fairly well so far playing further forward. Hopkin looks like he'll only play Miller in midfield so unfortunately, the only other alternative is Morgyn Neill.

I liked the look of Watt when I first saw him but he's dropped out of our starting 11, wouldn't mind seeing him and Pittman start tomorrow.

Glad Longworth isn't playing as he absolutely ripped us in our play off game last season but not looking forward to seeing him playing against us with Alloa. He was far more of a treat than Nade last season, quicker and more mobile. Talking of which, please let us see Buchanan up front and not playing deep.

I'd rather not have Neill starting. He can be a bit of a bombscare at times. He gave away one of the goals at Stranraer in the play offs.

I'd still would have liked us to try a back 3 in more of the pre-season games, I think with the players at our disposal that would have suited the team more.

Who knows how we will set up tomorrow, its usually a random selection as far as Hoppy goes. Really hope to see Pitman starting and Miller in DM he has impressed me in the one friendly I saw.

Lets just hope we get stuck in to them after the gutting scenes in the play-offs. Looking forward to giving their chode of a keeper plenty of stick too.

Pleasantly surprised. More of the same please, Livingston.