QOTS 2-2 Livi (3-4 A.E.T.) - Petrofac Training Cup 1st Round - Sat 26th July

Fucking brilliant, still absolutely buzzing from that. 'Mon the Amber Machine.

I'm absolutely hanging from celebrating this one and getting a grad job, last night.

Well chuffed for the boys, long may it continue.

EdinburghLivi wrote:I'm absolutely hanging from celebrating this one and getting a grad job, last night.

Well chuffed for the boys, long may it continue.

"Nursing a semi" had me in stitches in front of the missus, she couldn't understand why!

Excellent result and to be fair, I was right when I said QOTS would get three haha! Otherwise, it's a fantastic result to start off our season. I wasn't able to make the match but if anybody has the time to make a brief comment about the performance of each Lions player, then that would be appreciated.

The problem with last season was that we were the most unpredictable team in that league so no doubt we'll go to Albion next Saturday and get gubbed. For this competition anyway, since the team has exceeded my expectations, then I hope we get a lower league team in the next round and take it from there.

Good start, clearly got plenty of goals in our team and congrats on the job, EdinburghLivi!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the first full-time team we've beaten in a cup competition since St Johnstone back in the 08/09 League Cup.

LiviCub wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the first full-time team we've beaten in a cup competition since St Johnstone back in the 08/09 League Cup.

A lot of the times PT teams papped us out cup comps too, we were getting beaten by Annan, Ayr, Albion Rovers Queens Park, Elgin, as well as FT teams like St Johnstone, Hearts, Ross County and Dundee. Been a long time since we had a season where we did well in cup comps.

How did Gary Glen play, orco? Seems a lot was said about everyone of the non defensive players, apart from him.

Thanks LiviCub! You're right about St. Johnstone as well.
Embarrassing stat.

Gary Glen did all right. He didn't shine but was competent enough and played his part in the win like the others. It was a good team performance with the players I named being a little more noticeable. I should have given DJ a mention. He is shaping up to be a really decent goalkeeper. He saved our bacon a couple of times yesterday. I worry mind you that he gets an injury because I have little confidence in any of the other keepers I've seen.

I think Walker would be not bad if he got a run of games. No idea who this Grant guy is but I think he must have signed as he'd surely be down as a trialist otherwise? Could be a youth goalie.

Highlights. Four brilliant assists for our goals. Their second is particularly bad to watch. I think the first might have been as a result of good blocking from their players.

The deliveries for our goals were fantastic, also great runs by the players that scored getting on the end of them.

Couldn't tire watching that, brilliant.

Watched the highlights earlier on. Queens' defending is utter shite; that said, some wonderful assists for all our goals, the fourth is the pick of the bunch for me, and a good finish from Robertson to boot. I had him down as the potential scapegoat for this season but if he wants to continue doing that each week, I'm alright with it.

Those passes for the third and fourth are exquisite. Excellent finishes all four, especially Sives - the way he found space in the box was akin to any good striker, and it would have been easy to expect a centre half to balloon it over the bar.

Work on keeping it tight at the back, and we'll be in for a decent campaign.

mozam76 wrote:Those passes for the third and fourth are exquisite. Excellent finishes all four, especially Sives - the way he found space in the box was akin to any good  striker, and it would have been easy to expect a centre half to balloon it over the bar.

Work on keeping it tight at the back, and we'll be in for a decent campaign.

Esp at set pieces, we lost the first goal to a corner where nobody picked up their player who got a free header, we had 3 players behind 3 of their players and all 3 of them could've had an unchallenged header at our goal. They also had another player a couple of yards behind those 3 Livi players who would've had plenty space to either have a shot or fire it back across our goal before we got near him.

Then they hit the underside of our bar from another set piece so we got lucky with that one.

Although TBF Talbot and Donaldson would've been our preferred starting players, but still, very slack marking at corners. First competitive game though so hopefully lessons learned.

I have my suspicions that McGlynn will play Fordyce at right-back...

EdinburghLivi wrote:I have my suspicions that McGlynn will play Fordyce at right-back...

Me too, something we agree on, Dycey aint a full back. I like the lad, was pleased he came back from his loan spell a better player, he has a good attitude on him to get stuck in, he didn't throw a strop when he wasn't getting regular games but his position is CB.

I agree about Fordyce, for me his best position is CB. We're pretty well off there now, so maybe there's a (whole other!) debate for playing with three centre halves, instead of a flat back four?

If it's not Fordyce at RB though, who is? Brad Donaldson? If so, that's a leap of faith and a half.

More of a leap than playing Fordyce there? Donaldson's got to be given a chance, when he gets fit.

Don't think we should play three centre-halfs either. We shouldn't compromise our attacking players unless we leak a lot of goals or are playing Rangers.

I imagine Donaldson will be our first choice RB followed by Fordyce for cover. Fordyce showed signs of improvement last season playing alongside Mensing and did play to the best of his limited abilities when he had to shift to RB to accomodate Coll Donaldson.

I would like to see us experiment three at the back but ultimately every manager Talbot has played under seem love to him, regardless of the injuries, form or suspension.

I'd say Donaldson is certainly more of a leap of faith than Fordyce for RB. Fordyce has experience of playing in this league, whereas Donaldson has been at Arbroath and Hibs Reserves. Not only that, but he's had an interrupted preseason, which any pro will tell you is a nightmare to come back from.

I actually thought Moffat looked comfier at RB during the Spartans tournament than Donaldson did.

With regards 3 centre halves, I don't see why that would automatically curtail any attacking instincts. You can still use a standard striking partnership with an attacking midfielder behind them, have two holding midfielders in front of the defence and obviously have your wingbacks too.

I take your point about him getting a chance EL, definitely. I just don't have him pegged as our immediate first choice RB. Gallagher will surely be our first choice centre half, and he's came having been an ever present in a title winning team at this level, and one of the leagues top players.

If Gallagher is first choice, who would you all pick to be his CB partner? A fit again Mensing or Sives?

My opinion is that I'd rather give someone else a chance there rather than play Fordyce when I think he's not good enough to play right back but I respect what you're saying.

I suppose the World Cup has shown how effective a 3-5-2 /5-3-2 can be but with the way we've been playing in pre-season with effectively a 4-2-3-1, I wouldn't want to see us change at the moment.

I think Gallagher will partner Mensing when fully fit.

If either Sives or Dycey does a good job there though then it'll make it tough for Mensing to get straight back in, which is what we want, competition for places so players push each other on to play better.

Dycey did get a hat trick against Cowden last season - a game he played as RB. Admittedly the goals themselves were more akin to a CB than a RB but that was his position that day.

He puts in a shift either way so until we get a recognised RB established in the position then we are probably going to see a few candidates over the season & he may be the strongest.

Regarding who should partner Gallagher - that's one problem I don't envy mcGlynn having, although I bet he loves it. I have no qualms with Fordyce, Sives or Mensing doing the job.

It's brilliant to have that much cover there.