St Mirren v Livi

This would be a fantastic time to get our first win and put this week's drama behind us, big game anyway as this is one we should be looking at winning, but all the more so to quickly quash all the pish the media will be spouting.


Miller (yay just the one again) went off injured, hopefully he makes this game and Hamilton can start alongside him, I've been wanting those two playing together for a few games now but it never happened, bursting for it to work and show what K Miller was failing to do.


Hope the players are fired up too and they knock in a few goals, mon the Lions get right in about them.

And of course the possibility of the ex-manager lining up against us if he does sign for them as reports are suggesting.

If he does...maybe we could get Mullen back on loan?

Really wouldn't bother me having to play against Miller, he's capable of the odd bit of skill but there is no focus with him in the team and he would take any attack away from them. Would absolute be delighted if Miller took Mullen's place, complete opposites, Mullen is full of energy and a constant nuisance, probing away at defenders, Miller is lolling about in midfield having to take breathers every 5 minutes.

You forget though that he would be under the tutelage of Stubbs, so rather than going into midfield & trying to manage, he’d be upfront to play his normal game. I reckon Halkett would keep him quiet though.

Funny you should say that, a Sevco fan said that's exactly how he played with them last season, slowed everything down and played too deep, reckon he'd still play like that for whoever signs him as a player.

It takes less puff to play deep. Kenny Miller of old used his stamina and speed to good effect up front. You could see him struggling physically in the last half hour against Kilmarnock. Stubbs might use him for half a game. If he'd done that himself for us he would probably have been better plus he could have managed the other half but unfortunately he wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

He physically struggled in the 1st half hour as well... constantly putting his hand on his side & grimacing.

Any way he's gone now & it looks like its Gary Holt who is coming in according to the Record

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-holt-accepts-livingston-job-13122749

New manager's bounce we're def winning this game.

Wasn't too bothered about missing this game (and the Hibs one to a lesser extent) but gutted now that we've got Holt in, feels like a bit more of the good feeling is back a bit.

1-1, FG 22 mins.

Will be interesting to see how our new manager sets us out in his first game in charge.Personally id love to go with two up front and have a real go at their defence,however their at home and will probably expect to take the points in this one.Reckon if we can keep the shackles on wee Danny we could have a chance here.We have players that can hurt them too and i just hope that after a traumatic week the lads are up for this which im sure they will be.3 points would be terrific here but im going to go with the old adage that anything other than a defeat will do me here.Anyway good luck to Gary and the boys and as always Just Do It.!!!

The big question is how many dives from Danny Mullen?

Troy wrote:Will be interesting to see how our new manager sets us out in his first game in charge.Personally id love to go with two up front and have a real go at their defence,however their at home and will probably expect to take the points in this one.Reckon if we can keep the shackles on wee Danny we could have a chance here.We have players that can hurt them too and i just hope that after a traumatic week the lads are up for this which im sure they will be.3 points would be terrific here but im going to go with the old adage that anything other than a defeat will do me here.Anyway good luck to Gary and the boys and as always Just Do It.!!!

Holt is just in the door he'll be leaving it to Martindale to pick the team for this game, will be interesting to see who he picks and compare it to Miller's team selection.

orco wrote:The big question is how many dives from Danny Mullen?

And how many will he get fouls for. Last season he got quite a few decisions from the ref, really can't remember him getting that many when he was a Livi player.

2-0 home win FG 30 mins

Still can’t see where our goals will come from...hopefully whoever picks the team & sets up the tactics gets it right & they keep proving me wrong

Bertie Bassett wrote:2-0 home win FG 30 mins

Still can’t see where our goals will come from...hopefully whoever picks the team & sets up the tactics gets it right & they keep proving me wrong

Pittman, Lawless, Robinson, Hamilton, Lithgow, Halkett, Gallagher, Jacobs, Cadden, 9-0 Livi.

1-0 Jack Hamilton, get in there.

So Hamilton finally gets a start and Lithgow also getting his first start with the assist, thank feck Miller is away.

2-0 big Al with the second.

Livi currently sitting 6th in the league.

2-0 HT. St Mirren lucky it's only 2 goals.

Lithgow with an assist and a goal, wouldn't have been playing had Miller still been in charge, the Board already vindicated in punting him. Still 45 mins to go, a third goal would kill it.

2-0 FT.

Excellent, much more like ourselves with Lithgow back in the team. Really looking forward to the season again now, even better when Sibbald and Hardie are back in the team.

Bertie Bassett wrote:2-0 home win FG 30 mins

Still can’t see where our goals will come from...hopefully whoever picks the team & sets up the tactics gets it right & they keep proving me wrong

And they duly obliged.... well done lads, hopefully back playing to our strengths which will give us a fighting chance against the bottom half sides & give the top half sides a bit more to be concerned about.

Well, that was as comprehensive a win as I can remember for Livi. We were better all over the park. I can't comment on the goalkeeper position because Kelly hadn't a decent save to make. I'm not sure if the result was because we were good or St Mirren were poor so I'll put it down to a bit of both. Big Al coming in and a return to basic direct football was pleasing to see. This passing out from the back is all very well when you have Barcelona standard players. We don't, but we do have our own strengths which we should play to. The phrase " I want my team to play the proper way" always irritates me. Who knows what the proper way is from one game to the next? The fact that John Hughes was often heard saying it might influence my feelings here mind you.

I don't think teams will enjoy playing us this season. Most of them will be expected to beat us much the same way as Brechin last season. That puts the pressure on them and off us. I suppose against most teams each point we get is a bonus. We can't get carried away with one good win but I'm feeling less apprehensive about things now.

The team was brilliant yesterday from back to front. Liked the look of Lawson in the first half although he did get a wee bit overexuberant at times which is why he got booked and subsequently subbed at halftime.

Although Liam Kelly did not have a save to make he did catch a few crosses into the box, seems a wee bit strange that the sun had him in their team of the day/week, as was Halkett, Lamie, and Hamilton.

All Miller's playing out from the back before launching it from the halfway line did was condense the pitch and give us less room to work with. Hitting it up from the back stretches teams and allows our midfield to get the 2nd ball and play in the opponents half.

I listened to them on sportscene talking about us and to a man they all said we were a lot harder to play against when we play like this. Particularly Scott McDonald, saying it deflated him seeing the ball immediately get kicked over his head back into his half and having to come back the way again, not giving him a chance to get the ball off us. Another guy said it confuses them playing against us, and they don't really know how to cope, most get dragged into our way of playing and get 'out Livi'd' trying to play like that.
Also said we have good players in midfield that can play good football too. Which we all know ourselves, and it was frustrating watching us piss about with the ball playing Miller's way.

Bertie Bassett wrote:2-0 home win FG 30 mins

Still can’t see where our goals will come from...hopefully whoever picks the team & sets up the tactics gets it right & they keep proving me wrong

Excellent prediction Bertie; more of the same for the Hibs game please.

Would really love to take something from them; preferably all three points and Lennon sent to the stands as a bonus.

An excellent performance and result but surely this gives us a lot more problems; albeit nice ones to have.

Obviously Lithgow needs to start regularly, interesting to see Saunders didnt even get a place on the bench. Lamie also was pretty impressive up the left side.

Lawless had a very strong game going forward (but seemed to struggle a bit defensively) but so did Kaja although the latter certainly appears more effective as an impact sub.

A big struggle is going to be what to do with our front line; with Hardie approaching fitness and Miller presumably back soon; what happens with Hamilton and Robinson; a makeshift forward line that still managed to cause problems for St. Mirren right from the off.

Word about Lawson; think he will be a valued addition to the team although he seemed too keen to make an impression at times with one or two rash challenges going in; not least just after he'd been booked for a challenge which, in my opinion, was unjust but anyway could easily have been sent off and was correctly substituted at half time. Will need to get used to the team and the speed of the premiership; that being said does Keaghan not also deserve to start - but who would you drop?

Quite a challenge for the new manager.