Livi v Killie

For the first time since our league opener i'm going into a game thinking we're going to lose, our run of results in 2019 have ground me down to Bertie Bassett levels of optimism.

Hopefully Menga and/or Tiffoney are back fit for this game, we def need more attacking options up front, our bench against Dundee was that thin Halkett had to move up front as a striker for the last few minutes. As much as Dolly is a headless chicken running with the ball, we miss his hustle and bustle roughing up opposition defenders, and he is always enough to deter them from venturing too far forward, knowing how quick and direct he is on the counter.

We now need some Yang to balance my Yin so the Universe is back in Sync, and Bertie to come on now saying we'll skoosh this game.

Have to agree about Menga; his shooting may be poor but the way he has of disrupting a defence means that gaps will open up for Hardie.

With Byrne suspended I had assumed we'd replace him with the much improved Lawson but we could alternatively play Menga and Robinson either side of Hardie.

Think we have to go with the same back line with Lamie and Odoffin to counter Killie's width.

Dont know if we'll get much from this game; the whole team will need to be on-form with no under-performers or niggling injuries.

Well, I can’t see us winning nor can I see where we will get another win at all this season...come on boys, prove me wrong.

Bertie Bassett wrote:Well, I can’t see us winning or can I see where we will get another win at all this season...come on boys, prove me wrong.

St Mirren away? if we don't win that one we're basically relying on other teams stopping Accies and Dundee getting above us.

It would kinda be ironic if our best result against Kilmarnock came from the game Kenny Miller was in charge, hopefully that wont be the case and we manage a home win against them on Saturday. At least Stewart wont be playing, he's now at Aberdeen, he scored both of their goals in the 2-0 away defeat.

There are games we have that I wouldn’t be fashed about if we were getting results but we can’t buy one just now

Killie are a good side but I've a strange feeling we'll certainly up our game for this one.

Not saying we'll win but still hoping for one.

Hopefully them playing a midweek game and only having 10 men for the best part of it will have taken a good bit out of them. Would love to have Dolly fit enough to come of for the last 25 minutes against their tired defenders.

Actually looking forward to this tommorow,well up until 3 oclock that is in the bar pre match.Wednesday nights result for Killie will have done us no favours and i feel they will be wanting to take out their frustration on someone and i fear alas it could be us.Hope to god im wrong of course but they are a very good side and will be wounded by that defeat which will make them even more dangerous against us.Im not getting sucked in by the paper talk about them having so many injuries and suspensions hanging over them.Yes weve hit a barren spell recently and have been so unlucky in many games for one reason or another but i cant wait to see that elusive win we so long for alas i dont think it will come tommorrow although as per i wish the lads the best of luck.Humble pie at the ready,cmon Livi do it!!!

Well it's certainly starting to get a bit brighter with the players list Killie have out for this game, Power, Burke, Bachmann, Broadfoot, Dicker, Brophy to name a few.

Bachmann and Broadfoot are def out with suspensions, hopefully Burke is going to be out too, he's been one of their best players in games against us, and Powers and Brophy would be a big miss for them too.  However i'll wait till the team sheet is up before getting my hopes up too much, Clarke may be doing a Holt here, and they'll all be fit to play.

Spoke too soon, Bachmann's red card has been rescinded.

I was going to question Bachmann as they would surely have been appealing it. It was yet another ludicrous decision by our inept match officials.

Do Killie have a player called Turner?

Terrific result & a decent game IMO.

Was surprised by the team selection but I though it worked pretty well. Was further surprised when Erskine was replaced by Tiffoney as I expected it to be Hardie coming on.

I thought our defence coped with most of what Killie threw at us, albeit that they hit the “woodwork” three times. The first two were on top of the bar so weren’t really that threatening but I don’t know how the 3rd one stayed out.

I also thought we caused them problems but they defended by putting their bodies on the line to block most of our efforts so that their keeper didn’t make many saves.

Brown can whip in a great cross. Lawson had a decent game. The back 3 were magic, you know; esp Big Dec (my motm); Lawless & Sibbald put in good shifts. Lamie was doing ok until his injury, Brown did pretty well as replacement. Pittman did what Pittman does but just can’t buy a goal at the minute. Erskine put in a decent shift, took his goal superbly & grew in confidence as the game went on. Robbo helped stem a rising Killie tide of attacks & Tiffoney chased & harried & showed reasonably good awareness of game management.

I couldn’t see where our next win was coming from but that is often when it happens & the boys did the business today. Important win as it puts us back to where we were before last week’s loss to Dundee but with 2 games less to play...and while I think the top 6 is probably beyond us, it is only 4 points away.

Wont get carried away as Killie had a tough game midweek playing with only 10 players for most of it, and had a few players out, but we also had to cobble a team together and deserved the win. Still could do with scoring more goals but thankfully the one goal was enough for us this time.

It gives us a massive lift, we really needed that win to get the 2019 monkey off our back, good to see Erskine getting his first Livi goal too, I was slagging him off all first half and then he scored, brilliant. Thought Sibbald had his best game since the Betfred cup ones, hopefully both of them go on and have a few more like that now.

One other thing about the game today, after the recent vitriol being spewed from the stands in matches involving Killie & certain other teams, I thought there was a tremendous atmosphere today with both sets of fans giving their teams terrific support & joining together in berating the SFA.

Bertie Bassett wrote:One other thing about the game today, after the recent vitriol being spewed from the stands in matches involving Killie & certain other teams, I thought there was a tremendous atmosphere today with both sets of fans giving their teams terrific support & joining together in berating the SFA.

El Plastico, at the Spaghettihad.

Both of those have been picked up by the press after reading them from our fans on forums.

That reverse optimism seems to have worked LFL. Back to normal next week for St Mirren is it?

Well humble pie having duly been taken and deservedly so.A terrific performance from the Lions yesterday i thought and top marks right throughout the team.For me Sibbald and Lawson were stand outs with their respective displays .Surprised to see Hardie on the bench but 8i thought Erskine did really well throughout the game.Yes i know they hit the woodwork 3 times but we also had some glorious chances to put this game to bed.Would have been a travisty if we hadnt taken anything from the match,but we did and desrvedly so imo and the scoreline probably flattered them a wee bit.Any way we are nearly there and well done to Gary and the lads for getting us oh so close to our ultimate goal.We move on!!

orco wrote:That reverse optimism  seems to have worked LFL.  Back to normal next week for St Mirren is it?

I could try the same tactic for St Mirren Orco, but I really wouldn't be believing it, so it wouldn't work.

Don’t worry guys, I’m still fearing the worst so...

We'll there's a hefty does of humble pie for me as well.

When I saw the lineup I wasn't surprised that Hardie had been dropped to the bench; I though his work-rate had fallen right off since he got his extension with sevco and really wasn't deserving of a starting place in the team.

What did really surprise me was the inclusion of Sibbald in the starting eleven. The lad had shown some promised but hardly set the heather alight in his previous, albeit brief, appearances. How wrong could I be; I thought he was a revelation really tightening up the right side of the field, working well with Gallagher and providing some significant support up front. I am very happy to say the lad really proved me wrong.

I was also worried when Lamie went off; he'd really given Ross Millen and others a torrid time and Brown coming on was a bit of an unknown. Given that Brown's normal position is central defence; I don't think he disgraced himself; occasionally his pace was in question but generally fitted in well.

To be honest I was a little disappointed with Tiffoney who wasn't as effective as he was against sevco but then again that was an entirely different game. He was good but my expectations has been set higher which is probably more my fault than his.

Finally what can I say about Erskine; when he first joined us he looked unfit and a year off all the moves; on Saturday he ran around like a twenty-year-old. His stamina has developed considerably which is probably due to our training routines compared to Partick's.