Livingston v the rangers

Where is Liviforever when you need him; injecting some much needed optimism into this potentially turgid affair.

We have a new goalkeeper playing with a somewhat shaky defence against a sevco forward line high on confidence. Personally its difficult to see past one result; with the only question being how-many.

TBH we do have the players and skills to stifle sevco's attack but those awful defensive lapses persist.

On the more positive note out midfield has been looking a lot better and we had no shortage of opportunities on Wednesday; now is we could only turn more of them into goals?

Of I really wanted to clutch at straws I could perhaps argue that sevco haven't done too well travelling of late; their win against Aberdeen wasn't quite the one-sided affair they'd have us believe and they were playing against 10 men; plus we have the possible advantage of the perfect, but artificial, pitch?

Anyone else got any positives I can cling to?

Both keepers pre season, and McCrorie in our league games have virtually let in every shot they've had at them, so if we've to have any chance of getting something Stryjek will have to make some saves. He let in a soft one against Killie hit straight at him that was reminiscent of Sarkic's against Motherwell last season, hopefully he turns out as good as Sarkic too.

Feeling a bit better about us actually scoring goals now, but we still need to tighten up in defence, think we need to just have 2 CB's and proper FB's for this game, get McMillan and ATS on, with Guthrie and Ambrose in the centre.

Also could do with Crawford in midfield to partner Marv, got a feeling we'll stick with Sibbs though. Other than that i'm happy to go with the same again and get stuck in about them.

No expectation here, so just the kind of game the players surprise us with and take all 3 points.

Stryjek
Devlin/ Lawson? Fitzwater. Guthrie. Macmillan / ATS ?
Bartley. Ambrose
Forest. Sibbald. Pittman
Dykes
I’d try something along these lines, I think Ambrose alongside Bartley could help solidify the team through the middle. With Sibbald also in the middle of the park, I think we’d be solid. Pittman and Forest would be allowed to switch sides. I’m not sure which side Forest prefers, I think both Pitts and Forest are quite comfortable on either side. But I think this lineup strengthens the spine of our team whilst allowing Sibbald to be pushed further forward.
I think both fullback positions are up for grabs. Personally I’d go with Lawson at RB if he’s fit and Macmillan at LB. I’d like to see our Fullbacks offer us some width and get to the byeline and put some crosses into the box more often than has been happening.

Last season, Sarkic made his league debut by shutting out Celtic... perhaps Stryjek or Schwake can emulate that against the leaders...

Can’t see anything but a hun victory and would happily take a point

Yeh,ive got a bad feeling about tommorow. On the one hand Sevco dont like coming here, but on the other i think they will have the measure of us this time. Best case scenario they have an off day and we really raise our game,both highly unlikely imo.Heard someone say this is a free hit for us.True,but I really hope we go out believing we can take something from this game.No point turning up otherwise. Cmon lads, make it happen and shut a few people up.Good luck.

Yeh,ive got a bad feeling about tommorow. On the one hand Sevco dont like coming here, but on the other i think they will have the measure of us this time. Best case scenario they have an off day and we really raise our game,both highly unlikely imo.Heard someone say this is a free hit for us.True,but I really hope we go out believing we can take something from this game.No point turning up otherwise. Cmon lads, make it happen and shut a few people up.Good luck.

RScot wrote:                            Stryjek
Devlin/ Lawson? Fitzwater.   Guthrie.  Macmillan / ATS ?
                  Bartley.       Ambrose
  Forest.           Sibbald.          Pittman
                        Dykes
I’d try something along these lines, I think Ambrose alongside Bartley could help solidify the team through the middle. With Sibbald also in the middle of the park, I think we’d be solid. Pittman and Forest would be allowed to switch sides. I’m not sure which side Forest prefers, I think both Pitts and Forest are quite comfortable on either side. But I think this lineup strengthens the spine of our team whilst allowing Sibbald to be pushed further forward.
I think both fullback positions are up for grabs. Personally I’d go with Lawson at RB if he’s fit and Macmillan at LB. I’d like to see our Fullbacks offer us some width and get to the byeline and put some crosses into the box more often than has been happening.

Not a bad shout pushing Efe into holding mid with Marv... gives us time to defend any errors he makes.

Rangers owned us last season in terms of results but we usually gave them a game.

Also Sibbald in the middle, albeit in a more advanced role, gives us more physicality in there and would hopefully lead to us winning more of the ball in the centre of the park. I do think that is one aspect of Pittmans game that is lacking, he does get brushed aside at times.

Bertie Bassett wrote:

RScot wrote:                            Stryjek
Devlin/ Lawson? Fitzwater.   Guthrie.  Macmillan / ATS ?
                  Bartley.       Ambrose
  Forest.           Sibbald.          Pittman
                        Dykes
I’d try something along these lines, I think Ambrose alongside Bartley could help solidify the team through the middle. With Sibbald also in the middle of the park, I think we’d be solid. Pittman and Forest would be allowed to switch sides. I’m not sure which side Forest prefers, I think both Pitts and Forest are quite comfortable on either side. But I think this lineup strengthens the spine of our team whilst allowing Sibbald to be pushed further forward.
I think both fullback positions are up for grabs. Personally I’d go with Lawson at RB if he’s fit and Macmillan at LB. I’d like to see our Fullbacks offer us some width and get to the byeline and put some crosses into the box more often than has been happening.

Not a bad shout pushing Efe into holding mid with Marv... gives us time to defend any errors he makes.

Rangers owned us last season in terms of results but we usually gave them a game.

In three of the games refereeing decisions played a big part in their wins, may sound like a bitter diddy team fan using that excuse but we should've been 2 goals up at Ibrox when Devlin's goal got chopped off, then Sevco's opener was offside (as was highlighted on sportscene), so that was a 2 goal swing on the referee's decisions, then Dykes got red carded just to make any chance of a draw gone.

In the first home game Helander should've had a red card for a last man foul on Dykes, injuring his ankle for several games afterwards too, as he wasn't 100% carrying that knock. May not have made a difference but look what happened against Celtic when they played with 10 men.

The 2-0 defeat, although that was their most comfortable win over us, Morelos goal was a yard offside, who knows with it still being 1-0 if we may have nicked a draw.

However that was last season and so far we've not looked anywhere like that Livi team, defensively anyway. We only conceded 8 goals at home in the league from 14 games last season, so far this season we've conceded 4, after just one game.

And on a more positive note, we did look a lot better against Motherwell.

I think we will put up a good performance on Sunday. If the management stick to 4-2-3-1 , I’m sure the players will be up for it

Your analysis LF was summed up by my “Rangers owned us in terms of results but we usually gave them a game”  comment.

Every pundit today give us no chance tommorow, and rightly so.If the so called impossible happens.Ma keyboard will go mental.Nothing to lose Livi,its happend before.Can it happen again? Who knows.

A good result from this one would be not to get hammered. Personally I'll be satisfied if they play as well as they can.

Nobody rattleing the goals in today Rose.So agree damage limitation will be be imperative here.Goal difference might play a part at the end of the season.

Always fancied us taking something from our games against them last season and we came away empty handed, not confident we'll get anything at all in this game so mon Livi, do your stuff and take all 3 points to show us all again, that we can never write you off. Mon the Lions.

I'll be making enough noise the whole street will know who I support if Livi score.

And then our dream will come to an unfortunate end.Was good, wasnt it L/F.

Just read on another forum that Dykes is rumoured to be having a medical with QPR? Hope it’s not the case an he plays tomorrow

Fucking paper talk.He starts tomorrow, Sevco beware.Give him somebody up front with him Gary.
Its our Home.

With the rumours surrounding Dykes and the links with Rangers, the game on SKY. I think we might see a top performance from him tomorrow

Give him help.And that transfer fee will go astrononical.By our standards..Fernandez.1.250.m our best.Depends on weather we want to stay in this league. Do we as Livi fans could do without him.

Obviously it’s not the end of the world if we were to go down, but I’d much rather stay up in the SPFL, and I think without Dykes or a replacement we’ll struggle to score.

We had 13 different goal scorers last season, but if Dykes does leave that'll be our two top scorers with Lawless also away, accounting for 17 of our 39 league goals last season. So someone will need to take up some of the slack, Guthrie stepped in for Halkett leaving us though, and got 5 for three quarters of a season.

We also have to take into consideration that was us getting 5th place with that total, I don't think we'd be relegated without Dykes, but our defence would have to be a lot more solid, and get back to how it has been the last few seasons, that imo is more important than having a prolific goal scorer. If we're solid at the back we only need to score 1 goal to win a game.

I agree about the defence, but I think returning to 4-2-3-1 with players in their proper positions and we will begin to tighten things up at the back. Shame about Brown picking up an injury though, him and Guthrie would be my preferred centreback pairing. But it’s a chance for Fitzwater to get a decent run of games and claim the shirt. Forest looks the part though, I must say I’m happy with what I’ve seen of him so far, so perhaps that will negate the loss of Lawless.

Troy wrote:Fucking paper talk.He starts tomorrow, Sevco beware.Give him somebody up front with him Gary.
Its our Home.

Dykes and Poplatnik up front.

Livi2020 wrote:

Troy wrote:Fucking paper talk.He starts tomorrow, Sevco beware.Give him somebody up front with him Gary.
Its our Home.

Dykes and Poplatnik up front.

Can’t see us playing 2 up front against Rangers