Froggie

Thoroughly enjoyed Saturdays game, one of the best performances in a very long time. Don't know if United were poor or if it was us making them look thus but maybe its Dunfermline who are the ones to look out for now. That should be some game when we meet them. I think if we can sustain this kind of form the crowds will start to come back in numbers, many already have. Impressed with McShane and Buchanan as well as the obvious ones, and Liam Smith looked decent too. Sammy was entertaining as well as making a crucial early save. Its early days but how refreshing to be able to look forward to matches and actually be entertained ! Well done to Jack Ross and his players.

I was at the Livi game last month and fear we may suffer again from the way they play. If we don't win and fail to win next week it will be a poor start yet again. We still look very weak up front - perhaps Duffy may fit the bill - and maybe when injured players return all will be well but the collapse against Morton last week was worrying. I feel that Dundee Utd will win the league so any one of the other 3 places for a play -off will suffice. Anything else, however, will be failure.

Celtic are getting what other clubs in smaller leagues are getting, so its at least well deserved on their part. What I find hilarious, though, is their fans crowing about the money as if they were getting some of it personally, instead of having to fork out extra for CL package tickets. These same fans, incidentally, when voiced on radio phone-ins rarely sound like Glaswegians, which means either glory hunters or maybe following that team for some other reason. They tanked us 4-1 in the cup last season, so I am quite happy to avoid playing them any time soon. Of course the higher they are the bigger the fall when they are finally overtaken by someone. At present it will likely be one of the teams they face in the CL group stage.

I have the horrible feeling that we have nothing up front yet again, which will cost us dearly. Surely the money received from selling players ought to have been spent on a centre forward. Maybe theres someone in mind but a poor start to the league season (in addition to same in the league cup) will lose much of the momentum built up from Feb to May , and fans will drift away again. Other teams have recognised scorers but its been a long while since we we had one. Come on , Jack, we fans deserve it.

Some of the players may facially have looked similar but it ends there. Lucky to escape with just the 5 goal defeat and out of the League cup on July 22. that leaves us the Scottish cup and the Second division (forget the Irn Bru cup that's nonsense) so I make it one third of anything we could win. Not that this team will win on that showing. I am not doubting JR yet, but get the money received for Mallan spent on a centre or forget it.

What an awful let down from last seasons end when we looked capable of taking on anyone. I could hardly recognise anyone from this team for starters and when John Sutton came on as sub to try and salvage the game I could have cried. If that's our striking options then its another season of nothing, or even worse. Surely having sold our best player for a lot of money, it should be used to buy a goal scorer. Only player to catch the eye was the last sub who came on, wee chap who scored the disallowed goal. I accept its still early but elimination from the league cup is a poor show and leaves us with the Scottish and a scrap for one of the play off places. Defeat on Saturday, which looks likely, rules out one third of the season. I hope the players have been reminded of that.

At the end of the season, things were going great guns and then we lose our top player (who admittedly had been rubbish until about February). Whether we can carry on the momentum after the break and with some different players remains to be seen. I am surprised that Sutton has been allowed to stay, I am not a fan of his and his goal tally for a centre forward is abysmal. Loy was decent but only towards the end of the season and a centre is urgently required. I am led to believe that a lot of money was received in exchange for Mallan so this should be used to buy a striker. I`d find it hard to believe we can win the league - not ruling it out the way we were playing in April - but even getting into the top 4 still gives a decent chance of promotion. This should be the main aim. In order to achieve this we definitely need a goalscorer.

In those years Saints, as well as many other clubs could have 3,000 one week and the next, 35,000 playing Rangers at home. The old firms crowds varied dramatically week to week depending on the opposition. Season tickets were only for the well off in general and weans were lifted over for free so attendances were always inaccurate. The O.F. also didn't steal half the support of most clubs and teams like Dunfermline, Killie, Morton , Thistle ,Saints etc had a decent fan base and could attract big crowds on occasion, particularly at cup ties. Pricing was also realistic, unlike today.

Welcome back Stelios !

Good luck to those able to afford to pay for a seasons football in advance. The rest of us will no doubt be squeezed further for another season in the second division. As for the American globetrotter above, isn't facebook the place you are supposed to brag about your holidays ?

Yeah, I tried to retune but without success. I heard the score later on and decided not to watch the highlights later as its too late for me. I am assuming the Champions League will also be unavailable for non subscriber ? this is ridiculous now.

Admittedly Celtic fans invaded the pitch at the end, something that happened quite often in those days and in this case purely for celebratory causes. They had, of course tried to have the semi against Saints abandoned at Ibrox and no doubt similar scenes happened in other games. In a European semi final in England, Celtic had a goal improperly ruled out which caused their fans to throw missiles at other fans and on to the park. Neither of those games were abandoned and Celtic lost both. I find it astonishing that their fans today seem to think of that club as being "more than a club" (stolen from Barcelona, just as their anthem is stolen from Liverpool). As a youngster I had seen every other team in the league except Celtic and Rangers at Love St, the reason being - and I`m sure this resonates with many of my age group - their fans throw bottles around and its not safe for children. That and drunken loudmouth behaviour which reflected the type of upbringing the supporters of both these clubs ( not all of them I hasten to add) experienced. Whatever Saints, and every other provincial clubs shortcomings are, we can at least hold our heads up high safe in the knowledge that sectarianism and bullying are not present through our clubs histories. Rangers previously made no bones about their policies and rather squirm when it is brought to attention. Nowadays because these policies are completely unacceptable, they have changed their ways, both the club and the majority of its supporters. Celtic,on the other hand, like to portray themselves as "open to all", as if this is an amazing thing to do. Every other club in the country - Rangers apart - has always been thus. What the other clubs have not done though is try to corner the market of a particular code of religion, RCs, and make out as if it represents that part of society. Utter hypocrites, but continues unabated to this day in the interests of making money. I almost forgot. Managing to win all those trophies and yet the country and particularly the referees are all biased against them ! The mind boggles.

Unfortunately BT showcase has moved to channel 115 and is only available in HD whatever that is, so it rules me out I`m afraid. This happened the last time I was trying to watch a game recently. I presume the CL final will be likewise so will miss that as well. Better get used to this in future as no doubt WC and Euros will be pay per view.

Thanks Faraway.

Is this game available on freeview ? BT changed their showcase channel a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't watch. Something to do with HD which I don't have.

Would it be churlish to also mention them setting a record for being the first team to lose to Gibraltarians ? Oh and they broke their own 50 odd year European record for a heaviest defeat this season too. This team gets more than enough praise on a regular basis considering the advantages they have - and always have had - over their opponents. Perhaps pride comes before a fall. Aberdeen don't look anyones pushovers at the moment and I am sure the supporters of every other team will be hoping they win the cup on Saturday. That's the price you pay for being one half of the old firm.

Tottie Beck !

Since when has standing at football been deemed to be unsafe ? I don't mean crumbling terraces with massive crowds, those days are gone on both points. All seater stadia were introduced - wrongly in my opinion and just because another country decided on it (England) - after certain incidents due to overcrowding and have mainly resulted in ticket price increases. Its not in the interests of clubs to remove seats as they would be forced to reduce prices. The fact that fans are forced to sit in freezing winter conditions for a couple of hours is neither here nor there as long as they pay. Most fans want terracing, alcohol at matches and reasonable ticket (sorry, not ticket, just pay at the gate) prices but it wont happen. That's why crowds are vanishing everywhere. As a previous poster said, however, standing has been allowed in the away section at certain games for quite a few years now, so far without any fatalities or even casualties as far as I am aware. Bearing in mind there are actually seats still in place, it shows that standing is completely safe despite that. One might even add that its safe even despite the type of creatures present on those occasions, lol.

I have been one of Jack Bairds fiercest critics but latterly he has shown a marked improvement and perhaps ought to be trusted as a partner to Gary MacKenzie. If Harry Davis cannot be persuaded to sign, Jack just needs the raw edges smoothed because he is hard as nails and fearless, which forwards don't like. Youth is also on his side, so improvement through experience can be expected. How refreshing to see JR depart from the previous "managerial" regimes of indecision, procrastination and downright bungling. I have said many times before that a job like this should never be trusted to inarticulate halfwits like the last few incumbents. It doesn't take a genius to be a football manager but whoever interviewed and employed the previous oafs are to blame for our plight over the last decade or so. Thankfully the new regime seem to have recognised this and - even if its just pure luck getting JR - things seem to be on the up. Lets enjoy something we have been paying money for, previously without reward. Entertainment.

21 correct for this old toad. Fossilisation has its merits.

He is vilified for that. Unlike the legions of English who are seemingly welcomed into our national team. Not by me, I hasten to add.

Anything more up to date than 10 years ago ? They may pay big money for Scots who have already played in England but not anymore for players in our league. Anyway McGinn is nothing to do with Saints and good luck to him if he moves to a bigger team than Hibs.

Its more than a coincidence that the last two very articulate managers we have had ( JR and Tom Hendrie) have also been most successful .I didn't hear this programme but what a breath of fresh air hearing a Saints manager speak like a normal grown up after hearing the inarticulate ramblings of many who preceded him. I had more or less given up hope after the succession of thickos appointed by previous boards to positions and salaries in inverse proportion to their intellect. Whilst one swallow doesn't make a summer, I get the feeling things could be swinging back in our favour and like many, am slightly sad the season has ended, albeit on such a high. Lets hope much of this current team can be retained for next season, and indeed improved upon, if I can judge JRs ambition.

The old saying of "the devil finds work for idle hands" immediately springs to mind with footballers. Whilst surely realising that pro football is a relatively short career, and with plenty of time on their hands to either study or make preparations for a future career outside football, it seems the minds of footballers are obsessed with either the tattoo studio or the turf accountants. The fact that the football authorities associate themselves with gambling companies, whilst lamentable, is no excuse for players betting on something that is forbidden. If the urge to pay for bookies Caribbean holidays is so great, there are other outlets to contribute, mainly horses or dogs.

Firstly it should be noted that EPL clubs only pay big transfer fees for either foreigners or vastly overpriced and overrated Englishmen. Secondly, and more to the point, John McGinn is not a top drawer player. For all the qualities he has, speed is not one of them and neither is his ability to avoid recklessness because of this. I very much doubt whether Celtic would be interested, as they appear to have an eye on European progression, or at least trying to live down their defeats from Imps and Barcelona.