ascender

McGregor speaks the truth.....

That one line sums up our problems just now and the class of player we as fans have come to accept as being good enough for us.

But at least he's scoring. I'd like two lazy Kris Boyds first, then once we're comfortably in second place we could think about replacing them with Wayne Rooney and Ruud Van N. If we were in Celtic's position and cruising to the title, I'd agree 100% with the criticism if someone wasn't pulling his weight, but surely Boyd is one of the 11 starters who we don't have to worry about just now? He seems very isolated playing as part of a front 3, almost like a lone striker at times with Novo and Prso out wide. I don't get what people expect the guy to do? We have a defence which can't deal with basic through balls. Or cross balls. Or set pieces. And a midfield which doesn't seem to know what to do in the final third of the pitch. Or how to take a decent corner. So why don't we concentrate on those just now and then worry about dropping our top scorer for his laziness. Are we trying to deflect attention from the real problems and just how crap we've become? Its not even like we have a queue of strikers waiting for their chance. Maybe its just me and I'm missing something that everyone else seems to be seeing.

Its a great chance for the other guys to step up to the mark and show what they can do if Boyd is out for a while. But I'm still bemused by the criticism he's getting. For a young lad playing up front on his own with limited service, I reckon he's doing a great job. I wonder if this will force PLG's hand in to playing a 4-4-2?

Brown could be the sort of player we need to add some bite to our team just now. Will be interesting to see if we can afford to go for him in January, especially if this thing about him being a bluenose is true.

Hemdani has shown his quality but when he's playing at CB I think he's a luxury we can't afford. If we played in a much slower-paced league I think he could be a star at CB as he's strolling through games. Or maybe if we had someone commanding alongside him, he'd flourish at CB. Trouble is, as Celtic have figured out some time ago, a good basis for a team in the SPL is two big centre halves who can just go through people to get to the ball. Its also confusing that Hemdani seems much more confident to take players on and move forward with the ball while playing at centre half than he does when playing in midfield.

Sounds like he's trying the positive, unified approach. Surely he must know there's a problem at centre half, but its probably right not to come out and say it for numerous reasons. Of course, the other thing he could do is come out and say that certain players need to up their game, try that approach.

Good signing for them, could be a great signing for them.

Someone who is commanding, can organise defenders around him and isn't afraid to put his head or foot in when he knows its going to hurt. Someone suited to the Scottish game who is a no-nonsense type of player.

I'm still skeptical! Whatever, it looks like its boosted the coffers a bit and if we can add that to the funds left over from the summer, along with the savings on the wage budget, surely we should be able to get a half decent centre half in?

I've seen it mentioned that the deal was worth 1M to Rangers and that they bought out his contract, so I don't think its a straight 1M fee, probably a good bit less, but the main thing is that he's gone now. Another guy with a lot of potential wasted.

To be fair to him, I don't think Fan Fan really got a fair crack of the whip here, certainly not at centre half. Our defence couldn't really have been any worse with him in it could it?

Hooray. Hopefully we'll get some cash for him too, but it should free up another chunk of the wage budget.

I'm confident so long as we don't concede any set pieces in our own half or let them get any cross balls in.

Great pass by him for Prso's goal at the weekend there.

Seems to be because "that's all he does". That seems to be the criticism being leveled at him, that he doesn't bring anything else to the team other than finishing. Its obviously too early to judge Sebo as he's not had a run in the team yet. But what is worrying is that when I have seen him, he's not shown any flashes of brilliance or anything that's made me think he just needs time and games. Which is worrying.

That's the great thing, these are all opinions and its sparking debate. The only thing I'd disagree with is the "on their day bit". In this particular instance, some of those players in that XI you mention have been nothing better than average, even when they've been "on their day" for us.

I'd like to give Sebo a chance but its a catch 22 situation. So far, he's looked pretty poor to be honest, even struggling with basic ball control. He does need a run in the team but I'd be slightly worried if that run was with Novo as we couldn't afford to start trying out things in the first team now as we're too far behind Celtic as it is. if Novo started banging the goals in then yes, put Sebo in there and if Novo can carry the scoring for a bit on his own then we'd be fine. I think Sebo might be a victim of cicrumstance this season though. If we're going to get second place we can't afford to carry any passengers now.

Totally agree that he's been played out of position. I'd like to see him and Boyd given a chance to form a partnership and get a good run of games together. But even when we signed him and he did score those goals in his first season here, I never thought he was anything better than a a decent player and although I would play him, I still didn't think he was the penalty-box striker that we so badly needed. That's why I'd like to see him and Boyd play together.

Yes, I agree that our strikers need some consistency up front and I'd love to see a front 2 which is given a chance to form a partnership. but I'd have Boyd in there first and then Sebo or Novo alongside him. Novo's shown that he needs confidence, but he's also shown, even when he first came here, that he's not a natural finisher as such, he lacks composure and I don't think anyone ever thought he was the long term answer did he? He shone at Dundee and Raith Rovers though, but I don't remember him being amazing when he was first choice here. Sebo hasn't had much of a chance to shine and that's strange given how much he cost. Novo and Boyd through the middle might work. But on the basis of what I've seen with my own eyes, I still don't understand how you think dropping Boyd can be a good idea when he's the most natural finisher we have. Do the stats not speak for themselves? Whether he starts or comes on as a sub, he inevitably scores. Do you honestly see any of our other strikers scoring more than he does, even if they had a good run in the team?

Yea, but we've seen this season that quite a few of those players, on the basis of the best they've played for us so far, just aren't good enough. Lots of those players you've listed don't seem to be any better than average. Its not like they've all shown something that gives us hope there's more to come from them for example. Take Sebo for example. He's not done anything yet that makes me think he's worth 1.8M. I will say, in his favour, that he's not been helped by the fact that he's not had a good run in the team, but he's not even done anything special in the games he's played to make us thing he's anything special. J-Rod sums up just how much of an average player the Gers support have come to accept as being good enough for us. He's been "improving" since he arrived and I can't believe how patient he's been. Novo? He's a trier and is typifying the sort of effort we need on the pitch just now, but has he ever been better than an average striker for us? I don't think so, not even after he first signed for us. If everyone was on their peak, we'd still be left with a crap defence in front of Klos and a pair of strikers who really lack composure and a decent touch.

I give you that it looks a good side on paper, but that counts for nothing. Have you actually been watching how some of these players are playing? I said at the start of the year that we had a great looking squad now, but I've been proved wrong. We don't have any decent centre halves and I wouldn't like to play any Premiership sides considering we can't seem to defend basic cross balls just now.

Are you OK today Gribz? Just asking as you seem to have been watching a different set of players from the rest of us on here. Klos? He doesn't deserve a place in any Gers team as he's just not interested in playing any more for us. A back 3 consisting of three players who have still to prove they are anything better than average? No Smith? Buffel? A luxury we can't afford who only seems able to play for 30 mins or so before disappearing from the game. Ferguson on the left? Sionko needs to come back and show that he can turn international form in to club form. Sebo and Novo up front? Surely the front 3 has been working best for us with Boyd through the middle, Prso and Novo on either side with license to drift in. As for that team taking some stopping, I think any club side in Britain would fancy their chances against us at the moment with our dodgy defence.

OK, so who would you play instead? You obviously think we've got good strikers queuing up to take his place?

I think Fergie is back on form now, not as good as he was before he went to Blackburn, but much much better than he has been in recent memory. I'd have agreed previously that we've been playing better without him, but not over the last 4-6 weeks or so.