buster.

With rotation in mind, I'd consider Middleton for a start in the Motherwell game. I doubt Hartley and his team would expect it. First, Tav and Flanagan will have to help with a job that needs doing in Russia next week. Contrast the depth in FB cover with centre halfs. We'll get one in but we'll probably end up with one of the FB's needing to play CH at stages during the season.

Middleton is a good option to have on the bench. Signing Lafferty on at least provides another and not surprisingly, he immediately jumps Sadiq in the pecking order. IF we could get through to the group stages then Barasic solves the left-sided FB problem for the EL. Wallace seems as though he's being brought back into the fold so you have a LB logjam or simply Flanagan becomes back-up for Tav. However if one day you have an eventual choice between Wallace and Flanagan for LB slot, I reckon SG picks Flanagan......so whether LW will get much gametime remains to be seen. Any player signed now can't play the second leg so let's hope we get out of Motherwell unscathed.

A quick scan of our European history shows us having won the First leg 1-0, at Home in KO ties (ie. not group stage) a total of 8 times with the balance of success in our favour. We went on to get through the tie on 6 occasions but were put out twice. 75% success rate which is better than the general stats that say a 1-0 home victory in the first leg gives you a 61% of going through https://kassiesa.net/uefa/forum/view.php?archive=2008.Q3&topic=20080919192651.xml Six successful 60's: Rapid Vienna 70's: Young Boys of Berne and Lillestrom 80's: Katowice 90's: Anorthosis 00's: Red Star Two unsuccessful 80s: Osasuna 2010's: Progres

- We know what we need - 8 days left in the window - 7 days until we know if we are in the EL group stages or not - 1 day with knowledge of fixture list and revenue levels

As has been said by many, we need another decent creative option added to the squad by the end of the month.

Next week will be a big test for this team. We'll have to be at our best.

A lot of the ball without much spark or precise creativity to break though tight spaces. Only look a threat with the set-piece and thankfully we got a goal before HT to ease any nerves. We went to sleep after the goal and Ufa should be level. We'll have to defend better in second half. More important to keep one out rather than score one more. I'd be happier with two more.

Wrt this piece by itself, no we wouldn't have far more support from outside and nor would we win this particular 'battle'.

The following paragraph of the post you quoted covers it......... ie. Put together with past articles / lack of them and you build something that would be more difficult to bat away.

DMAA This was what I referred to. I'm sure there was an alteration to the match report. Will look it up later / have to go just now. edit You are right,...there was no change. Must be something else I'm thinking of,...memory is going down the tubes !!

They have no comeback: ........................Add to the charge sheet It reminds me of the reporting of the Sheep penalty award in the Aberdeen game (post-split) last season. We did something similar on here to the above quote (text, not a graphic) and low and behold, BBC Scotland actually changed the wording of their article.

Most probably Grant Russell (ex-STV) or Alan Burrows

Who looks like a tit now ?

I didn't say it did. IMO Tom English has proved himself to be biased 'as charged', especially over the last 7 years. That doesn't mean everything he writes or says should automatically be taken that way, even if within there is an apparently negative slant on X or Y. Of occasion, the negative slant will be merited, on others not so. What actually happens if you try to pin everything on him, he is given an 'out'. In other words, if you want to go after him (or whoever), only do so when you are sure of your ground and he has no credible comeback. Only use issues with little to no dubiety over a 'reasonable verdict'. In this particular case, it isn't something to put on the metaphorical charge sheet. It's more something to log and file away as it might provide useful further down the line. eg. This thread is an excellent resource wrt the 'ongoing situation' with BBC Scotland and keeps a record of what has gone down, including this article. .........You could have a sub-thread or simply a C&P file, logging events or whatever against programmes/individuals/other which could make a 'charge sheet'...... Then you have a very useful tool.

SG has to impress on the players not to rise to the bait that will be hung by Motherwell players. They'll especially target Morelos and Jack (if they play).

Another good thing about our team now is that we won't be bullied. Making it into a battle won't favour them as it did last season.

This is Ufa's first ever European tie where they play away from home in the first leg. I think we may see the bus or Iron Curtain getting parked on the edge of the penalty area. In the first leg of the first tie, they decided to use the Walter Smith book of European tactics and only managed two shots on target in a 0-0 home draw. They went behind in the second leg but had enough about them to come back and get the late away goal (a la Panathonaikis 2008). In the next tie, I watched part of the game and it wasn't that difficult to breach the Progres defence but in their excitement left the backdoor open on a number of occasions but where only punished with one late away goal. Showed a degree of naivity. In the second leg they went behind twice but again had enough about them to get the late away goal that took them through. So in their four games to date, they've only been ahead in one of them, for 62 minutes in the first game aainst Progres. So thus far, they have got a lot from not a lot. Thu 26/07/18 UEL Ufa 0 - 0 Domžale More info Thu 02/08/18 UEL Domžale 1 - 1 Ufa View events More info Thu 09/08/18 UEL Ufa 2 - 1 Progrès Niederkorn View events More info Thu 16/08/18 UEL Progrès Niederkorn 2 - 2 Ufa

Ian, is that you in the video at 10mins 25sec's ?

Maybe for a giraffe.........

I think the gambling problems merit a mention tbh. Not to focus on by themselves, but to show that since he went public about it he has managed to mature and put in an excellent season on the park. I'd guess that the two things are connected. SG appears to be an excellent man-manager and I doubt that will have escaped his notice.

10 games in 32 days was always going to test/expose the squad #Thin Motherwell will spend part of their preperation for Sunday sharpening their studs.

Yes and much better with Barasic, but obviously not for tonight. If Wallace is going to stay, he'll be on the bench most of the time.

Wallace isn't going to make his first start in X months in a game as important as this.

I don't think SG has much choice but to go with that XI (if fit) and it shows that we are currently thin. Up until now it has been difficult to second guess a SG side.

I thought it would be between 450K - 550K. It was always going to be in this ball park. The fannying around with 200K was a waste of time and luckily, wee Alfie isn't one to get frequently injured.