der Berliner

While the penalty was perhaps debatable, he could and should have handed out yellows against those offenders who tried hard to break Aribos ankles and stood on Goldson's foot.

Solid performance, good goals, and good to see Murphy and Halliday back in action. Honestly, that's another diabolical refereeing performance. Hands out yellows for people holding others, but at least three Ross County chaps fully went through the ankles of our players and he saw nothing. Same with the hand-ball ... maybe the hand wasn't in an unnatural position, but it clearly stopped the ball into a dangerous area as well as enlargening the body. The "BT referee" must have been blind too ...

I take it "he never supported Celtic because he couldn't stand the bigotry?"

Strangely enough, when he made his appearance in the Legends game, he hardly looked a year older (on screen) and was once more quite solid and played rather well.

Plan A works much better when Aribo and Arfield, as opposed to the weekend, go into the attacking mode and into areas that hurts the opposition. Was just about to ask what Ojo does on the left hand side of the midfield with Arfield and Aribo nearby ... and then Aribo and Ojo conjure up a neat one-two to set up Morelos. So far so good and immense from Jack.

Methinks Papac was not a full-back from the off, but used as one and took that role for himself.

IMHO, Barisic needed to find his feet (well, he sure knew all along where they were) in the Scottish game and has done so by now. And a Croatian international sure has a certain quality in him anyway.

As we don't have a Ross County thread just yet ... I expect a tough game against a fighting team, so hopefully we will go for it from the off. Maybe it is time to "utilize" our fullbacks as "wingbacks with cover", so they can go forward and we have people keeping our area clean. Foderingham Edmundson - Goldson - Katic Tavernier* - Davis - Jack - Kent - Barisic Stewart Defoe ... or however you will place anyone in front of the back-three.

Had Tav a quality guy like Barisic breathing down his neck, he'd probably be benched now, captain or not.

... it is exactly what I DO NOT DO. What I see for these last 18 months is dozens of free-kicks into the gallery, corners going astray and attempted crosses not beating the first man or reaching no-one. All "seemingly" swept under the carpet by his "great contribution elsewhere" and his numerous assists and goals. What I fear is that we will keep him despite his shortcomings up until he's injured and then we have 1 or 2 players that have hardly touched a ball all season. Preferrably before an OF game or the like. It is no hatchet job on Tav and I sure value his worth to the team. But I see no reason why his role and position seemingly is sacro-sanct, no matter where we play and against whom.

Read again. I simply listed the games Polster played in, he hardly failed and from 200odd minutes it is a bit of a stretch to say that he won't be equal to Tav's contribution. BTW, when we play 4-3-3 or the like, I want 4 defenders defending and 6 players scoring goals. If a defender pops up with the odd assist or goal, even better. For the best part of 2,25 seasons we have had a Rightback his is well able to go on the offensive, but also has time and again let his defensive duties slip. Maybe it is time to promote him to right midfield every now and then? No wait, a couple and a half decent crosses per game of which some make it into the assist book might not be deemed good enough in that role. SG made him captain and IMHO burdened Tav as well as himself there. A few weeks ago he says no-one is undroppable and he will switch Tav if he deems that appropriate. Tav goes in and "flops" at corners and free-kicks (as he has done for the best part of 18 months), shows the odd and almost predictable on nigh-fatal defensive lapse and now we shall back him? How long shall that continue? Apart from McGregor and perhaps Goldson (who gets FLAK as well), nigh every position on the park sees changes and people rotate according to the game and opposition at hand, as well as form. IMHO, right-back or captain ain't sacro-sanct, not least if the player is equally fluctuating in his performance levels as others. Maybe Tav will turn the corner and I doubt he will be dropped for tomorrow, yet, as craig put it so adequately in days gone by: if it is a spade, you can call it a spade. Tav has had months upon months to get his shooting act together and no matter how many (or few) stinging flanks he whips in (which others will do too, BTW) and earns more game time credit, it is an area of the park that needs improvement, much like we did elsewhere.

No, no, and no. Polster has played in 3 games this season, 206 minutes, with one assist. He sure did not let us down. 6-0 St. Joseph's (90), 5-0 Hamilton(26), and East Fife (90). Tav has played 19 games, 1.710 mins with 3 goals (1 free-kick, 2 penalties) and 8 assists. How someone can claim that Polster won't offer what Tav does with the former hardly on the park is a bit beyond me. Same goes for the 2nd argument ... and the 3rd. Much of what Tav did in his first season(s) was down to his link-up with Candeias, who also backed him up defensively. Tav hasn't got that cover this seasonor last, but we have better DMs in Jack and Kamara who cover for him And obviously, as I said, while hardly forgetting his assist rate, I can also hardly ignore the vital goals he cost us, be it that killer back-pass at the last game at the Scumhut which killed any hopes of 55 there and then, nor e.g. his attempted clearance header vs Hearts last week. It is not black and white, but with Tav the colour-tone changed quite a bit these last 18 months ... IMHO.

Unless we try, we'll never know how they will cope. The luck we have had may well mean that we lose Tav right ahead of a big EL or OF game and will have to shuttle one in that has next to no game-time. I for one would assume that Ross County will not wreck Polster's career with us.

No ... Polster is a right fullback that can defend (unless proven otherwise) AS WELL AS playing in DM, which he did for us and elsewhere. Tav has failed us in the former and has not been seen playing in DM either. For all his assists and being fouled (sic!) for a penalty, we will never know how good or bad any other right fullback that we have will perform unless we replace Tav with those we have. Be it Flanagan or Polster, for that matter. And that also goes with Bluedell's remark that Tav is vital for our style, BTW. One may also point at his utter lack in quality delivery from corners, free-kicks et al ... and one or two decent crosses per game do not cancel that out. For the best part of 18 months or so. Here the bucket ends in SG's hands, since he says who delivers and takes those. And at one point, you would have to say enough is enough. I simply expect a decent fullback to put in decent crosses every now and then or drawing a foul here and there, or score a goal from open play or free-kick. "But his goals last season" ... yeah, Morelos' market value would be 5 to 10m higher had he been our penalty taker. People were criticising Barker and Stewart for not contibuting enough ... when being crowded out on either wing as much as Defoe was. IMHO, as I pointed out, we much more missed our attacking midfielders running into vital spaces around the area, as Motherwell was able to pick up any crosses into the area far too easily and unchallenged, with Aribo and Arfield nowhere to be seen. This only changed a little when Stewart moved a little more infield. As for SG asking the crowd to help Tavernier ... a few weeks back he said that he would be "strong enough" to replace an underperforming player, even his captain. The captain still underperformed ever since and the crowd reacted accordingly. Discontent was and is due. And before people arm the FLAKs ... it is not always just black and white. We can't simply pretend that everything under SG is going super - despite what he and his folk did and where we are. No-one cries for his or Tav's head here. But likewise should we allowed to ask questions or raised concerns when thing could be done differently, if not (for lack of knowledge) to say better.

What, Polster can defend and cover DM too?! That' all I am saying. Tav's defending is sub-(his)-standard and DM is sure not a place you see him that often. Sugar that cake with his rare contributions in terms of decent crosses, corners and free-kicks and you see my point. But I can spell it, if need be

Far better second than first half, most vital were the three points, which we probably had not got last season. We had Davis as the creator / holding MF, allowing Aribo and Arfield to get into spaces with Barker and Stewart on the wings. Yet, hardly ever did they get into that gaping hole in front of the area when Defoe was near the goal. Stewart did it on occasion, but as a right winger ... well, maybe people have to grow into their roles more with different players in different slots. I could write a wee bit about Tavernier, but let's just say: I'd like to see Polster. Not least since he can also slot into DM if Davis ventures forward. Dallas ... is it just me who thinks that they put in performances like this to NOT end up on the FIFA list of referees and have to earn their corn there by travelling to the wilds of Kazakhstan, Georgia et al?

Defoe and STewart working well, Aribo and Arfield are not running into empty spaces in front of goal though.

14 minutes of farcical refereeing ...

McGregor Tavernier - Goldson - Helander - Bariŝić Jack - Kamara Kent - Davis - Barker Morelos Subs: Foderingham, Katić, Flanagan, Arfield, Aribo, Ojo, Defoe Barker straight from the stands, Stewart not even in the bench, Tavernier irreplacable ...

Too bad that I'll be at a concert right at the time. Everything we get is a bonus, you would hope the gaffer shows strength in his selection.

essentially, up to now, there supposedly is interest in Morelos from Crystal Palace, while Tavernier is a possible target for other English teams. The youngsters rumours were shot down by SG (even though we have said similar before and went on siging people). 8 days to go till the next Transfer Rumours Thread ...

We used Kent a bit too much (for my liking) at the start, even when there was no end-product to what he did (be it goal or assist). Kent rose to the challenge and "made us pay" 7m for him. What Kent always did, go on the park and give you 100 % and more. Harass defenders, follow attackers, try to win the ball back. Same goes for Jones and Stewart. All action players. Arfield is of that ilk too, but somewhat off the boil. Aribo can do that, if he is used by his fellow players. Ojo is here, there and everyhwere, but far too often tries stuff that may well work in the English u23 EPL as well as looking lackadaisical or disinterested at times. Perhaps that is his style, but ... When he pops up with the odd assist, super-flick or even goal, all is well. But consistency in that and effort and application has a certain Windass-feeling about it. And that is not what we need in places like Tynecastle ... and we have the players for those game. I know it is lamenting on a high level, but yesterday the all-action and -application of a pacy and tricky Jones (yep, he is injured, I know), the same from Kent and the invention and close skill control and willingness to shoot from Stewart might have served us better. Said it before, but IMHO we have a must-play-if-fit clause with Ojo in his loan deal, same as with Kent. Obviously, yesterday was all about deflection tactics to lure Porto into a mind-trap for Thursday ...

Arfield and Aribo returned from longish international-duty trips. Why start them? The combination of Ojo, Aribo and Arfield hasn`t clicked before ... and is, IMHO, not the best to tackle certain Scottish sides. Why start them ... AGAIN?! Not that we haven`t seen this before, but when it simply doesn`t click, why not change it sooner? Arfield and Ojo provided piecemeal stuff, the game essentially by-passed Aribo. That`s essentially 3 men removed from much of our play. Stewart rattled two Scottish teams on the trott, but only comes in late and after Kent. Tavernier. How long have we to see this? It is no witch hunt or character assassination, but once more the captain contributed to an opposition goal and handed in another sub-standard performance. His standard. Maybe SG doesn`t want to axe the captain, but there comes a point were you have to act. Polster handed in one solid performance after another ... and had Flanagan be fit, I would assume that Tav would be benched for some time now. ... which all leads to the assumption that the bucket stops with SG. As much as he can lament the lack of class, attitude and performance levels, he holds all the responsibility. Team selection, tactics and substitutions. Why have we got so many quality players and continue to stick to Plan A time and again? I long for the day when we get Jones, Stewart and Kent as the threesome behind our main striker.

They usually start on September 1st ... utterly ridiculous and takes a lot of the x-mas feeling when x-mas actually comes about.

Game of few chances ... major stroke of luck for Hearts. Another game where Ojo, Arfield and Aribo do not work, no cohesion up there, no interplay ... you would hope we get Stewart soon. Dunno why far-travellers Arfield and Aribo went straight in. I await that one super cross or penalty from Tavernier to save his blushes in another sub-standard performance. Laughable that their No. 19, that black powerhouse, is still on the park. Floored Kamara hard and floored Barisic twice.