dunning1874

Let us not forget that 'Airdrieonians', or Airdrie United to give them their correct title, were 2-​1 up after 85 minutes.

I'd heard Killie fans talking about Paul McDonald as a candidate and it didn't even click that it was that Paul McDonald.

Yes, let's be clear that we're talking about the actual Scottish Journalist of the Year as voted for by Scottish journalists; not the sports journalist of the year, the genuine winner from every field of journalism. I have some sympathy for the decline of print journalism and know some good people working hard at making a living from it, but when they're turning round and saying that clueless lickspittle is the best their industry has to offer it's little surprise to see newspapers becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Looking forward to Keith Jackson's hot takes about English football being the laughing stock of Europe due to this result, after his reaction to Aberdeen's elimination by the same side. That's if he can manage to write an article about Cyprus, seen as there aren't as many lazy stereotypes to throw at an island of Greco-Turks as there are for Colombians.

I actually considered taking them on my coupon but felt Hertha Berlin would be a step too far, so I took the much safer option of the aforementioned mighty Athletic Bilbao instead... who went and lost at home to a West Russian outfit.

Back on Chris Millar, St. Johnstone have now officially confirmed that he's free to find another club. The more I think about it the more I think it could work having him beside Murdoch - while he's obviously not as mobile he's gradually became a more defensive player over his time at St. Johnstone and his defensive reading of the game really is excellent now - but there's obviously going to be concern about his fitness at his age after only playing 22 games last season. I don't see it happening, but if he stays fit he'll be an excellent signing for anyone in this division. No surprise if he finds a bottom six club though.

Another mention for the ever divisive Bachirou, there's an interview with him on the FIFA website. We get a passing mention in the article but Bachirou's comments are all about Ostersunds/Comoros: http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/news/y=2017/m=8/news=bachirou-ostersunds-example-can-inspire-comoros-2905110.html

The club are trying to force him out, it appears that he's doesn't want to go but if they continue to freeze him out by leaving him out of squads entirely he's got little choice. He's not really what we need with the squad we have, but he'd be an excellent signing for anyone in this division.

If this was due to absolutely bodying some dirty Leeds scum then he should go up even further in everyone's estimation as a result, not that we thought that was possible.

Indeed. Martyn Naylor, Paul Mathers and Barry Smith also played in Europe, in Naylor's case after he left us in Champions League qualifiers. He was however absolutely fucking dreadful and playing for some Welsh shite at Anfield didn't change that.

"I was with Morton last season and I'd say I had a really good season."

I'd have happily taken Cammy Smith, but yeah, their business so far has been decidedly average.

Michael Miller on trial at St. Mirren...

A move to a top flight club was always likely, good luck to him.

McKay will probably be going to a bottom end English Championship club for a decent six-figure fee. I plan to spend the day the transfer is confirmed spamming Daily Record journalists who were touting him for a £6M transfer to RB Leipzig as recently as January.

Remember he was going to be central to Falkirk's title challenge under Pressley? How did that turn out?

While we're on that 08/09 season, I've been thinking about how similar it was to this season. Just like this season we had a dreadful start and end, but were the best team in the league through the second and third quarters. The main difference was the bad spells being the other way round: in 08/09 we started with nine games without a win whereas this season we ended with nine without a win, in 08/09 we ended with only three points from our last five games whereas this season we started with only three points from our first five games. That season we suffered as injuries to Jenkins exposed our lack of depth in midfield and left us relying on Masterton, McGuffie and Monti, this season we suffered as injuries to Quitongo and Oliver exposed our lack of depth in attack and left us relying on Shankland and Oyenuga. Hopefully this summer we don't repeat the mistake of 2009 by failing to address the lack of depth, not building on the decent season we had and ending up in a relegation battle. With a younger squad and some harmony around the club there's more reason to believe we're building on solid foundations rather than sand this time.

My pleasure. First Division games in 2008/09 Jenkins in the starting 11: P20, W11, D5, L4 Jenkins not in the starting 11: P16, W1, D6, L9 Average players don't make that much of a difference to a side. He absolutely carried us that season and he was doing it while playing alongside diddies like Masterton in midfield. Take Allan Jenkins out of that team and we'd have been relegated by a mile, no doubt about it.

Aye, that's the size of it for me. I couldn't care whether he chose to go to another club at the last minute, I care about how good he is. Although he's still young and has the potential to develop into a better player while obviously being an upgrade of the likes of Shankland or Oyenuga, I'd hope we can find better. That's what's important.

McManus was being paid by Fleetwood: which club he played for on loan made no difference to how much money he made.

HEADS GONE

Aye, that's the obvious one that comes to mind. Picked the ball up on the left wing, skinned the full back by turning back inside then crossed it to the back post where Barrie McKay took it down and knocked it in. O'Connor and McKay both doing something good in the same move. Mental.

While McKay obviously has potential, he's so far done nothing in his career to suggest he's a better player than above-average, competent Premiership players like Jamie Walker, never mind being as good as one of the best players in the division in Hayes. The notion of Leipzig being interested in him is absolutely laughable - it's clearly just standard slow day at the Daily Record pish.