SPL Fanzone: The supporters have their say

Aberdeen

THAT’S two home games in a row that have seen a 0-0 scoreline and with half a dozen such results last season you might be forgiven for thinking “same old, same old”, but that could not be further from the truth. The Hearts game was as exciting as a goalless draw could be, with John McGlynn describing it as “attack after attack” from Aberdeen and appearing delighted with a point. After his comments about protection for creative players you would hope he had a similar lecture for his team, who appeared complicit with the ref to stop our wingers by any means possible. We need to convert the chances that we are creating and there is a feeling that there may be some last pieces of business to be done this week, but the new season excitement hasn’t worn off yet.

Steve Wilson

www.afc-chat.co.uk

Motherwell

WE REMAIN unbeaten in the SPL but after Sunday there is a feeling we missed a real chance. Topping the table may only be a brief thrill for the provincial clubs but it is a thrill nonetheless and it would have gone a long way to lifting the mood after our European struggles. Stuart McCall appears to have acknowledged the Europa League is beyond us now so turning domestic draws into wins is the new priority. Our strongest team could play brilliantly in Spain yet we would not progress so resting players for the Inverness game could make all the difference on Sunday. On the other hand, those in the stadium tomorrow would understandably feel hard done by if they had to watch a team of Under-19 players get hammered. Managing Motherwell is always a balancing act and this week Stuart McCall has more balls to juggle.

Derek Wilson

www.firparkcorner.com

St Mirren

SATURDAY’S point at Motherwell was fully deserved. After starting slowly, we absolutely battered them and if our equaliser had come any sooner we’d probably have been able to find a winner.

It’s fantastic to see Thomas Reilly score as it has been many years since a home-grown striker has scored for us. The teenager clearly has talent and has a huge future in the game – hopefully most of it with us. He’s only appeared as a substitute so far, but if he keeps playing the way he has been, then it won’t be long before Steven Thompson and Sam Parkin will find their places under threat.

With the international break looming, we could do with a couple of wins this week. Beating Ayr tonight would bury last season’s League Cup horror, while a win at Aberdeen on Saturday would move us up the table.

Stuart Gillespie

www.saintmirren-mad.co.uk

St Johnstone

THIRTEEN games, four goals for, 26 against, zero wins. Those are the stark facts of

St Johnstone’s competitive record spanning back into last season. Little wonder, perhaps, that some Saints fans are laying the blame solely at the door of manager Steve Lomas.

The Aberdeen match last week was an abomination; at least the visit to Easter Road yielded some kind of shape to the team. But the result was the same – with a 2-0 defeat the outcome. Our next two games see Dundee United and Celtic visiting McDiarmid Park. We have an awful record against the Tannadice side since we came back up and Celtic are going to run away with the league. We could easily be six games into the season with only a point on the board.

If we don’t start showing signs of moving up the league soon Lomas is going to have an enormous weight on his shoulders.

Jamie Beatson

www.weareperth.co.uk

Hibernian

PAT Fenlon let it be known early in his tenure that he intended bringing a certain type of player to Easter Road and Saturday’s victory over St Johnstone gave us a much better idea of what he meant. In the first half, Hibs struggled to get into the game at all. Last year’s team would probably have let the heads go down before succumbing to another defeat. This team, inspired by our captain, James McPake, is made of sterner stuff, though, and the win was well deserved. Paul Hanlon is certainly benefitting from playing alongside the skipper as he turned in one of his best performances for Hibs. A rare home kick-off at 3pm on a Saturday added to the feelgood factor. Our next league match is an unexpected top-of-the-table clash at Parkhead. As always, Hibs fans will go in hope rather than expectation, but at least the fear factor has been significantly reduced.

John Robertson

www.hibs.net

Inverness CT

AFTER early-season promise and the prospect of taking on a possibly travel-weary Celtic side, we could have been forgiven for going into Saturday’s game with three points in mind. But we were simply outclassed by a far hungrier side that was allowed the freedom of the park. Our back four were missing, as was the midfield. We probably should have been more aggressive from the start, but we’re guessing the manager is trying to instil a consistent philosophy of patient, passing football rather than hopeful long balls. There were glimmers of this for 15 minutes in the first half and in the final ten minutes of the game, but the biggest problem was that we met a team of naturally better players, many of whom had something to prove and so got stuck into us from the start. This is the biggest wake-up call of the season.

Dave Wilson

www.caleythistleonline.com

Ross County

SATURDAY’S game against Dundee was an effective performance by County. Solid in defence and controlling much of the game from midfield, we ground out the victory – but any real entertainment was missing as goalscoring chances were limited for both teams.

Dundee have yet to score in the league this season and, while County have found the net twice, both have been from set pieces. Given their lack of goals, it’s not surprising that both the teams are looking at adding to their squads with attacking players. Derek Riordan was at the game on Saturday, and it’s been reported that both teams are interested in him. While County are adapting to life in the SPL, it has seemed at times that we just need that little spark of creativity. Riordan might well be the player that could add that spark we need to get more goals.

Alan Ross

www.thejailender.com

Celtic

IT’S been a week of rarities; an away win in Europe and a comfortable victory in the Highlands. That was despite Inverness having the one-man advantage in the shape of referee Willie Collum! How can we expect to develop our footballers when there is absolutely no protection for ball players? The art of defending is just that – not a variation of WWE!

Injury problems have provided opportunities for younger players, with Tony Watt showing Georgios Samaras exactly what he should have done on Tuesday night.

In saying that, if we get past Helsingborgs, I still think we need an experienced centre-half and centre-forward for the rigours of Champions League football. However, after chewing my nails up to the elbow against Ajax in 2001, I’ll be extremely happy with an early goal and 85 minutes of boring football!

Dave Devine

Hearts

GIVEN the exertions of the players on Thursday it was perhaps not a surprise that they ran out of steam at Pittodrie. Against that backdrop, a point was a decent result, even though we could have taken all three right at the death.

The first leg against Liverpool showed Tynecastle at its very best. The atmosphere was incredible and it was just a shame that we couldn’t have held out for what would have been a deserved draw. The away goal makes it very difficult for us to go through, but it’s not impossible and at least the tie is still alive, which was the priority after the first leg. I’m sure the Jambos travelling to Liverpool will be in good voice and it will be a memorable occasion at one of the great English theatres of football. Hopefully Zaliukas will be fit to play, as we will need to be solid at the back and have a bit of luck going forward. You just never know!

Broxburn Jambo

Kilmarnock

WE HAVE to be honest and say that not many Killie fans were expecting a win over high-flying Dundee United last Saturday, especially in such style. With our main striker Paul Heffernan still months away from returning from injury, we looked a bit lacklustre up front, so the midfield stepped up to the plate and floored the Arabs with three rapid goals in a second-half blitz. After the break, Rory McKenzie was chasing the ball like a man possessed. His persistence paid off when he followed up a slack back-pass by a defender and nicked in front of the goalkeeper to stroke the ball into the net. Only minutes later we were awarded a penalty and new signing Borja Perez had no hesitation in grabbing the ball and making it count. Jude Winchester grabbed the third goal and he looks like he will also be one to watch. More of the same at Dingwall please.

Barry Richmond

www.killiefc.com

Dundee United

FROM title contenders to frauds is how one match reporter described United following the defeat by Kilmarnock.

At no point had any noise come out of Tannadice to suggest that anyone at the club thought that, after two wins, United would be challenging Celtic for the SPL title. United’s aim, as always, is to finish in the top six and anything else such as Europe is a bonus.

While Saturday’s result was a disappointment, United have a small, young squad and inconsistency is to be expected. And with intrest in Johnny Russell heating up – coupled with the transfer window about to close – it will be an even smaller squad that will be challenging for the top six.

Peter Houston said Saturday was a wake-up call. He wasn’t just meaning for the players.

Jamie Kidd

www.dundeeunited-mad.co.uk

Dundee

NOT many straws to clutch at in our depressing display against a big, solid Ross County side, who shaded it but didn’t look much like scoring until they got that penalty.

Our defence did well, but the rest of the team was painful to watch. Until we hit the back of the net, we’ve no chance of getting anything from a game. Certainly Martin Boyle livened up the attack when he came on but the boy’s only 19.

On the plus side, we’ve made it to Hampden already, for our League Cup tie against Queen’s Park tonight. Maybe not the best place to go looking for a goal. Certainly not where I’m concerned. One goal from nine visits...but it was the League Cup winner in 1973.

Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday looks a mighty formidable fixture too, though they are a team we traditionally do well against.

The Club 12th man