Scottish Premiership (and SPFL in general) 2016/17

Illgresi · 20 Jul 2016 at 02:27

What do you think of the new format? I'm hoping it'll be a long time until aberdeen are involved at this stage, but I think it's pretty good. It's like a tougher pre-season, meaning most teams should started the league campaign flying.

Also loving the idea of u20s, Welsh and N.Irish teams being involved in the Challenge Cup. Hoping Aberdeen can get a good run this year.

Evo8 · 20 Jul 2016 at 23:15

Good win for Celtic today. Astana next which is some trip!

Illgresi · 21 Jul 2016 at 23:39

Evo8 said:
Good win for Celtic today. Astana next which is some trip!

Got to watch out for Kazakh teams. I thought Kairat looked very accomplished last year. That said, I think most Dons fans, the manager and the players all felt we should have beaten them. Celtic should be beating them, but it's by no means a fait accompli that you'll win.

Good solid result for Aberdeen tonight, although not a sparkling performance. That's three teams with a higher coefficient we've beaten in the past three years; a very good record. Would be great to go a round further this year and beat Maribor. If we get in the playoff, who knows what could happen.

Dreadfully disappointing for Hibs, and the Hearts result was shameful frankly.

semi-pro waster · 22 Jul 2016 at 07:14

Illgresi said:
Dreadfully disappointing for Hibs, and the Hearts result was shameful frankly.

Embarrassing result for Hearts, just couldn't make the superiority count and missing a penalty when it was 0-0 started to give the feeling that maybe it wasn't going to be their day.

Illgresi · 22 Jul 2016 at 18:38

semi-pro waster said:
Embarrassing result for Hearts, just couldn't make the superiority count and missing a penalty when it was 0-0 started to give the feeling that maybe it wasn't going to be their day.

Are you in the 'Neilson out' camp?

Derek W · 22 Jul 2016 at 19:07

Illgresi said:
Are you in the 'Neilson out' camp?

I don't think Neilson has done that badly as manager of Hearts at the moment. Promotion and finishing 3rd last season. Losing to a team from Gilbrater is pretty bad though.

Give him another season and take a judgment from there would be fair.

In response to your earlier point and i mentioned before the new cup revamp will benefit the lower placed teams in the fact that there should hopefully be a better number attending 'local' matches (Dumbarton excepted) in the early rounds which will hopefully give us more cash to carry on through the season. However I know it came about in relation to the revamp of the challenge cup which i think most lower division clubs aren't overly impressed with as its to do with the bigger teams introducing the 'colt' clubs and the possibility of proving that a cross border competition (read migration) is possible

semi-pro waster · 22 Jul 2016 at 19:59

Illgresi said:
Are you in the 'Neilson out' camp?

Nope. I think he's done a good job so far (odd results excepted) to get promotion and cruising that league despite both Rangers and Hibs to contend with. Third in the first season back in the Premiership was pretty decent, slight slumps in form perhaps but I think that's to be expected. If he can maintain or improve the level then I'll be happy with that. Ideally I'd like a period of stability to recover the finances and to put Hearts on a sound base so I'm more worried about someone poaching Neilson than I am in favour of him going anywhere else.

Derek W said:
I don't think Neilson has done that badly as manager of Hearts at the moment. Promotion and finishing 3rd last season. Losing to a team from Gilbrater is pretty bad though.

I'm not sure it makes things any better but they're from Malta. Celtic were the ones who lost the first leg to Gibraltan opponents. I have no idea of the relative strengths of the Maltese and Gibraltese leagues but I suspect neither are great.

Evo8 · 23 Jul 2016 at 16:09

Illgresi said:
Celtic should be beating them, but it's by no means a fait accompli that you'll win.

I'm not confident, we never really played that well the other night, it's just that team made us look good. We can't go playing 3 at the back against Astana either so Rodgers will need to come up with something which doesn't involve Ambrose. Also, where are the signings? Dembele should be a good signing but we need to improve in other areas.

Derek W · 26 Jul 2016 at 22:56

So Brechin v St Johnstone in the cup tonight and after a 4 - 2 defeat up at Elgin on Saturday wasn't expecting much but low and behold we take the lead from former St Johnstone player Andy Jackson, they equalise with 10 minutes to go and we win the penalty shoot out despite having a backs to the wall performance for the majority of the second half!

Its going to be touch and go to see if we qualify as one of the four best 3rd placed team but having to get something from the Falkirk isn't going to be the easiest of tasks. Roll on Saturday!

Illgresi · 27 Jul 2016 at 08:21

You'll probably have to beat Falkirk won't you? Otherwise Stirling will still be above you on goal difference (assuming they don't get an absolute pumping off St Johnstone).

Still, great result last night!

And for Peterhead. Disappointed Dunfermline and Berwick didn't hold on.

Derek W · 27 Jul 2016 at 13:22

I think we'll have to either go for same again, draw with a win on penalties or an outright win to get the automatic spot assuming that St Johnstone will win. Other than that we might have to do the same and be one of the best 3rd placed teams to hopefully go through. Last time we played Falkirk though we lost 2 - 1 but if the guys can get anywhere close to the performance of last night we'll at least give ourselves a chance.

EDIT

Wonder if Londonbairn will be going to the game!

Illgresi · 27 Jul 2016 at 16:18

Derek W said:
I think we'll have to either go for same again, draw with a win on penalties or an outright win to get the automatic spot assuming that St Johnstone will win. Other than that we might have to do the same and be one of the best 3rd placed teams to hopefully go through. Last time we played Falkirk though we lost 2 - 1 but if the guys can get anywhere close to the performance of last night we'll at least give ourselves a chance.

EDIT

Wonder if Londonbairn will be going to the game!

Sorry to break the news to you mate, but it's the four best 2nd place teams that qualify!

Derek W · 27 Jul 2016 at 19:24

Illgresi said:
Sorry to break the news to you mate, but it's the four best 2nd place teams that qualify!

Dunno where i got the best 3rd placed team from :confused:

Illgresi · 29 Jul 2016 at 02:52

It's almost soul destroying when you concede an away goal. Especially given:

http://www.flashscores.co.uk/match/ANs4F0K7/#match-statistics;0

Fantastic game otherwise. Their central defence looks as dodgy as ours. We can do it!

Jokester · 30 Jul 2016 at 17:05

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...el-after-fight-between-dons-and-maribor-fans/

An estimated 20 Maribor fans came over for the game against Aberdeen.

13 of them then got arrested.

Derek W · 31 Jul 2016 at 15:24

Good to see Lewis Spence and Jamie Robson getting a start for the pars and United respectively today. Had both of them on loan last season. Robson played well as a winger rather than full back and chipped in with a couple of goals. Spence was a terrier in midfield who won't give anything up and likewise chipped in with a few goals including a 40yrd lob against Airdrie.

Illgresi · 31 Jul 2016 at 17:32

League cup draw:

The Rangers v Peterhead
Dundee Utd v Partick Thistle
Celtic v Motherwell
Hamilton v Morton
Hibernian v QotS
St Johnstone v Hearts
Alloa v ICT
Ayr Utd v Aberdeen

Quelle surprise, The Rangers and Celtic at home. :rolleyes:

WithMyApologies · 1 Aug 2016 at 22:48

Illgresi said:
League cup draw:

The Rangers v Peterhead
Dundee Utd v Partick Thistle
Celtic v Motherwell
Hamilton v Morton
Hibernian v QotS
St Johnstone v Hearts
Alloa v ICT
Ayr Utd v Aberdeen

Quelle surprise, The Rangers and Celtic at home.

Illgresi said:
I've made a thread about this before, and understandably, it's been shut down. I'd like to give it one last go before I give up completely. I know there are fans of Scottish teams around here, and I'd love for any Celtic/Rangers nonsense to be kept out of here (unless of course it's relevent). In other words; please give it a chance!

Nice to see you sticking to your hopes for this thread.

Just can't help yourselves can you :rolleyes:

http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/profile/history/index.html

The actions of immature children ruining it for everyone else.

Illgresi · 2 Aug 2016 at 09:15

I don't know what you're on about, but I'm from Glasgow, and that's what all my mates call them. Well actually it's more like 'eh Rainjurs'.

WithMyApologies · 2 Aug 2016 at 15:24

Anyone who knows or follows Scottish football, knows that 'The Rangers' is used by rival fans as a sly dig in reference to everything that happened regarding the admin and the whole 'new club' nonsense.

For you to deny any knowledge of this is laughable.

Considering you were the one who asked for nonsense to be left out of this thread, it's highly ironic that you have started it. Well done.