Joel Sked (@sked21)
As usual for a home game the last pint was tucked away at around 14.55 meaning a brisk walk around to the Main Stand is always in order. At this time everyone is in the same boat having reluctantly left the comforts of the pub to rush to spend 90 minutes getting frustrated and fed-up. On this occasion however something stopped us in our tracks as he headed down McLeod Street, passed the ticket office towards the infamous Section N.
Punches were being traded like Pokemon cards in the playground between young Hearts and Kilmarnock fans before a stand-off ensued by the time I had reached the Battle Royale. I doubt my presence was a coincidence in the fighting being stopped. After all I am hard as fuck. But then it started up again after the young Killie team began to do there best chicken impressions, chest stuck out as they scuttled towards the Hearts fans – most of who were taking sanctuary behind me.
They probably then realised who they were up against. The Inbetweeners teamed up with One Direction and the Chuckle Brothers would look more intimidating. They may have been decked out in their finest Fila, Carbrini and Pony but one boy was running about with a cone on his head.
Hearts fans soon rallied and ran towards the Killie Kindergarten Kasuals promoting some wonderful pavement dancing. Beethoven’s fifth symphony would have been apt accompaniment to the dancing. One Hearts fan involved was pushing 60 and wearing a suit and approached the Killie youngsters like Penguin on speed. It soon descended into the two sets of dancers playing long bangers with a cone before the Killie fans realised they had been locked out the game. I call them the lucky ones.
Gary Cocker (@gary_cocker)
The game at Dens this week was a rather pedestrian and niggly affair, featuring two teams displaying only flashes of their potential. Other than Moult’s horrifically clumsy tackle on Greg Stewart, there wasn’t really any moment on the park that could qualify as being of note (although Dundee rather professionally closing off a game with a narrow victory is something of a novelty).
However, approximately 80 miles west of Dundee, my moment of the weekend – nay, the fortnight – was being put together. Other than the acid-dropping surreality of the Bonetti era, I’ve had to thole supporting the less successful team in my home city for as long as I can remember. I’ve had two administrations, a couple of relegations, some horrific Derby defeats and humiliating cup exits thrown gleefully in my face by Arab pals with little to return.
However, thanks to Celtic’s transfer policy and Sackie Jacknaemara’s reverse Midas touch, this weekend finally brought me some long overdue happiness as the Tangerines slipped to a 3-0 defeat and basement team status to hitherto luckless Partick Thistle. I still can’t bring myself to believe that a team with as much young talent as United will be stationed as the bottom for too long, but don’t think I’ll do anything but revel in it while it lasts.
Craig Cairns (@craigcairns001)
Inverness’ depleted squad has forced their manager to rethink his strategy. Reshaping a team after losing Graeme Shinnie, Billy Mckay, Edward Ofere, Marley Watkins and Nick Ross was never going to be easy, especially when you throw injuries to Dean Brill, Gary Warren and Josh Meekings into the mix.
Meekings has since returned, instantly shoring up the defence. For the Highland derby on Saturday, though, they were also without their star man Ryan Christie after he was dismissed versus Aberdeen the week before. Christie had been involved in eight of his team’s nine goals before the weekend and, with the form of Ross County, many again underestimated the resilience of this Inverness side.
In the realisation they don’t possess as much attacking prowess as last season, Inverness have become more of a counter attacking team. They sat incredibly deep in this match, using Liam Polworth and James Vincent in the wide positions of a 4-2-3-1.
The result was that they remained more disciplined in their positioning and were able to spring back to aid their full-backs, or two holding midfielders, when out of position. This also meant that Jackson Irvine was unable to dictate as much as he has in recent weeks and that County failed to get the ball into dangerous wide positions – from where they are so dangerous.
Their opening goal was a counter-attack of sorts. Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo, in for Christie, won the ball in the left-back area before driving forward with the ball. Inverness then resorted to their patient build-up play for a succession of passes – including across their back four – before Mutombo noticed the run of Liam Polworth and slipped the ball behind County’s defence for him.
Polworth then found Miles Storey, who scored his fourth goal in five games since arriving on loan from Swindon. His speed and strength in attack seems to have is the perfect out-ball for the way Inverness set up at the moment. At times they aimed it towards the Swindon loanee to hold up, at others they aimed it over his crap hair for him to chase.
Inverness have now gone six matches without defeat and Storey’s goal have been crucial. Even after losing so many key players, and without their best player for this match, Caley were able to defeat one of the league’s form sides.
Craig Fowler (@craigfowler86)
This past weekend I didn’t attend any matches. I was asked instead to do a subbing shift on the sports desk for the Scotland on Sunday. This is a far greater responsibility and highlights the trust the Scotsman publications have in me, but it is nowhere near as fun. I’d much rather have been at Dundee, for example. (Even though the game sounded guff, and it was in Dundee.) Sometimes it’s ok if Jeff and co are on the tele in the office. I don’t get to watch Gilette Soccer Saturday very often, so this represents something of a novelty. However, with the Rugby World Cup on, someone wanted the Japan v Tonga match on (?!), so I was left to scan Twitter for score updates.
Thankfully entertainment was provided by the least likely scoreline you are going to see in Scottish football this season. St Johnstone beating Aberdeen isn’t a shock. They’ve had a good record against the Dons recently. But beating them 5-1 on their own turf was just downright bizarre. This is an Aberdeen defence which conceded only three times in eight games. Against Saints they shipped in all five in just over 50 minutes. As the updates rolled in on social media it barely seemed believable, and there were audible gasps and exclamations around the desk whenever I read them out.
Even though I’m gutted the much vaunted title race is beginning to look like another false dawn, I still couldn’t wait to see the highlights on the BBC website – I don’t go near that Sportscene muck – to find out exactly how the hell all this went down. Aside from Brian Easton’s ridiculous opener, it was all pretty basic stuff. The kind of schoolboy defending you often see in Scottish football, but mistakes which Aberdeen tend to avoid, or at least before Saturday’s game.
I was spoiled for choice when it came down to an individual moment. Easton’s opener, obviously; Joe Shaughnessy scoring against his old side; Zander Clark getting the fright of his life when the ball, erm, bounced up before hitting him in the face, and Steven MacLean’s somersault celebration. However, it’s another celebration I’ll go for which many didn’t spot. As MacLean wheels away after making it five, Murray Davidson, in the centre, walks instead into the goal mouth, arms outstretched and stands there in front of the Aberdeen fans. And it’s that attitude that we should really remember. The post-match focus has been on Aberdeen, but St Johnstone are the side who won the football game so emphatically. They deserve to be the story. A story summed up in Davidson, standing there, staring at the opposition, saying ‘how fucking great are we?’
Tony Anderson (@tonyterrace)
I’m a huge fan of foreign players coming to Scotland and seemingly falling in love with their clubs. Not just their clubs, their surroundings, the Scottish culture and our humour. Players like Gilles Rousset, Franck Sauzee, Lorenzo Amoruso, Henrik Larsson, Manuel Pascali and of course Jaroslaw Fojut.
This season I have been hugely impressed with the performances of Hamilton’s Yugoslavian born Gramoz Kurtaj. More than that though I have warmed to his apparent passion and delight for playing in Scotland with Hamilton.
His elation and celebration when opening the scoring against Celtic is similar to what I believe most fans would do in that situation. His parents had travelled over to watch the game and Kurtaj looked like he had scored for Hutchie Vale and was on a tenner a goal from his Dad.
A love affair is brewing with Hamilton fans as he celebrates the end of every victory with them like he is a born and bread Accie head. Kurtaj claims he wishes he had come to Scotland earlier rather than floundering around the lower leagues in Germany and Czech Republic. This is something Scotland can offer foreign players from more successful football countries. The opportunity to be a star in a football mad country where their talents will be greatly appreciated and worshipped.
Gramoz, carry on these performances with that huge smile on your face, you will have a place in this football madhouse for evermore.
Listen to the latest Terrace Podcast show by clicking here.