Old Castle Rock
Andy Gav K aand Gav F are here...
To discuss everything that's happening on Gorgie Road. It's been a tough start to the season so what has went wrong
Old Castle Rock
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Andy and Fleming discuss the upcoming derby
Hello and welcome to Old Castle Rock, the podcast podcast, even it's easy for me to say, but we'll continue it anyway. But tries to talk everything to heart and low thing, it's me, Andy Dixon. And for the second week, it is just you, Miga Flame. How are we doing this week?
SPEAKER_00Nefa Bob Very well, very well, my friends. Uh it was actually alright just to have a little break from it last weekend, just just ahead of the the big cowdown, but it's um it's certainly feeling very, very real now, Andy. As uh I know it's only Thursday, but uh the the the nails the nails are getting a bit more frayed every day, mate. As I'm sure you're they are, aren't they?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it's obviously nervous and derby on Sunday, and to be fair, there's I think everything just rolls into it then. So let's just talk derby because nothing much else has probably happened. Rudy's schedules coming at the play of the year, which they've they've not they've they're not moving, obviously. So yeah, um right, let's just go into it then give one minute ten into the pod already. Let's go straight into it. The Derby on Sunday. First thing, how are you feeling about it?
SPEAKER_00Uh oh, it's just one of these ones that's honestly since last week was a bit better, like re-recorded, and I was like, right, I could I felt like I could kind of put it to the back of my mind for uh three, four days, Andy, because it was like a three weekend and that. So I was like, right, get out with the kids and stuff, and the weather was alright, nice and sunny and everything. But then uh sorry Tuesday, I would say Tuesday this week, it's just started creeping into the my thoughts as the days progress. I'm finding that like even this morning, I'm waiting for the train to go to my office, and I just start thinking about the derby. Like literally just standing waiting for the train, and I'm like, oh the derby on Sunday, the Derby's on Sunday. I mental I'm I'm coming, I was coming home, uh I went for a run, I'm like, ah, the Derby's on Sunday. It's just started to it turns out I feel mate. Like, I know we've we've discussed many derbies. Um it's a hard one to see, mate. A derby is a derby. Uh we can win it, but we can also lose it. Uh, I know that's not exactly groundbreaking content, but it's a it's a one thing I would say, mate. One thing I would say is I don't feel that this derby is really about the bragging rights, if that makes sense. This is uh like it could we could be playing anybody this Sunday is what I'm trying to say, and it would be a massive match. Do you see where I'm coming from? Because it's not all really important now because of the league if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01But let's let's let's like it, let's break it down and slightly move it slightly away from the derby because we are what 20 22 days and it will be over, right? So we are basically everything But this is it 22 days.
unknownStop it, mate!
SPEAKER_01Three weeks, oh no three weeks, stop it, mate. The season is over in three weeks, right? And this is it, because I'm but because and and but this is the whole thing, and this is like because I count down to my holiday, right? So my at the moment I'm going on holiday the day after the last game of the season, so my kids are in an absolute countdown. They're counting my daughter is daily counting down how many days to the holiday, and at that point I know that I'll be going on holiday either as hearts are champions or not champions.
SPEAKER_00You're away on the way on the Sunday, you're away on the Sunday, are you?
SPEAKER_01On the Sunday, yeah.
SPEAKER_00We leave the Sunday for so Oh what a feeling though. See if we do it, what a holiday that will be. But equally, I know if we don't do it, mate, you'll be like, I'm not going.
SPEAKER_01Actually, no, because a a week on a week in an all-inclusive is probably exactly what I would need after the way this this whole season has gone. But it's when you think about the whole thing, is that basically everything that we have done for this whole season, this is it. This is this is a culmination of everything. These next five games, it's it. And I think the the Derby, the Derby kick, the derby obviously the way that it kicks off, and it's probably the it's probably the best game to get to get over to get it over and done late, and then it's fixtures, you're rattling through these fixtures. And again, you'll win on a win on the derby, and then you've got the momentum.
SPEAKER_00I am quite I am quite glad it's the first game, like like you say, just to try and just so it's gone, because even though it'll be a a real, real, real, absolute sore one if we lose, it wouldn't necessarily a hundred percent be the end of the challenge, right? Because we would still be, I think worst case, we would be level with Celtic handy, and Rangers would be too ahead with us to play Rangers at Time Castle. Okay, so it wouldn't quite be like nuclear, but it it wouldn't be good, but it that's that's that's preferred that maybe getting them in two or three games time, and they could be the actual team that prevents us, like if you see where I'm coming from, the actual life. Yeah, absolutely. Like the relegation derby, but they fucked that up, but you know what I mean. You know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01And this is it, this is I was having a chat with a mate the other day, uh, just about about all, and I was like trying to I was like, oh, they'll be pumped up for to try and go out, and obviously they can't they can't stop it, but they can certainly derail it. And he was like, they should probably be thinking about just trying to sort their own seasons out rather than uh rather than any. I was like, Aye, fair enough. He was very a bit more pragmatic that there's more to life or death than in their season, but also our title race than going out and losing to them on Saturday, or Sunday I should say, and I think that was quite a different way to look at it because in my head it's like and I know that if we lose on Sunday, I'll be furious. I know already I'll be furious, I know that I'll be rage in, I know how I am as a person, and I will not be able to see the I will not be able to see the woods for the trees. Um on Thursday, for example, with the next week if we record and we somehow have got beat, then I will be I know how I'll be, and but this at the same time there is more to it. There's again Celtic and Celtic and Rangers are still to play their games. They're playing, we're we're now playing the best five teams in the country, so there is no there's no easy games for this, and so I get how this is this is what I was thinking as well, like it's it's a strange one.
SPEAKER_00So if we could like say say we'd started the Falker, for example, this this weekend, right? You'd be like, oh, Falker gets hiny, oh great chance for that would still be a massive match. All five of them are absolutely huge. So I'm just it's it's just slightly odd. Um I'm not viewing this in the same way as in oh, we're playing Hibs, we're playing Hibs. It's more it's more this is for the league, this is for the league, this is for the league, and it could be anybody. And I'm I'm actually not it's it's more just about what it can mean for the league, as opposed to like the bragging rights. I mean, you'd be a bit like ha ha ha, but it's not one that because it's it's it's going for the league. So yeah, it's uh I really don't know. And I hate all the cliches because you say hips could be extremely fired up, Andy, but surely to flip that, hearts are going for a league. So surely, surely hearts will also be extremely extremely fired up. And if they're not, there's a problem. And it's very, very sorry, sorry.
SPEAKER_01Well, there has been the thing is though, when has there been problems? It's when we've had these weak breaks. We went to Kilmarnock and we were flat. You're right. We went to Livingston and we were we played okay and then we became flat. So how it's how have we managed? Like, how have we managed this week in a bit's break uh between games? Especially because the there seems to be when we win, it seems to be a bit of a bit of momentum, um, and then suddenly we get that momentum, like beating Aberdeen, we beat Motherwell, we take a break, we come back, we're flat, we take it, we need to we need to take time to get ourselves back into it.
SPEAKER_00So it might it might it might be that that's a good point because I know like a lot of players will talk about momentum and stuff, right? And you know, you maybe want a game, it's like oh, I can't wait till the next game. You know, when teams are going on good runs, they start all they like coming into our work and going to training. Oh, when's the next evening when they like a mid-deep game? They're like, Oh, we play Wednesday. Yes, we're playing well, the confidence is up. So even though from the point of view that you can rest and you can recuperate, well, not in our case, we just seem to exercise exacerbate into the game. But but you're right, like it's a long time. And is it is this is this the third time since like the end of February? That there's been like a fortnight late. I was like cup, yeah, Scotland, and then cup again. Aye, yeah. I mean that's I I think I've read today that we've actually only played like four games or something since the the end of February, which is just a little bit mad.
SPEAKER_01We played them aye, you because you've played them in two weeks, you've basically played these games in two week blocks. Yeah, and it's it is, and it this is the thing as well, and I mean you're joking we're joking about uh obviously momentum and things, but we seem to be hit we seem to hemorrhage players on these breaks. Like, don't know how how we manage it, but we seem to be we seem to be picking up more injuries when they're they're left to their own devices than we do when they're playing.
SPEAKER_00I was genuinely, I was genuinely like I I was I think I've said a boy at my work having a joke, right? And I was like, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they go to Spain and and something happens to somebody. I just the way you know I mean Shanklin like gets hit across the head with a a rogue table tennis ball or something. I was just I haven't I I would not want to go into speculation just now, eh? Just with I think people listening will maybe know what the the injury speculation chat is about, but we don't want to get too negative, but um that's it without going down to another whole mate of the chats that we have about injuries, but that there is something wrong and it needs to get looked at and it is but going back to your point about the breaks, aye. Um you could either come back fully revitalised and rare to go, chests puffed out, but it could also be a bit flat, and we are quite notorious for slow starts this season as well. We went down Easter Road quite confident, we just beat uh the Rangers and Celtic in two in the last few games, and look what happened there. So you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01Well, this is it, and I would what I would say as well is that um obviously we have we're going there, and you're right. Uh you were your point was right as well, though, is that they should be able to, and McKinnon seems like he's the kind of man that should be able to get them to like they want to run through a brick wall for them and fire them up. That's the way that he comes across because he's got me what to do it. Like, so can you imagine what he's like to work with every day? So you'd imagine that he should be, um, but again, and you can imagine you should be imagining that them being away together and where where I don't know exactly where in Spain they went, um, but from them being away together, you'd expect them to have built maybe a wee bit more of a bond because it was quite it was quite closed shop as well, wasn't it? There was there wasn't as if there was a lot of coming out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there was there was no there was, I think I think they did that deliberately, no media, so even even like the standard wasn't there, like nothing. It was just an I think McInnes was that was under instruction to get away, get together, do some training, a bit of sunshine, everything like that. McInnes was on scarf around the funnels this week, and I don't know if you had a chance to listen to it. So they had they had them, it was only about 10-15 minutes he was on talking to the lads, and he was just saying, like, there's nothing too much in it, but he was like, you know, it went quite well. Like you say, they had a chance to spend a bit of time together, uh, somebody around the golf and everything. So aye, but um yeah, it's just uh it's it's just how how you react. Like the slow start at Eastman the last time is it gonna be all over that? Like, is it are we gonna be like on the right hand side? Hibs will have been working on that all week, but I'm sure Dell has as well. It's just it's just getting this balance, it's just getting the balance.
SPEAKER_01Of course it is, and again, I the I think and Hibs are still got the thing is Hibs have we've brought the we're playing for the league, they've still got a little bit to play for as well, but again, so have Motherwell Sloth Falker. Motherwell's little bit has allowed the other two to catch up and for these any European spots as well. So, I mean, there's certainly all it's certainly all out there, it's all to play for. Like, I mean, we're there's obviously the injury rumours, the injury speculation, the things that have maybe happened over there, but um obviously it was saying that McIntyre's out for the season, obviously Magnuson was confirmed as out for the season as well. Um so again, uh opens up the the right hand side that obviously right back for for somebody and you know who we do.
SPEAKER_00Somebody is gonna be, you know who it's exactly, and we're all gonna be well actually not, but I think I think by now we're we're 33 games into a season, and I think we've just got to go. You know, my guy's as a stop, right? So although there might be a preference in some matches to say Alterna, Easter Road, I don't think, is the place at right back. However, however, if I was playing devil's advocate, mate, I might be tempted to go in a three-five-two, and there's maybe a there's maybe a worthy conversation that they had about Altena being the right wing back. I don't think that will happen, right? Well uh I think it will just be fine then it'll come in.
SPEAKER_01Now that you've mentioned that, because I was thinking about this the other day, and I was thinking my proper football manager, like head, about about playing the 3-5-2, with Steinwinder as the right of the three, Altena always be the right wing back, but it means that he can step into the midfield, so when he needs to.
SPEAKER_00That's what I he's a decent midfield, but also obviously a decent midfielder as well that can do that.
SPEAKER_01So and also, but what it also does is that with them as well, it allows them it allows them to pin them back a bit, like wide, because that's their whole thing, is that they like the wide players, they like their boils and they like their the cadens to to try and come down the to the wing.
SPEAKER_00Oh well that's what we need to we need to be the for whatever reason the cadden uh well sorry who's who's the one that that puts the crosses in, and they who's the the one the the white the the one of the two that always boosts it. Nikki Cadden.
SPEAKER_01Mickey Cadden.
SPEAKER_00Right, he he just always every single derby he seems to have at least two or three like crosses or passes that he puts in, right? Or lands right underhead. He he has got like really good delivery, it needs me to say. And I just I just hope we're working on a plan. Like I know it's just you know, like I know we're not in a header of like man marking somebody and everything, but the right hand side, you know, we've seen what happened each other with spin vendor at right back. So if you're choosing that right hand side, right, what what are you doing? What what what what would your reference be?
SPEAKER_01I would I don't know, right? Because in my my head and my heart I've got two different I've got two different things, okay. So are we is Harry Milne playing? Is Harry Milne fat?
SPEAKER_00They're saying it's and they're saying they're saying he's he's not being ruled out yet, but he looks about so take that. I think that means he's not gonna be in it'll be Kinsley at left back or left or left sided centre back if they play a three, maybe. Oh no, what are we talking about? Left line back maybe, sorry.
SPEAKER_01Aye, because they'd play Finley there. Um I don't know about I just want I was just curious, but uh for me then you probably would be better with if you're playing a flat four, you have you have stylewinder there, but you make sure that you've got a Krajotta or a Chesnikov.
SPEAKER_00Now my preference would be Kurjotta, but you've got one of them there to then push on to push on a the full put onto their full back as well, so it's pinning them back and it's not allowing Cadden, whichever one of the numpties is playing, there to you would you think he would play maybe play Kiddy from the right and just hope Kiddy has a good game and like you say push pushes their their kind of full backs back.
SPEAKER_01Well I think that's what you've I think that's what you've got to do. I think that I think that's what you've got to do with that as well. The problem is that you're never going to get you could never we're never expansive enough to play Kurzotta and Kizzy as wing backs and then have that the midfield and like a midfielder dropping in at times and sitting with a fake four and these two are bombing on and pushing them back and pushing them back. We're never going to be that expansive, but I think that we need we obviously need to push them on, we need to push our wingers against our full backs. The issue that McInnes will have is that they're going to play three in the middle of the park.
SPEAKER_00So I think we should go with three in the middle as well. I think to myself, if you've got those wing backs and you maybe got a three in the middle, uh you you maybe got an opportunity to actually do that because yeah, we we we even even at Time Castle Andy, I I still feel we seem to give up. Well, actually, it's been a it's been a feature hard to play this season in the midfield. Not bypassing it as such, but I know you know what I mean. I feel like in the derbies do seem to dictate it a little bit more from the middle, but that's maybe you know they had the graph player at the Christmas game, for example. He's uh not McGrath, sorry, um Mulligan. Mulligan's out this weekend, right? So that that's a slight bonus for us. But I just feel like we never seem to I don't I don't know, we never seem to be controlling the play, and I know it's a derby, and I know it's a hundred miles an hour, but even the Timcastle games, I just feel that they always seem to have a little bit more zip about them in the middle of the park. But that is kind of how we play, and we just try and nip it off teams and then try and break, you know, the transition. So it's like a risk reward. We do give these we give these teams possession, and it could be frustrating as a fan watching it when you think always maybe have a bit more control.
SPEAKER_01That's but again, you're you're coming up with two against a three, aren't you? This is the this is the whole problem, is that you've got two against a three, and the two that we're playing are very defensive. So whether it is whether it's Benny, Benny, Devlin, or Leonard, they aren't their base position is quite a defensively, is quite defensively based. Now, Benny sorry, Devlin will move, will run and run and run, and he'll run forward, but he's not he's not your attacking midfielder that's going to break the lines or or Paul Hartley or Colin Cameron, something that we we do lack in the squad. I mean, I'd probably say that Magnuson's the closest.
SPEAKER_00I was just going to say, how Asworth's for straight in. I do like Magnuson. I know he's only scored three goals, and I know people when when Magnuson was rumoured to be out for the season, I know it's been for now, you're always a bit like, oh, we've got quite a lot of options. But when these other problems start to happen, you go, Oh, actually, Magnuson and McAdee would have been good options for the middle of the park for Sunday. Mags Mads is the only one you're right that and also, but obviously he got a guard when I took it wrong. Like he's had five, six good chances and turned up in the opponent's box quite a lot, Andy. He's he is the only guy that seems to just drift in on the edge of the box and find himself in that position to actually score. So I he he is a big miss in the context of the injuries this week, as is Mackitee.
SPEAKER_01It's um, do you think we might do you think we might just get ma do you think the way obviously with some of these rumours, we might just get Altena in the middle of the put starting in the middle of the plaque?
SPEAKER_00Oh no idea. I don't know if you would put him in uh in the middle. I think if he was gonna play, I mean I think he would he's obviously right side. So a right a right wing back would make sense, like, but he isn't he is I get your point, he is inverted and he's quite comfortable in possession, and half the time he's in the middle of the pitch when he plays anyway. So I do I see where you're coming from.
SPEAKER_01Because again, midfield midfield could be an issue. We might have to play three at the back, by the way, depending on how many uh depending on uh what any of these midfield rumors and the young boys these days as well, right? See they're all out on loan.
SPEAKER_00I know they're out on loan on that, but see see back in the day you'd be a bit like, all right, there's like two or three injured. Usually, and this is even with harsh resources, you'd be like, Oh, there's a young lad, maybe just come in for a game, like you know, 19 or 20, you'd be like, Oh, you've been playing okay. But we don't even we don't even have anyone like that, apparently.
SPEAKER_01Well, well, the thing is, well, this is the problem is is they're all sent out on these agreements to to clubs who who could quite obviously they'll go sorry, I'll start again. So they'll get sent out to the on these re these loan agreements to where they can be brought back. See Adam Forrester, right? So Hartz could technically on Saturday, could on Saturday phone up uh St. John phone up St. Johnston, for example.
SPEAKER_00Stick him in a wristback on Sunday for a good laugh.
SPEAKER_01But that's what but this is well, this is the next point I was going to make is that right, so obviously we're not gonna bring Forester back because we don't need a right back. The one person the one player that we whit that we we could actually do with is the one that we actually can't do it because he's in the same league as us, would be Tate. But at this point, do you then look at some of the other ones that are maybe out on loan? So but this is the thing is that these ladies are out, these lad they're out on loan but to get the minutes under Jamestown. Whereas before, so when say so many years ago, these players would have been playing in the in the reserve league, the under 20s league. That none of that really exists anymore. The B team playing the lowland league, but anytime any of the players over the age of 18 aren't they going to learn much playing in the lowland league? It's for the it was basically to get them to a certain level to 18 because there wasn't there's nothing being really there for them. Then they go out they're out to Montrose. Because I think Gus Stevenson's out on loan uh Montrose as well, another centre young centre midfielder. So you've got Sanderlands who could maybe come in, you could maybe bring him back if you need to an option. Again, is it is it the right time for him? Well, if how much how many options have we got, and how many of these rumours are actually true? We don't know. So, like he's one that with these agreements technically they could phone up, they could phone Montrose on Saturday morning and say, by the way, we need him, he can't play. And he gets he gets brought back. And actually, I think he can play. I think he could play Saturday and then play for Hearts on Sunday because I'm sure that happened for Forrester. That he was on he was he was involved or at least on the bench for St Johnston on the Friday, and then he was on the bench for Hearts on the Saturday. So it's it certainly can happen. Um and these are where these young boys are, they they don't just kick about the club because there is a vast drop between the the players that are at the club at the moment and then the ones that could step in because they're basically 16-year-old, 17-year-old these boys. So it's uh it's a vast there is a a bit of chasm between who you'd be quite happy because not every 16-year-old is going to come into the derby because especially because it's a derby and what it means to be able to handle handle that pressure.
SPEAKER_00It just seemed like there just there always used to be an option when you could be like, okay, yeah, you know who's under who's under 21? And it's just I know it's going back a bit, but it's just like when you're aye Scott Severan, Stephen Simmons. I know I know it's just aye, like even Connor Smith, there's just there used to be like a name and how many names are gonna even say his name right. Tate is the one that maybe he's still been at the club right enough, you know, at least maybe from from the bench. But you're right, a lot of it's rumour, and so we will just need to wait and see. But uh it'll be interesting, and we just I know again it's another cliche, but let's just wait. It feels like the last three or four times we've been there, we've also conceded a goal within the first 10 or 15 minutes, right? We're just getting lied by hook or by cook. And I know that they'll come out with a and and I know they'll come out with a real fast start. And I I suppose it's important that we uh obviously we need to wear we're gonna need to weather the storm. I guess it's just important that we don't get and actually the fans have been brilliant this season, but we maybe don't get too disgruntled like if it's nil-nil, but they're maybe they're maybe on top for a decent chunk because this hearts team tends to grow into games. Yeah, you know what I mean? So it's like I we can get through it, even if we can just get through that initial bet, hearts would then probably come on to a game, but it's just the last, I'm sure the last two or even three would be gonna go down in fucking five, ten minutes. What was it, two minutes to Christmas? People are barely sat down and we were getting beat one nil. Outrageous, like outrageous.
SPEAKER_01Do you think here's the next question? Do you think we're worrying too much about them? We've sat here for 20 minutes debating.
SPEAKER_00No, no, no, no. So like I don't no, I don't know I don't think it's hearts are still hearts are still a good team, and hearts are still deservedly top of the league as well. Hearts are 19 points ahead of himself, right? And we've got a brilliant record against the top six. So I I do see your point. I uh hearts are not gonna be shrinking violence on Sunday, and hearts aren't gonna go to East of the Road and be like, oh no, we're playing Hibs. I guess I guess just McKinnah's won't be thinking like that. McKinsey will be like, lads, Chandler will be there, you know, Halkett, Shangland will be right about the last game at East of the Road, Harts are top, you know, and I would imagine Harts will go out with their chest puffed out as well, right? And they'll have believe it's just because there's there's two teams involved, and you know, like it or not, the the away the the the away you know being at East of the Road, it is harder. You know, if it was Tincastle, we'd all be a bit it's just harder, you know. They've got the 70,000 fans, it's it's it's their home ground, and they will be up for it. I guess Boyle's last game, but no, not too worried, mate. Of course hearts can win this game. But I was just a bit nervous because of the what I am, just because of the starts at Easter Road, what seems recently, and that the away form for us hasn't been that good, and also the record at Easter Road is not what it used to be. But listen, Hearts can still win this game, mate. Of course they can. Often they can.
SPEAKER_01Is it on Sky?
SPEAKER_00It is, yes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's a there's another rec there's another wee thing. Our record on Sky this season's been fucking terrible.
SPEAKER_00No, I know, so it started off. Obviously, we were doing really well, and they were showing quite a lot of the games that we were winning. Avengers and Celtec and everything, right? It was like a neighbor. But now I'm like, oh that I must be superstitious because when I found out the Motherwell game was an eight o'clock on a Saturday, I was like, no, no, I don't I don't like this. I just I don't like Saturday. I was I was like, I just don't like it. I had memories of the filmic game, eh? But uh if if if hearts win on Sunday, uh I don't think they'll well I'd love to be wrong, mate, uh but I don't think he'll score in the first half. I think it would be a game that we grow into and maybe do it in the second half, right?
SPEAKER_01And I think it's games are always games are always the best, aren't they, when you score late on.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just yeah, I would say, would you what I'm always trying to say here? If we were to get a draw, right, and I know a draw, a draw's a funny one, because draws can be strange, eh? You went back to 4-4 and everything, that was like a win. But say it was like nil-nil, and it was like a point, right? And you go, Oh, you know what I mean? You maybe be one point behind rangers going to the next Monday. That's not a disaster, is it?
SPEAKER_01It's not a disaster. My that's the thing, is though, it's a point, you're right, it would be a point. My whole my biggest worry, and I've said it all season, is that the moment you let one of them get in front of you, is I worry that we'll never get back in front of them, yeah. Um, and especially because Celtic play before us, they play on the Sunday against the Hibs. That's um you play the Rangers, so yeah, and it's at that point we could be third going into that, and that's my biggest and I don't know if that's just me being superstitious.
SPEAKER_00But it is interesting how it could this is why, because it is it's gonna because we would then have the Rangers, and if we won that, it then flips a wee bit, and we've got Motherweather on the Saturday, and then the only fun games on the Sunday. Oh god, I know. Um I don't think any of these three teams are gonna win the five games, right? And I've I've got a horrible feeling, mate, that there's a just there's maybe one more fucking Tom Marnik or Livingston kind of result left for us this season.
SPEAKER_01But that's if we could win the first four and then I'd happily take a take a doing at Park Kid.
SPEAKER_02I would say that that would be a good thing.
SPEAKER_01Win the first win the next win the four and a doing at Park Heed, please, and then that'll be fine and we'll be champions. We can how does that sound?
SPEAKER_00Um I'll take that, I'll take that.
SPEAKER_01But oh honestly, how do you think uh I've I need to wrap this up soon, but how do you think that this this team will be looked at going forward, right? So I'm gonna I'm thinking about how everyone talked about the 86 team that lost a double in the week and that they they came back and they still were like clapped off the bus. How do you think people will react to that to this squad? Say we don't win the league, right? So I say we don't win the league.
SPEAKER_00So I I I think I understand what you're saying. I I so the way I'm the way I'm trying to come to terms with this, Sandy, right, and I'm trying to preempt it, right? And I know it will be hard. Um I know, right, I know for a fact, right, if we don't do it, whatever weekend it's gonna be, and I'm sure you'll be the same, and every you know, a lot of fans, right? I I admit that I'm gonna be down, and I know there'll be people saying, Oh, it's just a game and that, right? But I know the day happens, maybe even the Sunday, maybe even in the Monday, I'm gonna be like that, and it's gonna be negative, and I'm gonna be like, fuck sake, fuck sake, fuck sick, fuck sake, right? However, however, like everything now, maybe a week will go by, right? Two weeks will go by, or coming to the summer, we'll start making sign-ins, maybe the the Europe draw will happen, and then I'll be able to kind of go, Do you know what? That was a brilliant season, right? And I'll remember, you know, the the derbies, the last minute, the goals, the beating the old firm home and away. But uh I'm basically trying to say, mate, I'm trying to prepare myself in my mind for it not happening, right? But but but the team, I I I I I and I've been pretty consistent, even after defeats this season, I I will not be criticising McKinnis or any player or anything because they have done just such a good job, Andy. But five defeats, and I think this team will be will be held up and and revered. But I do get what you mean, because 97-98, they won a cup, oh five, oh six, they won a cup, they won a cup. This season's teams, this season's team's obviously not in a cup final, but maybe something's come in. So no, no, this team should still be held up on a pedestal, mate. No, this is what I was absolutely an amazing season, an amazing season.
SPEAKER_01I wanted to just have this quick chat before. I wanted to just see how it would be obviously with five to go rather than have it trying to have this conversation like the week before Falkirk and Celtic and stuff, and how do you think this team would be looked at? Because again, they've they've they've achieved so much. Um McKinnist, the whole team, they've achieved so much. And the face of absolute everything against them, like some of the decisions, their their own fucking medical team. Like we and we are still there. We've led this, we've led the league for September. We technically could be leading into the start of May. Like, and it's again, is it a bit naivety at times? Maybe. Um, is it a but is it a good base work to go further forward? Yes, absolutely. And you're right. I mean, if if and when it comes, if we aren't champions, I'll be devastated. I'll be devastated for a few days. But after after after that, we'll obviously build ourselves up, and people will think it's absolutely amazing that Hearts Hovney won the league. Um because everybody that says, Oh, wish hearts I wish somebody else won the league, we only want it for their own team, they didn't want their own team to win somebody else to really win it. They want to be the one to break this to break this monopoly. So everybody will be out there going, ha, fucked it up, which is fine.
SPEAKER_00I was thinking though, Andy, right? Like I obviously out with Rangers and Celtic, like Hibs and Aberdeen, okay, and I know there's teams that like don't like cars, right? But I was thinking myself, mate, say randomly it was Colmarick or Motherwell or somebody, right? I I would want them to win the league. There has to be fans somewhere that think it's football.
SPEAKER_02There will be, right?
SPEAKER_00I've spoken to a lot of folk. I have spoken to quite a lot of folk, a couple of Dundee United boys and that and I worked, and they're like, Oh, I do. Of course, I he's like, I don't like parts of boys like that to me. He's like, I don't like because he's annoyed about with me, uh put Robbie Nielsen back. That's why he hates us. He's like, mate, it's Robbie Nielsen, we've done you a favour. But he's like, no, no, no, no, no. Um, it would be good for Scottish football, it would be great. And there's even quite a few hits. Andy Murray, mate, I'm not saying he's a diehard hits fan, but um he was seemingly saying, you know, for the game, it might just give other teams a bit of belief that something can be done, you know. And I I I think this thing about it is annoying me a little bit. Celtick can't get it. But see, see this chat about this this horrific Rangers team, right? I'm like, I get they had a bad start under Russell Martin, but it was only five or six games, right? And they've still spent 30 or 40 million over two windows, okay? And they've only lost two games all season. I think I think that you know there's a there's a bit of both, like, yeah, they're not the the Dick Advocat and original Martin O'Neill, old firm teams, okay? But they're that Rangers are still they're still a good team in Scotland's terms. Celtic, yeah, Celtic have been pulled away off it. But I I think that you know what kind of says we're we maybe deserve a lot more trade than who we are. Rangers and Celtic aren't just rubbish, basically what I'm gonna say.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, I agree. Totally agree. Um, and the the money that this the money that they spend and everything else, and there's there's so much to it on why they've they've obviously caught up and everything else, and you're never ever going to go. We would never be able to keep that up anyway.
SPEAKER_00But I just wanted to say people saying, Oh, Martin O'Neill's done this amazing job, right? And I'm like, you're still you're still a team like Kieran Tune, my dad are in, my aide are cat a need to be in him. You know that they can bring in um natural used to play for Leicester off the bench, Oxley Chamberlain. And I'm thinking to myself, oh, you know what I mean? Oh, boo-hoo. And they're talking like it's honestly like proper bare bones. I'm like, it's still like a level of player above hearts, right? So on a bit of perspective, mate, but um sorry, I'm a bit of a tangent there, but no, no, you're right, you're right. This team will be held up, this team will be held up.
SPEAKER_01Good. This is that's I said I just want to give this this quick chat there. Um, and we'll probably just wrap it up there. I'm not going to ask you for any score prediction because I'm too nervous to do that myself. So am I, mate.
unknownI'm even not even going there, no even going there.
SPEAKER_01Um and hopefully, hopefully, some of these rumours are just mind games and everything else. Um, and hopefully that it's something that we've picked up for Ferge. But again, thank you very much for everybody that has listened. Um, we have been Old Castle Rock. Now, as part of our something since the start of the year, we have been promoting that it is good to talk. If anybody is feeling lonely, feeling low, reach out to someone, they will be happy to help, whether it's two losers on a football podcast or whether it's some of the professionals out there, such as the Andy Mans Club, Breathing Space, anything like that, they will be certainly happy to help you. I mean, you can get us on all your social media sites if you just want to have a quick chat about football, that's fine. Um, we're on X, we're on Facebook, we're on Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky as well. And again, we'll be happy to chat. And again, if you've not heard from someone in a wee while just reach out. They might be feeling that little bit low, and your text message just might make their day as well. Um, and again, I thank you very much for listening. Get us on all your streaming sites as well, the good ones and the bad ones. Leave us a little review, it will help us. And we're all big boys, even the negative ones um will certainly help us on uh all your streaming sites and kickback as well. That's certainly not not an issue at all. Um, and again, thank you very much. Um, we'll hopefully next week we'll be in beta nice good moods, and Kennedy will be back with some of his Las Vegas stories and how many of them we can actually air. Um, that's a bye for me.
SPEAKER_00Go on the fucking jump.