Livingston

• After their 2-0 win in May last season, Ross County could secure successive victories over Livingston in the top flight for the first time.

• Livingston have kept just a single clean sheet in their last nine league meetings with Ross County, doing so in a 2-0 win in January 2023.

• Ross County have won two of their last three league games (L1), and are looking to earn successive league wins for only a third time since the start of last season, having previously done so in November 2022 and May 2023.

• Livingston’s 3-2 win at Hibs in their last away league game ended a run of nine straight Scottish Premiership away defeats without scoring. However, David Martindale’s side have conceded at least twice in each of their last eight league games on the road (20 in total, 2.5 per game), keeping just one clean sheet in their last 20 away league outings (2-0 v Ross County in January 2023).

• No player has created more chances from set-plays in this season’s Premiership than Ross County’s Yan Dhanda (6), with both of his assists in the league coming from set-pieces (1 corner, 1 free-kick). Meanwhile, no side has conceded more set-piece goals in the competition this term (excl. penalties) than Livingston (3).

Livingston return from the international break by heading to Dingwall to face Ross County on Saturday.

Can David Martindale’s side get back to winning ways after shipping an injury-time equaliser to St Mirren last time out?

Make yourself the manager and choose your starting XI here.

David Martindale says Ross County’s spending power is in stark contrast to Livingston’s finances as the sides prepare to go head to head on Saturday.

While Martindale had to “lose £200,000 off the budget” at Livi this year, County brought in 10 players during the summer window and paid transfer fees for St Mirren pair Eamonn Brophy and Jay Henderson and Coventry City’s Josh Reid.

“[County chairman] Roy [MacGregor] has invested a lot of money in the club,” said Martindale.

“I think they’ve spent a few quid in the transfer market this summer on the two boys from St Mirren and the boy from Coventry. So Roy has invested in that squad and I don’t think we’re playing the same Ross County team as we played last year.

“Malky [Mackay] is an extremely good manager. He’s coached at the highest level and done a very good job in Dingwall.

“It shows you how competitive the league is that County finished sixth the season before last and then 11th this year and stayed up via the play-offs.”

Having conceded a 96th-minute equaliser to St Mirren last time out, Livi are seventh in the Premiership after four games with a five-point haul Martindale insists should be higher.

“I’m still gutted about the previous Saturday,” he added. “We’ve only got ourselves to blame but we’re sitting here on five points when it should be seven.”

Image source, sns

Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport Scotland

David Martindale has been speaking to the media before Livingston's Saturday visit to Ross County.

Here are the key lines from the manager's news conference:

• Martindale confirmed there is potential investment interest from US-based parties.

• However, "court actions" may affect new revenue stream with disputes over who owns shares ongoing.

• The manager described the summer transfer window as "the hardest year in terms of recruitment" and revealed the club "closed a £400,000 gap".

• On Ross County, Martindale describes opposite number Malky Mackay as "an extremely good manager" who has "coached and managed at the highest level".

• He also noted County's investment and recruitment and said: "I don't think we're playing the same Ross County team as we played last year."

• The manager expects "a really tight league" and does not believe any team will become "ostracised" at the bottom.

Image source, SNS

Image source, bbc

Stuart Barrie, Livingston supporter

Rumours are circulating in the press about American investment coming into Livingston. The club have been vocal about the need for a cash injection so I guess it’s required.

I’m hesitant to welcome in new investors though. We’ve been here before and we’re not exactly a cash cow for hedge-fund managers. We’re quite the opposite and have been a black hole for cash for many previously.

The delay to this proposed investment is down to a couple of court cases waiting to be resolved, again we’ve been here before. Livi have a chequered past with investors. Some have worked well, lots haven’t, and we’ve had owners that didn’t have the best interests of the club at heart.

On one hand maybe these new investors see something in us that they can get on board with. I just hope we’re not seen as an investment that needs to bring in the bucks straight away. Maybe we’ll get our own film stars that will take Livi to the next level like Wrexham. That’s probably a little too Hollywood for us.

Perhaps I’m too sceptical about this whole thing but I am not sure how this movie ends.

There’s a couple of blockbuster games ahead for different reasons. If we can come away with points from Dingwall that would be terrific and if we can come away from Ibrox with some big bags of cash that would be more terrific!

Five points from four games against sides that all finished in the top-six last season can be filed under solid season starts for Livingston.

David Martindale knows his side are rarely going to blitz teams away, instead it is their grit and determination at the back that impresses all onlookers. The start to this season has been no different.

Jamie Brandon and Luiyi de Lucas have both made a league high of 18 tackles, while the latter tops the table in interceptions, too, with 13.

Only St Johnstone has a lower average possession than Livi's 39.6%, while Martindale's side have had the second-fewest shots on target, too. Only Aberdeen's seven tops their 10.

With an xG of four, and a goals tally of four, it does mean when his side should be scoring, they're scoring.

The Livi boss knows what he's getting from his experienced side, who are also the oldest, with his starting XI averaged age 28 years and 257 days.

Image source, SNS

A controversial plan to shake up how football supporters' buses operate in Scotland has been shelved after a backlash.

The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain unveiled plans for new guidelines on what the supporters' buses can do on match days.

This included any pub stops only being allowed at premises which serve a "substantial meal" with alcohol bought.

The move was widely criticised and the senior commissioner has now halted work on the proposed guidelines, saying he had "listened to the strength of feeling expressed".

A joint statement from the Scottish FA, SPFL, and Scottish Women’s Premier League said "common sense has prevailed" and thanked "clubs, fans and politicians across the country for their unanimous support in opposing and ultimately preventing these unreasonable and unworkable guidelines from being implemented.”

Read more on the story here

Livingston are in advanced talks with two sets of potential investors from America. (Daily Mail, print edition)

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish Gossip here.

Image source, bbc

Livingston's home match with Rangers in November has been pushed back a day and chosen for TV coverage.

The Premiership fixture will now take place on Sunday, 12 November at 12:00 BST.

Image source, sns

Scottish football’s leading governing bodies have criticised “unnecessary and heavy-handed” new proposals for fans travelling to games.

The UK government’s consultation paper ‘Guidelines for taking passengers to sporting events in Scotland’ proposes restrictions on buses carrying supporters to matches.

The proposed new rules include buses not being allowed to stop within 10 miles of the stadium without police permission, no stops at a pub for a beer unless it’s sold with a “substantial meal”, and no drop-offs or pick-ups from unauthorised locations without permission from the police.

A joint statement from the Scottish FA, SPFL and Scottish Women’s Premier League said: “There's no evidence that this is a significant problem in Scottish football. We are concerned by the targeted nature of these proposals, which serve to demonise football fans and interfere unnecessarily in people’s lives.

“In Scotland, there are already appropriate powers held by PHV operators, Police Scotland and other partners to deal effectively with a very small number of incidents by a minority of fans.

“The consultation itself notes that the majority of football fans are law-abiding and do not cause any disturbances when travelling to or from games, yet these proposals would unfairly affect the vast majority of football fans who travel safely and respectfully to and from matches on a weekly basis.

“We don’t support these unnecessary and heavy-handed proposals and we will be making our views clear in the consultation.”

Image source, sns

Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

A point against a team at the top of the table, even for a home game, would usually be cause for celebration for us but the last-gasp equaliser from St Mirren was gutting.

It felt like a defeat more than a well-won point. There wasn’t much between the teams, which is encouraging for us as St Mirren are currently media darlings.

It was disappointing not to take three points – although there wasn’t much between the teams, I still thought we were better.

Football aside, it was awful to see Andrew Shinnie go down injured in the first half. He landed with a sickening thud and the medical teams from both sides rushed on.

Footballers put their bodies on the line and risk short and long-term injury. Fans can be quick to demand players get "stuck in" but there aren't too many jobs that have a chance of a trip to the hospital or time off injured each time you go to work.

It was a nice touch - and a big relief - that he reappeared at the interval to signal he was okay.

St Mirren may be getting their time to shine in the spotlight which is leading to loads of rumours and questions about their manager Stephen Robinson going to Hibs. I’m happy with that, it takes the focus away from our manager and the terrific job he’s doing.

In typical David Martindale style he joked Craig Levein has better odds than him. However, it’s baffling that he’s not top of the list.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted he’s not, it means he’s focused on doing well with us. But I reckon he could take most teams in Scotland to the upper reaches of our league just as he’s done with us.

David Martindale believes the trend of referees adding on longer periods of additional minutes at the end of matches will prove detrimental to players’ welfare.

The Livi boss said he now factors in the possibility of games running to 100 minutes and beyond when planning his substitutions.

“I’ve started saying to my bench to say when it’s reached 90 minutes and making a sub then because you’re looking at playing for eight or nine minutes," he said after Livingston conceded an equaliser to St Mirren striker Stav Nahmani in the sixth minute of additional time.

“The way I structure my subs has changed because I’m putting fresh legs on the park. I don’t think it’s great for players.

“The intensity and physicality and asking the players to play an extra 10 per cent over the course of the season is not good for their well-being.”

Image source, SNS

Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "Fair play to St Mirren. They put us under pressure after we scored and we have to deal with the ball into our box better. We take it on the chin.

"I felt for the boys a little. I felt over the piece we deserved a wee bit more from the game. I felt we had better chances, better entries into the opponent's box. We have to do better ourselves in terms of execution when we do get in there. We were a bit unlucky to come away from a point.

"I look at the league now, and I think it was just two honest teams that cancelled each other out. We tried to turn it into percentage football, but I think you'll see a lot of that this year.

"It's Scottish football. The fine margins are so tight. We didn't manage the game well enough in the final stages. I'm fairly happy with the start we've had. I try and focus on the next game. Win, lose or draw, I don't spend much time looking at the league table."

Image source, SNS

Were you at the Tony Macaroni to watch that feast of football, or were you following along with the late drama on our live feed?

Was that a deserved point? Should it have been all three?

Have your say here.

Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport Scotland

Both sides were 'lucky to have nil' at half-time, according to our pundit Stephen Craigan.

That might have been a little harsh, but there was only one chance in that half that might make the Sportscene highlights - a header from Greg Kiltie that George did well to save.

Perhaps this was simply a case of two evenly-matched teams, cancelling each other out. Perhaps they both struggled to play much football on a sticky, dry plastic pitch.

As a result, both sides lofted it skyward in search of some go-forward. Both goals came from lumps into the box from free-kicks.

Ultimately, this was more a show of character than football. Two tough-to-beat teams that couldn't be beaten.