Livingston

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Kurtis Guthrie insists he is ready to make an impact in Scottish football following a difficult first season at Livingston.

The 30-year-old forward has been described as “a new signing” by Livi manager David Martindale after improved performances.

"I didn't have a pre-season [last year] and when I got up to speed I got injured and then I was just playing catch-up,” said Guthrie.

"When we came back after the World Cup, as a team we weren't really on it. As a forward who thrives off service, it was difficult for me to get going again.

"I always knew if I got a full pre-season behind me I would be functioning at a different level, fortunately enough that is coming to fruition.

"Even when things aren't going well, the tide always turns, so you just have to keep going.

"I feel I have got enough games behind me to know that it ebbs and flows and I have seen it before, it's more about taking stock of what I know I am about.

"The moment you start doubting yourself, you are in trouble straight away, I would rather roll my sleeves up and get on with it."

• Excluding play-offs, Adam Le Fondre scored in each of his last four league matches for Sydney FC before moving to Hibernian, while since arriving at Easter Road he has continued his scoring run, netting in both Scottish Premiership matches this season.

• Livingston have failed to score in each of their last three Premiership matches; the last time they went four top-flight matches without a goal was in February 2019.

• Hibs have lost both of their league games this season; they haven’t lost their first three matches of a top-flight league campaign since 2002-03.

• Livingston have conceded 2+ goals in each of their last four league visits to Hibs, losing three of those (W1) and conceding 10 goals in total (2.5 per game).

• Hibs have won both of their last two league meetings with Livingston, last winning three in a row against the Lions in the top flight in February 2006 under Tony Mowbray.

Livingston manager David Martindale reveals drawing Rangers at Ibrox in the Viaplay Cup has given the West Lothian club a financial lifeline. (Herald - subscription), external

The tie will not allow the Livi boss to sign more players but lessen the need to move some out. (Sun), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip

Livingston travel to Easter Road to face Hibs on Saturday, still looking for their first league win of the season.

Put yourself in David Martindale’s shoes and tell us your starting XI here.

Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

A clean sheet, two goals ,and into the hat for the next round. In truth, the game against Ayr United won't go down as one of the greats, but a win is a win and on we go into the next round.

Most of the talk during the game among the fans surrounded the worrying reports of sustained losses, indicating we are shipping £800,000 a year. It's baffling that we had another amazing season and still lost the best part of £1m. Livingston have been in this movie before. In fact the fans have seen it twice now, so there is a lot of deep worry and concern.

Everyone knows about our small fanbase, but we’ve had higher than expected league finishes and a few good travelling supports, so we had all assumed the Livi finances were solid. For the last few years there has been talk about living within our means, so the reports of the losses were a bit of a shock to read.

There is talk of a takeover and possible new owners, another film we’ve seen a few times, so we’ll have to see how that goes. A positive to take is that chairman John Ward has overseen a good few years of stability and success.

Our CEO Dave Black is brand new to the role, but you won’t find anyone more passionate about the club than him. They have got to make sure the club are going in the right direction and it sounds like it’s a challenging time. We have got to have faith that the right things are happening off the field as well as on it.

As fans we want to know what’s going on and we’re desperate to be assured there’s going to be a team there for us to support for years to come. We’ve got to hope that this movie continues to be the blockbuster adventure of the last few years and not the horror story we fear it may be.

The Viaplay Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Livingston has been selected for live television coverage on Viaplay.

The date and kick-off time for the game has yet to be announced, with the broadcaster waiting for clarity around the fixture schedule.

Image source, BBC Sport

We asked you for your views after Livi's Viaplay Cup win against Ayr United.

Here's what you had to say:

Vinnie: Easy win. Not much excitement in terms of new players but fully expect Livi to defy expectations again this year.

The ties will be played on midweek of 26-28 September.

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Joel Nouble admits that "some days it's tough" to ignore speculation about his future, but the striker insists "I'll be happy" to stay with Livingston and aim for his first-ever Hampden semi-final appearance.

Manager David Martindale has described approaches for the 27-year-old Englishman as "cheeky" and a waste of his time while admitting that the club is open to offers.

"I know he's said there's been a lot of calls," striker Nouble told BBC Scotland after scoring the opening goal in Saturday's 2-0 Viaplay Cup win at home to Ayr United.

"I'm not sure if an official bid has come in. All I know is no teams have met what Livingston want.

"But all I can do is focus on training well, playing well, because I can't control what other teams will do or what Livingston will do.

"You see all articles here or there about yourself and you might have a little look, but luckily, when I play football, I just focus on football. When I'm at training, all I care about is training, when it's match days, I love match days because that's where I get to express myself and have fun. So, for me, it's not that hard."

While Nouble admits to being "ambitious", he is "grateful" to be playing at Premiership level and to have the chance of playing in a semi-final at Hampden Park for the first time should Livingston progress further in the cup.

"The gaffer said before the game this is big for Livingston and obviously to get to a quarter-final and only one game away from Hampden," he added. "I've not been there yet, so hopefully this season I can achieve that."

Livingston manager David Martindale thinks the challenge put up by Ayr United showed that there are teams in the Championship who add to the argument that the top flight should be expanded.

"A clean sheet, two goals and into the hat for the next round - there's not much more you can ask," he tells BBC Scotland.

"I don't think it was a great game. Ability levels, there was not much between the teams.

"What I would say is that I thought we had a bit more in offensive areas. I think we had three shots on target, as did Ayr, but we scored two and they scored none."

Were you at Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday or following the match from home? Either way, we want your views on the game – have your say here.

Livingston could give a debut to their latest signing - Nigeria Under-20 utility man Samson Lawal - at home to Ayr United in the Viaplay Cup last 16.

The 19-year-old, who has arrived from Katsina United in his homeland, is on the bench.

Midfielder Scott Pittman and striker Bruce Anderson are able to make the bench also as they continue their return from injury.

Visitors Ayr give a first start to Aiden McGeady, the 37-year-old winger who joined in the summer from Hibernian as player/technical manager and has so far only played twice as a substitute.

Logan Chalmers makes the bench after arriving on loan from Dundee United and despite the forward having played for his parent club in the group stage.

Apparently that's fine by the rules of the Viaplay Cup.

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Livingston: George, Devlin, Obileye, De Lucas, Penrice, Shinnie, Holt, Montano, Kelly, Nouble, Guthrie.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Bradley, Boyes, MacKay, Welch-Hayes, Anderson, Pittman, Lawal, Brandon.

Ayr United: Mutch, McAllister, McGinty, Stanger, Reading, Musonda, Pendlebury, Smith, McGeady, Rose, McKenzie.

Substitutes: Albinson, Ahui, Watret, Amartey, Bryden, Ecrepont, Tomlinson, Ashford, Chalmers.

Livingston manager David Martindale insists striker Joel Nouble won't be sold on the cheap despite the club's stretched finances.

Nouble is out of contract next summer and Martindale says there is interest in the 27-year-old.

“It’s not official offers, I’ve had ‘would you accept this’ from third parties. There is interest but the sums involved are not floating my boat, let’s put it that way," he said.

“We do need money as a football club, I’m not being shy on that, we need investment.

“Whether that comes through player sales or investment outwith coming in to the club, but then I’ve got to offset that with what a player of Nouble’s potential can bring to our squad.

“Using the Ayr United game as an example, if Nouble plays a part in that and manages to get a goal, an assist or cause trouble in terms of getting us up the park, that’s potentially into the next round which depending on the draw could be a quarter of a million pound game.

“So you’ve got to offset it with the league position, potentially top six and even to a certain degree, cup football.”

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David Martindale has been speaking to the media before his side's Viaplay Cup tie against Ayr on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• He would love the Premiership to be expanded to 16 or 18 tams and says there would be no “major drop-off” in quality by bringing in Championship sides.

• Ayr are “probably in a very similar” situation to Livingston and have lost four or five players after having a “semi-respectable season”.

• Martindale has high hopes for new signing Samson Lawal and wants to get the midfielder used to “Scottish football quickly and safely” as he's short of fitness.

• There is interest in striker Joel Nouble and Livi have been approached by third parties, but the figures mooted "don't float my boat", says Martindale.

• Scott Pittman and Bruce Anderson have trained this week and will be in the squad on Saturday but it could be too early for them to start.

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Livingston CEO John Ward warns that the club cannot sustain the losses it has made in the last two years and says an "ongoing court dispute with shareholders and one ex-director" is driving potential investors away. (Daily Mail, print edition)

Read all of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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Livingston take on Ayr United in the Viaplay Cup on Saturday, looking to secure their place in the hat for the last 16, and potentially replicate the success of 19 years ago.

It was March 2004 when Livingston won their first and only League Cup, defeating Hibs 2-0 at Hampden.

Goals from Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister secured David Hay's side victory at Hampden and the triumph remains the West Lothian side's only major trophy.

The triumph came amid turmoil at the club, as just a few weeks before the final they had gone into administration.

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Livingston manager David Martindale has told clubs they will need to increase their bids if they want to sign centre forward Joel Nouble. (Herald)

Read all of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

Image source, BBC Sport

And then there were eight...

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Viaplay Cup will take place on Sunday after the Kilmarnock v Celtic last-16 tie (15:00 BST kick-off).

Quarter-final matches are due to be played in the midweek of September 26-28.

The last 16 kicks off on Friday night as Aberdeen visit Stirling Albion (19:45).

Image source, sns

Livingston host Championship side Ayr on Saturday in the last 16 of the Viaplay Cup.

Who would you pick to start? Choose your Livi XI here.

Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

Even if it is against Rangers, 4-0 isn’t a great scoreline, but it wasn’t a 4-0 game if that makes sense. We were decent for large parts of the game and even gave it a good go in the second half. A lower scoring game would have accurately reflected the match in my view.

However, Rangers have many advantages over us and the key one was their strength in depth - they have internationals and players on relatively massive wages on their bench. When their subs came on, our tired players found it hard.

I don’t care what anyone says, going to Ibrox is a free hit for is. It does not define our season, we have to be realistic and know any points are going to be very, very hard to find.

There’s positives to take in terms of performance but it’s on to the next one and that’s a mouth-watering game against Ayr United. We go into that strong favourites which is an unusual position for Livi to be in but if we show the same effort as we did against Rangers, we should get the result we want and into the hat for the next round.