Brave Lions manager blames himself for rout but pledges his team will come roaring back

Oct 9 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

ROBERTO Landi is confident his Lions will be roar back to top form after the international break gives them a chance to lick their wounds following their doing in Dumfries.

The Livi manager’s makeshift defence shipped six goals at rain-lashed Palmerston but he insists there was not five goals between the sides in general play although he admits he made a mistake in his team selection.

He said: “I am very, very disappointed to lose 6-1 and it was a big result for them.

“But I felt we played honestly and matched Queen of the South until they scored their third goal.

“I would like to apologise to the Livingston fans as I made a mistake in the match.

“With James McPake injured I had to find someone else to play in defence and I felt Murray Davidson was the best solution.

“We worked with it in training but it didn’t work and after 10 or 15 minutes I could see that he wasn’t suited to that position and changed it.

“So I’d like to apologise for that decision but we have a small squad and it is hard to cover for players.

“In all the games we have missed either McPake or Chris Innes we have lost them all.

“One of the players was missing in the games with Airdrie, Queen of the South and Partick and we need to look at that fact.

“But there are still 12 games to play until the January transfer window opens and that is a lot of matches.”

The outspoken Livingston boss has defied the pre-season tips of a relegation scrap to lead the Lions to joint top of the league and he reckons they would be clear but for a slight advantage enjoyed by Queens.

“We have 18 points from nine games which is an excellent start. If we maintain that form of an average of two points per game then we will win the league,” he said.

“Another important factor to consider is that we have played at home only four times and been away five times while Queens have had six home games and only three away.

“Their next three games are all away and after that we can see the table again.”

The sight of Leigh Griffiths returning to action after four weeks on the treatment table was a welcome sight for Landi.

But the long-awaited partnership with on-loan Callum Elliot will have to wait after the latter's sending-off last weekend.

Landi added: “We will be missing Callum Elliot for our next game after his sending off but hopefully we will have McPake and Leigh Griffiths back in the side.

“We are trying to build a strong team but we lack numbers at the moment.”