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Last season our defence, as such, wasn’t really tested because we won the ball much higher up the park and maintained possession for long periods when we did win it back. That was our defence, keeping the ball. I thought at the beginning of the season we had a good balance of taking more risks in the attacking third but still maintaining a high percentage of possession. We have regressed from that to way too many long balls and last night, that, combined with deciding to sit back, cost us the points. We ended up with 43% possession and I’m pretty sure if you’d looked at that figure around 60/70 mins it would have been closer to 60%. General play has been better over the last few games but I think we need to get back to being “brave” and playing to control games. Reduce the number of long balls. Now and again is fine but we do it too often now Press higher up the pitch, as a team, to win the ball back in better positions. Be patient and keep possession of the ball Work rate and intensity needs to go up a notch or two on and off the ball.

Said for me. He done enough while on the field to still be our man of the match. Thought Longelo and SPH put in a power of work and were dead on their feet by the end of the game.

I tend to agree we had that game in the bag until the managers changes fucked it up. I'm not in the get rid of AJ camp yet but I think he was culpable last night

All about opinions but don’t agree most people agree that the turning post was from about the hour mark….when we take off said if we manage the ball better, keep possession off the ball better, get the 3rd goal then the shit show at the end doesn’t happen I think personally it’s a season to far for O’Donnell but not convinced it’s entirely his fault this one zero pressure on the cross & tbf the st Johnstone boys movement in the box is good can he make it more difficult, absolutely is it O’Donnells fault we couldn’t manage the game…absolutely not

Well said

Some on here need to be careful what they wish for - looks at Hibs latest appointment. Did he feck up a few subs last night - AYE. Who hasn`t ever fecked up at work? We are in the mix at the wrong end, but I can`t see AJ getting sacked. Everyone needs to get behind the team on Saturday, because if the natives get restless, what little confidence is there, will go right out the window.

Watching the TV highlights once again I noticed that St Johnstone had another free header early on from which they should have scored. That would have been 2-0 and game over. An interesting post from Al B on P & B. I, and others, have been questioning our new recruits. However, he suggests that they're not being asked to do what they and similar players were being asked to do last season. "Continuity" is a red herring. Thats a valid point. Are the instructions they're being given questionable? Food for thought.

I am more on the optimistic side and see improvements but there is just no hiding the fact the defence is rank rotten. St Johnstone basically had 3 efforts and scored with two. That is happening in nearly every game. Christ as bad as we were against Aberdeen they had four shots on goal and scored with them all.

I’ve rarely felt this misaligned with what the vocal majority on here are saying. Taking last night in isolation, I thought we played pretty well in spells and can definitely see patterns of play from a team that are coached. I thought the two changes AJ made at half-time worked a treat for the first 20–25 minutes of the second half. We should have put the game to bed in that spell and been 3 or 4-1 up. We never really looked in much trouble until the goal at the end, which was an absolute shitshow defensively. Manny diving in, Hodge & Sparrow not tracking their men, SOD picking the wrong man out of the two he had to cover, and then not attacking the ball, and finally Paulsen not managing to push it out or over. That’s not to say there weren’t things we could have done better, but I’m struggling to see the disaster that others seem to have watched. There were plenty of positives to take from the performance, and I think there’s more evidence of progress than some are willing to acknowledge.

Having watched the game last night I agree with posters in here that St J were there for the taking, we should have scored at least 4 within the first 65 minutes, the demise all hinged on taking off our best player Said, him and Hodge were a good combo last night and every time Said got the ball we were dangerous moving forward at speed but when AJ for some reason took him off and then decided that we were going to defend for 25 minutes was suicidal in my eyes, what on earth was SOD thinking about, clearly not defending when he just lets the striker jump freely for their second goal, that’s 3 goals in 3 games for SOD he must be vying for the Golden Boot? The January window has to have Daws signing 2 decent CH and a striker at the very least. I thought that Mas had his best game since Feb for us last night and I can only hope that goal gives him the confidence to kick on score a few and get his move out in January. The last 2 games against tarts and St J both have been there for the taking and we’ve bombed, now it’s down to Saturday against the Midden who’ll be physical and take liberties on tackles and Alfred has to instill the positivity of the first 65 minutes for the whole 95 on Saturday and a win, nothing else will do or it’s adios Alfred for me. I’ll be there Saturday and hope we can get a few “stand up and sing” Last chance saloon Alfred.

You do realise that well constructed, straight to the point and accurate posts like this will never be acceptable on this forum. As you say certain players not doing the job they were told to last night cost us the win, nothing else.

You are right it was abysmal but from the minute we went 2-1 up they were getting cross after cross in from the left , they had acres of space to deliver those crosses and unlike us they can deliver decent crosses, thats another piss poor part of our game, the set piece play from us is shocking.

Is he free on Saturday around 3pm.

A draw is the best we will get again. Either 1-1 or 0-1. Alfred OUT

When it looked like we were going to get over the line last night I was obviously feeling relieved but at the same time knew that all it would do was kick the can down the road with a manager who needs to be gone asap. But obviously I’d have been happy with us winning. When we chucked it away it felt like a defeat and in all honesty we would have been as well losing because playing ‘well’ against a really poor St.Johnstone team and still failing to get over the line does us no favours. Rather than kicking the can all it has done is shuffle along the pavement and it getting stuck in a drain.

we need the people who recruited in the summer to have fuck all to do with it in January .....🤣🤣😉(tongue in cheek)

It’s probably a different thread this & regardless of the manager, the team / squad isn’t good enough what do people think we need in January for mid table obscurity

I don’t disagree. Our defence is a shambles.

Yeah, of course they can look the same, but a good manager should be able to address these issues, within reason. The international break would be the perfect time to part company.

The consequences of relegation would likely be the loss of many more full-time jobs. As for who could replace him, I don’t know, and it’s not my job to know. I despise this question being thrown at fans whenever they want a failing manager removed. A competent Board should always be succession planning and have potential replacements identified.

We can discuss tactics ,manager decisions all night long . That’s a separate issue for me . For me the reason we conceded the late goal was a lack of desire to go and head that ball out the box . End of . There were plenty people in position to deal with it and we didn’t . The back line cost us the game last night . Cross not closed down and nobody wanting to win the header . It’s terrible defending . Basic defending any day of the week at any level of football you play at . Three points thrown away . Some of the players did there jobs last night and some didn’t . Simples

What consequences do you forsee and who would you bring in as a replacement if AJ does leave, would it be another foreign coach to continue the journey the board started with Wimmer or someone from the pool of usual suspects and part time pundits that " know the Scottish game"?

Correct lose the next two he's dead.

Ultimately, yes. But one can be fixed and requires more patience and understanding than the other. We are nearly at the natural break of the Nations League fixtures. What happens in the next 2 games will go a long way to deciding Alfreds future.

I rely on him because even at his age he's streets ahead of the dross in the centre of the defence right now. I'm not saying McGinn is our future but short term he's will be an improvement to get us to the January window where sadly we need to spend again to compensate for the poor recruitment in that area. Fuck me I'd bet my mortgage on 35 year old McGinn leaving Girwood-Reich standing in a flat chase to cover back.