wellfan

I hear what you’re saying and I share the concerns about injuries, but honestly, how many more chances does he need before he stops fluffing his lines or getting caught on his heels? With a clinical centre forward and sharper decision making across the team, several of those draws would already be wins. I’m still positive about JBA and the team in general, but I guess I just have to accept we’re stuck with a busted flush for another season at least.

I’m not disagreeing with that assessment, but if our number 9 got himself into better positions in the box, the others would have more options to pick out. Good centre forwards create options, whereas Stama always seems to be on his heels. Someone else called him the nearly man, and that feels pretty accurate. If we’re going to persist with him up front, and that’s if he hasn’t injured himself trying to take out the goalpost yesterday, we’ll probably need to adjust how we play in the final third and use him more as a creator for others rather than the finisher.

The reality is we’re generally playing very well, but struggling in the final third because we don’t have a proper number 9 to make the system truly effective and add more threat and goals. JBA isn’t going to change his system, so I expect more of the same until January when we (hopefully) sign someone. For those saying “we’ll come good” – we already are good in general play. And for those saying the goals will come for Stama if he just gets more time – he’s already had plenty of time and chances. The only real improvement we can make with the current squad is cutting out the defensive lapses in concentration. That’s the bigger picture for me: more of the same until we bring in a number 9 who can actually deliver.

I guess that just shows how differently we all see things in a game.

This is a League Cup game so it’s very much a must win game.

Aye, but they haven't met our backline and goalie yet.

Fadinger, again, he’s an excellent footballer.

I did say reported £800k. JT can get away with missing the odd sitter since he still scores other goals, and Said isn’t really meant to be a centre-forward. Even so, a KVV, Moult, or Bair type in this generally excellent possession-based, attacking team would have scored multiple goals by now. The problem is we haven’t signed a capable number 9, which makes much of the good work somewhat pointless. It could well become our weak spot this season, which would be extremely disappointing given that everything else is generally positive.

That may be his name on paper, but I’m certain he goes by JT. Listen to the manager and others referring to him in interviews. He’s also our most dangerous attacker, so I guess he can be referred to however he wants.

With everyone injured and Stama, who couldn’t score in a barrel of fannies, all we’ve got is Osong, who looks completely powderpuff.

A solid first half undone by weak defending, poor decision-making in front of goal, and a number nine who can’t score. Not taking the reported £800K for Stama to sign a proper striker may prove to be our biggest mistake this season. We’ve got a good midfield in general, however. Fantastic.

IT IS JT. FFS.

Must’ve pulled it trying to defend the cross that led to their equaliser. Not.

Stama misses what looked like yet another sitter and nearly splits himself in half doing it. All the effort but no return and that just will not do from a number 9.

The whole backline and keeper were static for their equaliser. Do we even work on defending balls into the box?!

Really good first half overall, and we could easily have been 2 or 3 up. Dundee are shite.

Johnny K starts with SOD on the bench, so my curiosity’s been satisfied.

That’s probably about right, since he’s not dropping Ward yet and JT and Just have just returned, though I’m curious whether Johnny K will feature today.

Good interview as usual. He’s leaning towards more pragmatism now, and still putting his faith in the continually misfiring Stama.

I don’t want to be too harsh on Lewis Ferguson, given how well he’s doing in Serie A. Still, I struggled to see what he added to the midfield last night and couldn’t help but feel Miller would’ve been more effective alongside Gilmour in the double pivot. Hopefully, he’ll get more opportunities in that role.

Bowman had a natural number 9 in Moult alongside him. Stama, by contrast, was signed to be that number 9 himself, so the expectations are different. Comparing him directly with Bowman doesn’t really hold up. Stama’s had over a year now, which is more than enough time to have shown more than he has.

Compared to the fling-shite-at-the-wall chaos of Kettlewell’s transfer windows, this one feels like a real breath of fresh air.

That’s exactly the modern CB we needed. Here’s hoping it works out all round.

Yeh, Hendry’s free kick was crap, but it’s far too early to judge him.

Unfortunately, I fear McGhee might be this season’s Callachan.