Kmcalpin

Ok lets look forward to next Monday and the beginning of a crucial run of games. Livingston will be a tough nut to crack on their horrible pitch. They may be without 2 of their players due to suspension. Its a game we can't afford to lose. Plenty of questions though. Will some of our lads be a bit fitter and have recovered from illness? Should Oxborough start in goal? Will Blaney be fit enough to start? One things for sure - more of the same simply won't do.

It could have been far worse tonight and it has been frequently in the past. Taken on its own the 3-0 scoreline isn't bad given the circumstances. We also gave 2 young lads some gametime. No red cards either. The way we lost 3 goals was entirely predictable and I doubt if Hammy or indeed us learned anything new. Maybe it confirmed 1 or 2 things though. Our season starts next week and there will be no hiding place for the players or Hammy. We need to chill out about tonight.

Hammy acknowledging game is over. Its all about Livingston now. For once a good tactical decision.

His form has regressed this season and he's looked culpable for several goals. Nothing new there. I don't blame him for his weakness in the air. That's not his fault.

If he goes straight into the team who does he replace?

That's not saying much. He's possibly the best of a poor lot. A mistake to re-sign him.

With our goalie and central defence you'd think we'd try to cut out crosses. Not something new unfortunately.

It's not part of his game.

It does and many of his predecessors have done exactly the same. He knows we're in a dogfight. Depending on how things go he has scope to bring on Maguire and Tierney later on and perhaps a youngster at the death. I also thought he might have fielded Maguire in central defence in place of McGinn as a least worst option only - a far from ideal scenario.

My thoughts exactly. No red cards, no injuries and squad rotation as far as our very limited resources allow eg use of subs. Damage limitation and focus on the Livingston game.

Penney is a strange one and we've heard little about his position. Very much like Steve Hammell. Very good on the ball going forward but poor off it when defending. However with both McGinley and Carroll injured long term what is the alternative?

Yes but Andy Goram admitted this deficiency in his game. He said that he had full confidence in the huge defenders in front of him who were specially selected because of their stature and aerial ability. If by any chance they lost a header he was confident he had the reflexes to beat the ball out. We don't have central defenders in that category, I think.

The players must take some responsibility for last night - thats only right. However our malaise went far deeper than that. Yes, personnel choices were limited but we did have some. Decision to time waste / sit off Kilmarnock / delay substitutions until late on. All of these weren't down to Callum Slattery, Sean Goss or Keven Van Veen; they were clearly at the door of Stevie Hammell. There is a strong case for Dean Cornelius to have started in place of Blair Spittal or at the very least to have come on much earlier in the 2nd half. I'm not saying he would have been the answer to all our problems but that was a managerial option Hammy chose not to enact. When Hammy was appointed the support was split, but I couldn't give you the exact proportions. I for one was in the sceptical camp and I've now moved on to the severe doubts camp. Many more are the same. I was never in the "we must play exciting football camp". Yes, he is a rookie manager and they make mistakes I get that. But 5 months into the job he's making the same ones he made at the start. If anything the squad has regressed, even after the opportunity for several weeks training time during the World Cup. I'm with Yorky - if we don't pick up points in the next few weeks (I'm writing off the Sevco game btw) then he's going to give the Directors a decision to make. Last night was not a one off. We simply cannot afford to let him carry on regardless, in the hope he learns.

Its not impossible but it'll be difficult in the extreme. Funds will be limited but we have to try, within our budget.

I don't know too much about Hammell's time in charge of the youth set up but it does take time to identify and bring through talent; years in fact. However when he took over he made a play of promoting youth and giving it a chance. He hasn't followed through on that - maybe the pressures and realities of management have got to him.

January is now looking to be an even more important month for us than it was just 12 hours ago. A lot, and increasing amount of pressure on Hammy and the Board. It simply won't be enough to bring in 1/2/3/4 players. They have to first picks, improve the team and be fit enough to hit the ground running. We don't have the luxury of giving them 4/5/6 weeks to get up to speed. A big ask for a January window.

!00%. Even if we sign 2/3/4 first pick players next month Hammy has to get far more out of the current 7/8/9 as you say and he just isn't doing it. Looking back over his 5 months in charge - has the squad gradually improved? No, if anything its gone backwards.

Hammell had some say in the signings so it's not 100% Alexander's fault by any stretch of the imagination. We need at least 4 players next month or we'll be in deep deep trouble. What's more Hammells had a few bad games now. Yes a rookie manager will make mistakes but he doesn't seem to be learning from them. Favoured formation and personnel are mismatched at the moment. One possible small mercy this week from a footballing, not financial, perspective is that the St Mirren game was postponed until after 1 January

As Steven Craigan said its all very well playing nice football but it's the here and now that matters. Not convinced that Stevie Hammell has what it takes to be a manager. Is he learning at all from his mistakes?

Is he a central defender at all?

Let's not. Gives me the fear.

An on form Slattery brings out the best in Goss, but they are very different types of players - both having been played out of position so far. Cornelius would add energy and drive as I've said before. Like you though, I'm not convinced of Spittal.

A tad negative if I may be allowed to say so, Yodo. We do have some decent players in there like Goss, Slattery and Cornelius. However, for whatever reason, Hammy isn't getting the best out of them. Thats not to say we couldn't strengthen that department - we could by bringing in an experienced Number 6, for example.

Just listening to Hammy's interview and I'm not sure what to make of it in terms of transfers. It will be a difficult window, thats for sure. Maybe he's just playing his cards close to his chest but its slightly corncerning that he refers to bringing in maybe 1 or 2 and having to be creative. Make of that what you will.

Good stuff Ian. I can now access the site via Android again.