Kmcalpin

There have been some other factors but essentially you're right Yorky. We need a bit of nous up front and someone who can hold play up and link up with others. He was worth a goal a game which makes all the difference in a tight contest. Where GA has gone wrong is not planning properly for him moving on given that we knew he was unsettled for months.

Nothing much wrong with that approach for a club at our level. However, what is lacking is organisation, discipline and reliability. Yesterday Dundee outbattled us for a long spell. I can quite happily accept GA's brand of football so long as we are winning.

Well so far its been a season of 2 halves. A great start uo to the end of 2021 but diabolical since then. We're still only a point off 4th and outside the top 6 on goal difference, albeit thats poor. We're 12 points above the play off spot. Thats down to our great start. Our winless run continues and of our 3 remaining games to the split, I can only see us pick up 1 point (St Mirren at home) if our form continues. Unless we have a change in fortune, there's little chance of a top 6 finish now. Whats of more concern to me is now finishing above the bottom 2. We don't want to go in to the post split fixtures on a poor run of form with the bottom clubs fired up, as they will be. You'd think our points cushion can't be overhauled but thats not a given. The longer this poor run continues the worse it will get. Maybe I'm a bit pessimistic? For me a 7th spot finish will represent success ie finishing higher than last year. That would be slight progress. If we don't achieve that then serious questions need to be asked.

My take on yesterday's debacle. No point in chewing over old fat (Donnelly, SOD etc) as I largely agree with it. GA is changing things that maybe don't need to be changed and not changing things that do. 4-3-3 with the squad he has largely built is not working - maybe it would work with different players. I quite get why we're shelling high balls at our striker and wingers but we don't have the players to do it. It was obvious, within the first 5 minutes yesterday, that Dundee's defence would gobble up high balls happily all day long and they did. The midfield, as is, has no pace at all and zero creativity. Time after time they failed to support our strikers, by not advancing up the pitch - maybe GA's instructions? When we did break down the middle or even down the flanks (not the wingers), we were so slow it allowed Dundee to funnell back and organise themselves. The strikers are just not linking up as they are playing far too far apart. Very frustrating to watch our only striker spend so much time wide on the left wing. The subs did make a difference late on but by then it was far too late. Interesting that Dundee had as many shots on target as we did, despite them parking the bus. With Dundee fielding a young rookie keeper I would have thought we'd pepper him with crosses and shots, but no. Certainly Dundee's defence was pretty solid. They looked the hungrier team and worked far harder than us for a good part of the game. It was only in the closing stages that we looked like doing anything, as they tired. Two other observations. The pitch isn't looking as good as it has in the past - bare patches and uneven. The POD stand side linesman was at a totally different game from me. Some of the decisions he failed to indicate on incidents right in front of him were ludicrous.

He's not a midfielder but a defender. A square peg in a round hole.

I agree with him but we're simply not achieving the results and that is the bottom line.

Kelly for me.

Lamie at left back??? Presumably Carroll is not fit.

The usual caveat applies ahead of tomorrow's game. We'd be best to ignore reports of a Covid/injury crisis in Dundee's squad and plan for a full strength team. If they do indeed field a weakened team then we can use up to 5 subs to adjust our line up and game plan.

SOD's passing and clearances as well as crossing were poor last night - he put us in unnecessary trouble several times because of that. Replacing Carroll? Who with, as McGinlay is injured (FWIW I agree with you about Carroll). How many OGs has Bevis scored? He adds energy to the wing and is great in the air. He's had one bad game recently. Lamie - I wasn't impressed with him last night. Yes, Ojala should be reinstated.

A huge game for us and the way we're playing right now we'll do well to take anything from it. Things are unusually tight between 4th and 10th positions and whilst its looking increasingly unlikely we'll end up in the top 6, many of our close rtivals are struggling as well. Its still all to play for but we must up our game and quickly. We'll need to negate Charlie Adam - get in his face and close him down or, if that isn't possible, cut off his supply. I'd keep Goss in the side for his offensive abilities, and partner him with Slattery and Cornelius. We certainly need more pace and aggression in midfield. Mugabi must replace SOD at right back. Do I think that will happen? No.

Its a penalty if a foul begins outside the box but continues into it. Thats the rule. Certainly the Ross County player made the most of it.

Agree about Max Johnston. As for Conor Shields, I'm not convinced of him but, as you say, he's not being played in the correct way. He needs to play off a main striker's shoulder.

Very disappointed but not surprised at last night's result. The seeds of our defeat were sown months ago ie the failure to sign another striker. I just don't get that. Too many wingers and no-one for them to cross to. We are a counterattacking team and Ross County scoring first and parking their bus was always going to present us with massive problems. We are not designed to break teams down. Last night we played very pedestrian one paced football through the middle and that didn't work. We also fired high balls up to a lone striker and wingers who aren't that great in the air and that didn't work either - but then again we knew that before kick off. Kelly was miskicking all night - carrying an injury maybe? Two full backs were dreadful and the central defence not great but had no cover in front of them. Midfield too slow and not competitive enough. Donnelly and O'Hara just won't do. Complete lack of dig up front. We had far more shots at goal than County did but only managed 3 on target, the same as they did. Our first effort on target was on 49 minutes! Woolery worked hard, tried 100% and looked good but didn't actually do very much. Due to their early goal, which was a penalty, they sat back and controlled the game. We had 2 or 3 good chances but fluffed them all. Credit to Ross County for determined defending. Had they needed to attack more they probably could have done successfully.

We really need an out and out striker for this kind of game.

Ross County will present a very different challenge to Rangers on Sunday. We'll have more possession and they'll defend more. So, we 'll have to field a more attacking line up. Fast wingers suited to the counter attack will be of less use to us unless we take a goal or 2 goal lead and draw County out. I'd expect Goss to come back in. If Van Veen isn't fit???

Is the fact that if Dundee couldn't afford him in the Championship of any relevance to them?

We offered him a new deal but Dundee blew us out of the water with their offer. If they have that kind of cash to throw about then that's up to them. Dundee never seem to learn lessons.

Well, I didn't see that result coming. All credit to the management and players. I didn't like the look of the team before the game but in fairness GA picked the right line up for the day as the result proved. We were obviously set up to counter attack. It didn't look good at 2-0 down but the team showed determination and character to fight back. Impressed with Woolery. Not often do Well teams do that at Ibrox. We have to keep that going this week though.

No out and out striker in the line up.

No red cards or injuries......anything else is a bonus.

Defensively left back has been a problem for many years. Stevie Hammell for example, was weak defensively but his pace and attacking ability compensated for this. McGinley is ok but no more than that. Maybe GA will be able to develop him further - he must see something in him to award an extension.

Yes our fixtures are easier but not easy. We've not been playing especially well i.e. a bit toothless up front and conceding cheap goals at the back. Teams like Dundee, St Johnstone and Livingston have improved too. We've also found it hard to beat St Mirren in recent times. Yes, these games are there to be won but they'll be far from easy.

I don't know the details but there was some "discussion", he didn't just walk away.

Pretty much my view but he still wanted a pay off. He didn't just walk out the door without a deal.