Kmcalpin

I too would settle for a win on penalties Andy. However our record for these shoot outs is very poor.

Thats pretty much it for me. Our first 11 is weaker than last season (no Kipre or Moult) and we have suffered bad injuries. Strength in depth is better though. Yes, our team is set up defensively and to get results with that you need a couple of players in midfield with pace and a good striker. It might mean, for a club like ours, that we need to splash out a bit more than normal to land one. Our strikers do get a hard time. We need to wait until the first round of fixtures are complete before we take stock but I don't completely buy the "lack of budget" argument. Sides like Livingson, Accies and St Johnstone are doing better on similar budgets to ours. Going back to yesterday's game I see that Hartley has taken some stick for losing his man but for me, the defensive midfield is even more culpable. We were stting too deep and the Aberdeen player who makes the pass is not put under any pressure by midfielders who stand off, Bigi being but one (not singling out Bigi BTW but he's no defender). Thats the kind of goal we were losing for years before Robbo arrived. Did the players learn nothing from last weekend where Hearts players wouldn't allow us near their box and swarmed like flies around any of our players who had the ball. The fixtures haven't been kind to us so far but the next few games are going to be crucial.

Am I right in thinking that the game turned into a physical battle in which we came off second best?

A fair summing up. I was expecting bit more from Bigi but it just didn't happen. I thought we did have some alternatives in Gorrin and Turnbull but they weren't used. Thats not to say of course that they would have been any more successful.

I take a different view. Yes both teams were committed but that doesn't guarantee entertainment. I wouldn't say it was a hammer and tongs game at all. For the first 20 minutes, maybe slightly more we saw some end to end stuff but after that Hearts were content to sit back and defend in depth and hit on the break. We had plenty of possession but hadn't a clue where Hearts' penalty box was and our players wouldn't have known if they'd a keeper on the park or not.

We more than matched them for the first 20 minutes or so but after that? The loss of the goal and its manner took the wind out of our sails. After half time they elected to defend in depth and show us their glass jaw. In truth they defended as well as I've any side do at Fir Park against us in the past 3/4 years. In part they looked good perhaps because we were so poor in the final third. We struggled to get anywhere near their box and any potential cross was smothered by 2/3 or even 4 players. We then resorted to square passing and lumping aimless balls into their box only to be gobbled up easily by a huge defence. Despite all our pressure we failed to register much in the way of efforts, on or off target, let alone trouble their goalie, who had nothing to do. Yes, maybe we were unfortunate but Hearts were the better side and looked a class above us, never having to move out of 3rd gear. As in many games these days the loss of the first goal was crucial.

As soon as the two teams took to the field it was obvious we were going to come off worst in any physical or aerial battle and so it proved. The mere sight of Ikpeazu and Dunne brought me out in a cold sweat and that was before kick off. We started off brightly and played well for the first 20 minutes or so but missed 2 or 3 decent chances which were to prove very costly. Then came the defensive blunder and Carson's injury, which completely changed the course of the game. I've yet to watch the action replay but by all accounts, Carson was not a happy man at what took place. Hearts then gradually took command and their pace and our lack of caused us problems. In the second half, Hearts created a good few chances but fortunately didn't convert any of them. We applied plenty of pressure but it no way troubled a great Hearts defence and we found it almost impossible to get into their box let alone trouble their keeper. We were totally toothless and devoid of ideas. Pumping high balls at their huge defence was always going to end in tears. Our midfield was pedestrian and lacked in ideas, Bigi included. I was a bit confused by our two subs. Yes, Cadden wasn't effective but what was Frear going to offer against a deep lying defence? He proved as unable as Cadden at beating 2 or 3 smothering defenders. Bowman was never going to beat their physical defence. Maybe Gorrin or Turnbull would have added something a bit more creative. The 2 defences were poles apart in terms of effectiveness. I like both Aldred and Hartley but think they're too similar and I think they and McHugh were bullied. Hopefully Hartley and Robbo have settled their very public differences amicably afterwards. Ikpeazu, for all his unsavoury antics, proved too physical for them to handle. At this level one mistake is all it takes to win or lose a game and we made it; Hearts didn't and never looked likely to. As many posters know, I like our sides to be strong and physical but in today's game we were always going to come off second best. I refuse to believe that players like Ikpeazu and Dunne are only selected to play against us, despite what the media would have us believe. They'll be selected week in week out - thats the style that Levein likes, sorry Sportsound. I agree with you Iain that we have too many players playing out of position. Hopefully the management team will have learnt a few lessons today to take forward into upcoming games. Whilst our 12-16 may be stronger than last term, our 1-11 is weaker.

We can't turn the clock back but we certainly missed Cedric today for his pace and physicality. Our back 3, McHugh included, had a poor game and were too easily bullied. Against better sides that defence will struggle badly. Individually they may be ok but as a unit they aren't right.

We missed chances early on too but yes we were well beaten by a bigger and better side. Hearts are too good a side to resort to such gamesmanship. That aside they're the best side I've seen this season.

Null vote for me. Felt a bit sorry for our our strikers as they were up against a mountainous defence and received shocking service by and large.

Of course McLeish is not solely to blame for the defeat. As you say there are more fundamental and deep rooted factors at play. But, McLeish must take a llittle of the blame. He was an establishment choice; one of the old boys network if you like and as such is part of the problem not the solution.

Final score at Dundee 2 1. Kyle MacDonald scored first, Dundee equalised then Broque Watson scored the winner. Great result.

The whole process is shrouded in mystery . A previous incumbent stated that his staff skimmed through TV highlights on a Monday morning to identify any incidents (presumably focusing on anything that had interested the media commentators). I now read that a panel of 3 ex referees seem to screen the TV highlights first and if they collectively deem an incident to be worthy of further action then its passed to the Compliance Officer. In the case of MacGregor only 2 of the 3 seem to have thought it was worthy of referral.

Whats he doing now? Languishing in Killie's reserves? I haven't heard of him for a while.

Certainly this latest non decision over MacGregor brings the entire disciplinary system into disrepute. It'll be interesting to see exactly what the next citation by the Compliance Officer actually is. A standard has now been established.

I suspect that Neil McCann is part of the Scots old boys network and our tame media won't want to rock the boat. I'm getting a wee bit concerned about Alan Campbell and the amount of games he's played and is scheduled to play, including internationals. It was great to see him score on Saturday and he's continuing to do well but I think he's lost a little bit of zip since last season. Hopefully Robbo will be mindful fo the dangers of burnout.

I read that Alan MacGregor has been at it again and was lucky not be red carded yesterday. I've not seen the highlights of that game and don't intend to incidentally.

Why do these incidents usually involve Partick Thistle? I seem to recall in the early 60s we were playing Partick at FP and it was Joe McBride (I think???) who hit a screamer into the top of the net. The ball then cannoned off the stanchion in the back of the net and back onto the field of play. The referee, who was momentarily distracted didn't see the ball go into the net and promptly waved play on. Result no goal.

No worse than usual. I turned it on and switched off after something like 20 minutes. Listening to Richard Gordon and Willie Miller was like eavesdropping on two Aberdeen fans discussing their team in a Torry pub. Billy Dodds then introduced our game at Dens by interviewing Neil McCann and commenting on our physicality....yawn. It was important for us to get a good result today and we did. Thats now 6 goals scored in 2 games! Bigi again seems to have turned it on - a changed player this season.

Something in that Iain. Of our 4 first team strikers I'd say only Bowman is suited to aerial balls. The others prefer it to their feet or chest height at highest.

According to the BBC we are in the market for winger.

Absolutely. We have experienced pros like Robbo and Keith Lasley in charge of the playing side and other very experienced pros like Stevie Hammell, Steven Craigan, Stephen MacManus and Davie Clarkson running our youth set up. Surely to goodness, they must know all our players, including the young ones, inside out? If its their considered opinions that the youngsters aren't quite ready to step up then who are we to argue. Steven Craigan said a wee while ago that loaning out young lads to lower division teams wasn't as much about developing their talent and technical skills but rather it was about putting them under pressure and testing them out in a competitive situation in front of bigger crowds. Very rarely do youngsters that we release go onto bigger and better things. Yes, we all like to see home grown talent make the first team but we have to trust those in charge.

Last minute panic signings from Dundee?

Kipre..clogger? Dunne....clogger? McHugh....clogger ATS ...clogger? Maguire....clogger? etc etc Is that not a bit unfair?

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