Kmcalpin

My thoughts too. Good post. Although you cite laziness specifically in relation to Samson's re-signing you could also apply that to several others too. It seems to be a hallmark of our approach to signing players last summer.

Traditionally anywhere west of Livingston is viewed as being foreign news territory by the Scotsman.

As far as this season is concerned an additional game against one of the gruesome twosome would add about another 200 or so onto the season's average. In terms of the figures, quite significant.

No, of course not but I'm always amazed at the number of folk who walk in well after the event has started!

I'll be buying mine as usual and it still represents good value for money. For comparison, I checked prices of one off events at the Hydro: Prof Brian Cox £22-45 Steps £70 Celine Dion £155 Iron Maiden £50-65 I Love the 90s £40 Lady Antebellum £32-44 John Bishop £29-45 Mogwai £37 Dundee United season tickets are also on sale Adults from £299; 12-17 & Students from £165; Under 12s £18. So by these yardsticks I'd say our season tickets are decent value for money although football in general and other forms of commercial entertainment are grossly overpriced.

I've been on about this anomaly before. We are one of the few clubs to use 60 as opposed to 65 as a criterion. Personally I think it should be raised to 65 and that should include current beneficiaries like myself. I would have no problem in paying an increased price until I'm 65. However, don't assume that the 60-64 cohort does have above average earnings. Many do not and rely just on occupational pensions, with no wage coming in.

They aren't united at all. Many, like myself, don't rate him but we certainly don't hate him. Thats very strong language.

Am I right in thinking that after an impressive start at Palmerston, Dom Thomas has gone off the boil? Going by press reports he's rarely mentioned. Is that a false view?

Yes we do need to go 4-4-2, but if MacDonald isn't fit who do suggest we play in the other striking role?

We don't know. Yes, he came off with a knock but he did walk off without assistance.

It really is a game we have to win and so we have to take risks, albeit manageable ones. That said we can't throw caution to the wind. Ross County will score, irrespective of who their strikers are, and I can live with that as long as we score one more. Ideally though we have to boost our goal difference. Whatever line up or formation we play we have to be ruthless enough to change it quickly if its not working. We have the manpower to do that. IF for example our right back is taking a roasting, change personnel/formation after 30 minutes and don't wait until County score the opener.

Agree 100%. Some other good suggestions too and it shows we do have options. It has to be an old fashioned 4-4-2 and not a 3 at the back formation; not even 4-4-1-1. MacDonald, if fit, to play alongside and close to Moult. If not then Moult playing with Bowman. We have loads of options for defence and midfield but most have a downside. If Cadden stays at right back then Ainsworth has to start to take the pressure off Frear. Midfield could be Frear, Pearson (if fit), Clay (if Pearo doesn't make it), Campbell/Lasley (but please not both together) and Ainsworth. Cadden could also play central midfield alongside Lasley/Campbell/McHugh. McHugh would certainly bolster central midfield but would be missed in defence. My only stipulation would be we play someone wide right and we pick one from Campbell, Lasley and McHugh (in central midfield). At the back Heneghan and Hammell are certain starters, if fit. Right back could be MacMillan, Ferguson or Cadden (if Ainsworth starts). Remaining centre back berth Jules or McHugh. Really so many options for a 4-4-2. I'm not sure myself what my starting 11 would be but here's a stab. Samson (theres no one else) Ferguson Heneghan Jules Hammell Ainsworth Cadden McHugh Frear Moult Bowman/MacDonald. The weakness with that side would be at right back perhaps in the central defence - quite a young inexperienced back line also would Ainsworth protect Ferguson? The strength would be a powerful pacy midfield which would a cause Ross County headaches in knowing who to snuff out. Also its quite a big side useful at set pieces and if we need to lay siege to the County goal.

Goal 1 wasn't just Samson's fault. Again shocking & disorganised defending. Who was meant to be marking Haber for example?

You make some good points Andy but I take issue with these two. Its ok playing 3 forwards and two wide men if you play them to their strengths and they're played as forwards and wide men. MacDonald is being played more as a midfielder (to compensate for lack of alternatives there I know) but its just not his game. He's too isolated from both Moult and Bowman. Moult and Bowman are being played too far apart and they're just not linking up. Moult is an out and out centre forward who can score goals, but yesterday and on too many previous occasions, he's playing behind the attack or out wide or trying to cross into the box. As with our defence, our attack seems disorganised and unco-ordinated. Playing 3 strikers/forwards sounds good, but they're not being played as strikers. Frear and Cadden are being played wide yes, but far too deep and are being asked to be overly defensive with little support and thats just not their game. Has he been quick to change? I would say no. Yes, he did change things quickly at Kilmarnock but not since then. He's stuck doggedly to a system which just isn't working. Had it been a one off I'd have more sympathy for him but its now being deployed week and week out. Neil McCann seems to know more about our weaknesses than Stephen Robinson does. Surely we knew in advance that Dundee had a defence that was good in the air? If we didn't then there's something far wrong. By the 15 minute mark it was obvious that our long high balls weren't working. Ok we have to patient but by the 30th minute we were crying out for change. Still nothing. Dundee go a goal up and still nothing changes. Half time changes - no? We have to go 3-1 down before a change is made. We've been making the same tactical errors week in week out now.

I'd even settle for a manager that get us playing effective football. At our level its unlikely that we'll get a manager who can get results and play attractive football. However, although he's only been in post for amonth or two I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that Stephen Robinson can do neither. OK he's inherited a lot of deadwood and I don't blame him for that but he's in no way getting the best from what he has. Too many players are needlessly being deployed out of position and being asked to do jobs for which they are just not suited.

Off the top of my head and in the same season Aberdeen got an illegal goal at Fir Park when Russell Anderson scored. Nought wrong with Craig Reid's goal in my view and we ought to have had a penalty a few seconds before in any event.

The game was lost by 2.00pm yesterday and we were totally outmanoeuvred off the pitch by a rookie manager. Team selection and tactics were all wrong. Cadden and Frear were wasted as they had to do the jobs of 2 men. They had to constantly make runs from very deep. Central midfield was totally unbalanced as Lasley and Campbell are similar types of player (Campbell is looking good as a back up replacement for the auld yin). There was no creativity and the left side was exposed in Pearo's absence (he was missed although he's not been playing well). Much as I don't rate him, Clay should have been in for Lasley. MacMillan or Ferguson should have started at right back. MacDonald played too deep and was wasted. Didn't link up with Bowman or Moult. Bowman and Moult don't play well together and were deployed too far apart. Moult was totally wasted - he played too deep, too wide and too often away from the danger area. The line up was a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-4-2-1 and just didn't work and its long overdue for binning. The long hopeful balls to the striker(s) were a complete waste of time (Gomis sends his thanks by the way). At the 30 minute mark, and well before Dundee scored, those around me were shouting for Robinson to make changes before anything went badly wrong but he persisted with his formation much to the delight of Neil McCann. Dundee spent the first 40 minutes sitting in and it took us until the 30th minute to register an effort on target. With 5 to go until half time we could see McCann frantically waving his troops forward to snatch the all important goal and it was just a matter of time until they did. Oh and Samson didn't play well. I'm rapidly thinking that Robinson has been a poor appointment. For all his organisational reputation, we were a total shambles yesterday in all areas of the team. We had 2 weeks to prepare for the game and totally f****d it up. No excuses.

Add to that Jim, a perfectly good goal chalked off at Firhill and Inverness being given an "offside" goal at Fir Park a few weeks ago. Yesterday Dundee could easily have had 3 players booked in the first half hour. Things certainly aren't going for us are they? Oh, and I'm stunned by the media silence over our disallowed goal yesterday........not.

Jay- was there any Society presence in the POD Stand yesterday? I couldn't see any. Thanks for the feedback incidentally.

I opted for a null vote but if I had picked a player it would have been Campbell. Not the best of games but by no means the worst and he's only a youngster, who should expect help from more experienced players.

Great post which gets to the very root of our defeat. I felt very sorry for the players today - too many square pegs in round holes and some were hung out to dry by the management. I'm building up to a related rant on the matchday thread.

Agreed. Whilst a single goal win would be nice I'm hoping that we can give them a turning over. Its dog eats dog and a humping would not only secure us the 3 points but help our goal difference and strike a huge psychological blow by helping to convince Dundee that their fate is sealed. Not nice but its us or them.

I noticed the club has posted a tweet about Hughie Ferguson today. Arguably our best ever player. If not he'd certainly be in the top 3 of our all time greats. As time passes our memories of favourite players fade but Hughie deserves recognition from all generations of our supporters. He passed away in sad circumstances but shouldn't be forgotten.

Has Craig Moore been banging in the goals for Ayr? The answer to that question will influence our decision no doubt.

Yes we were, Terry Butcher brought him to Fir Park for a trial but thats as far as it got. Not a bad goalie.