Kmcalpin

A bit harsh Weeyin. Iain Vigurs will do the business if A) he keeps injury free B) he is given time and space to do as he wishes and C) he has hard working energetic colleagues around him to cover for him when the team is on the backfoot. Sometimes a player fits in at a club and sometimes he doesn't. He didn't have the right team around him when with us or during his first stint at Inverness. At Ross County and currently at Inverness he does.

Injuries aside - do we make changes for Saturday? The strikeforce and defence will pick themselves but maybe the midfield needs rejigging. Hows about Johnson, Gomis, Cadden and Pearson OR Johnson, Gomis, Lasley and Pearson?

I thought Pearo was playing as a holding midfielder just now in Grimshaw's absence. That just isn't his game. Yes, we do need a creative midfielder and hopefully we'll sign one. Vigurs would not fit into the present midfield as he needs energetic hard working players around him. I'll say again our midfield is unbalanced. I've still to see Gomis in action of course.

I too would have preferred Gomis to start if only because it would give our midfield more bite and afford more protection to the centre backs and Ripley. Still MMcG knows best and he may have thought Gomis not to be fully match fit. We certainly cannot afford to sit back like we did last Saturday.

Well it certainly won't be a surface for playing good football. It'll be all about determination, hard work, organisation and yes, good luck.

Yes. Just watch STV evening news. Apart from Celtic/Sevco bias of course. Take last night. Whilst Morgaro Gomis' move to us was mentioned, there was much more coverage of one of their signings - just but one example. Alan Archibald is frequently interviewed. Its always been that way due to the proximity of the old BBC studios in Glasgow's west end.

People in glass houses and all that.......but I'm surprised at how little flak Partick have taken over this postponement record. During our bad spell, the SPL was investigating; fans were up in arms; and the media was lambasting us. Partick have always been media darlings of course and the current rash of postponements are being put down to heavy rainfall. Also taken aback at just how bad Dens Park was on Saturday.

We'll find out in the next few days if the squad is large or good enough. If Mark McGhee doesn't agree there will be another signing or two but if he does agree there won't be any business done. Its one having cover for a position but quite another having decent cover. To me right back needs strengthened or MMcG may also feel that we need a creative midfielder. Time will tell.

Yes, I'd be very surprised if he chose us over Saints and thats why I think its very unlikely.

Unlikely I know but Danny Swanson?

We can recall him. We are a wee bit light up front with only Fletcher being an out and out striker. As far as the departures who simply left are concerned I would guess that if they get fixed up with another club then their new wages will be taken into account in their pay off. For example if Player A who as on £1,500 pw with us, leaves by mutual consent and gets fixed up with another club at say £1,000 pw then we would pay him £500 pw until the date on which his contract would have expired.

Craig Reid's departure will surprise very few on these boards. More space for someone to come in or a youngster to progress.

A Hearts fan's take on Gomis "He is not getting any game time just now because of the strength of our midfield. Good player just unfortunate that there are players ahead of him in better form".

Gomis a wee hardman, you wouldn't expect anything less from someone who played in Dundee United's engine room. I can recall him flattening Stephen Craigan in a 50/50 challenge. Not cup tied.

For every 2 consecutive unsuccessful challenges the club gets a fine or loses the right to 2 future challenges - maybe along those lines. You could also penalise them for making vexatious challenges.

So, every time a player makes contact with an opponent who has got to the ball a split second beforehand its deemed a foul?

In terms of names yes Cadden has replaced Grimshaw but I'm not quite sure who is filling in for who in terms of formation. Pearo seems to be playing far deeper than he was before Grimshaw's departure and his game is suffering for that. We lack his experienced support for the front players, but Cadden is shaping up nicely. Although he's passable, Pearo's strengths don't lie in defence. In short we have two decent box to box energetic types in Cadden and Pearson, an ageing all rounder in Keith Lasley but no defensive player or creative one. On Saturday in the second half we were crying out for a midfielder to show some determination and leadership and lead his colleagues out of the box; make purposeful blocks and tackles; fill gaps and spaces and close players down but that never really happened. My memories of an early Keith Lasley were that he was a decent footballer but didn't appear to do very much. However on closer inspection he read the game exceedingly well and mopped up after others around him made the mistakes - a kind of quiet unassuming midfield sweeper. In those days he'd move to seemingly inexplicable positions and it was only after he'd intercepted a pass that I'd realise that he'd read an opponents mind. A lot of course was down to the type of colleague he played alongside - the midfield balance if you like. In his latter days with us Grimshaw was a bit more eyecatching but he was excellent at closing players down, tackling and disrupting and harrying the opposition. He excelled at the unglamorous work. Often he couldn't prevent an opposing player from having a crack at goal but he'd make damn sure it was a rushed effort in which the player couldn't pick his spot.

I've now less worries about Pearo being missing as young Cadden is developing nicely as his apprentice; early days though. Its more replacements for Grimshaw & Lasley we need. Grimshaw was never going to be the star of the show but did all the basic, unrewarding, dirty jobs very well and his absence is now affecting us. We need someone like him and aslo a mobile defensive midfielder along with a creative type .....but all that is asking a lot. Not sure why Tam Scobbie's name has cropped up; hopefully only an unsubstantiated rumour.

Thats my idea of defending. Limit the opposition to 1 or 2 very long range shots at most and gobble up any desperate high balls slung into the box.

I wouldn't be too hard on Moult. In the second half he received dismal service. Lasley I'm not sure about. At the moment, Cadden and Pearson are both box to box attacking midfielders. Right now we need to be looking at a replacement for Las but who else have we got unless unless we pitch in Louis Laing. A lot will depend on who we sign tomorrow, if anyone. Cadden looks to be staking a claim but Pearo already plays in that role. Our midfield is a bit mixed up just now and it shows.

Agree 100% Add to that list Hammell (I'm not singling him out BTW) and Law. All too often when Dundee had the ball they were afforded acres of space to do as they wanted. By way of comparison when our lads received the ball they were immediately closed down. This is what is costing us big time. Maybe some players think they only need to work when we have possession? The gaps we left down the flanks was very worrying yesterday. Maybe its lack of confidence, maybe lack of positional awareness, maybe laziness, or a combination I don't know, but we need to get it sorted. That said, our off the ball work has improved under MMcG, although there's along way to go yet.

Almost certainly, the likes of Killie, Dundee United Partick and Hamilton will be panicking and so its likely we will see a flurry of signings tomorrow.

Pretty much agree with this. I'm hopeful we'll bring in a player or two tomorrow to stiffen our midfield although others will be doing the same. No doubt Ripley, Hall and McManus will be thinking the same. We've had a tough run of fixtures lately and a fair chunk of bad luck. We're still very much part of the pack but we will need to pick up points, referees permitting that is.

Not entirely sure but the officiating yesterday was shocking was start to finish and we got nothing all day. A minor point perhaps in the great scheme of things yesterday but indicative of the officiating - Dundee won a throw in, in their own half, just where the linesman was standing. He had a great uninterrupted view of where the ball crossed the line. The Dundee player took the throw in 10 metres up the pitch in our half. The linesman stood like a dummy and did nothing. Its high time this form of cheating was stamped out, although I know most teams are guilty of it to some extent. In such situations the ref should indicate a foul and award the throw in 10 metres nearer the perpetrator's goal.

Interesting also that at the point the penalty kick was taken there were 3 players well inside the box led by Dundee's No 22. No retake ordered.