Kmcalpin

He could never produce his undoubted talent on matchday and thats why he wasn't our number one choice. Two managers came to the same conclusion. An extremely talented goalie by all accounts but he never lived up to the promise.

Agree in principle but the problem is that some wingers, like players in general, may look fantastic in training but don't translate that form to the pitch on matchday.

We shouldn't underestimate our achievement Graeme. Admittedly Brill, Warren and Watkins were all out but the latter two were suspended not injured and that reflects indiscipline. It was also Ofere's first ever game for Thistle, having just signed. We had injury and absentee problems of our own and you equally well argue that the loss of Hammell, ZFA and Lawson weakened us.

I'd go along with that. They're by no means free of the relegation mire. St Mirren also have a toughish run in. A lot will also depend on how the authorities arrange the post split fixtures. As it stands I think numerically we will be due 3 home games and two away. However, we would only be due to play Ross County and Kilmarnock at home on the basis of fixtures after the split.

He should play again this season though there's no guarantee when.

Had a recent setback - 3 weeks. Maybe back for split?

And yet Dundee United and Inverness are two very physical sides who throw their weight around. Inverness were lucky indeed yesterday not to pick up 2 straight reds.

Very much so Andy. I suspect that most of us thought that Saints and Ross County were capable of picking up points yesterday and they did. On the other hand they knew we hadn't won a game in 2015 and weren't going to win yesterday and to be fair many of our own thought that too. On the contrary we did. They would have thought they were playing for the play off place. That would have sent shock waves through their respective dressing rooms. The C & A down and outs aren't down and out after all. Whats more Scott MacDonald wasn't fully fit and will only get better and the same could be said for Stephen Pearson. They'll know we did well yesterday but that we'll only get better.

The point I was trying to make, obviously not successfully, was that we've discussed many weaknesses/failings/issues on these boards, call them what you will. I had assumed that IB did not agree or was just oblivious to them but that isn't the case. He sees players on the training pitch during the week and that isn't necessarily translated onto the field on matchday. He comes across as a courteous polite articulate guy who can talk well, but there's much more to him than that.

Grant does impress me and was a standout at Dingwall. As you say though he's not a wide midfielder and we can't really judge him until he's played in the centre with someone outside him. Keith Lasley too was never a wide player and he looked far better when he was moved into the middle a few years ago.

What has an anti lock braking system got to do with football?

Having spoken to Ian Baraclough on Thursday night, it soon became clear that he is very aware of our shortcomings - many of which have been articulated on these boards for some time. However they are not as simple and straightforward to remedy as I had thought.

A great win today against a hard and cynical Inverness side. Possibly our best performance of the season, with plenty of fight and determination on offer. A good team performance with Pearson and MacDonald pulling the strings. Skippy added much needed mobility and energy to our attack and he didn't give the Inverness defence any time or peace - just what we needed. He also encouraged the younger players and brought out the best in Erwin. Pearson added some much needed drive to the midfield. Can't wait to see him fully fit. A cracking first goal with Grant supplying an inch perfect cross for Laing to bullet home. The goal we lost we very annoying with Law and McManus not covering themselves in glory although overall they played well. The former was posted missing when the Inverness had all the time and space any player could ever want to sling over an inch perfect cross for their debutant striker to outmuscle the latter. The one disappointing thing for me today was Inverness's behaviour. A fantastic young talent like Ryan Christie should not be throwing himself to the deck every time he loses control of the ball, and certainly not right in front of his manager who ought to have taken action. The Inverness scorer was very fortunate indeed to see half time having committed two horrible fouls for which he ought to have been disciplined. The ref was very pernickety and inconsistent. For our part we still had weaknesses. Our midfield was still too narrow at times especially on the left hand side but luckily Inverness never took advantage of this and it looked a wee bit devoid of confidence for short spells in sitting too deep and allowing ICT to have sight of goals. Not sure about bringing Sutton on but we did win and you can't argue with that.

It was very noticeable that Stephen Robinson was extremely active on the touchline. OK he wasn't jumping up and down or shouting and roaring at the players but he was continually coaching them - pointing out positional advice and encouragement. Almost certainly he had a hand in the tactics.

See you there big yin. Coffees / bovril are on you.

Yes Jack Leitch is back in training although nowhere near match fit I'd guess. Good news for the lad. His biggest drawback is lack of pace and so will need some speedy lads to support him. If Pearo is fit he has to play wide left to plug that huge gap there and give the LB some cover. If he can do that then we'll lose less goals.

Thats right. A few other rumours rebutted as well. Ian Baraclough came across as a personable and intelligent manager who is well aware of our shortcomings. Some can and are being addressed short term and some can't. Interestingly he also said that lack of confidence in a team can come across to onlookers as disinterest, but thats not the case. Overall a positive AGM, although directors know it isn't going to be an easy ride.

Without a shadow of a doubt Pettigrew & Graham. The best pairing I've seen in 50+ years. Pettigrew was lethal and lightning quick. Graham had a real football brain and defenders simply didn't know what he was doing until the ball was in the net.

I can and, whats more, I have. Its not against the Forum rules. Quite a few of our players looked lost and confused last Saturday.

That could also apply to quite a few others on Saturday......Ramsden, Erwin, Moore, Lasley...need I go on. Straker didn't play well granted, but he was trying to do the work of 2 men. The problem was he couldn't decide which one he should be concentrating on, and I can't blame him for that.

You make some fair points, although I don't agree with them all. However I'd add how many of us do jobs where someone is constantly trying to oppose you and stop you achieving your objectives? Thats what a football player/manager has to face in games.

Johnson, Moore and Erwin were playing midfield in an overelaborate 4-5-1 - really a 4-2-3-1. However all too often Sutton was left totally isolated. Most of the time some or all of Moore, Erwin and Johnson sat too deep. At one point Erwin was playing right back for several minutes. We had no shape and the players didn't know what they were supposed to be doing. Your point about left wing is 100% correct and teams have had this sussed for weeks now. Thats the last 4 goals we've lost from the left side. On Saturday Lasley conceded a stupid and entirely avoidable foul resulting in the Dundee scorer being able to whip over a cross from the left with all the time and space in the world to do so.

I thought Grant looked a good player at Dingwall and he could prove an asset if played in the correct role (box to box) in a straight 4-4-2 set up. He was deployed in the wrong role last Saturday. As for Ramsden he was very in poor in midfield against Ross County and should not play there again. He is a right back and thats it.

A thought provoking post. In answer to your question the 3 existing players you mention have been performing poorly all season and not just since the new guys arrived. They ought to look at themselves first and ask why they themselves are not playing well. There may be good reasons for that. The whole team is playing poorly.

X2 There little to be gained from picking on Straker or Lasley, collectively the team was very poor. For once yesterday I thought I central defence pairing had a reasonable game. The fault did not lie there. The midfield is our big problem and has been for some time - evidence of the problem was there for all to see last season and nothing was done to address it in the summer. Yesterday was a complete hotch potch of players playing needlessly out of position in roles for which they aren't suited.