Tweed

Started well and plugged good balls in front of Frear, Bowman and Cadden which had them right on the back foot. With the pace of these three playing a ball into space is a very effective tactic. But once it went 2-0 Inverness changed the tactic a bit, whether through design or McNaughton being slower than Tremarco but because they were deeper they met the ball head on and our attacking players no longer had the space. In the middle period of the first half, this became a problem as Campbell and Pearson were totally outplayed by Vigurs and Tansey. They're goal was a lovely bit of intuition by Fisher but we were lucky the same guy was outsmarted by Samson for his smart save a minute or two later but we managed to get Frear more involved later in the half which let us begin to dominate again and we could have gone in 3-1 up. Second half was a bit equal to begin with, their equaliser was a catalogue of errors, Samson's punt got held in the wind and we missed a couple of tackles and interceptions before Samson charged out and made the lob so inviting. However, Ainsworth changed the flow of the game. Suddenly we had a man over and we were delivering cross after cross in. I know Skippy's goal was maybe not in but he was completely unmarked and it was a stunning ball. After goals against Hamilton twice, Dundee and Partick all wrongly disallowed, three of them potentially result changing I don't think anyone could deny us a bit of fortune. Inverness might but right now, I'm not bothered. ANother brilliant cross and Campbell's run and header were superb to seal the deal. And to be fair at 4-2, for all Inverness had a lot of territory they were very poor in throwing everything on and we never looked under a real threat at that stage. Hopefully gives us a lift and another bum clencher in a fortnight.

There has also never ever been a draw in Inverness. We had one away draw at Pittodrie when they first came up.

All of which were in the first half. So we haven't scored into the Cooper since December 3rd!

Partick, Hamilton and Motherwell only got two while Hearts, Dundee and Inverness had four home games v the Old Firm.

Must have been at Ibrox because suspensions start a fortnight after the last yellow. We got worse when Lasley replaced Clay on Wednesday, we got better when that sub happened on Saturday so I'm not losing sleep over it. This game is huge. They have won 1 in 21, but they grind out draws incredibly frequently. Cole is going to be added to that suspension list this week since he got sent off yesterday. If we can turn our dominance into games into a goal or two, I think we are better than this team but for all Robinson deserves credit for us becoming tighter at the back, we have also become less good up top. So we need to work on a way that keeps this new found resilience in defence whilst allowing us to pose a threat at the other end. Teams who can put three past Celtic don't suddenly become completely impotent, we all know the tools are there but it is delivering them without being overly open that is proving the challenge.

Thing is I feel we dominated St Johnstone but lost to defensive mistakes, we had enough chances to beat Rangers but didn't, we had enough chances to beat Hamilton but didn't and yesterday. Well I felt the team was OK when I saw it. But it was very apparent after 20 minutes it wasn't work and nor was it going to work. So why we plodded on to half time allowing them a couple of chances to get a second and seal the deal was not great. We did improve a bit in the last ten minutes but were still pretty insipid. Second half we dominated as much as Thistle did the first but our final ball was poor, our positioning in their box was poor and for all we were the dominant force is that we did not look especially like scoring. Thistle still were lively on the break but to be honest that was a risk we had to take in the circumstances. Saturday coming is probably our biggest game since the play off games. I think if we win that we just about guarantee we won't come 12th and hopefully it would give us a bounce to go and secure 10th or higher.

They always try and balance the 19 home 19 away before they balance the 2 home 2 away between clubs. The problem you have is that the 19 home 19 away only works if you have three teams in each half who are due 3 home 2 away and vice versa, otherwise one team in one half gets 20 home 18 away and one in the other half gets 18 home 20 away. Motherwell and Ross County would both be predicted to be top 6 whilst Thistle and Rangers would be predicted bottom six.

I think Stephen Robinson's interview was fair. We dominated the first half without being special. Cadden and Frear just seemed a bit deep to influence the game as an attacking force. Bowman was excellent in the first half but drifted out the game as we went a bit longer in the second which judging by Robinson's comments was not the plan. Our chance conversion over the last three games has been woeful, we've played not too bad but only scored two goals. Real hard game on Saturday but one we can perhaps take something from. Could be crucial as Hamlton play Ross County and would you trust Hearts to beat Dundee? Big big game.

I know a man who once said that Hateley was shite, but he was shite 30 yards further up the pitch than most right backs. I don't think he was far wrong.

I agree with most of your post but not this bit. The cross was outswinging, the absolutely best Samson could have done if he came out was leap and put a finger on the cross. He would then have been lying on the turf whilst the incoming guy placed the shot in either corner. I think he was quite right to trust that the defenders would do their job in winning the header and if not, trust that Craig wouldn't head it right into either corner because we put some pressure on them. Sadly none of the above happened. Your general point I agree with but I think the example on Saturday is just not true. Coincidentally I spoke with an Aberdeen fan today who said that Samson's display in the two games at Pittodrie this season were the best two they've seen from a visiting keeper. Now I wasn't at either game, but this guy is one whose judgement is usually sound.

Exactly. It doesn't help him and it doesn't help the guys in front of him. Samson isn't the best goalie in the division but he is better than some we have had and for some reason folks just don't seem to like him. He certainly isn't the reason we are where we are and the stick he gets is totally unjustified and unwarranted. Also while I'm on my high horse, if you actually genuinely thought he could have come for the cross at the first ball, you are clearly looking to blame him. The cross was an outswinger and about 8 yards out from him at least, had he come he was 80-20 to miss it and give Craig an absolute free hit and he certainly wasn't getting to a second ball. He maybe could have done better at the second one but there was only one guy back who missed a pretty easy header. If he was to blame at all, proportionately it was more from the defence.

This is very true. There were two or three times today it looked like we were going to win a corner and I looked down/away and by the time I refocused about two seconds later it transpired that a Saints defender had worked their bollocks off to prevent it. I thought St Johnstone were pretty ordinary today, but their workrate and organisation is as good as anyone's (including Celtic).

I thought the utterly insipid Clay had a damn good game today. We had more of the game today, we created lots of chances and at times we had the St Johnstone defence rattled. But we lost two goals due to defensive nonsense. Hammell was sleeping to let Cummins in behind, Jules stood and watched him play the cross in and Ferguson and McHugh didn't even get close to Craig. The second one was a meat and drink cross for Ferguson who got stuck under it allowing Craig a free hit of it. Then we had Moult and McDonald missing so many chances, They should have done better than they did up top today, though as ever the two of them burst an absolute gut for the cause. Bit better in both boxes today and we'd have won that and nobody could have complained. We really need to screw the nut and cut out the individual errors though as not many teams will concede enough to allow us to gift them two as we did today. Robinson's change after their second goal did not work. Not sure why we changed the formation when we were dominating and it allowed Saints ten to fifteen minutes easy coasting until Ainsworth came on. But his changes won the game at Killie and we all know McGhee would have stood motionless and done nothing in both games.

I think it is a good appointment. Bearing in mind it is 15th March, anyone new coming in could take a bit of time to get to know the squad - something we're pretty thin on. Also, there have been marked signs of improvement in the games at Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, granted he clearly hasn't turned us into world beaters but he has proven that he has some ideas what he has doing. I accept Oldham have improved since he left BUT with the budget they have he did well to even have them in touch. As for the length of the contract I never really feel appointments to the end of the season work. They either result in short termism or lack of motivation, either create problems. I think we have provided a contract that mitigates both of these risks but allows us a not extortionate get out if he's pish. So here's to you Mr Robinson, keep us up, get us safe and move us forward.

What normally happens is we score first then lose 2-1.

Only seen the Sportscene highlights but looked like a lot of the efforts Aberdeen had were from a bit of distance and they didn't get in behind often at all. But I did notice that there was a corner towards the end of the highlights where we cleared it easily but eight of our team remained in the penalty box, if you remain as deep as that you ask for a bit of bother. St Johnstone are not invincible so I hope we go into this with a PMA because if we could sneak three points from it it could be a big bonus. Inverness play Ross County next week so if we lose we could end up being sucked in by Inverness into a three way fight for tenth or if Ross County win next week and we do the same, Hamilton and Inverness will look very exposed. Getting interesting. I suspect the last three games to the split will be the ones that make or break us.

It was more than a fortnight ago. They need to get over it.

Winning 2-1 at Kilmarnock is hardly a freak result. We've been drawing 1-1 or winning 2-1 against teams in this part of the league all season long.

We didn't play well today for long spells especially in the first half. Connor Sammon completely destroyed Richard Tait in the first half. No idea who was meant to be marking Boyd at set plays because the stewards were closer than any of our defenders at times. We didn't look comfortable at all and Jules looked like a lost boy. Also why does he keep trying Hollywood cross field passes? He has done nothing to suggest he is good enough at this level. But we changed it and Bowman and Frear showed why we'd dug them out and brought them up here. Between them they turned round where the game was being played. Also, we barely ever score from set plays and our centre halfs barely ever score so to get a couple like that today is encouraging, the ball Frear put in for a couple of corners in the second half were deadly. He did a bit last week when he came on and a bit more today to suggest he could be a player for us, would just like to see him a bit more involved in the game. We stood off too much at 2-1 and invited on the problems we had The lack of an outball meant we were defending all the time and the build up of pressure is what led to the penalty (rightly or wrongly given, not seen it back to see) but we got away with it. By the way - Carl McHugh was absolutely outstanding.

Very similar to his tackle on Hammell which I thought was a yellow and I thought this one was a yellow too. However a lot of people felt the one on Hammell was a red. Would be interesting to know if the referees discussed that tackle at a get together and if that had any influence on Kevin Clancy's decision last night. With my objective head on, I think that red card was harsh.

For what it's worth, I think Mark McGhee is a good manager but his mouth wanders away with him at time and this has caused issues and in the last few weeks it seems to have snowballed out of all control. This all started with his comments at Ibrox about Scott McDonald having a back injury from carrying the rest of the team. As a motivational tool it was an incredibly dense thing to have said. I actually thought we were unlucky to lose that game and it came from a crazy individual error. However those comments were proven a week later when McDonald was binned against Rangers and the players seemed to spend the last hour proving him right. But this was an incredibly negative outlook against a team who looked vulnerable. Ross County was a good three points and I think that looked like being the hallmarks of a recovery but all seemed uneasy against Hearts. Carl McHugh's red card must have been divisive. It is clear McGhee wanted to appeal it (and I agree with him on this one) but the club pulled rank which made his post match comments seem ridiculous. Then came the 7-2. An absolute red neck of a night. We defended like a pub team (apologies to anyone who plays for one). We're 4-0 down and all over the place and he decides to call John McKendrick a 'fucking pantomime villain' (if my ears pick him up right on that infamous video) when we have an attacking free kick in the middle of the pitch. Just a bizarre undisciplined outburst and the way he reacted to the chap with the phone was outrageous. For all he was again right that the phone camera shouldn't have been there, his reaction was not that of a Premier League manager. You get one 7-2 type result, you don't get two in less than a fortnight and Saturday was just a debacle too far. Zak Jules is in the Scotland set up and Joe Chalmers has been trained by Celtic. These guys may not be flavour of the month but they are not as bad as they played on Saturday - we looked like a team without a plan, without a heart, without a desire. It was clear that the fans had had enough and McGhee brought it all on himself with stupid comments. When that happens it only ends way and it was as well pre Kilmarnock as after it, irrespective of what happens on Saturday. Also given the nature of the games coming - nervous - having your manager in the stand serving a ban for half of them is not helpful and that will no doubt have played a part in the decision making today. No ill to McGhee from me, he had his faults, always has done but he has given us more good times than bad but the last month has been amateur time and we need to jump out of it quicksticks. Watching Hamilton v Aberdeen tonight, 1-0 to Hamilton as I type but the Accies defence have jumped in front of everything, not let them win a header. We may have better players in our squad but their's clearly win when it comes to desire.

Since we don't know how good Griffiths is I'm not convinced dropping Samson would improve the team. In a thread somewhere, someone said he didn't look great either.

We were utterly desperate yesterday. Goal 1 - An aimless lump into the box. My dad had just said to me we hadn't won a header in the box yet, when we did win one I wished we hadn't bothered. Samson maybe should have done more communicating but back looping headers into the middle of the goal should never be the default thing to attempt. Goal 2 - Chalmers was doing not very much to prevent the ball getting to Haber, when it got there Jules was caught wrong side but to be fair it was a beautiful turn and finish by Haber. I think this one looked like Samson should have done better because he was so close to it but I think Jules was blocking his view. Goal 3 - Again Chalmers not in the proximity as the ball was played in to O'Hara and Jules wasn't marking. Both a bit culpable and I feel Samson should definitely have saved this one. Goal 4 - Well where to start with this. Ojamaa wins a header unchecked in the D, they then spray around 5 or 6 tackles unchecked before someone runs at Chalmers, he runs out, looks a bit feart and let them run passed him to play in Ojamaa who found an unmarked Wighton - so unmarked I've no idea whose man he was. Goal 5 - Heneghan goes into a daft tackle. Three guys unmarked at the back post who were surely Chalmers and Jules' men. Samson maybe could have come but I think it was maybe a smidgeon high for him not to leave the centre of his goal. McMillan made a couple of poor errors on the other side too but I think he escaped as much criticism because McGowan and O'Hara wasted the chances from them. McHugh made a difference at centre half but it's hard to tell how much because Dundee's intensity certainly dropped and given they have another game on Tuesday I don't blame them. We got a few chances in the second half. Frear did well when he came on which was one of the few bright (all things being relative) spots. I just heard them say on Sportscene that Partick Thistle have kept seven clean sheets in the last ten! We've kept two all season. For all our weaknesses were exposed yesterday, this is not a new issue because McManus and Hammell were injured. Think we missed them as organisers more than defenders yesterday but we were awful.

Except our lot at least try to play the ball, Alli was just a bastard.

I always think if the only injury you are likely to get is bruising or a dead leg then it is not excessive, if there is a chance of a deep gash or bone break then it could be. That's why I think McHugh and Kiernan's were yellows as they were low and in my view, in control despite being harder than average. And why I think McDonald was correctly binned as had he missed the ball he was over the ball and could have broken the leg and Bowman's rake down the leg could have caused a proper bad injury. Of the four red card incidents affecting our players this year I think Bowman's was the worst followed by Lucas, McDonald and McHugh in that order and I don't for a second doubt all four only had eyes for the ball. Refereeing mistakes happen, of course they do and that clouds the interpretation. Being honest the McHugh one is the only one I've really strongly disagreed with the media reaction for any team all season.