Malky79

Law to start with couldn't close down as he was left with a 2 on 1 shortly before the cross comes in. The frustrating thing for me is shortly before it our centre half has hoofed the ball clear from six yard box with no real thought other than kick it far away. There is often a time and place for that, if in doubt and so on but he wasn't under any pressure and a more measured attempt to find a team mate might just have found us going on the attack rather than the ball coming straight back at us.

If either of them isn't at the fitness level required then should they be starting? Possibly another stick to beat the manager with, I still reckon they should have caught up by now possible injuries not withstanding. First 3/4 games benefit of the doubt was given, 8 league games and a cup tie later I'd hope anyone a bit behind would have caught up. Also I'd hope a poor game or two aside we'd see signs of good form and maybe tiring but in McDonalds case really nothing at all so far. What I have seen of Johnson has been up and down stuff, some good runs and disappointing final ball. Showing signs of life at least.

I agree to an extent about McDonald, but some attributes should transfer anywhere on the pitch. Ability to control a ball and make simple passes. McDonald has struggled to do even this, as for whether he is purely a striker, I think he has played a deeper role enough times in his career to expect better. Playing to his strengths maybe not, I'd rather see him in the 18 yard box more personally but a player of his quality should be at least competent playing a deeper role. Like to see McDonald start on Tuesday, manager hooked and dropped in last two games so hopefully point made, a role right up front Tuesday and hopefully get his and our season back on track.

If Barraclough walked tomorrow I wouldn't be upset but still willing to give him at least to the first round of fixtures is up. What concerns me is performances if anything are heading backwards. On the whole we have been threatening to be ok but occassionally abysmal. When we have been a bit better we haven't really gotten the results we should have. We should have beaten Utd and St. Johnstone, those two games alone would have had us sitting very comfortably and taken a heap of pressure of Barraclough. The biggest concern is he looks like he starting to chop and change and doesn't know his best XI. To be fair to him some inconsistent performers and downright underperformers aren't helping him. There is no good reason why Scott McDonald should be so poor right now for one. Laing has pretty wildly inconsistent, arguably I am being kind to him. Without wanting to pin to much on one player we do sorely miss Pearson as well. A couple of wins again this week and things will look considerably better. Look at Killie for fuck sake, absolutely rank rotten first 6 games bar one game, they get a couple of wins and are now above us. Shouldn't Killie have sacked Locke already, he had plenty time in the job. No ones patience should last forever but too many people are looking to see the manager fail, not convinced he'll turn the ship around but plenty time yet. Even the end of October there is loads of time to salvage a season if the wheels really look to have fallen off.

Entirely unsure of how I want us to line up. A few things I want to see are Thomas keep his place, McDonald play a bit closer to Moult, Laing if he features not to be at right back and our new loan midfielder start. There is a decent if flawed team in there somewhere lets build on a couple of ugly wins and get the season up and running.

Why worry about a short term loan deal. Swings and roundabouts, if he does well for us it is hardly likely to mean Man U are desperate to get him back. Sure it might alert bigger clubs and maybe he ends up Championship bound in January but it isn't that much different from the situation with most of our players. If it turns out he isn't that good or just now the right fit then he is easily discarded. As for the development of our own young players well if they are good enough I'm sure they'll get their chance, but for the type of player he purported to be I don't think we have one of our own looking ready for the first team sitting waiting right now.

Is it not us closing at 6pm and England at midnight? Or I getting it backwards? Edit - Aye I am, still dunno answer to your query though.

What Pearson and Lasley provide for me is a jack of all trades type of player. Tenacious, decent in possession, able to put in tackles, can provide a bit of creativity but not in spades. For me as the younger and physically stronger of the two Pearson is the one with the stronger all around game with a bit more going forward than Lasley generally shows. Without Pearson my biggest issues is how we cope on the defensive side, we have wingers who can create and forwards who can link play and show a bit of creativity deeper even if it not exactly clicking right now. If we can bring in a player that ticks all the boxes fantastic but I'd settle right now for a strong physical presence who can break up play, protect our back four and play it simple. We might not be banging them in left right and centre but if we were just a bit harder to beat when it isn't clicking I reckon we'd be sitting with at least a few more points right now. I trust in Johnson, Ainsworth, and Thomas to provide a creative spark, Fletcher and Moult have done enough to provide cautious optimism. McDonald and Clarkson in different ways are a concern, one is playing plenty but not looking that great and the other already looks out in the cold and fitness rather than quality seems to be the issue. If we looked more solid in the middle then hopefully McDonald can play further forward and do damage in the final third, at 32 he should be more than capable still.

If I was Conor Grant I wouldn't be back unless the manager signed in blood that I was going to play in my preferred position.

The penalty was a little lucky but a penalty and the offside goal was clearly onside. Ok a little tight but one you'd expect the linesman to get right more often than not. Tidy finish from Moult as well, if that had been given like to think we might have kicked on and really put Killie to the sword but at least it didn't come back to cost us any points.

Even if we haven't impressed much we have now ground out two wins this week. Not a bad way to go into the international break, another massive game when we get back. If we win ugly again I'll be delighted as it'll mean we likely have a decent wee cushion on whoever is bottom and the pressure will be off for a few weeks. I'd hope even just the wins this week builds a bit of confidence. For all we have had some technical and tactical flaws I still reckon the biggest problem has been fragile confidence and nothing builds it like wins, be they bitty and hard fought or won through nice football and handing out a papping. Reckon we can comfortably get clear of the relegation battle this season, by how much remains to be seen I hope we can at least be looking at the top half.

The same Moult who has scored in both his last two games. Strikers miss chances, give the lad a bit of time. Only saw him in the flesh a couple of times and I wouldn't put my house on him being the next big thing but he certainly doesn't look like a Casagolda either gie the lad a chance.

Winning or losing tonight was never going to influence me much either way. We've had to many disappointing cup exits over the years to really use tonight as a stick to beat the manager with. What I hope the team will take from tonight is that regardless of the lower league opposition is that we found a way to win even when not playing well. We've played reasonably in 4 of the league games so far in the main, lets see if we can't kick on win a couple of home games and get some positivity back. I'd definitely get Watt in for Law, would consider keeping Thomas in but long term still reckon Marvin can be a player for us, just that right now he is reminicent of early days Humphrey looks threatining with ball at his feet but on Saturdays evidence, not so sure what he did or didn't do tonight, he needs coached seriously on his decision making in the final third.

Commas and fulls stop who needs those things it just clutters up sentances and whilst it might seem a bit kneejerk I'd be sorely tempted to agree that failure to beat a woeful Killie side to make it 5 winless games is evidence enough that Barraclough just hasn't got it yes there has been improvement from where we were last season but he doesn't seem to be able to instil enough confidence in this squad to grit out results get it done tonight and saturday however and willing to give him another decent handful of games to prove the doubters wrong but I reckon we really need to win the next two and get on a bit of a run I don't want to see us limp to one or two half decent results then lose a few and repeat.

It isn't the start we want, same score at half time get a change made. Give Thomas a full 45 to make an impact

Because the circumstances are entirely different now would be why it might change. Not to say Les might not have more patience than the average fan but I'm fairly sure relegation this time wouldn't be seen as acceptable. It's one thing not being able to save a sinking ship, but once you managed to drag it into port and do some work on it if it then turns out then not to be sea worthy.....I'll leave the nautical imagery there.

My biggest concern isn't any particular player although a few are not exactly making a strong case for themselves, I think collectively we are still mentally scarred by the horror of last season that the papping of Rangers has only papered over. Yesterday was my first in the flesh competitve game this season and over the piece there was nothing between the sides and no one would have complained if it had finished a draw but I reckon the players and arguably the manager cacked it a bit. Can Barraclough turn it round? Well the next two games are absolutely must wins and if we happen to lose both I think the board has to bite the bullet and sack him. He did inherit a bad situation, and I'd even suggest the team is playing notably better than at the start of last season but it matters very little if we don't get results. Getting Pearson back would make everyones live easier and I feel a bit sorry for Taylor, without being a stand out I didn't feel he was that bad and both bookings were harsh. I would suggest though when on a yellow you shouldn't go down easy even if there is contact. Subbing him on a yellow appeared to make more sense than taking off Ainsworth who certainly wasn't having the worst game. Didn't think the change made that drastic an impact to pattern of the game but handed critics a stick to beat him with when it didn't work as it certainly didn't reverse the swing to St.Johnstone.

Just got round to seeing the highlights. I'd give Ripley the benefit of the doubt on the first one, but I thought himself and Laing were equally culpable for the second. If he is going to come he needs to be emphatic not tentatively bumping into players and falling over. At the same time I thought Laing looked a bit leaden and far to easily beaten to a ball into the box, needed to be stronger himself and go win it.

Didn't realise it was that dramatic and we certainly can't continue to be so reliant on one player but right from the first game I saw him play in his second spell at Tannadice I noticed the night and and day difference he made to our team. The phyiscal presence which I know kmcalpin appreciates is telling, a far more rounded player than the raw talent that left us years ago he really brings out the best in players about him not least Lasley who I believe is still a serviceable midfield option but doesn't have quite the same ability to carry us that he once did. On which note I reckon criticism of Hammell and Lasley is a bit of familiarity breeds if not contempt then certainly less slack in some peoples eyes. Sure both have their flaws and maybe we are their level but both have been very good SPL players, it a bit early in the seasoeasily the next best left back we've had in 30 years or so. When Lasley returned way back in the Malpas era he had a Pearson like effect, small he might be but he has always been combative and more lead a by example type player. If any criticism can be made is that at times he maybe still tries to play like he is 26. Someone said Hammell is pretty much a stick on 7/10 guy, more or less true for both players who pretty much don't let you down and are often capable of a decent bit more. At nearly if not already turned 36 Keef is pretty near the end of the road but fitness doesn't seem to big an issue yet but if his midfield partner is anonymous it to much now to expect him to carry him. Taylor hopefully will come good, don't want to write him off yet either but sooner Pearson is back the better and right now I agree a midfield 3 might be needed especially if we want both wingers on the park.

21 points can be won before we play Celtic in October I believe. 10 or more would acceptable whatever order they arrive in, although I hoping to see us better than given the winnable looking nature of most of those games. Dundee looks the toughest in that run, altough I don't expect St.johnstone in Perth to be overly easy either. The Killie home game could start to look like a high pressure encounter.

That penalty is up there with the stupidest I have seen at any level, fine should be dished out for that. Keeper should be keeping out the second. I wouldn't want to see the list of games we should have got something out of grow to large but for the timebeing I remain unworried.

Dundee will be looking forward to cuffing Celtic 4-0 by that logic. They are the better team, they will likely win. I reckon we'll get a response from a poor show on Wednesday and put up a decent fight, as good as Aberdeen are they not a team to be intimidated by and whilst I would rip yer arm off for an entertaining draw still think we can win. Likliest result is a loss, think we more likely to make more mistakes that will be punished but provided we don't do anything to stupid to early if we can get our noses in front I think we capable of upsetting the odds.

3 games, 2 decent performances and one shite one. 3 points isn't a great start but it could easily be worse. Sounds like very little positive to take from tonight though. Clearly McDonald is a player we need to see much improvement from, if fitness is the issue then the more he plays the quicker he'll get sharpness back. If in the next few games he isn't contributing more positively then you can think about dropping him and Barraclough certainly shouldn't hold back from doing so. The deeper role worked well in the play offs but ideally he needs to be getting closer to our main striker. Quicker Pearson is back the better, and while Taylor may have had an unimpressive debut but at least it was 90 minutes game time hopefully with another training session on top of this game under his belt he to will show more on Saturday and beyond. Similarly a full 90 for Ainsworth after missing our first two games. Roll on saturday and have a go at Aberdeen, they should be clear favourites but provided we get stuck in and give them a game I'll be fairly forgiving if points don't follow. Then will start the run that will define our season between now and end of September, a decent run of games against what looks like mid and lower table fodder. If we pick up a decent chunk of points we can all relax, if not then as September winds to an end it will be time to look for the heavy garden utensils and flaming torches.

Brian Kerr certainly didn't make the most of his ability but he had a very serious knee injury early in his time with us. Many players are never quite the same after that kind of thing.

Could say this for most games but any result is possible, I still imagine our confidence isn't rock solid although I don't expect Saturday to have dented it much but Tynecastle is usually a difficult place to go and whilst I don't reckon this Hearts team are to much to be intimidated by they aren't mugs. With Ainsworth back we should be a little bit more dangerous, especially on the counter I hope we can do that well without giving up too much poessession for Hearts to come at us. I expect it to be much like first two games, tight encounters if maybe a little more on the back foot this time being away from as well as missing Pearson. If we have our shooting boots on I can see us winning but think we'll need at least two goals to get something.