Ya Bezzer!

Las.

Last three matches I've seen 10 goals against, 0 goals scored and 2 shots on target. Dismal.

Not sure how that 11 is going to line up... No right sided midfielder.

Neither do I!

Don't really want to go to the game because I can't see where a result is coming from but I'll still be out there in the freezing cold. At least Forrest is out for them and Ambrose isn't!

The proof of the pudding is this - is the current squad good enough? It's not, not only have most of the players brought in have failed to spark (not necessarily McCall's fault) but the make up of the squad, the balance of the squad is completely inadequate and heavily weighted to defensive players and strikers. We had a situation at the weekend where one player, Iain Vigurs, was injured and because of that we couldn't field one creative, attack minded central midfielder in the game. That's beyond shoddy and veering towards incompetence in terms of re building the squad. Law, Ojamaa and Humphrey left and only Vigurs was brought in who you could say would slot into one of those vacant positions. If budgets cuts are responsible when why did McCall sign Lawson? Anyone? He doesn't fit into our system and he's not going to change the system to suit Lawson. We never really needed a player like him in the first place. So why did he bring him in? Lawson is to all extents and purposes a wasted wage with Carswell and Lasley already on the books. The whole McFadden farrago is highly suspect in itself, dragging on all summer before signing a completely unfit and unmotivated player, but besides him we do not have a single attacking wide player in the first team squad bar a loan player who will probably be booted back to his parent club in January and who doesn't deserve an extension any way. It's December and no one has any idea what our best XI is, because the manager doesn't have a clue how to cobble a team together out of the squad THAT HE ASSEMBLED. If you are playing a 4-4-2 you need at least three wide midfield players, we have one contracted. If you are playing a 4-4-2 you need at least two creative attacking midfield players, we have one contracted and nothing else. If you are playing 4-4-2 you need at most 4 strikers. We have 5, including one that has been brought in on loan and is probably taking a large whack of cash out the club. I don't doubt McCall works under difficult financial restrictions but those restrictions will only get worse next season due to his incompetence during the summer to build a balanced squad that was fit for purpose.

I think that since we have not so much as scored a goal in European competition since Stuart McCall took the helm, a lot of the excitement of looking forward to European matches has gone. But the main reason is I think people are realistic enough to look at teams like Dundee Utd, Aberdeen and Inverness and say they are better than us, and suspect for all the will in the world that we won't finish in a European place. More than likely this current squad will be further weakened in the new year.

I think we have missed Ojamaa more than any other player.

I don't want Stuart McCall sacked because he has enough good stuff banked for it to be taken into consideration when placed against the complete cunt he has made of this season. But I think lots of managers could have us playing better football, rebuilt the squad better in the summer and have progressed us in the cups. True, we are currently 3rd in the league but we won't be for long and I think unless things improve quickly we might struggle to stay Top 6. The biggest concern though is fans drifting away now with a 'dead' season and the inevitable financial problems that will lead to. McCall's predilection for making the same mistakes over and over again has alienated a lot of the support. There's no point in saying 'who could do better' the reason McCall should remain, for the time being at least, as manager is 'he has done this, this and this'. Right now he has enough achievements to cancel out the disappointments but no one can live off past glories long and it's down to him, if he wants to stay in the job, to get adding positives before the negatives take over.

We've not been good enough this season but do you think we will get better if the players have a sit around and realise 'the reality' that they are much worse than they thought? That's not how building confidence works. And confidence is the most important factor in football. Once a teams head goes down it is very hard to get it back up again. Players and to a certain extent managers, have to live in a delusion, otherwise we wouldn't even be competitive never mind any good.

We haven't even scored a goal in our last 7 European matches. Might have something to do with it.

Teams rarely win 7-0 two weeks in a row. So I'll go for 6-0 to Celtic. Nah, I've been watching football too long to fall into the 'we have no chance' category. Someone said earlier they would rather be playing Celtic coming off this defeat than someone else and I kind of agree. We have as much chance of beating Celtic as normal, not much, but it is possible. The big fear is if they score an early goal it could be quite a heavy defeat.

Lawson has been dire. Carswell had a good spell but has gone off the boil again. But the worst thing is the idea that you could play these two players as a pairing against a lower league team that were bound to defend in depth. Neither player has an ounce of creativity to them. The squad is completely unbalanced and if one or two players are missing we don't have adequate replacements. That has to go down as Stuart McCall's responsibility. I make it that we have 6 recognized midfielders in the squad, that just isn't enough for a team that plays four across the middle. We should have at least two players for each position and U20s, who should be playing the same formation as the first team, that come in and fill any gaps, when first team players are injured so we always have 22 players available except in circumstances where there are an uncommon number of injuries.

The season after the Cup win was one of the worst ever but things were different then, you could take your time and build a team over a couple of seasons. Post Bosman teams our size can't do that. I'm afraid like it or lump it it's all about the here and now in 2013.

The midfield and defence have contributed 3 goals this term. McManus and Hutchinson both scored headers from corners and of course the Ainsworth goal you mention. Here's the number of goals contributed by defenders and midfielders in SPFL games this season. Celtic 17 Dundee Utd 14 Inverness 11 Ross County 11 St. Mirren 10 Hearts 8 Aberdeen 7 Partick 7 Kilmarnock 7 Hibernian 4 St. Johnstone 4 Motherwell 3

I'm all for young players getting a chance but we can't field a team like Hearts where they are almost all youngsters. We need to have an experienced frame around the young players. What I want to see though is more young players given more chances, not picking out two or three and ignoring the rest. I absolutely believe you do not know a young players worth until he plays first team football and we have almost entire U20 teams leave the club without ever getting a sniff. That is wrong.

I agree Hutchinson will be sold now. Ainsworth should leave as I think he's been dire every time I've seen him. Anier hasn't really convinced me either but he does have 5 goals which given the paucity of our offensive play this term is something to consider. I'd probably try and keep him due to his proven ability to bag a goal or two but I think developing Moore and Erwin is also important.

After yesterday I'm gonna have to put the kids on wooden rollers to get them to this match. Football is a strange game and Celtic won't sit in, which is something we really struggle with. However if Celtic get the first goal it could be a long night. Might take my novel and get a chapter or two read!

We have a wages budget for the season that pays the playing staff. I don't think a players individual wage should have any influence on his position in the pecking order or team selection. We need to give more young players a chance. The only positive from today is that Jack Leitch came on for his debut and did more in his cameo appearance than many established players like Lawson and McFadden who were both dire. Guys like him, Moore, Erwin, Murray and others should now be introduced. Guys like Francis-Angol, Carswell and other more established young players won't be done any harm by taking a step down for a bit. It will either spur them on or prove they weren't worth a place any way. If we introduce a wider range of young players and even only one or two of them prove themselves it will have been worth it.

Not that hard to imagine.

He also made a run into the box. Clear MotM.

Not really a freak result though was it? Today's performance wasn't much different from most of those over the last two months. Only difference was we thought it was because we were playing better quality teams. Turns out it's because we are just crap.

Depends what you mean by 'outplayed'. The fact that we passed the ball side ways or backwards for large periods might mean we had more possession but I'd still say we were outplayed because they created more chances, took one of them, had a much better attitude and deserved to win the match.

Ayr were a decent team and had few players that went on to play at the very top level. Alloa we lost to on penalties after dominating the match and I don't think they played in the bottom division when we lost that match (someone can correct me if I'm wrong). Albion Rovers are close to the very bottom of league football in this country and they deserved to win the match. Their goalkeeper had one save to make in the last few minutes and that was it. I've been coming to games since 1982 and not missed many since 1986 and tonight is the worst performance and result I can remember. The only one that comes close was the Llanelli match and we had only just appointed a manager and were building a team so there were some extenuating circumstances. No excuses tonight though, it's just the very lowest result I've ever witnessed with my own eyes.

Just out of interest when did you last see us beaten and outplayed by builder and van drivers?