Kmcalpin

I don't think Traveller was overly criticising Stevie Hammell here Andy. I took it that he was criticising Mark McGhee's tactics and team selection. I had assumed that if he was going to bring on one full back it would have been Josh Law, given that Saints were tearing us apart down our right hand side. However I think that he should have brought on 2 full backs and not one. For the record Stevie Hammell didn't play well when he came on but he was no better nor worse than the rest, although he didn't look clever at the second goal. I also think that too many players in midfield are being played out of position. Pearson is being deployed in too deep a role and I'm far from convinced that Chris Cadden is a winger - more a right sided midfielder. I have no axe to grind with Mark McGhee and was quite happy when he was brought back but some of his tactical decisions, like today's, simply beggar belief. It became obvious after say the first 30 minutes, that the line up was completely wrong. All that said, I wasn't expecting to get much today - our real test comes next Saturday. No excuses for less than 3 points then.

Absolutely. Canals do leak small amounts of water but they are lined to prevent this. If the underlying hydrology is in any way to blame it will be dependent on the level of natural water table and I very much doubt that it reaches ground level under Firhill.

Agree with that but who do you head the ball to when your midfield is sitting about 2 yards in front of you?

No-one deserving of a vote today.

Absolutely. Just home from the match. We got what we deserved - forget the late goal if Saints had scored earlier it would have been 3 or 4. We matched them for skill but couldn't match them for attitude or work rate. The team played badly but we were beaten at 3.00. Tuesday's formation was never going to work today. I felt sorry for young Cadden and the 2 strikers + Johnson who had a thankless task on poor or non existent service. The entire first half Saints exposed our virtually non existent right hand side and Cadden was left cruelly exposed. When Wotherspoon hit their first goal it was the 4th time one of their players was able to stroll into the right hand side of our box without hassle - we failed to heed the first 3 warnings and paid the price. The second half we fell into our customary defensive shell and Saints were able to fire over cross after cross with the inevitable result. In short our entire midfield was woeful - little creativity, second to most balls and struggling to compete and failing to protect the defence. Their passing was awful and Johnson and the 2 strikers suffered accordingly. That said Fletcher struggled to compete and looks more like a 6 yard box player. Our big problem was that due to the starting formation requiring substantial changes to transform it into a 4-4-2 set up it simply couldn't be done mid game. Gomis didn't have a great game but his defensive presence was missed when he was hooked as we simply don't have suitable replacement. Faddy was a big letdown - didn't do much apart from take 4 corners, 2 of which were very poor, one very good and one leading to the goal.

I'd guess that Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts and Dundee United bring larger crowds (no surprise there then). We certainly take bigger crowds with us than Hamilton, Ross County, Inverness, St Johnstone, Killie and Partick. Probably the same as Dundee. So, you're probably right in that we punch slightly above our weight. You have to take gate prices and travelling costs, as well as geography into account. Killie's away support (and indeed home support) has plummeted in recent years. For their size Dundee united have a relatively poor away support.

Interesting that most folk seem in favour of leaving Pearson out. Maybe he's been carrying an injury but he has been asked to play deeper than he likes. Saints have a fairly combative midfield so we'll see the respective line ups. Brian Easton has been ruled out (apparently) so we'll see if that affects Mark McGhee's thoughts

Thats Partick's home game against Aberdeen called off - the 4th this season. Again still no media witch hunt or SPFL investigation threatened.

Seconded. I've known him for many years and he's Motherwell through and through. Whats more important though is his enthusiasm for the job, his willingness to put in long hours and his professionalism.

Spot on Shaka. In the past 2/3 years our midfield has been lightweight and all too often brushed aside easily by other teams. In the late stages of games its disappeared altogether. Opponents have been given time and space on the edge of our box as we retreated deep into the danger zone. That has cost us a good few goals. Now part of that is down to tactics I admit. Keith Lasley is by no means responsible for all of that but by the same token, as captain and a crucial part of the central midfield we can't say that it was nothing to do with him. As you say we have missed him when he wasn't available but that does reflect our lack of alternative choices. Stuart McCall and Ian Baraclough did neglect the central midfield and now Mark McGhee is having to rectify that and quickly. Whether Morgaro Gomis is the solution I have my doubts but his loan signing has flagged up McGhee's thoughts on our engine room.

I stand corrected, you are quite right - he is not 37 until September. However my points still stand. I beg to differ about his "superman" image. Someone, I have no idea who, coined the phrase "houswewives favourite" and I think thats indicative of his status within much of our support.

If Gomis was to be left out of the starting line up would Pearo be best suited to a defensive role? We don't want to fall into the Craig Brown school of thought where we field our 11 best players irrespective of their positions.

Anderson is a smoking timebomb, always liable to blow up and do something erratic discipline wise.

Unconfirmed rumour on FPC that diminutive playmaker Stefan Scougall is heading our way.

Sorry Tony I don't agree. Keith Lasley is now 37, going on 38. Irrespective of how good he has been he is simply not as fit as he was say 8 years ago. Granted he is very fit for his age. He has never been fast but that is quite different from stamina. He's never ever been a box to box player in the mould of Phil O'Donnell, Stephen Pearson and now Chris Cadden - thats no slight on him he's just a different type of player. I contend that he starts to run out of steam at around the 75 minute mark - again no slight on him but a perfectly natural reflection of his age. In terms of fitness ie stamina I'd place him as one of the less fit members of the squad. I wouldn't have posted these comments but I just don't get the "superman" image many fans, obviously including yourself, have of him. As at today he's a loyal servant to the club, a model professional and a decent player past his prime but thats it.

I assume so, or less likely Aberdeen. Quote from Stephen Thompson in the Dundee Courier.

We won't field the same team on Saturday. St Johnstone will pose different challenges than Dundee United, who incidentally have the 3rd highest salary budget in the Premiership.

No, they weren't were they? Skippy's second was hit from 30/35 yards out - a good strike. Just watched the highlights. A good performance and great result but we shouldn't get carried away. The defence still looked vulnerable, central defenders excepted - United were gifted plenty of space on the flanks and on the edge of our box but fortunately weren't good enough to exploit it. That hasn't always been happening as teams like ICT, Ross County and Kilmarnock proved. Irrespective of the formation or personnel we have to start making teams work far harder for their opportunities.

We're more than due a result in Perth and Saturday is as good a time as any to grab a point or three. We have to build on tonight's important win and really pull away from 11th spot. The win will have done our confidence no harm at all.

Great result tonight so credit to Mark McGhee and the players. That will put the wind up some of our rivals. An odd looking formation but it worked.

It'll be a gey slow central midfield with Lasley and McFadden in it. Probably best to order the former to stay in our half and the latter to stay in the opposition half. I just hope the players understand the formation!

Yes but that was at wide left - he hasn't yet played in the middle. Again the midfield's role will be crucial tonight in supporting the striker(s) and shielding the defence. Both full backs need to be on their game as well.

I suspect win bonuses will feature fairly highly on many players' list of reasons for wanting to win. There are exceptions of course but for how many of us is salary not high up the motivational pecking order?

Absolutely Haggis. The root cause of many, but not all, of our current problems.

Thats very true. Maybe lack of managerial continuity has led to them being extensions or another chance to prove themselves. The close season after we finished 2nd was the time to refresh the squad and we didn't do it. For years now the midfield and in particular the central midfield has needed major surgery but that never happened. Despite losing barrowloads of goals the defence was never cleared out. These failings are not peculiar to Mark McGhee who has only been here a few months.