Kmcalpin

In central midfield we're woefully short of an attacking player and it shows. Jones would have been a more offensive alternative to Hammell and Jamie Murphy shold have been taken off, arguably before HT, in favour of Chris Humphrey. Whilst Humphrey's finishing tends to let him down he ties up 2 players. Maybe time to try out Jon Page in central midfield?

Very much so. Jennings and Lasley are too similar in style. Midfield had a strange game today. They started well and finished well but in between sat too deep, came off second best physically and didn't support our two strikers. It had an unbalanced look to it with 3 defensive players and one offensive player who was having an off day. If Stuart McCall made any errors today it was that he didn't get the midfield right. Oh for a box to box central midfielder! Saunders had a poor game as did Murphy but in the latter's defence, defending was never his strong point.

Only two who were in contention, for me, were Jeffers and Sutton. Sutton shades it because of his two goals, but Jeffers looks a very intelligent player - can't understand why some folk want shot of him. .

Over the piece a draw was about right. The "third" Well turned up today - a weird mixture of the very good and downright awful. We started every brightly scoring early on and for the first 10 / 15 minutes looked very good. Then for the next 60 minutes we defended far too deeply, surrendered midield and looked very shaky defensively. In the closing stages we once again looked good after United tired. In the first half, Hammell and Gunning looked all over the place defensively and gave United a lifeline. They did improve a bit in the second half. In general the midfield seemed unwilling or unable to support the 2 strikers for most of the game and Jamie Murphy looked totally out of sorts once again. He proved once again he's no defender. Humphrey should have been introduced before HT. The ref had a huge influence on the game ad United quickly and cynically took advantage of his leniency. First off their RB should have been cautioned for a shocking late challenge on one of our lads. Had the ref done that, that would have spiked United's guns early on. Next up Barry Douglas was extremely fortunate to escape a red card for lashing out at a prostrate Fran Jeffers - not even a word from the ref. Quite a bit of diving too from Swanson and Goodwillie. I thought that United's first should have been ruled out as Swanson impeded Gunning near the corner flag. David Goodwillie's sportsmanship - don't get me started. The game had a nasty edge to it and United are beginning to remind me of Alex MacDonald's Hearts side. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth. On a positive note I thought that Jeffers and Sutton played very well. We'll need to up our game in the replay though - United will have daly and Kenneth back, although Jennings will be back for us. Must learn not be be bullied and intimidated by physical sides though.

United know that too. They'll be in no rush to clear snow if it arrives.

Until about an hour or so ago no snow in Dundee or the East of Fife. Heavy snow in Mid Fife and stll snowing. If in doubt check the NADICS website

You've earned your money Jay so you can spend most of it exactly how you wish. Unless the cost of drink is horrendously more expensive at FP than in JDs, why would anyone pass up a chance to support the club financially? If our club is providing the entertainment (hopefully) then I think it only right that we should support it financially rather than filling the coffers of pubs and global drinks giants. But its a free world and folk can do what they wish.

One chance thats all. He's never played for us before, this is his first time. Like most new players he'll take time to settle in. He might make it he might not, be we need to give him a chance. He's been no worse nor no better than most other players in recent weeks, so why are some folk singling him for special attention. If he's in a C & A shirt he's got my support.

On what basis are you saying that? Talk about not giving someone a chance? The guy is not fully fit yet, has not played 90 minutes in every game, and he won us a point at Pittodrie. I'm not saying he will do but for goodness sake give him a chance.

Why single out Jeffers? He was no worse nor better than most others in the team?

There is this fallacy in some footballing circles that big guys can't be skillful and that physical hardness = thuggery. Not so. Players like Thierre Henry, Zidane, Edgar Davids, Van Nistelroy, Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Pele, are/were all very talented players but all very powerful and as hard as nails. Thats the physical toughness I'm referring to. No-one and I mean no one pushed around Cantona or Van Nistelroy. Both were well over 6 foot, built like bears and capable of dishing it out to anyone stupid enough to get in their way. Neither was criticised for being a hammer thrower though. The great Brazilian team of the 70s was as hard as nails and took no nonsense from any side but again no-one referred to them as thugs. I see nothing wrong in Jamie Murphy putting on a bit of weight and muscle so that he can withstand a 13 stone midfielder battering in to him. There's nothing dirty in being big enough and hard enough to win a 50/50 challenge cleanly. Whats wrong with having a striker powerful enough to withstand a Gary Kenneth or Ross Tokely trying to wrestle him to the ground. All the successful teams such as Chelsea or Manchester United, are physically powerful and hard and, if they put their mind to it, well capable of kicking ten bells out of teams like us. I don't like cloggers but I do like our guys to be powerful enough to shrug off challenges and retain the ball. Thats where we fall down as a team. Its great to have skillful ball players but who wants to see them lose the ball cheaply to the first challenge that goes in?

I've been saying exactly that for some years now grew and been castigated for it. Unless we can compete in the unglamorous "hand to hand combat" aspects of the game we will struggle. Now before anyone has another go at me, I don't mean we should field a team of hammer throwing thugs. Look at Faddy. Good though he was when he left us he was very lightweight. When he re-appeared at Fir Park in Everton colours I was shocked at how much beef he'd put on and how much tougher he'd become in a short space of time. Morgano Gomis and Russell Latapy - neither of them hammer throwers but both solid muscle and physically powerful. I'd back Gomis any day in a 50/50 challenge with Stephen Craigan although he's a good deal shorter in height. Jamie Murphy is very talented but lightweight and easily bumped off a ball. He needs several months with the Everton back room staff to build him up. I've always said the same of Keith Lasley - a very game bantamweight but he can't compete witht the bigger and more powerful middleweights and light heavyweights he comes across in SPL midfield scraps. In many of the recent games against sides like ICT, Accies and St Mirren they've simply bullied us. Unless we can win 50/50 challenges more often and learn to hold off opponents, when on the ball we'll struggle.

Two very good posts from the Lip69 and the Brazilian and I suspect both are pretty near the truth. Like it or not there are question marks over Stuart McCall's ability to motivate the squad. Why is that? It may be due in part to the mangement team's failings but it may also be due in part to players who have become stale and need to be moved on for their good and the good of the club - maybe as many as 5 or 6 of them. Personally I'd like to see a fair bit of movement in and out this summer. Only once that has happened and SM has been given an opportunity to wheel and deal in the transfer market can we judge him.

Good point Jim. Our strikers were given very little room and were well policed sometimes by as many as 3 men apiece yesterday. By comparison we afforded Inverness acres of space when they wanted it. Something else I noticed as far back as the New year derby - we seem incapable of playing one touch football. Very often when we are breaking the strikers or wingers are clear of their markers and the central midfielder/defender with the ball needs to get the ball out to them quickly to catch our opponents off guard. Instead they dally on the ball, as they did yesterday and only release it when the striker/winger is marked by 2/3 men. This one reason why we aren't creating chances.

Wow, thats very worrying. I hope someone from the club reads this. As if competing with the OF wasn't bad enough.

The game was partly lost off the pitch were Stuart McCall got it badly wrong and on the pitch where we played very poorly. We were set up to counteract a free flowing and expansive ICTside. The problem became apparent very on...they weren't going to play that way. Their physical robust style didn't suit us and they were quite prepared to sit back, close us down and hit fast on the break. We had loads of possession but it was mostly in our half and comprised back passes and passes across the pitch with absolutely no penetration. Changes should have been made after 30 minutes when it was quite plain that our game plan was totally inappropriate. Forbes and Hately should have made way for Humphrey and Saunders. I lost of count of the number of times that Jamie Murphy ran with the ball across the pitch not up and down it. Jamie looks burnt out and would benefit from a 3/4 week rest. Ross Forbes is not suited to playing this kind of game, where he isn't given time or space. The first goal was always going to be crucial, and despite what the BBC may have said, it was dreadful defending that gave them it. No cover whatsoever in the left of our penalty box. Second half was worse than the first with all 3 full backs and the midfield having a complete nightmare. In Keith Lasley's defence he was playing out of position. All too often our only attacking option comprised long aerial balls to Ross Tokely who dominatd John Sutton by a variety of means, not all of which were legal. Once again we proved that we haven't a clue to play against sides who defend in depth like St Mirren, Hamilton and ICT. A waste of time and money today but roll on Tanandice.

Far too early to call for his head - he needs at least a year in fairness and the chance to bring in his own players. That said he got both the team selection and tactics badly wrong in Inverness. Changes also should have been made after 30 minutes but weren't. Hopefully he's getting these errors out of his system early on at FP.

How many null votes have won MOTM awards this season?

I can accept that. There will be a proportion of our core support with no particular attachment to the club - they like watching football and MFC just happens to be the nearest club to their home. I recall when we hit 6 past Hearts a year or two back a middle aged guy was sitting in front of me with a C & A scarf on (probably just to keep warm). As goal after goal hit the back of the Jambos net all around were going atomic except this one guy who remained stoic and emotionless. He seemed oblivious to what was going on on the pitch. I suppose that illustrates your point. There will undoubtedly be more like him.

Ally Maxwell may be had a couple of good seasons but in the late 80s his form was less than impressive, and he struggled to oust Cammy Duncan from the first team.

I understand what you're saying but surely this survey is a bit different. Its not like a normal consumer survey. I've been asked to complete a survey before about shopping habits to cite but one example. I don't feel any particular loyalty to Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys or whoever. I don't take my custom there because I like going there its because I have to - none of us can live without food. In such circumstances, there is no strong motivation for completing a questionnaire. MFC is a bit different. Although we're all different, we all go to FP because we want to - through an attachment to the club. Given that you'd think most folk would be very keen to send in their views, to help the club. I suspect that most folk either don't know about the survey or don't understand its importance. Maybe quite a few aren't registered with the Official Site - who knows?

I'd say he is better than Peter McCloy. The Girvan Lighthouse was undeniably better in the air - not unknown for him to come out for a cross ball and catch it one handed. However he was less reliable and prone to making a good few blunders. Older posters will recall him fumbling a harmless header into the net at Easter Road just before he departed. Of the two DR is the better. Keith McRae? A tough one to call but DR shades it for me, although Keith Mcrae was more versatile. Darren Randolph won't score many goals for us. On balance I'd say that Darren Randolph is the best keeper I've seen play for us at Fir Park so far. He's more of an English style keeper than we're used to at FP, although I wouldn't call him dirty. If he comes out for a ball he'll make sure he gets it, without breaking someone's neck or back. Nobody will push him around.

Yes but plenty of other players resorted to shirt pulling and they committed several fouls as well. Scott Brown indulged in jersey pulling and clouted Keith Lasley in the face and got off scot free. No problem with booking Keith per se but he had to be consistent and book others for identical/worse offences but didn't.

It'll be a reasonable representation but as folk on here have said some still didn't know about it. A fair proportion of our support still can't/won't use the internet and unless they bought a programme on Sunday the chances are they won't know about the survey. Hard to say why folk haven't completed one. Many won't have known about it, some will be anti MFC or apathetic. The response is not bad for a survey of this kind but we must remember that, unlike most surveys, our support has a vested interest in it. However given that and also because folk go to Fir Park voluntarily and are not press ganged into it I would have thought it would be higher. Still hopefully the club will get a decent appreciation of our views good or bad.

So, as of today the club has only had 800 replies....out of a core support of 3,500? A 23% response. I would have though our support couldn't wait to fire their views into the club. Well if they don't take part they can't complain if their views are ignored.