David

He's what I would call a "luxury" player. Don't get me wrong—he’s not a world-beater by any means, but you don’t come up through the youth ranks at Benfica and the Portugal national setup if you’re not a somewhat solid player. He also drew interest from clubs like Juventus and PSG. I could see him doing better in the lower leagues of Italy or Spain, where the game is more technical and suits players like him. Plus, he’s still fairly young and has room to grow. That said, he's definitely not a right wing back. You could tell his defensive game was lacking, even though he showed some promise going forward, even if it looked like he hasn’t played much lately. I’m not saying he should start for us. As I mentioned, I don’t think he’s the right fit, but he’s certainly not the worst player we’ve had either.

Tavares is definitely a winger, and it's easy to see that he has something about him. He played regularly for Benfica B and was frequently called up to various youth teams for Portugal. There's clearly some talent and pedigree there, especially considering he's still only 23. That said, I think he might be more of a luxury player and not necessarily a perfect fit for the Scottish game. I can imagine him having a solid career in places like Italy, Spain, or Portugal—though probably not at the very top level in those countries. I'm not of the belief that he's a particularly good fit for us though.

Hopefully we see Kaleta come in for Tavares.

It's an approach and model that has us sitting in the top six, currently ahead of two major city clubs and a few others that can afford to outspend us on players. As mentioned in the Kettlewell thread, if we maintain the pace we've set so far, we're likely on track to finish 5th or 6th.

This is crucial for me. We can only hope that whatever kept Kaleta out of the starting lineup has been sorted. Whether it was fatigue and the need to manage the minutes of a player who’s only just turned twenty, or perhaps a knock that wasn't serious enough to warrant his complete removal from the squad. Tavares stepped in and gave it his all. He looked decent at times going forward, but he's not a defensive player. At this point, I'm not entirely sure what's going on with Koutroumbis. I thought Halliday looked quite good at the weekend. However, it seems we're only getting around 60 minutes from him these days, so I wouldn't be opposed to Paton starting and then bringing Halliday on for the last 30 minutes or so if necessary. A win here would lift us into fourth place and give us a bit of breathing room before we face Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, and Aberdeen over the next month. I reckon taking four points from the United and Killie matches would put us in a strong position, as there's a good chance we could nick a point or two from the others.

What I see in Kettlewell is a 40-year-old manager who will have been a full-time, sole manager for two and a half years by February 2025. He's still relatively new to management, and I’m sure he'd be the first to admit that there's plenty more for him to learn. In his first full season, we finished 9th in the league, reached the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, and made it to the second round of the League Cup. This season, we're currently sitting in the top six and have reached a cup semi-final. These are tangible improvements so far. While it’s difficult to predict where the team will end up by the end of the season, we can use the statistics from the 15 games played up to now, including a full set of fixtures, to create a rough projection of where we might finish and how the team could perform. At the moment, we're averaging 1.467 points per game. If we maintain this pace, we should finish the season with around 56 points in total. For comparison, last season we averaged 1.132 points per game. Teams finishing in 5th or 6th place typically end up with 50–60 points, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that a 56-point season could see us finish in 5th or 6th position. So, in terms of points, we’re looking at an improvement of 0.335 points per game, which translates to 12.73 extra points over the course of the season. This would obviously mean an improvement in our league placing as well. These two figures are closely linked and, by far, the most significant of all. At present, we’re scoring 1.2 goals per game, down from 1.474 last season, with a projection of around 46 goals this season, compared to 56 last season. Our goal-scoring is an area that clearly needs improvement if things continue as they are. It seems we're missing the goals of Theo Bair and Blair Spittal—two players we knew would be difficult to replace, and the stats so far suggest we haven’t quite managed it. There's clearly work to be done there. Defensively, we’re averaging 1.533 goals conceded per game, compared to 1.553 last season. This suggests that our defensive performance is almost unchanged, with only a very slight improvement of less than one goal conceded overall. Taking all of this into account, and using our current form to project the rest of the season, here's where we stand: Improved Points Per Game: On track for a significant improvement of 12.73 points over the season. Decreased Goals Scored: A notable reduction in offensive output (10.4 fewer goals this season). Slightly Better Defence: A minor improvement in goals conceded (a difference of 0.020 fewer goals). On the financial side, Kettlewell has overseen the sales of Van Veen and Theo Bair. While he didn’t sign Van Veen, he was the manager who got the best out of him in the latter part of the season before we sold him for a fairly substantial fee. So, I’d say he’s done quite well in that regard. The Theo Bair situation speaks for itself. To answer your question, I’d say Kettlewell has done a solid job since taking over. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. I'd say this applies across the whole club, which has experienced some disruption, especially with the absence of a CEO, which has no doubt impacted the smooth running of things behind the scenes. As of today, I’d give Kettlewell a solid B-. If the projections outlined above come to fruition and the averages play out as expected, I’d raise that to a B.

Sacking a manager while we're sitting in the top six would be next level patter, really.

Well, there's three to get you started. Hopefully that puts a smile on your face! 😉

Oh, absolutely. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, of course, but I do think there's a particular section of the fanbase that seems to criticise every manager we have. Personally, I’m not about to be too harsh, especially given our position in the league. We've had our fair share of injuries, and honestly, if someone had told me we'd be in the top six by the start of December, I would have dismissed it as a bit of wishful thinking. But here we are. Yes, there have been a few disappointing results recently, but now it's down to the manager and players to turn things around. I'm certainly not feeling nervous just yet. We've proven we can get results, so I’m confident we can do it again.

I don't think it is. I'm not sure we can just ignore our current league position. It seems like you're dismissing it because it doesn't fit with the narrative you're trying to push. It's the key measure of our season so far. We're in the top six, after all. I'm pretty sure if we were in the bottom two, you wouldn't be so quick to brush it off, and rightly so. If we had reached a cup semi-final but were in the position that Hearts or Hibs are currently in, there would be a lot of criticism aimed at both the team and the manager. What exactly does "sorting it out" mean? Because, until recently, we were sitting fifth in the table, reached a semi-final, and yet the usual critics were still complaining. For instance, I seriously doubt that a point tomorrow against St Mirren, picking up four points from the Killie and United games, and possibly grabbing a point from the matches against Celtic and Rangers before the end of the month will change anyone’s mind. It seems fairly clear that some people just don't rate the guy. These are often the same ones who didn't warm to Alexander or Robinson, and they probably won’t be keen on the next manager either. We've done reasonably well so far this season, and we're in a solid position in the league. Now, we just need to pick up some points, stabilise things, and push on. Of course, if this becomes a string of defeats and we start slipping down the table, then there will be a conversation to be had. But I believe we can turn it around.

As has already been mentioned, that second goal is crucial. The officials, as often happens in this country, got it completely wrong. The interview took place immediately after the game, so I’d be surprised if he wasn’t a bit short-tempered and upset so soon after the event. We're definitely in a bit of a rough patch, there's no denying that, but we’re talking about it as though we’re in danger of being stuck at the bottom of the table. We’re 6th. I understand that many people aren’t fond of Kettlewell, for whatever reason, and if he were more popular, he’d probably be getting more support and less criticism. But the facts are the facts. I also can’t shake the feeling that some of our fans have quietly been seething while we made it into the top six and reached a semi-final, just waiting for an opportunity to start complaining as soon as things took a downturn. There are six teams below us who are in a worse position. Yes, we need to see improvements. I’m sure the manager would be the first to agree with that, but I also think a bit of perspective is needed.

Nope, not a chance. Unless he decides he's had enough.

Except in his post-match interview he clearly states that the team, and him specifically, is at fault for the 3rd and 4th goals I believe? His comments regarding Balmer are spot on. He even addressed it with the official and was told that the referee would decide how bad a head knock would be before the play was stopped, which is absolutely ridiculous. It's either a head knock, or it isn't.

While we all want entertaining football, the reality is that in the Scottish league, we often can’t afford the players who can deliver that while also winning consistently. It’s seen as being more pragmatic to focus on playing to win than to prioritise entertainment and let’s be honest, most teams in the league aren’t exactly thrilling to watch. The vast coverage of top-tier football European football has skewed the way many fans perceive the game, creating unrealistic expectations about how the game should be played at a lower level. We watch games on TV and wonder why our teams can’t replicate their style, but the simple truth is that we don’t have the players to execute it. The manager, of course, would prefer to play entertaining football if possible, but winning will always come first. That’s the priority in our league. And I don't see it driving fans away. Just the same I don't think us suddenly playing exciting football is going to attract new fans. Our crowds remain the same more or less.

I like that team. For as much as Halliday certainly tries, I think he needs a bit of time on the bench. We need to give Tony Watt a run of games, and playing him with Stama could hopefully open up a good partnership, especially with TJ's ability alongside them on the wing.

Interestingly, I've noticed a few mentions of the Graham Alexander era. That was another time when we were enjoying relative success. He came in and guided the club to an eighth-place finish, followed by a fifth-place finish in his first full season. It was another season where I heard people claim we were only in the position we were because the teams around us were poor. But much like this Kettlewell side, we ended that season with only four teams having won more games than us all year, and one of those was Livingston, who finished in the bottom six, so that slightly distorts things when considering the quality of competition we faced after the split. After binning him we entered one of the most turbulent periods of recent times, and Kettlewell, like him or not, has steadied that ship.

The thing is, we are winning. That's why we're sitting in fifth place. We've won six games this season, a record that can only be bettered by three clubs in the league: Aberdeen, Celtic, and Rangers. We've won twice (or more than twice) as many games as four other teams in the league. The attractiveness of the football can be debated until the cows come home, but the truth is, we're sitting fifth and have reached a cup semi-final. We're obviously on a bit of a skid at the moment, and if that continues I'm sure questions will be asked, but I don't think that will become the case, mainly because of the type of football we play. The way Kettlewell sets us out is perfect for nabbing points in this league. We have a mid-table team written all over us. The question is, is that success? That's more down to the individual I guess.

Is Stama injured? If not, I don't see him being dropped for Robinson.

I'd be very surprised if TJ isn't back in at the weekend. He was likely only left out due to him having to travel for international duty. Halliday being dropped though, is something I'm not sure will happen.

Cool.

I guess it depends what you term "having a go." If we play both TJ and Stama and we win 3-1, would that be enough?

Absolutely no chance? Based on what? Maswanhise and Stama started the games against St Johnstone, Rangers, and Dundee United before the break? I'd assume there's a very good chance that TJ comes back into the team after recovering from his international exploits.

In fairness, I don't think the media and journalists in question really care all that much, it's all about keywords for online media. And Rangers and Celtic draw more clicks than any other teams in this part of the world. It's why they shoehorn every possible reference to those clubs into their articles. Clicks.

I'm sure I've seen games get called on account of the surroundings being unsafe for fans to travel. I wouldn't be surprised to see that happen this weekend, sadly.

I understand where you're coming from, but I think some of those criticisms might not carry as much weight when you look at the bigger picture of our performances and results this season. Points about not closing down, defending too deeply, or not supporting the strikers can often be linked to tactical choices that have ultimately been effective. We're 5th in the league, with a comfortable cushion and games in hand, plus a cup semi-final in the books. These achievements suggest that the approach is working overall, even if it’s not always the most visually pleasing. For instance, defending deeper may not be ideal for possession stats, but it’s clearly effective in certain situations—particularly against stronger opposition, where soaking up pressure and hitting on the counter has proven successful. When it comes to possession, I think it’s worth considering that stats can be misleading. It’s not just about where or how often we lose the ball—it’s about how effective we are when we have it. Even with lower possession figures, we’ve still been able to create chances and score goals at crucial moments, which is why we’re in such a strong position in the league. So, while it’s fair to critique certain aspects of our play, focusing too much on possession numbers or isolated tactical decisions seems like nitpicking when the results on the board show progress. The balance might not be perfect yet, but it’s been delivering success so far, and that’s what matters most. In that context, our season so far has been a success.