David

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.

I was poking fun at the usual suspects who overlook the current success of the team in favour of the only thing they can moan about. Possession. Jesus Christ man. This place is hard work at times.

I have a feeling you didn't quite get the gist of my original post on the matter. Never mind.

The issue is that Watt is likely to stay in this form as long as he only gets the occasional 15-20 minutes here and there, especially given he didn’t have much of a pre-season or any real match time before joining us. If we want to see the Tony Watt we had a few years ago, we need to play him regularly and allow him to find his rhythm and get match fit. What’s clear is that there’s a player in there. It all comes down to whether we’re prepared to give him the game time to rediscover that form.

My problem with the possession statistics is that they seem to be the only thing people can use to criticise our season so far. Some fans are going to great lengths to approach the situation from the angle of, "Right, we've reached a cup semi-final, we're 5th in the league with a four-point cushion over 6th place, and we have two games in hand, but what about the possession stats?!" Would it be nice to see us retain the ball more? Of course. Would I trade that for winning games and sitting in 5th? Not for a second.

#HappyClapperPatter

Never mind the result. That comes secondary to us winning the possession contest, surely? Will this be the game we finally crack that 35% number and send our possession-obsessed fans into a tizzy? Or will we do what we usually do? And win 2-1 while only getting 8 kicks at the ball team-wide?

At this stage I'd likely look at moving on from Tavares and Vale. Robinson is someone else I'd maybe look to move on, but with a deal until May 2026 it may prove difficult. As for Tony Watt, I think there's a player in there. He just needs a run of games and probably a proper pre-season. I'd keep him around.

I've always blamed Boyle more than Nevin for that whole period of time. He was the guy who hired someone who clearly wasn't qualified for that job.