MelvinBragg

The number of goals is one thing. But if Thistle had scored three like Ainsworth's today, I'd hold my hands up and say "fair enough". The quality of goals conceded is a far greater concern...

Personally, I'd rather have Nielsen in goals but Twardzik isn't anywhere near being our main problem just now. Doubt he even makes the top five of our problems right now...

First away game I've been to in a while. Don't know if it's possible to condense thoughts on it into a single post. Team lineup wasn't a million miles away from what most people on here would have picked. Not a massive fan of 442 myself. Personally think that any team playing only two centre midfielders is asking to be overrun. But we weren't being dominated and hit the bar before they scored. The first goal drained what confidence there was out of the team. What sticks in the throat about it (in common with the other Thistle goals) was that they had it handed to them on a plate. Vigurs has no pace. Vigurs knows this, McCall knows this, our opponents know this. To play him in wide midfield, one of two things has to happen. Your full back on that side has to cut out any attacking runs or Vigurs has to compensate for his lack of pace by taking a deeper position when covering. Problem is that if your full back doesn't make forward runs, Vigurs' tendency to cut inside (more so when he's on the right) means you have no width. Second goal, the only Thistle player in the box is unmarked by any of the five Motherwell players in there. Third goal, Carswell and Angol somehow lose out to one Thistle player. Individual errors are killing us. You cannot gift three goals and expect a result. More concerning is the lack of belief in the team. This is a team that went to Celtic Park and got a point. The heads went down faster than the Titanic today. Like I said, individual errors are killing us and the thing is, when that happens, individuals get singled out by the fans. It may not help but it's understandable. Noticed a couple of players, making a point of giving Vigurs encouragement as he went off. At least, it seems to show he's aware he made an error in the first half and was clearly down about it. More suggesting of team spirit than anything else we did on the park. We're in a mess just now. Is McCall the man to get us out of it? I hope so because I can't think of anyone else available who would take the job that I'd have more faith in...

Kerr or McManus? On this season's form you'd have to say Kerr. Basically Kerr should play tomorrow but we all know he won't. Or if he does, it'll be at right midfield...

Cannot win a penalty shoot out with a tiny keeper. At least Nielsen has previous for saving penalties...

Time to get Nielsen on?

Hit the crossbar and post. You'll all know what's coming...

The cases of Moore and Erwin tend to suggest that the best way to convince McCall that you're worth a shot is to go on loan and do well. Not sending him on loan doesn't mean he'll get time on the pitch with us...

No one out on loan? With the way McCall was talking, felt sure Cummins, Thomas and maybe a couple of others would be out on loan today...

Twardzik Reid O'Brien McManus Angol Ainsworth Lasley Lawson Law Ojaama Sutton Erwin, Leitch and Ramsden among the subs, no Vigurs or Thomas..

This...

Not listening, let me guess? Overrun in midfield, Kilmarnock always seeming to have a player free?

Aye. Midfield not closing down or keeper at fault? No dangwr of us replying in kind. We don't shoot from distance...

1-0 down already...

If he was watching the St Mirren game, he might have noticed Fraser Kerr has the potential to be that player. An opportunity to develop one of our own into either a solid SPL player or a sellable asset. Which will be lost if O'Brien takes his place. And what will that say to our other young players...?

I agree that the players you listed are untested over the course of a season. Here's an idea. Let's test them over the course of this season. One criticism levelled at McCall, possibly fairly, is his perceived lack of faith in our young players. Can't criticise him for that if we're not willing to place our own faith in them...

McCall quoted after United game saying this...

Kerr's performances make me think that maybe the O'Brien wages could have been spent better elsewhere. Certainly Kerr has done enough not to be dropped automatically when O'Brien is fit/arrives...

Fraser Kerr. By a country mile.

Law seemed to be all over the place. Seemed to be playing almost between Erwin and Ferguson at times. I gather Ferguson plays right back for the under 20s. Who plays left back for them? Is he that bad that we'd rather play an under 20 out of position?

Where to start? Tactics were wrong. Anyone persevering with only two central midfielders is going to struggle in the modern game. Is that why our technique and fitness looks as bad? Hard to take a touch and find a pass when they have an extra man closing you down? And given we spend so much time chasing the ball, no wonder we look knackered? Whether it's the tactics, technique or fitness or all three, we'll need to figure it out fast. Losing becomes a habit. Trying to look for a positive from the game, at least Kerr seems to know what he's doing at centre back. Hopefully the right wing experiment is over...

Indeed, it's Leitch dropping out. Vigurs fit enough for the bench...

According to the BBC, Ojaama on the bench, Ainsworth and Ferguson both start. Doesn't mention who's dropping out for Ainsworth. My money is on Leitch. Unfortunately...

Hollis suffered from following Randolph and Ruddy in the same way that Moyes suffered from following Ferguson. It was asking a lot to match up to two of the best keepers I've seen at Fir Park. I suspect that Hollis is no better or worse than a lot of keepers in the first team at SPL level (keepers in the SPL last season, outwith Forster, much of a muchness). His injury record leaves a lot to be desired which didn't help him get a run of form last season. I'd have him ahead of Twardzik but Nielsen ahead of them both. Still can't believe we signed Twardzik this summer when Jamie McDonald was available...

Twardzik... EDIT Presumably managed by Craig Brown given he was assistant and came back to manage...