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In the two home games I have seen, we have been poor defensively and lost goals by poorly defending crosses. We badly need a good defensive right back but we go and sign another forward??. The route 1 football we seem to be playing simply won't work with White as he isn't good enough in the air and his hold up play is poor. Would it be better with Todorov, possibly as he is better in the air and has more awareness of what is happening around him. We also scored two very good goals against Raith and Cove when we did move the ball quickly and wide so the potential is there. Trafford needs benched as he slows the game down too much and always receives the ball facing the wrong way. Give at least one of the youngsters a start on Saturday and see what happens.

Get Bobby Mann back in defence

Await the Red Dot brigade but I feel that we are in a hiding to nothing this weekend - unless there are changes. Three points (even is scraped) will maintain the present system. A draw or defeat may bring about the needed change that many appear to feel is necessary.

I thought Utd looked a far better, slicker, more clinical, side than Dundee the week before and yet we did ask their defence a few questions. That’s about all the positives though. With the midfield we have I can’t see us achieving much. Probably quite a bold step by Robbo to drop Vincent and start Carson, but having been impressed by Carson against Hearts in a friendly I have to hold my hands up and say I was wrong. He was like a rabbit in the headlights, and You could see him thinking about what to do when it had already happened. Although he’s young and should improve. Vincent actually did ok when he came on but that just shifted the problem to right back where Brad had at least been competent. Don’t get me started on Trafford though. Just to mention he got his weekly booking before half time and one foul in the second half could easily have been a second yellow. Walsh got to the byeline a few times and was probably our best player. Doran has the skill but not the legs and he really needs grafters around him. It’s probably best if White moves on for a fee. I feel there’s a future there for Todorov and Keatings with a different playing style, along with one or two of the young lads used from the bench. If either of them were asking their agent to line up a move before the window shuts I couldn’t blame them. Defensively the problems are stacking up with Brad and Rooney injured and Carlo struggling for pace. Jamie continues to be our best defender though constructively he’s poor and tends to boot it the way he’s facing. With Coll I think we just have to accept what we’ve got. He can be brilliant but always seems to have one clanger in him every week. I wouldn’t have risked any of the youngsters in that game but maybe we have to in “easier” fixtures. Early days but I’m pretty sure that was the eventual champions we were watching. And we would kill for a 7000 crowd in Inverness.

Obviously it’s easier to win than the BIG CUP, because C(o)unty won it ? Interesting point you raise though. By ‘difficult to win’, you must mean for the smaller clubs such as us. One the one hand, apart from the group stages it is straight knockout, making it easier, and the group stages are very early in the season, which seems to make for more shocks, suggesting that the smaller clubs are taking it more seriously. On the other hand, it’s seeded in the knockout stages, making it harder. Also if it started a month later, I think shocks would be rarer than they are. Interesting that both cups have been won 6 times by non-erse-cheek clubs since the turn of the millennium. I look forward every year to the Scottish Cup draw and regard the League Cup as less important. The Scottish Cup (which actually gets under way this Saturday) has far more history. I think I’m in the majority. In turn this means more clubs covet it, and in theory it’s harder to win. Just my two Euro cents worth..

At danger of being a Happy Clapper here goes. Did anyone expect anything else from Tannadump other than a performance improvement ? To blame on fitness is nonsense although perhaps we concentrated more on game time rather than your traditional pre-season torture ? Every cup counts until you get knocked out of it so dropping out helps is also nonsense. How may would have been looking forward to a last 16 tie ? But as tm4j suggests the next two games have become very, very important. But lets not get into the thinking trap that Arbroath are there for the taking - BUT this simply has to be a three point result if nothing else. Then we go back to Dens and although we were bad they were little better. And then there is Robbo. I sincerely hope that the signing of Storey is a sign that we are going to have more of an attacking ethos ? Dundee especially had us sussed tactically so we should be able to turn the tables as they are equally one-dimensional - if not moreso. 4-6 points out of 9 will look a lot, lot better.

I reckon it's a bit presumptuous to write us off after only one game in the Championship, and that against the clear favourites and financially backed Dundee United. Yes we need to improve, but until we can gauge ourselves against similar opposition to ourselves then I will refrain from making rash judgement. Not the best result, but a tough opening fixture for anyone.

Livi also did us 3-0 at home in Pele's first league game. We lost 4-0 away to Dunfermline in the opening day in '99. And 3-0 at home to Rangers in '07. And 3-0 at Fir Park in '11. This is just a thing we do. Everything will be allright.

Hope he can re-discover his form from his first stint at Inverness. Plenty of power and pace and if he puts it to good use he will be an asset. Fingers crossed.

He was a very exciting player to watch when he was with us, I seem to remember him destroying County one winter game. I have no idea if he is the same player now, but if he is, would definitely be worth a punt, though i would prefer to see him on some kind of trial first, rather than getting lumbered with a player if it doesn't work out. But if he is up to his old tricks, he could be very valuable as a supplier to the front line, as well as scoring a few himself. Would be fun if he comes back with that smile he used to play with, like he actually enjoyed playing for us.

Underwear!

? Change....What, formation? Line-up? ....manager??

The highlights don't show it but just before United get the opener a long ball over the top wasn't dealt with by Ridgers / McCart (?). Ridgers started to come for it but then backed away with McCart struggling to make up the lost ground. Donaldson loses Shankland for the second goal far too easily and for the third Tremarco looks like he is standing too far off Shankland and can't get near him to challenge for the cross. For the 4th goal Vincent gets sucked to the ball and lets his man run free. In all instances poor defensive play by us.

At least we aren't lumbered with fon Williams anymore what a calamity he was in goal for Hamilton on Saturday against county.