Leaderboard

In my opinion, if we ever manage to get promotion again, we would tend to be a yoyo club. I don't think we have the resources or Premier player pulling power to sustain a place in the top flight. When we were last in the Premier league, after we won the Scottish Cup, that was the time to push on, but we didn't, we've regressed. We couldn't keep that squad together, and most of the players that were brought in just didn't match up to the ones we lost. That was our golden era at the club, and fear we will never see the likes again, all the planets aligned then, and if we couldn't attract a better quality of player and increase our attendances after coming third in the league, winning the Scottish Cup and playing in Europe, when will we. County are a different fish, they have the financial pulling power, and teams like St Mirren and Livingston are in the central belt and most Scottish players don't want to relocate their whole family North for what might be a two years contract, we couldn't even hold on to thirty-eight year old Broadfoot, who was travelling up and back on his own from the South. I agree with Dougal, I can see us going the way of Arbroath, as year after year that we remain in the championship, the more our resources and talent are depleted. We are not alone, bigger clubs than us, with much bigger fan bases and pulling power are struggling in leagues below us, Dunfermline and Falkirk being two, and to a lesser extent, our opponents last Saturday, Brechin City, were our league rivals a few seasons ago, before dropping down and down until they eventually ended up in the Highland League. And with the Highland League now attracting former Scottish League players to their ranks, with the likes of our former players, Meekings, Warren, Mchattie and Mcdonald, who probably earn more from their day jobs and football money than we could pay them as full time pros, we are on a hiding to nothing. The times are changing, ambitious Highland and Lowland league club can now offer better packages to players and are gaining good sponsorship and are becoming more professional. This for me is the season we must get promotion, or I can see us going the Arbroath way, being a good championship club with dwindling attendances and sponsorship, looking for Highland League players, like we used to.

We started the game with four (4) centre backs, young boys in both midfield and attack, add to that our backup keeper means it was not going to be a very cohesive or pretty display whether we won 3 nil or 1 nil. Job done, gums bumped. We move on.

The result speaks for itself. The performance, on the other hand needs addressed. Like most clubs at this stage of the competition we air a few players who might never see the light of day in the Championship. Combined with numerous injuries we struggled for fluidity. The bottom line though, if you take this competition seriously, then we are in the next round. If we see it as an opportunity to find out if fringe players are ready, then job done. Few championship sides are able to produce 20 'first picks', we are at the lower end for finance, so we cant have that amount of top quality players sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Hopefully we will get a few back sooner rather than later to ease the burden on those filling the gaps. It is what it is I'm afraid. I've set my expectations low, it helps to lower the blood pressure.

How many first-team players got injured?

Mental anyone thinking this was a good result. If this is a demonstration of our strength and depth, we are bang ordinary and it'll tell in the league when we get a few injuries or suspensions.

Spot on.