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I understand the positive position you take Robert. We have clearly overcome a 5 point deficit imposed on us at the start of the campaign. Latterly, prior to yesterday’s game, the team were playing some of the best football seen for some time now. The team has also proved they can get results at difficult grounds ie Cove and Dumfries (QoS). That said, there is an case and argument to be made that this ICT set of players (full time, professional and training) should be capable of ‘turning up’ at every football ground in this division and being able to perform consistently at a high level. Without seeing the highlights it’s impossible to comment on the performance. That said there has been consistent comment over a good period of months from a number of fans on (bad or poor) practice we keep repeating that either looses us possession or an attacking opportunity or in the worst instance a goal. The lack of goal scoring was the biggest need, but this has been addressed IMO. Maybe a bit unfair here but the two repeated shortcomings I’ve seen /heard are : Providing or relying on Danny with the ball (too many times) to be our attack creater from the back, (which can leave us vulnerable at the back), and exposed if it goes wrong. Liam Sole’s continued reluctance to pass the ball to a colleague where an attacking opening exists, but instead over complicates his possession my trying to beat the defender when it’s not to his advantage, or leads to a better attacking threat. In both instances it is the manager that has to see these shortcomings (maybe he doesn’t see them as such), and make changes to the game plan, or instruct / train the players to pass the ball to others in a better position. I return to my starting point that we are in a good position and will experience losses throughout the season. We have a good chance of finishing in the top four of this campaign. That doesn’t mean we should be satisfied with below acceptable performances, eliminate repeating errors or be able to play at the level we are capable. bc

A disappointing result and, it sounds, performance. However, before the league season started we’d all have been delighted to get 21 (-5 = 16) points out of our first 27 this season and be right in contention. I’m sure we will have learned a lot from the two defeats which will hopefully stand us in good stead as the season progresses. What’s telling for me is that we’ve now played 17 games in the league, League Cup and Challenge Cup and have not drawn any of them. We want to win and I’m convinced we’ve won games we’d have drawn in the past. If we keep going as we are, I’m sure we can make this a successful season despite the inevitable blip or two along the way.

Jeez, The defending for all 3 goals! very very poor!

Last season was a great watch as we were chasing down the 15 point deficit. I wondered at the end of the season if we would still play that way this season. Getting up the park quickly, getting the ball into the box at every opportunity. Said I wasn’t impressed with first half last week, and other games to be honest. Too slow in transition, allowing teams to get 2 banks of 4 behind the ball making it difficult for us to break teams down. Dare I say it, flashes of Dunc ball returning as we play chuckle brothers football across the back four, to you, to me, going not an inch forward. Then a devine launch to the opposition. Have a joke with the grandkids as they know who Liverpool’s VVD is. I say we have one also, Virgil Van Devine. But van Dijk is the best defender in the premiership they say and his long passes are amazing. Too clever kids nowadays. We have had a bit of luck winning some games. The winner at cove, Stewart last week to make it 3-1 to close out the game, “wicked” deflections taking ball past the GK into the net. Charlie gilmour was always available to take the ball around our box. Surely one of the midfield could do the same. Agree with you re sole. He is supposed to be quick. Just knock the ball past the defender and put a cross in. Barry Wilson made a career out of doing that.

There can be room for both, I bought one of their shirts a while back to show support. Shirt quality is pretty poor though to be honest. It’s stupidity if they are wanting our Thistle removed though. They don’t even play in Inverness so I hope they’ll be thinking about removing the Inverness from their name.

That was a tough watch today. We were really poor in that first half. it honestly felt like Hamilton had an extra couple of players at times. Credit to them, they pressed us brilliantly and we just couldn’t get a proper foot on the ball. Our passing was off and we never really created anything of note. You could maybe point the finger at Danny Devine for the first goal. I’d need to see the pass to him again, but he lost it and O’Hara went straight through. Second half was a bit better, but we still struggled to find space and Hamilton kept closing us down quickly. Liam Sole was frustrating to watch today. His tricks usually come off, but this time they didn’t and it led to a couple Hamilton breaks where we were almost caught out. He was subbed early, probably rightly so. All in all, just a bad day at the office. Hopefully we pick it back up next week.

What’s disappointing and slightly concerning is not that we have dropped to 3rd, but that we have lost both ‘6 pointers’ against the top 2.