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Why do we persist in using the term "professional" foul. These fouls are unprofessional fouls. Many of us who work in the health service, teaching, police etc know what being professional is. Part of being professional is behaving with integrity and not circumventing rules or laws for your own self interest. Having cheating behaviour branded as "professional" is really quite offensive. But aside from that, I fail to understand why football's ruling bodies tolerate this. It seems that any remotely 50:50 incident is always given in favour of the defender. Week in week out we see defenders with their arms round forwards, blatant pushes in the back and pulling shirts and the referees simply ignore it. When the forwards do this or it is a bit of a 50:50 incident the foul is always given to the benefit of the defending side. People come to football to see goals. If the officials only applied the laws of the game there would be less cheating, more goals and more people would watch.

Indeed. If it had been a Celtic goal disallowed against AC Milan after a clever corner routine. Scott Brown played the ball in the corner, Stokes took the corner to 'himsrlf' and Commons cracked it home. Legitimate goal chalked off - we'd be in the midst of a full inquest!

Scott Fox - cheat or professional............ He is both. He is a professional cheat.

We aren't exactly in amazing form going into this. What do you think the starting line up should be? I think we have a few problems with the '3' in our 4-2-3-1. You need a great ball player like Andy Shinnie in the middle or failing that a dynamic player who can make things happen, make runs, have a shot and we don't really have either. The game yesterday we seemed to have three wingers in the '3' and it didn't work that well, especially in the second half. Greenhalgh didn't impress me, he did well when he hit the post but didn't contribute much else. Doran was good, he is shooting more this season, hopefully trying to replace Shinnie as a regular goalscorer and hsi deliver from set pieces is excellent. Nick Ross seems to just be Nick Ross - solid 6/10 doesn't do much wrong but doesn't actually influence the game that much or make much happen. In terms of changing the players in the '3' there are a couple of options. Liam Polworth could come in and play centrally, which we tried in Perth and wasn't a great success. We could bring in Marley Watkins who showed some good touches when he came on for a cameo yesterday. Polworth lacks experience and we saw in the last derby what happened to Conor Pepper but he offers more of a presence physically and can hold the forward line together. Watkins looks dangerous but is coming back from injury and would still leave us with three wingers. I'd be inclined to put Watkins in for Greenhalgh but I could see Butcher sticking with the same XI as yesterday. Maybe Watkins is best from the bench. As for the rest of the side, I think it picks itself, assuming we have no injury worries. Our back four didn't do as well as we have been used to this season yesterday but the four of them are pretty obviously the best we have. Draper and Foran will be the key men if we are going to get a result in Dingwall, we succeeded last season against County by dominating midfield and we need both the players in there to play the way they did earlier in the campaign - breaking up play, using the ball well and coming out top in the physical battles. County have Kettlewell, Brittain and Quinn in a central area meaning that this is probably their strongest area on the pitch, despite losing Lawson and Vigurs in close season. I wouldn't think about dropping Brill, the mistake for the goal is just one of those things that happens, he's been solid and consistent for the rest of this season. Also, McKay is the only choice up front. Looking forward to going to Dingwall, confirmed that I've got a ticket today. I was there for the 3-3 cup game, a great atmosphere from our fans during the game on the train home. Anyone thinking of taking any flares etc (the nautical fireworks not the cutting edge of Dingwall fashion) might want to think twice as I imagine the police will be cracking down heavily on it after them getting lobbed about last season and the linesman getting hit by a smokebomb in the Spurs-Villa game. I wonder if we'll be getting filmed by cops from the wendy house again

I was grossly offended by a flag. The one held up by the linesman just before half time..

Maybe it was Scott Fox that had the wobbly

Doofer's Dad has got it right................................disgraceful and unprofessional

I blame the linesman !!

just one person i would like to see start cause he looks to have amazing pace is watkins, he looked so good on sunday even if it was only 10 minutes he was on

if an outfeilder dives to the deck hes labelled a cheat. no different for keepers.

Scored 3 goals. Should have won. Even if one had counted, Partick would have had to chase the game, leaving more space. I do wish Adgestine (spelling?) had come on for a 4 4 2. Think that could have done something. Nevertheless, scored 3 good goals against one Partick and an error I dont expect to see again. No need to panic. The fortress should still be standing.

Have you heard that all the officials were from Glasgow? Heh! Just asking? Many a word spoken in jest et al.

As others have said, I can take a defeat. Last week, you could say nothing other than we were rotten, deserved nothing out of the game and that's exactly what we got. Today was a different story. It was an open game from the off between two sides that played the ball on the deck whenever they could, and with luck, we could have been two goals up in 15 minutes. That's not indicative of a poor performance.However, we weren't up but whichever way you want to look at it Partick never looked threatening until they took a well worked goal. That was it from them in an attacking sense until Dean Brill gave them an unintentional hand. Gary Warren's equaliser should have cued an onslaught and that's exactly what would have happened if Foran's goal had stood, as Partick would have had to come out and chase the game. We would have picked them off as we did Hibs. That brings us to the officials. I've watched some pretty awful displays in my time but very few when you can actually say that refereeing incompetence actually won someone a game. That was one of them. Doran's goal was a lack of knowledge from the officials and at this level that's unacceptable. I don't know what the linesman was thinking; I've heard at least three pseudo explanations and not one makes sense. Ross Draper told him what he was doing and he acknowledged him (a conversation clearly picked up by Sky) and nothing contrary to the rules took place thereafter. It was therefore a perfectly good goal. As if that's not bad enough, Issac Osbourne should have been sent off in the second half, and the referee was going for his card after a lunge at Draper but changed his mind. Why? The decision to disallow Foran's goal was mystifying. Scott Fox, who had behaved "professionally" all afternoon, actually hauled Billy Mckay into the net. If it wasn't a goal, it was penalty. The tin hat for me was Mr. Norris pulling Polwarth back at the end when he was through on goal for a clear scoring chance, to award a free kick for a previous tackle. There are those who will say that the officials can and do have an off day, and that's true. In any other profession if you clearly misapplied the rules, ignored others and didn't even know an important one you'd be fairly lucky to be in a job after it, never mind protected by your employers as Mr. Norris will be despite the fact that his team of officials are the reason we lost that game.

I can take the defeat. I wouldnt be a football fan if I couldnt. Its the nature of it all that leaves me feeling bitter (not Adams bitter though, dont worry.) Dont get me wrong we werent flawless. We allowed Partick too much time and space which is what got them their goals, with a little help from Deano who with the exception today has been more or less flawless since he joined. He may have cost us a point but Euan Norris and his genius of a linesman cost us 3. The fact he and his officials dont know all of the rules they are allegedly meant to be enforcing says it all. Anyone who has watched it back will clearly hear Draper say "Ive taken the corner" Why oh why does he wait till the attack has played out and goal has been scored... I was so glad to see us reply instantly after half time. Osbourne should have gone. He was on a yellow card and pushed Draper, nice bit of consistency. But great delivery and good leap from Warren. His first goal at TCS. Thought we would kick on and the sad thing is we did. Forans header was well taken but a sudden gust of wind was enough to send Fox sprawling (a recurring theme all afternoon). If anything he was fouling Billy. Had his hands all over him. Both teams made a go but I thought we would eventually get out in front but it didnt happen. Real howler from Deano but I dont want to be too critical of him. He has done so well since he arrived and hes human. Hope he bounces back. We pressed for the equalizer but it didnt come. We were unlucky from the set pieces we gained late on in the game. No idea why Norris pulled the free kick back on Polworth. Boy had a great chance on goal. Greenhalgh did ok today. Unlucky not to score with his effort and stuck in a few good crosses. Watkins looks like a good option too. Good burst of pace and on initial view a good work rate. Looking forward to seeing more of him. Vincent was missed today at both ends of the pitch. Partick found a lot of space at times with ease and there were also lost causes that werent chased down that he would have gone for. Got to shrug this off. We didnt lose today on poor play. Can let off steam by saying what we say but the reality is that it wont change the outcome. Got to dust ourselves off and prepare for the invasion of Dingwall. Bring it on!

I wouldn't. I'd be embarrassed if that's what we resorted to to win a game of football.

Can I just thank all those who contributed to this thread.