starchief

Could we maybe add Rockall too, just to reduce the chances of us finishing bottom? Because we always do so well against the minnows

From the Daily Record: Perhaps we weren't bottom of the list then. Quite rightly, as a professional, he made the best choice based on both location and contract.

I partly agree but not wholly. Is our league structured properly? Does our season extend over the right months? Is the SFA conducive to the changes required? So, yeah, we shouldn't have the expectations we had in the 1970s but we're also damaging our game by these conditions. We could be better. Not world beaters but certainly better (and that definitely includes at the local level too).

Why? Because Tuffey wants a game? What has Esson done to deserve being dropped? He signed a new contract at the same time as Tuffey. Don't see why JT needs more games than our established number one. It's unlikely Esson will play every game, either through illness, injury or loss of form. Tuffey gets his chance then. That's the way football works.

Maybe one of the minor clubs in Scotland. Like, oh, what are they called. Ross City? Sorry, I'm not really up on, what you might call, community clubs

McManus scores! But is this good or bad? I say that, as it is papering over the cracks. The results in Europe, plus this shows we need a root and branch clearout approach. Fluking a couple of goals, playing anti-football benefits no-one. It's not "the rot stops here", more "the rot begins to stop here - call back in 5-10 years time", instead we'll get more hoof ball football, plus over the hill and average players being relied upon.

I don't think it's balanced enough in midfield. Presumably, it's McCulloch as def mid and Fletcher/Brown in central mid, then McFadden as the point of the diamond? I'd drop Brown for Dorrans (or Robson) to attack down the wings and get some service into Miller/Boyd. We should still win it but it's going to be tougher to get the goals with the system Levein's chosen.

Spot on! The big guys in the centre, with Proctor man-marking Riordan. Spot on! Duff either coming on to attack if we need, or as an extra def mid if we're winning for one of Ross/Odi/Hayes. That's the value of a utility player. Spot on! Proctor's really best against a player like Stokes, with brain over brawn. Tokely against Nish is perfect, with Munro almost as a sweeper. Rankin's been a sub recently, so we can ignore Cregg or McBride as an attacking threat (pretty much) and stop Miller. de Graff looks a player mind. With our two defensive midfielders plus a central attacking mid, that occupies him in defence, whilst stopping any midfield launches that we'd be prone to in a straight 4-4-2 Spot on!

But we were talking a very short term deal there, then returning to Aberdeen. Now, it's a deal that offers the chance to become long-term, so allows him a more structured life. Would you commute for 4 hours, when your employer told you you would still be allowed to work from home instead and suggested he may well keep you on when your contract runs out? It wasn't the club he disliked, it was the deal offered. This deal is a different animal to a short-term loan. BTW, I wasn't having a go at Cox. I rate Duff higher than most. In an attacking midfield position, I rate him a top 6 player, although I know most fans (and managers) will disagree with me.

Yep, he really has to get a short-term deal to prove he can last a few games in the SPL without getting injured. Right now, no-one's going to take the chance on a player that couldn't manage two friendlies in a row.

He decided no to sign I like your signature Bizarrely, I've just changed it as you wrote! Yeah? Is this news anywhere about GMS? Any reason given?

No Gary Mackay-Steven then. Shame.

I'm pleased at this. For me, he's best as an attacking midfielder, average at right-back, terrible in central defence and not bad (better than either Duncan or Cox) in central mid. A good utility player makes the squad that much bigger. When he was played in that advance position with Aberdeen, I always thought he looked a real player. It only started going wrong when he was moved to central defence and right-back (wasn't the worst I've ever seen there but not top 6 quality). It's fine seeing if the young players can make the step up but, if they can't, then we're back down to Division One with a few injuries. Needs a balance and I think Stuart is ideal for that.

But did you think before the game we would have dominated? In our last five away games we've lost 3-0, 3-0, 2-0, 4-0 and 3-0. Levein quite rightly picked a team that wasn't going to lose. A draw away from home to a minor team is unfortunately a good result for a team in freefall, like ours.

Only pleasing if you don't want a Scotland win. Robson did nothing last time out to retain his place, yet, when Dorrans got his chance, he did well. Naismith is also far from the player he should have been. Therefore, Dorrans in midfield, with McFadden just behind the front man for me. Otherwise, a fairly strong side... ...well, as strong as Scotland gets these days!

They needed someone in his position...i.e. good at sitting on the bench.

Gow is unattached so probably weighing up different offers. So is Morais, who might be more in our price range. We could have done with someone with Foran being out for a month, then who knows if he'll be back (or back to his best) straight away. Plus, if Rooney's injured, we're struggling. A utility front/wide player like Morais/Gow is just what's needed at this moment in time. Even a loanee til Xmas would have been fine. We're one injury away from a crisis, so let's just hope...

Richard Foster? How low Rangers have sunk! Only a back-up, sure. But even still...

I see Killie went for Velicka. I wonder if we could just see how much we need to get him on loan. Worth a chat surely - even if it turns out to be too much. The guy has a terrific scoring record - even when he was at Rangers, despite never getting a game (strange one that - they see him all the time at Hearts, so know his game inside out, buy him from Norway for six fgures, plays 8 games for the Gers, scores 4, yet is completely overlooked). I wouldn't like to see Killie get him with us not even bothering to try.

Alan Gow has been poor for a couple of years now with a fair few injury problems. I wonder if he'll ever be the player he thought he was.

If I could select from the two teams, I guess it would be: Esson Tokely Mihadjuks Munro Gillet Hayes Cowie Black Foran Rooney Imrie On doing that, it strikes me that Rooney this year might be the first decent striker we've had in a long time. Imrie could have easily been replaced by Morais but neither's really a striker (nor Wilson before them). Likewise Wyness was past his best. Barrowman...let's not. So, it would have to be Dargo being the last goalmouth hanger we really had. What a midfield that would be though. We really should have had Cowie and Black in that centre more. The defence has a nice balance too. But a good striker...we've really lacked that.

And this is from a supporter? If he's not the complete player at 18, he can **** off? Unbelievable. He's a squad player that shows some promise. The criticism is way over the top.

I think we could do with another utility player. Stuart Duff would be a good addition. He can play right-back, def mid, right-wing and attacking mid (he has played centre-back too but was bloody awful). We've got a good squad, so another specialist* isn't the answer IMHO as it's pretty doubtful we'll get top quality. *apart from a striker, as we're struggling if Rooney is injured. I don't think we need a 'promising' player, as Sutherland looks promising enough. So I'm not sure who that could possibly be?

Billy Reid is excellent at the anti-football game, so conceding an early goal against Hamilton makes it tough. In that case then, probably little need for two sitting midfielders. Cox should have been pushed forward, with Odi as a straight striker. If Cox couldn't work as a more attack-minded mid, then McBain is the man to bring on. Likewise, Sutherland for Odi if need be. We were also unlucky in having Tokely and McCann probably playing with injuries but them's the breaks. Really, both the full-backs could do a lot of pressing duties to support the wingers. Maybe that's a bit tough though with Tokely only just back.

Esson Gillet Munro Butcher Malpas Cox Duncan Hayes Odi Ross Rooney It's gonna be a struggle to get a team out!