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While this is a must not loose game, we also need to be assertive and aggressive - Motherwell haven't won at home in 6 or 7 games, so if they loose an early goal then the fans may turn on them. We need to sit solid at the back with Draper holding infront with Tansey & Polly paying centrally and play attacking wingers who will run at and pass the man for crosses into the box. Formation needs to be 4-1-4-1

'To get the best out of what remains' do you not think it would be beneficial for the club (board) to make a defined statement then? Either stating they are backing the manager and have faith in his ability - thus stopping all the media pressure and speculation which is only fuelling the fan unrest with it? As you state highly important games yet there is a growing air of uncertainty now around RF so how can we expect the players to focus when they've struggled most of the season before the pressure really started to build - make a statement and put everyone's mind at rest so they can fully focus on what needs done on the park. You seem to suggest that the team is consistently not performing well, yet provide no position other than looking to prefer the status quo and have the board ignore the unrest and situation they have created. I have to agree with RiG there is a lack of leadership shown on the park and off it appears not much better - nobody seems keen to step up, show fight and take control of this situation.

The club has been in this situation for months with declining performances and results, the board have shirked the issue of growing discontent from fans, if anything a statement should have been made much sooner outlining why the board are happy with the performance of Foran and what the aims are for this season or even the duration of his contract. They have ignored what's been going on and now we are in a situation where the fans and media are now all on RF back and if anything he is wilting under the pressure - not only the results aren't going his way but every move is being scrutinised and tactical decision. If you really think that producing wishy-washy statements, avoiding the issues all in the hope of 'dampening down the issue' is acceptable you're on your own. Its time for the board to stand up now, its all over national media that RF is being discussed by the club - they need a concrete statement either backing him to the hilt and quashing this additional pressure or sack him now instead of leaving him floundering like a lone & lost figure carrying the weight of expectation and blame from all sources. This needs done ASAP, if they back him all the speculation disappears and him & the players concentrate on Saturday, otherwise everyone is around the club wondering what's going to happen. This like the Hughes departure is becoming a farce.

Fully agree, why are these guys not getting on the bench and some time on the park - especially when we have a team of under performers and our recruitment over several seasons has been poor, can these guys be really much worse than Horner, Anier, Ebbe or other brought in? If they are deemed not good enough or ready then why are they not on loan to lower division clubs? If they aren't even good enough for loans then there has to be fundamental questions asked why our youth set-up doesn't yield players of any quality.

Calls for replacements such as football dinosaurs such as this, Calderwood, Jocky Scott etc make me cringe almost as much as the continual calls for ex-ICT managers to return although achieving little in the game after their short, successful stints many years ago. Clearly the gamble of inexperienced manager doesn't always pay off such as with RF so far, yet as a club we shouldn't be afraid to keep being brave and giving new ideas a chance - but we need to also be proactive enough to recognize when this doesn't work and keep moving forwards rather than stagnate or even regress. There's young managers out there looking for their step up from lower leagues who at least have some experience but are ready for a bigger stage to try their luck - look at guys who could be on the way up, not those on their way down.

Another 2 months gone and nothing has changed, although I see more noises on here now against Foran's continued tenure and no longer feel like a lone voice. With our terrible form this season and lack of positive results and performances, the board must see or sense the frustration that has been brewing from the fans, yet they are either ignorant to this and our contribution to the club or are so distant from the fans remain oblivious. Any other club with such a poor run of form the fans could rightly have expected the board to make a statement - while some suggest it as a 'vote of confidence' its at least an explanation of the clubs position, manager support or outlining a longer plan however ignoring the fans and the discord and the lack of any statements dont even suggest they are publicly willing to speak out in the support of RF. As the paying fans who keep the club afloat we deserve to know if the board are happy with RF, then why and what is the long term plan and aims for the coming years of his contract.

Really? We're bad enough with the professionals that play week in, week out without removing someone for Richie's ego to get a boost and have a crock who's had about 90mins of football over 3 years have a run out. Too many on here seem to think he was a playing messiah, he was average at best with a bad temperament at times and was as likely to get sent off or injured as he was to score. Pulling on his boots is not the answer to this situation.

In addition to the poor tactics, random selections and bizarre formations , RF has lost the dressing room, players behave with that level of petulant dissent because they get away with it and want it of the situation. It's been clear since we started poorly earlier in the season and then had a player meeting and change of tactics to get our first win - I'm not seeing where the experienced guys like Warren, Raven, Tansey and now even Draper fight and play like they used to - everyone is disillusioned - good team turns crap overnight has all the smell of Chelsea last year when they wanted the boss out. Sadly our board still won't act, RF out and I wouldn't be shocked to see and huge style snd results turn around.

4pts behind with 6 games left. We play our now closest rivals motherwell twice and need wins in both games just to hopefully get off the bottom spot. 1 win in 21 games until now and a team bereft of ideas and confidence. Foran should walk tonight and the club seek Rice to step up or tell him to go too and we see what happens, I think ithts safe too say he's lost the dressing room and the players, so sadly we need change now. The foran fan boys will say he can turn it round, he was a great player etc but in the last 3 years his only telling contribution to the club is to make us an on field shambles.

Doran and mcnaughton are high paid crocks who have contributed little in comparison to what they have taken in salary, both are not worth the risk and should be moved on - Doran especially as for over 2 seasons he's hardly got near the pitch. We as a club cannot afford sentiment.

Not saying Liam hasn't improved over the years but for almost 3 or 4 seasons now people have been talking about him as a breakthrough youngster, he's still yet to establish himself as a first team mainstay and yet to find a position on the park he can dominate and call his own. While like everyone I want to see him succeed will he make it to the highest levels? Fortunately he also seems to have been given a lot more game time than some other youngsters who have been cast aside by the club after several managers who haven't even given substitute appearance even when we have struggled so badly.

The 'demise' may be more of a case or return to our natural position in the pecking order of Scottish football after years over-performing. We finished consistently well in the league, won a cup, lost a final and qualified for Europe - all things a club our size should never have done but unfortunately it never encouraged fan numbers to rise or investment into the club. We may have done even better bar the instability of management change and loss of some key players but we were perhaps lucky to find a bunch of hard working, skilled players out to prove themselves. Recently our recruitment has been questionable - we have too many journeymen, passengers or guys who aren't good enough for this level yet we feel obligated to give them chances after several failures elsewhere - we lack the signing of young, determined and 'hungry' guys. The backroom staff also need questioned - have some been there too long and just out of ideas, then there's our assistant who personally I feel has to take more responsibility, since his arrival the team tactics have been so negative and lacking in ideas - with an inexperienced manager he should be offering more support. Sadly we will go down, its a rut we are stuck in, whether we can return is a bigger concern.

We're not organised enough to stay up and aren't playing well enough. The team lacks confidence and quality with questions over the recruitment, tactics and the management teams ability to motivate and organise. We probably have a better team in some areas than our closest rivals but they have fight and bottle - we don't, as shown by the results.

I've been away and missed the last 5 or 6 wks of games but looking at team selections and results plus comments on here, it could honestly be any formation and line up. Other than OFW & Billy, its almost like there are 2 pots - one with names and one with positions and RF just does the team selection lottery. Its so unpredictable as we clearly have a manager out of ideas and just looking for something to click - pre-Jan we almost had a settled 11, now with the additional signings its just increased options which in this case for consistency and building confidence may be worse.

Strongest we have in my opinion is per below Raven Mckay Meekings Tremarco Raven - reliable and puts in a shift, arguably Brad might be better than him but right now Raven can maintain his place Mckay - great bit of business and I think he has shown enough to be a key figure moving forwards Meekings - club should do all it can to keep him and we build the defence around him, had an inconsistent year but I think he and Brad could become a great pairing Tremarco currently is our star performer and made left back his own since Shinnie left Warren may be on the decline, whether its a bad season or he's past it puts a difficult decision for the management. Its back to the Tokely/Munro type decision. I'd keep him til his current deal runs out and see what happens, but captain or not, he days as a first choice starter may be limited unless his form picks up McCart isnt ours, so no point long term planning with him, adequate for cover and that's it. Ideally would have liked to see us try blood some of our own youngsters than bring him in. McNaughton given his age and history was a gamble at best and turned into a monumental waste of money - I really hope he isn't offered a new deal as I don't think he body would last a season. Laing - done little wrong so far and I'd be inclined to give him a year long deal and see how he develops or at least provide cover

Harking back to statistics and points from previous seasons means little, what needs looking at is where we are and what we need to improve on those around us. We may have picked picked up a few points recently but I'm not yet convinced there is enough to keep us up. There are too many players with sporadic performances and some who are so out of form they could probably do with with a fresh new start elsewhere. We need to beat those around us but it's going to rely on fighting spirit spirit and bottle but do enough of the team have that trait.

I think thats probably the motivation that BR will use, he needs to keep his team going and in some ways that result away to us is the one he can use to fire them up. We will need to show the fight, desire and organisational discipline over the last few games if we are to take anything. If not every player is at 100% then we will get nothing.

Exactly, however it seems for some since the Aberdeen transfer never went through they've wanted him out. Any dip in form or poor performance is because he's not interested - however its not just him thats been inconsistent but on his day there isn't a better striker and passer of the ball at the club. He has great levels of vision and I think he will be a loss to the club if he does decide to go.

Can we transfer Vigurs to the glue factory at the end of the season please.

I hope he isn't saying that at all even to the players. He needs to be saying to everyone that we are in a dire way and its time to rally, fight and battle to stay in the league. He needs to channel the negative press about us and how they see us and as a wee club to fire everyone up. The emphasis should be on bottle and fight even if it's ugly wins. Top 6 is fanciful and makes him look nieve to all of this and open to fan and plater mockery.

Home - sept, away - oct........ just incase anyone's forgot

Have you watched OFW kicking this season, usually aimless punts upfield which rarely find a man if they stay in the park................not sure that tactic will help unless us Agree with Anier comments, he had a spell of about 15-20 mins against Dundee where he looked not too bad, but considering him and Mckay played together before there seems no real understanding. At the time of signing I questioned whether he was what we needed based on recent records - perhaps he may come good but or kick on in a team that flying but not sure he is better than the options we already had.

Maybe its just when the team you follow are playing the worst and most disorganised football you can remember and are lacking any sort of improvement over the course of a season grasping to inconsequential statistics such seven corners and zero shots on target seem not just optomistic but blindly ignoring the truth and reality of the situation.

OFW Raven McCart Tremarco Polly Draper Tansey Cole Mulraney Mckay Fisher Somehow with the limitations we have, we need to park the bus. Have Draper and Tansey try protect the back 3 as much as possible. Try use Fisher as a target man to hold up the ball and use the pace of Mulraney and Mckay to get up in support on the break.

May as well try Draper in goal, he's already played as forward, creative mid, defensive mid and centre back, let him complete the set and given the dodgy butter fingers displays recently he might not be any worse - can guarantee he'd be brave and put himself on the line to get crosses and make challenges. BTW I'm not being serious but on current form we have 2 of the worst keepers I remember for a long while whether that's due to constant changes in the back 4 and loss of confidence due to the amount of pressure being exposed all the time. Both are experienced pro's so need to step up if not its time to bring in youth.