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The budget might be limited to bring in additional cover, we have McNaughton injured for the remainder of the season on probably a salary towards the higher end of our scale and many of the established guys have signed new deals so will probably have had increases over previous deals. Defensively we look ok, although LB cover would be good, however we can play Raven there when fit. If Meekings leaves though someone will have to be brought in. Midfield - we need to decide where we are playing Draper. If he is an offensive option we need solid central midfield ball winner, otherwise if he is going to go back into the defensive role we need a bit of creativity behind the striker. Whether Tansey will leave in this window I think depends on if the Dons keep Maddison on loan. Tansey's not had the best season and although I do think he will sign a PCA with the Dons I cant see them paying out any money - even £50k Forward / Strikers - Both Doumb & Fisher are very similar, we need something different and someone with pace and a record for goals - Loy could be a decent shout. But we need to improve the service which comes back to the midfield creativity issues. Could bring in a prolific goal scorer but based on our play they wont have good enough service.

No idea why there is such feeling towards tansey on here, one of our most gifted players. His form may have dropped off but name a player who hasn't this season, we know his qualities and based on our limited resource and options he's better than most. There may be factors from last season affecting him only he knows that, but perhaps the new management or tactics don't use him effectively enough? There and over worse performers this season but seems he is being made a scapegoat by some and they want him out, much like Hughes last year - if Greg goes who next to vent at?

Big game, probably the definition of a 6 pointer. So lets try lift the gloom around here and see what make shift side we can put out, I'm expecting this game not to be pleasant on the eye whatever the results. OFW Horner Meekings Draper Tremarco Tansey Vigurs Doran King Sutherland Doumbaye Assuming Raven & Mckay are still out? Otherwise one of them into RB. May as well give Sutherland a start, neither Mulraney or Cole have done much so maybe time to give the lad a go - cant be any worse. Another chance for Vigurs but only due to there being no other options IMO, needs to step up and put in a solid shift for once if not he'll be out muscled by the Hamilton players, then loose his cool and be off before the end.

Could be a good signing if he'd help us get goals and unexpected points, might be a chip of the old block [img[/

Don't think that will solve, probably make us weaker? We move a player from his natural position where he is performing well (rare shining light this season) then put someone weaker in his place leaving us horribly exposed on the left side. We already look suspect down the right as we saw with Mckay/Raven out and Meekings having a horror of Horner proportions.

Not really, there are players out there who aren't giving 100%, look disinterested and not stepping up to fill their roles in the team. Over recent weeks only Draper, Tremarco, Doumbaya, Mckay and OFW have played well, with maybe Doran & King passable. Sadly the rest are not performing how they are capable and in the way we are used to seeing in the past. So yes criticism may seem harsh but we pay our money and have rights to an opinion, inexperienced manager or not, he and his backroom team aren't learning from the mistakes and seem to be happy to persevere week on week making the same errors. Dropping down the table, we are on current form real relegation fodder - time to step up and stop the excuses before its too late. Its beginning to sound like Mixu last year who's DUtd team were in free fall and couldn't win yet he praised the way they played. Interesting from the poll though that on Sat goal 1 was a consequence of the highest selected response and goal 2 from the 2nd highest. Clearly on here the majority can see the issues

The Werthers Original Stadium

So if we don't have defensive players then why not play those who are like draper in that position - holding midfield instead of further forward where he's been all season ? Why put Vigurs in a defensive role when he doesn't run, track back or tackle in fact he doesn't go forwards or shoot either? We have players played out of position like draper and Polwarth? there's a clear lack of confidence throughout as seen by today's lack of shooting even the likes of tansey won't try a 25 yarder.

Well that was worth a trip. Looks like we are in the festive mood early gifting St J the game. Meekings was exposed at RB with a lack of cover from Warren and general lack of pace, was obvious that we'd loose goals from the first St J attack. Vigurs fir much of the game was his usual self wanting to play the quick release pass and avoid responsibility with Draper in defence he needed to step up and take control more, Cole has energy but lacks the vision and ideas at this level. yet again panicked clearances and high balls to Doumbaye which was easy for the defence to deal with - all in very predictable as said. Overall tactically poor and below par player display which allowed a St J team who created little to score 3 goals and have and comfortable win without much challenge. Very poor.

^ meekings can play RB with Draper at CB if necessary

Few weeks ago, it was Doumbaye who was getting slated and people calling for him to be dropped he wasn't god enough, last week it was Tansey, this week Warren. Its the manager who picks the formation and 11 starting players - given the nucleus of the team being OFW, Tremarco, Warren, Meekings, Raven, Tansey, Draper, Vigurs, Polly are all the same guys from last year and even going back our most successful period. Perhaps its an indication that the last manager either did better with what he had than he ever should and we are now at our 'real' level or that the new manager is playing tactics and formations that aren't best for our group. But as the last guy is disliked by so many on here it has to be all the players fault this time.

Number of times this season the midfield loose possession and put the back line in trouble or dint create space for the defence to release a pass. With Draper further forwards we need more steel in front of the central pair and with us playing central midfielder on the wing they constantly move insude exposing the full backs. Vigurs and Polwarth are often guilty of loosing the ball then failing to track back leaving the problem to the defence. I feel given the positions played we need more from Vigurs, he needs to get stuck in and be more physical to dominate the midfield if not we need draper back there and another creative or forward outlet.

Any booing of former players is pretty poor levels of respect and in the case of Shinnie as a player who always gave his all and captained us to our greatest moment in history there's really no need and no grounds. Nobody on here would accept being subjected to any abuse if they had to visit a previous employers in their new role so why is football any different.

First half I thought we competed well but created little, soring against the run of play, Aberdeen for all the possession didn't create much more and we gifted them the lead with a rash challenge for a stonewall penalty, but not really much in it otherwise. 2nd half we were a mess, no composure on the ball, panicked forward play to clear the lines and never created much or put the Dons defence under pressure. We chased the game but were never likely to score a 2nd no matter how long we played, the 3rd dons goal was just a sucker punch. We got what we deserved form the match, Cole was found wanting and when Doran moved inside he offered more creativity but Mulraney did nothing coming on and too often there was no midfield support to Doumbaye. Poor performance, poor result and shows how weak our squad is as I never expected without Polly & Tansey for us to look so much weaker. While the ref was poor its not a reason for our defeat, we just didn't compete in the middle of the park.

Tansey's game is his passing, distribution and vision, perhaps there has to be a link that since we lost a lot of our creative players who could read the game such as Christie, Watkins, Mckay it looks like Tansey isn't performing, where passes that once he would find players running onto or in positions is lacking? Our forward line has changed a lot and over time familiarity is required, they need to learn his game as much as he does theirs, currently he looks a frustrated player who is trying to compete alongside Vigurs playing the same type of role. There is no doubt his natural ability to play a pass, hit a free kick or nerves of steel when we get a penalty are enough why he warrants selection. During games he works hard and while not everything comes off for him just now I think we are stronger with him in the side than without.

BBC have published the latest survey, can put in ICT details here and see where we sit - pretty much bang on average TBH. Although from an entertainment point of view the cost per goal indicates we are good value to watch. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37988939

He probably sh*t it that he'd have to face Draper IMO.

OFW Mckay Warren Meekings Tremarco Horner Vigurs Doran Draper King Doumbaya Possible opportunity to see Horner get a run out, would allow Draper to play further forwards where he has been so effective already this season, if not can Mckay slot into the midfield and play Raven at RB?

As with any statistics they can be interpreted in many ways. Its not clear if this is just first team (squad) therefore will depend on how strong your first team is and how many youngsters are part of that. In a club with a large registered senior playing staff then that can bring the average down dramatically - based on the lack of depth and youngsters in our squad it maybe brings our figure upwards. There may be clubs with players such as Ross County, St Johnstone etc who have certain players who although play for the club are paid outwith the general club payment structure either by individual investors or holding companies - its well rumoured that some of the RC players are paid by Roy and not the club, would suspect they are not the only club doing this - was Motherwell and Faddy not another along with Killie & Boyd. What we can take from this is that Celtic have a lot of money and should have the best squad, then the sequential order of the top 4 is as expected although Hearts may be lower due to having such a large squad with more youngsters than Aberdeen which suggests the gap. Nothing there is new or a surprise really.

Great result and much improved performance, hopefully that now kick starts Doumb into a run of goals The other results just show how tight this league is, yet again teams dropping points you wouldn't expect - that's us on 13 points from 11 games, hardly an outstanding haul but sitting in 6th and 5 points of 2nd yet only 4 off 11th. Other than Celtic who have games in hand so may yet take 31 from 33 points after the 11, to have 2nd place teams on only just over half the available just shows the gap Celtic have and how competitive the rest are. Its been an inconsistent first round set of results, but gives something to build on but I think we need to be a bit more ruthless especially at home where we have dropped points to Killie and Rangers recently but in both cases know we should have done better.

Been saying repeatedly, Vigurs is lazy and shows no heart or desire. Those who cite he has ability to turn a game, other than a decent free kick on occasion and long range shot, his passing is poor often a case of getting rid of the ball asap even if it plays someone else into trouble and lucky if its ever more than 10 yards, tackling is non-existent and zero tracking back. In games where you need to slow it down and break up the rhythm of the opposition he has a role, but surely on current form his days in the team must be numbered?

Preference / Strongest OFW Mckay Warren Meekings Tremarco Tansey Draper Mulraney Doran King Fisher Most likely OFW Mckay Warren Meekings Tremarco Tansey Vigurs Doran Draper King Fisher

I'm not convinced either Doumb or Fisher will ever be prolific at this level, but Fisher offers better link and therefore playing a team like below would be with the options of Polly, Doran and King getting in the box to support. With all 3 able to interchange positions and the option of Mulraney coming into there with his pace - technically I think these 3 are ahead of Mulraney but if he can work on his finishing with that pace then we could have our own Walcott type player (not great at crosses to play was a winger but pacey enough to open up teams and score goals through the middle) OFW Mckay Warren Meekings Tremarco Tansey Draper Doran Polly King Fisher

To be fair to Doumbaye, when he cam on against Aberdeen he looked decent and offered something different however he hasn't kicked on. Unfortunately the physical aspect of the SPFL so far isn't suiting him, he's loosing too many balls in the air for a man of his size but he does seem to try and chase and work but without a lot of product. Fisher seems to cope a bit better with the physicality so looks to be heading towards the role of first choice striker by default. Neither of them through have really been stand outs in games and the lack of goals from either option is definitely a concern, with nobody stepping up and putting the ball away Richie will probably keep rotating them until we find a combination that works and hope one starts to find the net and gain confidence. Looking at our options we could do with a smaller, pacey player to get in behind and try win knock downs etc (like Billy Mckay/Watkins), maybe Mulraney can grow into that role, he has the pace and as a winger his final ball quality is poor so perhaps working on his finishing may be a better skill to develop.

Willie Collum is a disgrace, usually he's awful for both teams but tonight his incompetence could be seen as bias. Before the game I said we needed to play king mulraney and fisher to get in behind their slow defence but the starting line up failed to do that, but once we changed in the 2nd half I thought we looked really dangerous znd had them pegged back. Unfortunately I think RF got it a wee bit wrong tonight and some players let him down. But Mckay played well at CB and Tremarco made some great last ditch tackles with Draper covering everywhere as usual. Vigurs yet again showed no heart or desire again and let the game pass him by, with Doran fit there really can't be many reasons to play Vigurs now?