That's Better!!

[Guest samuelbarros]

Great!! Play lots of attacking football and leave the back four to fend for themselves.

Entertaining? Perhaps. Happy to lose 3-4? Not me. At least, not on the back of a a string of defensive disasters.

We built our SPL status on the back of solid defending, of not conceding cheap goals and hitting teams on the break. By all means, have a go, but not at the expense of any sort of defensive tactic other than pure hope that the opposition don't score too often. Conceding 3 or 4 is becoming a worrying habit, even if the opposition don't always deserve it. It's a trend that must be curtailed immediately.

A relegation scrap ensues and I'm not convinced we're prepared for it. Back to basics, clean sheets, points in the bag. Save the care-free (careless) attacking football for a time in the season when relegation threats are long gone.

[RiG]

We are now in the relegation fight. Lets forget all this talk of Top 6 and concentrate on pulling away from the bottom of the table.

Not quite sure as if I would go as far as to say it was a mugging to be honest but we played better than the last few games.

Mantis - you say you weren't there today but here is a rough idea of how the goals went in for Killie:

Mind Tannadice last week when United got their 2nd goal - the scrambled effort from the corner? Well it was like that today basically.

Amazed that no one is asking why Dods showed Naismith INSIDE when he ran at the defence and essentially directed him towards goal? That is school boy defending by Dods but I am sure he knows it.

Tokley - if we had a good right back in waiting I would drop him. Not performing and others have been dropped for better performances. Thought Wyness did well today as well.

On the whole happier with the performance. Thought we had a couple of reasonable shouts for a couple of penalties at the end there?

At the end of the day we have moved closer to the bottom and we need to forget about everything but getting ourselves further away from the Pars - hopefully we can do that next week.

[gordyfromsneck]

Zander was a funny one. I am sure he played on the left when he came on and played a blinder against Falkirk. He seemed very reluctant to actually find space at the front on the right and kept drifting into the middle.

His push was a farce. We could see it up at the Bridge End. Five minutes later he did the same thing to the same player, but this time managed to get him outside the box. Learning? I dunno, but he certainly has been taking Jacques Cousteau classes of Bazza. Heels up, wee twist...brill.

[Guest SPECKY]

I find it strange that, on the day when the result is 3-4, someone starts a thread with the title "That's Better".

Better than what? getting beat 2-4?  Get a grip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :007:

[Kind of Blue]

What a bizarre game  - I cannot believe we lost it.  The passing, movement and first touch of our players was excellent and they all seemed to be determined to win the game.  The defence must ask ask themselves some serious questions -  the goals conceded were embarrassing.  If they defend like that in future then we are in big trouble.  It's pointless scoring 3 if you concede 4.

On the plus side Wyness has a big impact and must keep his place.  I was also impressed with Rankin and Black.

If we defend much better and play like we did today then the future is bright.

[RednBlackComeback]

I thought we played some great stuff first half. Ok so we conceded two of the softest goals I have ever witnessed but it seemed that if the first half had carried on for 3 hours we'd still have won no matter how many Killie scored.

But the second half we were never in it !! Didn't have the same range of passing and only two clear cut chances - Black's header then Rankin's free kick. Maybe the Hastings substitution knocked us of balance?

Still felt gutted at the end to lose the game !!! :008:

[A96]

We score more goals today than many of our home games this season put together - and we lose. Rough justice but that's fitba. We had entertainment, some good reason to get off our seats and cheer and I would choose this sort of game any time compared to the solid, defensive display against Motherwell where we lost late on to a dodgy penalty.

Comical defending didn't help us but I'd rather see my centre half scoring at the other end (as did Darren Dodds twice) than see him sat back in his own half watching the action from a distance. Maybe Golly will get an oportunity to make a comeback just to sprice things up in defence?

Good to see John Rankin having a dig from distance. He needs to do more of that.

One other thought. Referees are human (allegedly) and if the home fans are going to call his parenthood into question then we shouldn't expect too many favours from him. Shortly after the Ref gets all the abuse, Wyness gets booked for diving (which he didn't) and we don't get a penalty for Dargo being fouled in the box (which he was).

[Guest Get_off_the_park_Wyness!]

Today was probably the best display of attacking football I've seen from ICT since the Pele era, absolutly magnificent. At times, the technical level of our play was as good as anything you'll see outside the old firm.

The result was a sickener, Killy fans will disagree, but I think on another day we could have put 5 or 6 past them. They always seem to score almost every chance against us. Nish isn't rated that highly by the media but he always looks a top class player when he comes up here. Even when he was at Clyde he was a bogey player for us.

If we play this well every week we'll hump almost anyone. We were unlucky to only score 3 - and to concede so many. I'll be very suprised if we concede 4 at home again this season. You'll rarely see a top class team like Killy played off the park for such long spells.

Hastings was on fire before he came off, he was a rock at the back, and involved in almost every single attacking move. Had he stayed on for the 90 I'm pretty sure we'd have won comfortably. Caff had a shocker after he came on - he's got some decent aspects to his game, strong in the tackle, brave, good distribution... but he's tactically inept. He couldn't mark a golf card. He watches the ball and not the man. Maybe I'm being a wee bit harsh, he's probably rusty, but I can't help feel that we need to bring in some more cover at the back.

One suspension or injury and we start leaking goals like a sieve.

Rankin... I completely appologize for comparing him to Casper the friendly ghost earlier on this season. He looked every bit the top class player he was hyped to be when he arrived - he was in his element out on the wing. His first touch, control, and crossing were all 5 star all day.

Black... Back to his old self! Magnificent control and one touch passing. That moment when he controlled a high ball out on the touchline with a couple of keepy ups was truly world class!

Wyness... He didn't get on the score sheet, but I don't think I've ever seen him play better than today. His first touch, flick ons and turns were brilliant. And his dribbling was remniscent of Michael Mols.

Well done Charlie! Whatever you did this week worked, same again next week please. :025:

[+The_Sponge]

We lost the game because we forgot how to defend but for the first time in weeks I'm actually looking forward to going to the next home game. All that's needed is a bit of defensive revision  along with a reminder to carry on passing the ball along the ground and the points will be in the bag.

[kaiser]

Thats better, in previous weeks we have conceded 2,3,1 and 3 goals, we have indeed bettered that , 4 goals shipped at home takes the money this week , and the consolation is we played a wee bitty football and scored three goals ( I did think DODs might get his hattrick ) ... oh well I'm sure we can't better that.

[RiG]

Here's one for you - as Dave Dargo pointed out during the game that was the first league goal we have scored in the South stand (we think).

[CaleyD]

Hastings had to come off as he got a knock to the head just before half time and was seeing double in the changing room (suspected concusion).

As for my overall opinion of the game....it's a hard loss to take.  Don't think any single player could be singled out as having a howler, even though our defence wasn't at it's best.

Black seemed to have been given different orders for todays game and was playing the 'Duncan' holding role in the centre of the pitch.  He did a good job of getting his foot on the ball then feeding it out wide - only comment on him was that I would like to have seen him play more diagonal/forward balls instead of just square balls but he can only play to where the players are so que sera.

Although Wyness had a good game up front I'll agree with comments about him being a little shy to shoot, he did look a little rusty in that regard, but he hasn't lost his ability to send defenders the wrong way and go around players.  He had some really nice runs into the box today, lets just see him taking some more pops at goal and I'll be over the moon.

Dargo - back to his old self for most of the game today.  He chased balls and actually moved with a purpose instead of just running around trying to look busy, if he keeps doing what he did today then the goals will start coming again.

Our defence....they looked a bit lost without the midfield support today.  Since we were pushing forward more from the centre of the park it was going to be vital that they were on their game.  All this season they have had the midfield line sitting inside our own half to help them out and that wasn't there for them today and it showed.  What I would have given to have Bobby Mann controlling that back 4 today, someone with his vision to read a game and break down an attack would have made a big difference.

Dods got MotM, but I suspect that was more to do with the goals he scored than his defencive contribution.  Yeah he's a good player, but not irreplaceable.  Once Caff has had a chance to regain his match sharpness I think we'll be no worse off when Dods goes.

Rossco looked sluggish today, and although we lost our shape when he went off I couldn't see justification for pulling any of the other defenders ahead of him (unless you went with the logic that Rossco, Caff and Munro used to play a back 3 and would have been better suited).

On analysing the match over a few drinks after the game we got down to the subject of fitness and I have to agree with comments made by one person in the pub about us lacking that extra 15/20 minutes at the end of the game.  Under Brew we were going all out for 90 minutes and still had something in the tank when other teams were starting to flag, and I think the fast pace of the game for the first 70 minutes today highlighted that we are losing that.

[Guest Get_off_the_park_Wyness!]

"What I would have given to have Bobby Mann controlling that back 4 today, someone with his vision to read a game and break down an attack would have made a big difference."

Hmm, never say never.

[Guest Arab4Ever]

Here's one for you - as Dave Dargo pointed out during the game that was the first league goal we have scored in the South stand (we think).

Is the south stand the stand where the away fans go?

[DaveDargo]

Here's one for you - as Dave Dargo pointed out during the game that was the first league goal we have scored in the South stand (we think).

Is the south stand the stand where the away fans go?

Yes it is

I'd also like to point out that the last 2 games we haven't played with our holding midfielder (Russell Duncan) and have conceded 7 coincidence?

[Guest Arab4Ever]

Here's one for you - as Dave Dargo pointed out during the game that was the first league goal we have scored in the South stand (we think).

Is the south stand the stand where the away fans go?

Yes it is

I'd also like to point out that the last 2 games we haven't played with our holding midfielder (Russell Duncan) and have conceded 7 coincidence?

Ross Tokely scored at the South Stand last season against Utd. There were two first half goals one of which was a Lee Miller penalty, I definatly remember the penalty being up the North end. I also remember Tokely's goal, quite a peach if I remember, was it not an overhead kick?

[DaveDargo]

This season is what my point was, although both RIG and I forgot to mention that

[Guest Arab4Ever]

I wondered what the catch was :002:

[RiG]

Ooops!

I blame CC for me forgetting to put that little bit of info in!  :015:

[ictchris]

It's difficult to know how to feel after that. On the plus side we played absolutely brilliantly for the first half-hour, as Charlie said the best we've done since getting into the SPL. Ian Black looked back to his best form, Rankin had a decent game and we were playing some clever stuff up front with Wyness and Dargo linking well with each other and the midfielders. However, our defence, which is the bedrock of our SPL survival for the past two years was awful. The worrying thing about it is we don't have that much defensive cover. Rosscoe hasn't looked at his best all season but in pre-season we sold Proctor to United and Parratt to Hamilton. We seem to be on the verge of letting Golly gom on loan or permanantly, but if Hastings gets injured then we are playing Grant at left back. We are linked with central midfielders - we don't need them, we need defensive cover.

We have now not won in eight matches and have lost our last three against Motherwell, Dundee utd and Kilmarnock. That is relegation form and only a win will really do next week. If we lose we are four points off the bottom, win and we're ten away. As whoever said, it's a proper six pointer.

[Guest Arab4Ever]

Levein has made clear he doesnt rate Proctor and will be away come the window should his attitude in training not improve. I guess that could open the door for Christie to replace Tokely

[Stevie]

Levein has made clear he doesnt rate Proctor and will be away come the window should his attitude in training not improve. I guess that could open the door for Christie to replace Tokely

Well if he's not got a very good attitude, he's no use to us either !

[Guest Suspicious Mind]

Find it strange that anyone would question Proctor's in training or any other aspect of being a player. If the new Utd boss doesn't rate him that's his choice but don't give the boy an undeserved reputation if you haven't got the b*lls to tell him straight!

Anyone who saw the kid in his time up here would know that he is anything but apathetic!

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

Couldn't agree with you more SP, I highly rated young Proctor as a player and I cannot understand whats happened down there, maybe it's because he was a Brewster buy.

[Ronaldo]

Unfortunaltely we do need the points but I'd rather that than a nil nil with no points (sort of!)

If we continue to play like that we'll have no problems and if we played like that every week we would win more matches than we's lose for sure.

I think Charlie and Donald need large pats on the back for that performance