well theres no other thread on the game so thought i would be the one to start one. Big game for queens as we need to bounce back from the defeat at thistle. With thomson suspended, i think aitken should partner sives in defence. hopefully weatherston will be back and harris aswell - what has been up with harris btw? is it his groin? Anyways 4-4-2 formation this week hopefully and a 2-0 win for qos courtesy of a dobbie double

I can see this being a very close game on Saturday with the game ending in a drw. hopefully Dom will be back in defence. Cant see there being too many goals so going for a 1-1 scoreline with Weatherson scoring as he has had good luck playing back at palmerston.

A poor performance last week so hopefully backsides have been kicked and all the players selected put in a good shift. Morton have had decent results at Palmerston of late and according to some folk have been playing a bit better than their league position suggests. My head says draw but I am going for us to win.

Very doubtful Aitken will play for us again, let alone on Saturday. He will be so short of match fitness it would probably be a mistake anyway. Barr should play alongside Sives, with Parratt at right-back and Reid as far away from the pitch as possible! Harris keeps playing one game then his injury reoccurs so I doubt he will feature either which is a shame as McQuilken had a total nightmare at Thistle IMO. The only positive to take from the lack of available defenders is that it will surely force a return to 4-4-2, although knowing Chis we can probably expect Sean being deployed as a make shift centre-half to fit whatever agenda he has against 4-4-2.

Not as confident as you are about the victory on Saturday, Morton have a great record at Palmy of late (only team to win their in 2008 so far).

AA seems a long way out of things. Suspect Barr will partner Sives with Parratt or perhaps McGowan (or Reid ) at right back. Even without that option Simmons is probably more likely in centre defence than Aitken.
Edited to add Parratt, who I`d completely forgotten Doh.

I would like to see

Bell
McGowan Barr Sives Harris
Burns Tosh MacFarlane Weatherston
Dobbie O'Connor

I think McQuilken may possibly switch with Harris, Kean switch with Weatherston and Parratt switch with McGowan. I coouldn't care really as long as it is a 4-4-2 and McQuilken doesn't play left mid. It was clear to see on Saturday he has no intention of running forward to take anyone on.

QoS win - I'm going for a mad result and say 3-0 QoS! After the performance at Partick I hope Chis has really gave them a telling and they'll bounce back really well! In saying all that if Shimmin plays I'll be extremely happy with any sort of victory!

Morton win - I'd say 2-0 or 2-1, they do have a good record down here and with Thomson out Weatherson may not have a backpocket to jump into this time! McGuffie and Jenkins may well be up for this game also as they were ex scum players, Gr£tna and Str&nraer respectively.

Hoping Morton will bring down 250 or more and QoS keep up the decent numbers and have around 2200.

Att. 2450.

McQuilken does a good job as left midfield in a 442 when he is secure that he has a left back behind him. The problem arises when he is left wing-back in a 352 when he clearly no longer has the energy to get forward as well as attending to the required defensive duties. I`d prefer we play Weatherston at left mid on Saturday in the "required" 442 but wouldn`t view McQuilken being there as a disaster. Not convinced that Harris will feature as we really need to get him back to 100% before he is risked again so would expect Jamie to be left back in any case

Some good points and I totally agree with what you mentioned about him playing in a 3-5-2! My problem with him at left mid is that he is a defender and has no intention of running forward to take people on. He will try and deliver a ball before he tries to get to the touchline. The problem with that is that his distribution is normally extremely poor. Therefore IMO he brings little to the left hand side of the pitch other than more defensive cover for Harris (or whoever is playing left back). That is a good thing from a defensive point of view but a left midfielder's job is to get forward and get some dangerous balls into the box something I feel Weatherston does well and McQuilken doesn't achieve.

Dom must return or we lose. If Dom is back I think we will get at least a draw.
Now: spend somewhere in the region of £20 and a good few hours watching the team or spend it in a choice selection of Greenock's wineries? Decisions, decisions...

Another difficult game and one we need to win if we want to challenge for the title. Morton have a good record at Palmerston having won there twice this year (Both cup games) and us not firing on all cylinders.

First 20 mins will be vital, in past in home games we have come out playing neat quick passing football but not always got the goals. If we can we can win but Morton are on a good run and have closed the league table right up.

Suspect a 2-2 draw

What are the chances of your best player being out Viking?

Draw for me, provided we have Shimmin back. A game we have a chance of winning though, considering our freakishly good form at Palmerston.

I have no idea. I think he strained a hip flexor muscle last week: don't think it's a too serious injury but as he missed last week's game this week isn't certain at all.

No question Weatherston brings more to the team going forward. As you rightly say McQuilken main strengths are his discipline in that he keeps the shape of the team and offers excellent cover to Harris. Swings and roundabouts to an extent. We`re stronger defensively with Jamie at left mid but more of a threat with Weatherston or Arbuckle there.

The score will be Queen Of The South 3 M**ton 1 with 2 goals from Dobbie and a goal from Weatherson M**ton will score a lote consolation through a Dominic Shimmin diving header.


The crowd will be 3074 and Mo**on will bring approximately 426 fans

QoS 1-4 Morton....

Good work LG

Weatherson plays for Morton ya tool.

I disagree with this. McQuilken is one of the best crossers of a ball we have. Sean's goal in the UEFA home tie and John O'Neill's in the cup against Hibs two years ago are notable examples of this. As pointed out the problem is the wing-back system which invariably reverts to 532 and removes all width from our team.

With Harris injured the best way to implement our squad would be McQuilken at left back, Weatherston left midfield.

Two notable points yes, but what about the rest that haven't beaten the first man? His distribution from corners shows that he certainly is not a natural at delivering balls. I think Harris' distribution is far better.

You are right about the 5-3-2 system and I would also like to see McQuilken at left back as he is a steady defender but I don't like him playing left mid.

That made me laugh!

I bet you weren't laughing at the his distribution at the cup final?

Inevitably, when Harris' distribution is questioned, his cross that lead to our equaliser against Rangers is always going to be brought up with the magnitude of the game etc. That still doesn't, for me, mean he is a good distributor of the ball. Far too often it’s just a big punt up the park from him in the hope that either big Sean or Dobbs will get onto the end of it. For me, McQuilken is a million times better, distribution wise, than Harris ever will be. Don't get me wrong though, Harris is a cracking player, he just needs to work on his distribution when the balls moving at his feet.

Some fair points but I think that particular sentence is a bit wild! McQuilken is 35 and lets be honest, whether his crossing is good or not it's hardly great. To say a 21 year with bags of potential will never be as good at crossing the ball by the time he is 35 is a wee bit ridiculous IMHO. No offence intended!

I've mis-typed there - sorry. What I meant to say was, that at the present time, McQuilken is miles better than Harris, distribution wise. I don't really think age has much to do with that statement, but I can see why you have came to the conclusion you did earlier on with regards to progressing as Harris gets older. However, I stand by what I said, Harris isn't anywhere near the level McQuilken is at when it comes to distribution, and one excellent cross in 1 and a half years isn't going to change my mind (albeit in the most important game in our history). Thats not to say he won't will improve at it, but I don't see him improving overnight.

It's going to have be an agreed disagreement!

Harris has great delivery from dead ball. His delivery for JTs goal in the cup final is the stand-out example but his excellent delivery from dead ball meant we were actually a threat from set-pieces last season for the first time in an age.
That being said Bob`s distribution in open play is not great. Top left back nonetheless.

Looks like it.

For me, Harris' strenghts lie in his defending (but that's stating the obvious). His distribution is poor, but he can obviously improve on it. He is an excellent player though, and probably the best left back in the division. Definately one of the 1st names on the team sheet when he's fully fit.



His delivery from dead ball situations is ok. I was more getting at his use of the ball from open play which isn't great, which you also say. Great left back though and hopefully he can continue to improve in the way he has.

The b*****ds at SAAS have paid out, I can get to another away game at fucking last. Haven't made it to an away game since Partick.

I think we'll get something from this atleast. We have a rather strange habit of doing quite well at Palmerston and I reckon that'll continue. 1-0 Morton, James Grady.

Looking back on last season maybe games in the Scottish Cup are the answer. Bob set-up O`Connor for a goal at Peterhead with a cut-back from open play, provided the corner delivery for goals by JT against Linlithgow and O`Connor away to Morton and as stated the fantastic free kick delivery for JT in the final. He certainly provided dead ball delivery for goals in the league as well as scoring a couple himself. Plays too many aimless punts from open play though one such long ball led to a Dobbie goal in the rout of Livi lately.

* You wouldn't happen to be a student?

** Cock. Hope Barr nails him this weekend!

Indeed I am.

Aslong as Grady nails a few to the back of the net before hand.

Grady's just brilliant. Phenomenal player, true gent too. What's your problem?

I'll be lending my support in spirit this weekend. Vodka to be precise.

Will this be transported to and from Dumfries in your man bag ?

Me, my man bag and my alcohol will be going nowhere near those golden pavements.

Man bags are gay.

Nope. Neil McFarlane, on the other hand...

...is the best player to ever grace the first division and a top bloke as well.

A few players have missed training which is quite worrying. Think we'll go 4-4-2 but still lose.

Only 12 fit players apparently. Looks like a ready-made excuse for a bizarre formation, and player selection if you ask me.

Got a feeling Grady will score, all the ex-Gretna boys seem to against us, and regardless of peoples views on him he knows how to find the net.

With the squad as short as it is I'd probably take a draw right now, but we have a funny habit of winning the ones I'm pessimistic about.

Yes, it will make a change for him to have an excuse.
We were poor in the diddy cup game and never really looked like scoring. I suppose the tactic in that game of lumping the ball up the pitch might be more successful with O'Connor playing, but I doubt it.
I expect Morton to win fairly comfortably.

The lumping the ball forward tactic frustrates the hell out of me regardless of O'Connor playing or not. We have players who can play football and it really irritates me when they don't try to! Obviously with Sean playing it is more successful as he wins an unbelievable amount in the air, but when we try it and he isn't playing it enrages me even more. If we run out of ideas it seems to be our "comfort-zone", or plan B if things aren't going our way.

Sean looked far from fit on Saturday, I'd maybe be tempted to start with Kean and Dobbs and try and get as many low balls in behind the defence as possible. It was doing this that tore the Livi defence a new arsehole. If this doesn't work, and the game becomes a physical battle then take off Kean, who you know is at least going to put in a shift even if he doesn't score, and throw Sean on to "rough-up" the 'Ton defence and hopefully create an opening or two.

Do you think? I'm a big fan of Sean's but for a guy of his height I don't think he wins as many high balls as what he should. Sean always has his best game in the air when he faces Kevin "diddy" James. This annoys me as the guy is about half a foot taller than Sean, yet he sometimes struggles to win headers against defenders the same height as him!

Well it isn't his Dobbie-esque clinical finishing that makes Sean a threat to every team he plays, and one of the highest rated strikers in the league is it? Sean is an absolute handful for defences to face and harasses the opposing centre halfs from the first whistle until the last. This invariably leads to chances for our other more clinical players to take advantage of (hence he works so well with Dobbs).

So to answer your question, yes, when you consider the amount of guff, hopeful punts that are sent his way I stand by my original point that Sean wins a ridiculous amount of them. He also scores a large number of goals for a player who isn't the most natural of finishers (it seems to me the harder the chance the more likely Sean is to score it!) and with JT perhaps excluded, I think he will be the player in our current squad with the most headed goals as well.

Then again you don't think McQuilken can cross a ball so I may be as well banging my head against a brick wall!

McQuilken crosses for O'Connor to head home

I think his finishing is pretty woeful for the most part. He never seems to kick the ball properly or cleanly. Difficult to explain, but he sometimes looks like somebody who hasn't played football before.

Sean usually wins a lot in the air though it has to be said he won next to nothing last week.
Whether this was down to fitness is doubtful.
"Lumping it up the park" paradoxically has been at its worst when we have played - 4-5-1 or 3-5-2 , both formations being used to maximise possession of the ball and allow "passing" in the mid-field.

* Yes you are right in saying that, but Sean is more a handful for them when he is constantly charging at them all game. He does that better than anything else.

** I still disagree. I do agree that Sean wins balls in the air, but my arguement is that for his height he wins less than what he really should. It would be interesting to see how many headers he wins in a game compared to how many he goes for up for. If I remember I might try that tomorrow!

*** Again whether that is true or not that is not my arguement so it's quite irrelevant tbh.

Bloody hell folks. Thank God we`re not in our usual relegation spot in November. You guys might be really depressed then. Expecting a tough game as ever against Morton but hopeful of a win.