DrewDon

Second half was a nervous watch, especially when Motherwell had set pieces or the opportunity to get a high ball into the box, but delighted and relieved to get three points on the board. A clear lack of height and presence in the team that Motherwell understandably sought to exploit, but Gartenmann and MacDonald stood up fairly well in most cases. I haven’t seen either of the VAR incidents back, but had no inkling that there was a handball at the goal until it was announced that it was being checked. Shinnie’s at the end looked like a typical nothing incident that might go against us, but difficult to tell from behind the opposite goal. I wouldn’t say it was a great performance, but hopefully grinding out a 1-0 away at a difficult venue (although every ground is difficult for us this season) can act as some sort of platform. Gartenmann’s best game in a long time. Barron and Shinnie both excellent. Nice to see Clarkson getting a goal.

I went to the 4-2 game at Fir Park in November and it still ranks as one of our most complete performances of the season. Leven was on the coaching staff that day, although he was in the 3-3 game too, so I wonder if he will look back at that and try some similar things tomorrow in terms of personnel and structure. We were in a (sort of) 5-4-1 that day and were really effective at getting bodies forward to support Miovski. There will be the temptation to make sweeping changes after such an anaemic performance at Dundee, but it's not like we have great strength in depth. I do worry a bit about Hoilett starting three games in a week, so I suppose Duk could be a possibility from the start - he has scored three in two against Motherwell despite having a disappointing season, and he didn't start either game, but that is likely just coincidence rather than anything particular about Motherwell's set-up. Shinnie was excellent against St Mirren and then Kilmarnock, but he did struggle against Dundee, which is maybe the quick turnaround catching up with him a bit. We would likely be worse without him, though, and we don't really have anybody to fill his role if he were to be rested. I would be tempted to stick with Barron, Shinnie and Phillips, with McGrath getting as central as possible and either Duk or Hoilett hopefully providing some width. The defence is rubbish, but the other options aren't good either, so I'd imagine it will be unchanged barring any injuries or suchlike. I expect Motherwell to win, but hopefully the win earlier in the season and the comeback at Pittodrie will give the players encouragement that they can have some joy against this team.

FLIPFLOPS?!

I'll say it, even if nobody else will:

Ticket purchased, for my sins.

Cormack was quoted on the official statement on Saturday saying that the process was at an "advanced stage". Maybe I am naïve, but I would usually take that to mean that you have identified a preferred candidate and have at least begun negotiations, rather than having not yet commenced interviews.

Maybe we will end up appointing Tony Docherty on Sunday after our 3-0 defeat at Fir Park the day before, just because he is the acceptable candidate who can literally get to Cormack Park the quickest.

Barney Walsh. I can just about stomach your average 'nepo baby' when they are actually good at what they do, but this guy permanently has the look of someone who is convinced that his card is about to get declined at the checkout. Sadly detracts from an otherwise excellent Gladiators reboot.

I am increasingly convinced that, despite the talk on Saturday about being 'far down the line' and all that, we didn't have a shortlist before this week.

Just thinking about how shambolic 2024 has been so far, both on and off the pitch. We waited until the very last day of January to sack Robson. We then appointed a caretaker, with every intention of keeping him until the end of the season, but he ended up walking out after 33 days. We are then caught on the hop and are currently in the process of rapidly speeding up the recruitment process for a new manager, who we will end up appointing before the arrival of a new technical director or director of football, which could well render a fair amount of the BPTC review null and void. How can you get so much wrong in such a short amount of time?

But seriously, the play-off will be on the season ticket, right?

You know things have gone wrong when it's the middle of March and you literally punch the air when you hear that Hibs have taken the lead away to Ross County.

The players just aren't playing for Leven. He's lost the dressing room.

I thought under Warnock there was at least some signs that we were beginning to put together some actual patterns of play and the structure of the team was gradually improving, even if we weren't always getting results, but this is a 'back to square one' performance if there ever was one.

Banter. No, it's not banter. It's not banter, not now.

Sorry, just realised I went full Ian Hislop there. A low point and I regret it.

What are they going to do - offer him a job?

I would probably go for the same if the game was tomorrow, but Polvara would have to be the most advanced of the three IMO.

It was naïve from Shinnie, as much as I love the guy. As has been said, we were in complete control, Kilmarnock had all but chucked it, and he should have just had a quick word with Beaton and then dropped it, especially knowing that a booking would rule him out of the semi-final. He is arguably our most important player when he plays like he did on Saturday. There are plenty of important games between now and Hampden, but difficult to know what to do without him as we don't have an obvious replacement. My instinct is that we would need to move Phillips beside Barron, as at least he does give us some physicality and bite and looks like he can press the opposition like Shinnie often does so effectively.

The Protestant end, baby. It's just better.

I would love to see a football game refereed by Michael Stewart. No cards, about three fouls in total, pure mayhem.

I don't think Cormack will have been 'interfering' at all during Warnock's time - and, frankly, as poor a job as he has done so far in his tenure regarding decisons, there hasn't been anything concrete from any managers who have worked under Cormack, including McInnes, to suggest that is a problem. I think it is much more likely, based on what we know, that Warnock had just decided at some point after St Mirren that he was going to quit. We have then been caught on the hop when he has informed us. We have tried to give ourselves and Warnock some cover by going for the line about closing in on a new manager, etc, but there is no doubt in my mind that the process is now being rapidly expedited and that both Cormack and Burrows were expecting and wanting Warnock to be here until May.

I am relatively encouraged by the statement, but also a bit sceptical of how much decision-making authority Cormack will actually be willing to concede in reality. It is a tentative step in the right direction, though, at least theoretically.

This guy could be a very useful gift from Warnock.