Mr November

I thought the same but the warm up makes it look like this: Rae Ballantyne - Watson - ATS - Hancock McCabe - McMaster Megwa - Telfer - Frizzell Todorov

Presuming that’s what it is, a back five with McCabe and McMaster sitting is literally the most defensive team we could have put out with this squad. Not a lot of runners around Todorov either, so we’ll see how that goes.

Morton 1-1 Dunfermline Arbroath 2-1 Partick Thistle Ayr 1-1 Queen’s Park Dundee United 3-0 Inverness Raith Rovers 2-0 Airdrie

Yeah, I was fairly positive last night but mostly about our slight change in style. Hard to tell how much to read into it but slightly concerning if that’s the bit he didn’t think worked.

Yeah, I can’t remember what Matthews was sent off for but Fordyce clipped Joao Victoria for a ‘tactical foul’ from behind on a counter attack. Think those sending offs were the only things that broke up half an hour of Benedictus heading long throws back out the box.

I think the last time I was at Starks was that game where we lost 1-0 (not that that narrows it down), Iain Davidson tried to swipe an Airdrie players head off (that probably doesn’t narrow it down either) and Murray had a heads gone and had us entirely launching long throws for the last half hour. I’ll settle for another Murray heads gone please. This isn’t the game you want after four games without a win. Hopefully Aiken is fit or we might struggle in midfield. I’d have Gallagher back in for Todorov and would probably drop McStravick too.

Yeah this is a big concern. We really miss Aiken when he’s not playing and don’t have an obvious replacement. He was the best player on the park against Raith last time and I wouldn’t fancy going up there with a very slow midfield of McCabe, Telfer and Frizzell. I wonder if Megwa might end up in there like the last 20 minutes last night as someone with a bit of mobility who can tackle. As an aside, that’s a few games now where we’ve seemingly moved to a back three when chasing a game. Has it worked at all yet?

Tough one for Airdrie tonight. I thought it was pretty even until the first goal and we were then the better team between the goals but that doesn’t count for anything unfortunately. Dundee United are clearly a better team, with players who are that bit sharper and stronger, so you can’t gift them soft goals and expect to pick up points. The second goal killed things a bit, with the game playing out like a less extreme version of the game at Tannadice after that, but a lot more positives for Airdrie than the last few games.

Think I’m a bit less worried after tonight to be honest. I thought we were very competitive until the first goal and the spell between the goals was the best we’ve played since maybe the Ross County game. Obviously that counts for nothing if you don’t pick up any points though. Someone was shouting something at McCabe near the end but I thought he mostly got things right tonight. The two goals were very soft, Rae’s weak flap at the ball puts it on a plate for Fotheringham at the first and then a slack pass from McStravick for the second, but other than that I don’t have too many complaints at the performance. We were more direct going forward, getting more crosses into the box and moving the ball much quicker at times. Yes, it’s another game without scoring but I thought we looked a lot more threatening. If we’d played like that against Queen’s Park or Inverness I think we’d have picked up more points. It’s a league with one very good team, one good team and eight jobbers. If we can be a bit more direct at times like tonight and avoid the endless possession I think we’ll start to score a few more goals, though obviously not at last seasons standards. If we can stop gifting teams the opening goal then that would help too.

I did think before Saturday that Inverness was the game for Gallagher and Todorov for tonight, given how strong they are defensively. If we can get crosses into the box for him to attack then Todorov might do well tonight. Endless sideways possession and there’s no real point in him playing.

Stranraer away in the Scottish Cup. I know we were in League One together for a few years but it’s not a ground I’ve been to that often and it’s a game we should be winning, so pretty happy with that.

Another question is who does Ballantyne come in for when he returns? Megwa has been our best player in the last couple of games, Hancock has been decent (Queen’s Park game aside) since he came in but hasn’t been tested at centre back yet, Fordyce is probably seen as undroppable and Watson’s had a surprisingly decent season so far. You could move to a back five but we’re already struggling for width and I’m not sure we have the wing backs to provide that on their own.

I was thinking about this when I posted last night but I think McGill has played in every league game we’ve won, starting three of them and then making a big impact as a sub against Partick Thistle. He’s struggled with the move up and it’s a very small sample size but as you say, I think I’d prefer him there to the alternatives at the moment. Even at his worst he can at least be a bit of a nuisance.

I preferred the result against Montrose tbh. I think today was another example of Gallagher and Todorov not really working together. Using the Montrose example, Gallagher dropped deep and Jamieson played on the defender’s shoulder, always looking to run in behind. Todorov can’t really do either of those things and thus wasn’t effective at all. I felt he often just got in the way today. I’ve said it before but I don’t think he’s great at winning high balls from the back, his main strength is attacking aerial balls from wide positions in the box. Playing a midfield four with ostensibly four central players, and two full-backs who are more defensive, isn’t going to get any use out of him. The midfield changes didn’t really work either. Telfer deserved to start and I felt he did ok, if a bit slow on the ball at times. McCabe was alright but I felt we missed a ball-winner in there in Aiken. The wide players were never too involved in the game. Frizzell has been poor for a while now, whether that’s just poor form, adjusting to the higher standard of opposition or adjusting to the captaincy who knows. I thought Megwa had another decent game defensively, though his final ball when going forward is definitely lacking. For all we’re still a bit soft at the back, I think the wide areas going forward is our biggest problem at the moment. Megwa and Hancock have generally been solid defensively but I don’t think either have offered too much going forward. McGregor and O’Connor are quick but probably aren’t good enough technically to play every week at this level, McGill similar lacks a bit technically at this level and hasn’t got going for whatever reason, McStravick’s had some good moments but is he really a wide player? We badly miss Callum Smith, who even on an off day was a nuisance and his pace always offered an outball. We don’t really have that at the moment, which just feeds the overplaying things and turning back all the time. I’m still more positive than negative about our start so far, we’re still 4th, but one point from nine against teams below us in the table is disappointing, particularly when we have a run of three very tough games coming up. I’m not expecting it on Tuesday night but it’s important we pick up a win over the next three games to avoid a really bad second quarter like last season. The league is starting to tighten up now, so need to make sure we keep a gap above 9th while we can.

I’m not sure what was more miserable, the game of football or the drive back down the A9 in the rain (you made the right call @David Fernández). Not a great spectacle but Inverness took their one real moment of quality while we didn’t create any chances. Airdrie could perhaps have got a point from it, the last half hour was almost entirely Airdrie attacking, but equally we didn’t do much with it. I think it’s a huge win for Inverness. They’re not a great team but that’s a good start under the new manager and I’d absolutely be buying into him if I was an Inverness fan. It’s a very tight league with two good teams and eight jobbers, so if Inverness can get a few more results they’ll be right up the table. Wotherspoon and McKay lack pace but they still have a lot of quality, if they can stay fit then they have a chance. Sheridan and Lodovica not so much. On Airdrie, just the same old story really. Soft defensively, lose a goal from it and look vaguely threatening at times without ever creating a clear chance. I thought we should have had a penalty for Frizzell’s ‘dive’ but we still had plenty of time to score after that and never really looked like doing so.

Looks a lot like this in the warm up. Weirdly tomorrow is a year to the day since McCabe randomly did something very similar against Montrose and Jamieson scored a hat-trick.

I reckon a fairly narrow four with Frizzell and McStravick wide, Telfer and McCabe in the middle.

Thought Queen’s Park were really good there. Still a bit too soft defensively but they played with much more of a purpose, created plenty of chances and controlled the game throughout. Ultimately not being clinical enough in both boxes cost them the three points but lots to build on for them. Thistle were dreadful. They badly miss Docherty and Turner in midfield. Now that Tiffoney is gone they can’t really afford to lose one of Lawless or Fitzpatrick either when the alternatives are sticking McInroy or Williamson out wide it or worse, Wes McDonald. Wasiri Williams was a good laugh. The most concerning thing would be that there was no obvious gameplan or style of play, a real change from the team at the end of last season. Big few weeks ahead for Doolan. It comes a bit with being in the Championship but that was two teams with absolutely nothing on the bench to change the game. I think Raith and Dundee United will end up miles ahead of the rest of us based on the ability of their subs alone.

Dundee United 2-0 Arbroath Queen’s Park 2-2 Partick Thistle Ayr 1-0 Morton Inverness 1-1 Airdrie Raith 1-0 Dunfermline

There’s been plenty of low points but as you’ve alluded to I think the worst would have to be somewhere in the Tom Wotherspoon years and then the season after he chucked it. Maybe the 5-0 defeat at home to Stenhousemuir. I was talking about the short spell when we had Donald Jennow and Gordon Dalziel in charge for the League Cup games earlier, just before Willie Aitchison’s took over for his three games, playing a bunch of youth players. That was only six years ago! It’s only when you look back at some of that nonsense that you realise how much the club has progressed since then. A lot of credit has to go to the board, Murray and McCabe for making us a much more professional club, on and off the park.

Anyone else having a daft amount of high scoring games so far? I started a save as Spartans and so far we’ve beaten Bonnyrigg 6-0, lost 5-1 to Rangers B, beat Dumbarton 8-4 and have just beat Elgin 7-3 (6-3 at half time).

I thought the same. Wasn’t a huge amount between the teams overall until the second goal, Dundee United just edged most things and looked stronger and a bit sharper. Things unravelled pretty quickly after the second goal though. Do Thistle have a few injuries just now? Even at 1-0 down there wasn’t really anyone on the bench who could come on and change a game, other than the inevitable Adeloye sub.

I’d agree overall. I think he’d have been well suited to our style last year against weaker teams but he’s not great in possession and has a lot to learn tactically. He’s made a great impact a couple of times to be fair, winning the penalty against Dundee and then winning the penalty and scoring the equaliser against Ross County. I still think he’s a decent option to have but I’d have brought McGill on ahead of him tonight.

I’m hoping that this is something that evolves over the next quarter. McCabe did make small changes to our style throughout last season which had a pretty big impact. I can see why he’s changed things this season but it’s probably gone a bit too far the other way. I think I’ve read somewhere that we have the fewest shots in the league, which is a real change from being the highest scorers outside the old firm last season. That was never going to be replicated at a higher level but finding that balance could be they difference between a relegation battle and a really positive season.

I thought that was a decent enough game but expect it didn’t come across well at all on the TV. In hindsight, a 1-1 draw lacking in quality was inevitable, it’s the Airdrie and Queen’s Park specialty. Queen’s Park had the better of the midfield. Spong won most of the second balls and Thomson had a good game, he’s turned into a really good, powerful midfielder at this level. McPherson was excellent at right back too, caused Hancock a lot of bother in the first half. I’m not sure whether it was entirely because of Airdrie but Thomas and Paton were pretty quiet. A great finish from Gallagher and good to see him getting another goal at this level. A shame to concede such a daft goal so quickly after half time but ultimately a draw was probably about right.