RandomGuy

Levein suffers because of Davidson, I think. Fans are absolutely desperate for entertainment now after years of watching us try to draw, and with Levein deciding that's how he was going to save us from relegation, it feels like just a continuation of Davidson-ball and people don't want that.

I thought McClelland looked poor tbh, particularly quickness wise. I had more faith in Considine recovering when the ball was knocked past him (although the winter break seems to have killed him completely). Deserves another chance though, as the early games were just a mess really.

I think it depends on County, really. I feel like we'll hit 37/38pts regardless so it's whether they match that or not. I'm relatively confident about a two legged play off now we have Sidibeh/Kimpioka on the go.

The 6 game booking rule only counts for half a season, so after game 19 it raises to 12.

Stevie May sclaffed shots when he was scoring every week, he was never a particularly consistent ball striker even at his "best". People seem to have built up a myth about him that season the further into the past it goes. He hit 10 goals last season and was a major part of the double winning season too creating goals.

I think we just concentrate on getting to 40pts. If we can't hit that then get to 38. If we still finish 11th with either points tally then it's not been the form after the split that's been the issue.

Whoever said that is a moron.

Livingston have won 3 games all season, what do you think the chances of them winning 4 in their next 5, which they'd need to do to overtake us, are?

Aye the more games County lose the better.

Yeah was kind of the point I (poorly) tried to make. Carey should be that type, he's heavily experienced and has quality to win matches with moments of quality, but there's something lacking there and he doesn't drag a team through games like those in the past could.

That County game is going to be massive if we aren't safe by that point. Absolutely certainty Bair puts us in 11th in that final game though.

It's a character thing. For me Rooney, Muzz and Hendry on that park meant there was always someone going to drag a performance out when needed and inject some aggression into things. I don't know who in this current team is like that. Phillips, Carey, Sidibeh maybe but to me they're different and softer.

A relegation and multi-year rebuild under someone like Rhys McCabe genuinely wouldn't be the worst outcome. Just something that offers a passage out of this misery of managers thinking we're not allowed to be aggressive.

We were comfortable for two halves against ICT, no more IMO. The tie was very much in the balance at half time of the second leg and ICT had missed a decent chance in the first half. But aye, with that group of player we were always likely to drag something out of it. I'll never forget seeing Davidson screaming at Rooney to stay back while he charged forward for the 4th goal though, that kind of player mindset is what we lack just now. Nobody out there who just thinks "**** it, I'll do it myself". I'd be worried about this side going away midweek against a side full of confidence, and how Levein would have us approaching the second leg.

You understand they wouldn't match that, dont you? I'd wager that Sidibeh and Kimpioka could hit double figures each if youre saying these teams main striker (Zak Rudden, Brian Graham, Nikolay Todorov) are great strikers.

19/19 home/away split is prioritised over 2/2 home/away split. With Dundee reaching top 6 it means someone in the bottom half is going to have to visit somewhere 3 times, and us away to Aberdeen gives everyone 19/19.

That's the point. We have managers and squads who want to play a shape that isn't possible to play.

We're due 2 home games, excepted to be Hibs and Ross County. I don't know where people's confidence comes from tbh. It all hinges on the County game and I've no confidence in us winning away to Livingston. The order of fixtures could be huge. Ideally we get Motherwell or Hibs last as they should be on the beach mentally by then. Nightmare scenario would be a winner takes all final game at home to County.

I think we're in the same situation as we've been for years, in that the manager thinks we need to play a back 5, a midfield 4, and a front 2, as he doesn't trust the team to defend without 3 CBs or 4 midfielders. Lately we've tried Gallacher at LM as he can cover as a LWB if/when we defend and that makes your back 5, and Clark drops into midfield to make the midfield 4. So defensively its 5-4-1 with the diamond midfield shape McInnes talked about. That leaves us exposed out wide, but our midfield is so soft it doesn't stop teams there either. In attack its meant to become a 4-4-2 with Gallacher and Clark pushing up, and either Smith or Kucheriavyi going right. But that falls apart as we just hoof it and lose it so nobody can get into the shape, and then if we do keep the ball everything moves so slowly that teams are back into shape before we are and with nobody capable of beating a man it's easy to defend against. It would be less of an issue shape wise if anything other than a hoof to Sidibeh was done quickly, but Levein won't encourage that play as it's risky and would mean we lose the ball without having a shape, which leads to us being open as all over the park we have players who can't track runners. So we're constantly fluxing between 2 different shapes, while players are told to prioritise safety against counters, which leads to random spurts of some gambling and others not which leads to a shambles as we play neither shape most of the time. He's not going to encourage more risks in the position we're in, until it gets too much pressure wise like before Aberdeen, so we just have to hope it works out. His previous career suggests that's just who he is too, the United squad he built is a long way ago and it's like experience has made him more cautious.

We played a 4 at the back, but with Gallacher as a left winger and nobody on the right. Interestingly McInnes says the identified our style as 5-4-1 with a midfield diamond, which is probably correct.

Same referee who was in charge of our 2-1 win v Killie in November.

I'm sure Costelloe got absolutely chucked about by Kennedy tbh, couldn't figure out that he cuts onto his right foot every single time.

Tbf neither seem to have bothered trying to cut costs at all following relegation. ICT were seemingly paying Owain Fon Williams a 6 figure salary for years after their relegation and are virtually run by Scott Gardiner, the same clown who forgot to order seats for Hearts new stand, while Dundee have admitted they had a top flight budget last season in the Championship.

I thought our defence was a bit leaky but ****ing hell, I'd have more confidence in Considine and McGowan than in Hibs CBs. One of the worst groups of defenders I can remember seeing this season.

He extended his deal there just before he returned on loan.