Dons vs Saints

[manc_don]

Weather sounds like it's going to be pretty miserable again on Sat, high winds and rain. So a probable shite fixture just got worse. Really need to get back to winning ways, do we see MacKenzie back into the team? I don't think McGarry put a foot wrong over the last two games tbh, and if JM isn't signing a new deal, heart says i'd be tempted to ditch him but head says we should play our best team.

If we can maintain the level of performance against the saints as we did against Celtic, then I think we should be fine, but we really do need to take the chances when provided with them. That's ultimately why we lost to them. Saints are on a similar run in form to us, i.e. only won 1 out of the last 5, albeit we've got two draws rather than defeats.

Out

Bed

Bed

hopefully out and about.

2-1 dons, Nisbet and Sokler.

[manc_don]

Seems like Mackenzie is out anyway.

[Jute]

Really need to be winning this to get out of this mini slump. McKenzie out until Hibs game at least according to press. Would expect team to be one that started on Tuesday to start today. With no game next week don’t think manager will rest anyone. From what I saw of Saints on tv last Sunday they do not look to have improved much under their new manager so this should be one we win comfortably but the weather might be a leveller. 
 

In

bus then pub

Y although might sit on my seat under cover.

bus back to capital

2-0 Nisbet and Duk

[Jute]

Glad I decided against (was too tight) to get the train as one I would have been on has been cancelled. 

[Reekie_Red]

1-0 defeat against a ridiculously expensive celtic team was to be expected. Draws against the Edinburgh teams should not be sniffed at as they are fighting for every scrap. The defeat vs St Mirren was the real shock in all this. We need to get back to winning ways this weekend though to avoid the team settling into a negative mental slump. 

I think we can take this 

2-0, Sokler, Besuijen

[OrlandoDon]

Would love to see Vinny get the start on the left and duk on the bench, topi right w McGrath at 10. Nisbet at 9 but losing interest in him.

need the win, will take anything but I say we play well and 3-1. Goals from McGrath nisbet and I’ll go with mcgarry getting one too!

[OrlandoDon]

Devlin gets the much needed rest, good game to see what Milne can actually do!

[Slim]

McGarry, Nilsen, Nisbet, Rubezic and McGrath off at half-time please.

[OrlandoDon]

Bubble definitely has burst, another poor performance. That’s 5 games in two weeks and our lack of squad depth is apparent. I was worried we’d lose that at the end when we pulled Milne and they got chances. We have to remember that it’s still many of the same players from a failing team.
While it’s on the team, another game where we get absolutely nothing from our center forward. Also thought McGrath was non existent, don’t want us to continue with both him and clarkson at the same time. Duk got his assist and morris has to come in second half to similar effect. That helps us and works. He isn’t effective as a starter.

[manc_don]

I’m surprised JT hasn’t worked out (he must have), that Morris is a super sub and cannot play from the get go. But I don’t get how or why we’re only a second half team? We know we’ve got weaknesses and we probably gave ourselves a false start with this squad but the drop off has been alarming. Can almost understand on the road but not at home. Will need to watch the highlights later. Not sure if PHG changes things for us

[Jute]

Another poor performance today. Too many player off  form. McGrath and Clarkson do not work together. Think it has to be one or the other. McGrath was anonymous today. Very surprised he lasted the entire game.  Morris isn’t good enough to start games and his lack of defensive work when we don’t have the ball exposes us to much when he is on the pitch from the start. Impact sub until we can get someone better. Nielsen again looked tired and made sloppy mistakes you expect from a tired player. No game next week is probably a blessing for him and Keskinen. Most bizzare thing today was playing last 20 without a striker. No idea what Jimmy was thinking there. Really hope we have a striker lined up for January.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Another poor performance today. Too many player off  form. McGrath and Clarkson do not work together. Think it has to be one or the other. McGrath was anonymous today. Very surprised he lasted the entire game.  Morris isn’t good enough to start games and his lack of defensive work when we don’t have the ball exposes us to much when he is on the pitch from the start. Impact sub until we can get someone better. Nielsen again looked tired and made sloppy mistakes you expect from a tired player. No game next week is probably a blessing for him and Keskinen. Most bizzare thing today was playing last 20 without a striker. No idea what Jimmy was thinking there. Really hope we have a striker lined up for January.

We played Duk up front as number nine, which is a legitimate use of him, although he wasn't very good there. When Vinnie got injured, he moved up front and Duk wide because he couldn't run. 

Anyway, we were very poor. Didn't create much at all and didn't use the ball well. They played well, and are definitely better than they were under Levein. Very few pass marks today, but conditions were difficult. As others have said, McGrath, McGarry, Nilsen and Nisbet were all poor. McGrath especially, and I don't think it was because Clarkson was in the team, he was just second to every ball and his decision making was terrible. I was going to make a comment about McGarry prior to today's game after his okay performances in the last two, but I forgot. It was that he was (in those games) good at doing the easy things such as taking the ball and moving it on, but that he shirks the difficult parts like taking an opponent on, or going beyond the winger. That really showed up today against an opponent we should be beating. He offered nothing to advance our game. It's why you can forgive Mackenzie and Devlin for any defensive errors, because you know that they do the things where they might get caught out, and aren't afraid of taking responsibility for their mistakes. Of course, McGarry is likely extremely low on confidence, but he's never going to be good enough. Clarkson got pass marks today as did Molloy. Doohan was okay, but doesn't offer anything in terms of building moves and taking the ball from the defenders. A couple of injuries has been the difference really. 

[RicoS321]

Forgot to mention, Palaversa was very good when he came on yesterday. Had Milne not been struggling, him and Shinnie might have gone on to win that for us from midfield, as they were starting to get hold of it. As it was, Shinnie went to left back again.