Rjc-1988

Two points lost - were the better side but couldn’t get the job done and could have lost it which would have been typical. Played well but it’s wins that we need.

Heads now going down - as soon as we lose the momentum anything could happen.

Yes the thought of McKenna and the two McKays in a back 3 fills me with dread but there literally is nobody else. Squad still has Wullie’s full backing because yet again we can afford the luxury of him not being listed in the starting 11????

While we are capable of playing some good football for spells in games our inability to manage games and do the “ugly” stuff well will continue to haunt us game after game until we get some replacements in. Defence is so slack and soft it’s unbelievable. Paul McKay epitomises the problem for me - looks like he wants to be a silky ball playing CB but just doesn’t defend properly. Plays colleagues into trouble, doesn’t tackle like a rugged CB, ball watches and loses positional discipline when we go behind. It is now not just a case of losing close games by the odd goal - we go for full scale capitulation with team losing its shape, individuals playing for themselves.WG’s continual absence leaves us painfully short of the type of character we need out there in the thick of the action when things go wrong not to mention his ability and game awareness. Morton away was so typical of us - played well for long spells (as we did at Alloa) but it is pointless to continually pedal the old excuse that it was never a 1-4 or 1-5 game. Which successful team ever continually plays the “unlucky card”? They make changes and attempt to sort the recurring theme. Pars away will be a big test and it will be interesting to see if there is any “toughening up” on our part. We can’t just wait for the Peterhead and Edinburgh fixtures to come round as there is simply not enough of them and in any event expect Peterhead to be a different proposition after the appointment of David Robertson.

No. Gibson just isn't playing him for whatever reason. Gibson himself and Connolly are arguably two of our best players and neither are featuring. Thankfully we're doing that well in the league that we can afford not to play our best players though. That sums up the madness perfectly.

That’s exactly why I refuse to get carried away after good wins over EFC and Montrose. Both teams especially EFC are extremely poor as are the vast majority of the competition in League 1. This squad has no backbone and to lose that 1-4 is frankly an awful result regardless of how well Morton are doing.

Folded like a cheap suit again. You look at the results from teams Like Montrose and Edinburgh in the Cup and it sums up just how poor the standard is in League 1. The fact that we are languishing in 7th place says it all. Gibson again omitting himself - when will the penny finally drop? Answer - it won’t and Management will continue to delude themselves that they have a quality squad.

Queens ability to find a way to lose games never disappoints.

Is the match screened and available for those overseas?

I remain convinced that if he picked himself at RB (fitness permitting) for the rest of the season we would make the play offs with something to spare as his weekly inclusion would seriously strengthen our entire set up from front to back. So speaking personally I am pissed off as soon as I see the team-lines that don’t include him because we don’t have the luxury of continually leaving out our best player.

Can’t disagree with any of that - I am delighted that we bounced back with a convincing 4-0 win but we are languishing in 7th place 13 points behind the league leaders. Another key stat which made extremely poor reading was that we had a negative goal difference before the Montrose game. In League 1 as a FT outfit?? I genuinely think the QOS supporters have been extremely supportive of WG and this group of players. Any criticism that has been forthcoming has generally been justified. We have been here before with this squad - they deliver a really encouraging professional display and then proceed to fall back into old ways in the following matches. It will be interesting to see how we stand up to the trip to Morton and the coming league matches. I sincerely hope that we have turned the corner but I will take a lot more convincing than Saturdays win.

I think you are spot on about the back 3 - it is pointless shoehorning under-performing CBs into your line up just to try and limit the impending threat from the opposition. The two McKays, McKenna and Morrison (when he played)have generally been awful this season. East is the exception. We had 3 CBs at Alloa and lost 5 goals out of “nothing”. When you include players who arguably don't deserve to be picked you exclude much more valuable players further forward. If the Manager doesn’t trust any permutation of his 6 potential CBs (if you include McKenna and Hendrie) to form a CB partnership then it doesn’t say much about the quality of the signings he made? I think there is much to agree with in your suggested team line up. Doesn’t make sense to burden Lewis with defensive responsibilities. The problem emerges of course, when Wilson and Todd aren’t fit for action. A back 4 of WG, P McKay East Hendrix/Quitongo would be fine but Wullie continues to defy logic and handicap us week after week.

This is exactly the type of fixture that we have repeatedly flopped in this season - opponents who are well organised, tactically astute and committed. If we actually set ourselves up sensibly with the right players on the park we would at least put ourselves in with a good chance of success. This weeks fantasy selection is :- Fox WG McKenna East Quitongo LG Wilson McGrory Todd Connelly Paton/Bange The tried and tested 4-4-2 is so old fashioned these days - but it actually delivers what it sets out to do…………..gives you a solid shape and some decent width where players actually know their role. No doubt the tactical “white board” will have two “number 10s” in behind the main striker ……………both looking like “lost sheep”.

Can’t fault the budget allocated for squad assembly by the BOD but far too many similar players signed. 4/5 CBs and only one (East) remotely good enough. Squad clogged up with players who can fill the bench but are not capable of competing at this level - several players getting an inordinate amount of game time despite continually failing to deliver. Some supporters still pedalling the notion that we have a “quality squad”. Central midfielders can play in neat triangles if they are given time but McGrory hasn’t scored a solitary goal since joining us and Cochrane has managed one. Wilson and Todd are decent but always injured. The persistence with this No 10 role is mystifying- the incumbent usually Murray or Connelly doesn’t track back leaving the remaining central midfielders out numbered in the key area and huge gaps appear. It is delusional for decision makers to contemplate not playing WG at RB. This move wouldn’t eradicate the weaknesses of this squad but it would make us massively stronger defensively and offensively. Xmas clear out required if clubs can be found for the non- contributors. This is sadly a long list but we should aim to get squad down to c.20 players and bring in some loan players - GK, CB a must. 4-4-2 please and disband these completely unsuccessful systems that shoehorn under-performers into the starting 11. Hopefully we can stay up but to do that comfortably there will need to be a complete re-think.

That performance totally sums up this squad of players. Playing some great one and two touch football when Alloa made the mistake of standing off us and allowing us to play. As soon as Brian Rice realised that they needed to get in our faces and start really pressing the ball our whole team fell apart from front to back. Continually playing with 3 CBS should, in theory, give us some defensive protection but not when Messrs Currie, Hendrie and the two McKays resemble mannequins. What an utter shambles that second half was. I said after the Edinburgh match it was a mistake to deploy Lewis as a wingback expecting him to be a principal creative threat going forward and also provide some protective cover in the RB area. To ask a 17 year old to perform that dual function simply highlights how flawed the team selection actually is.As I have said repeatedly the solution at RB is staring the manager in the face but his continual absence beggars belief. i would assume that with the impending World Cup break some Premier teams will be looking to loan out some fringe players. A GK and an experienced CB to partner East would be a good start but in all honesty the problems here are so deep rooted that it might be easier just to wait for the Peterhead and Edinburgh fixtures to come round again. Truly gutless stuff and Hendrie’s petulant behaviour at the end spares us the prospect of seeing him in action next week.

Don’t agree on the point about WG - we are languishing miles behind Dunfermline and it is obvious that we need our best players on the pitch. If we could get WG, Wilson and Todd consistently on the pitch at the same time and throw in Lewis’ huge potential we have a platform to start a recovery mission.

Much better from us today - Lewis was outstanding - barely wasted a ball and his delivery was terrific. He also tracked back when he moved to RWB although with his talent I think we want him doing his stuff in final third not worrying about defensive duties. He and his father would be a formidable combination down the right flank!!!! Some other good performances - Quitongo has been unlucky to be benched for so long but he provided a threat wide left and Cochrane contributed a lot more than he has been doing. I refuse to get carried away until we start delivering against the stronger teams - (despite their lofty league position Edinburgh don’t fall into that category I’m afraid).

Surely some wholesale selection changes now long overdue. How much more game time do some of these players get despite continually failing to deliver. Admittedly, injuries to key players limit options but why exactly have guys like Muir, McKechnie and McMahon fallen so far down the pecking order? Ben Johnstone got a great write up from the Manager when he got his debut at Ibrox of all places and hasn't been seen since? Gibson to RB would be the most logical starting point and abandon these fanciful systems that deploy a glut of similar forwards in behind a striker. There was a lot of talk initially about width and fast attacking play. The reality is that in the wide areas McKenna and Hendrie are the only ones giving us width.

Agree with all of that. Genuinely don’t think the squad is good enough - but the selection and tactics are mystifying to say the least. I am beginning to see how Lee Connelly has been struggling to get a game and when he and Murray are on at the same time we are just so weak and soft.

Dreadful performance - Falkirk comfortably the best team I've seen in League 1. Better than us all over the pitch - fitter, stronger, better technically and most importantly better set up tactically. Yet again our team selection and tactics were dreadful. Wullie should be playing at RB not central midfield especially when he hasn't played for a good few weeks. The absence of Wilson, Todd and McGrory was a huge blow ( not that you can ever rely on any of that 3 with their sick notes at the ready). Surely the obvious thing to do was bring in a natural midfielder McMahon or Johnstone. McMahon played well at Montrose and hasn't been seen since? The deployment of Connelly, Murray and Reilly was mystifying - don't think anybody knew what their roles were, least of all them. The usual multiple change of formations followed us going 0-2 down but to no avail. Players miles off the required standard to mount any sort of promotion challenge but not helped by some very poor management decisions. Some players seem "bulletproof" in terms of their weekly selection - no idea why??

Agree with all of that - it is almost as though somebody has this pre-conceived idea that WG has to be one thing or another. Flexibility is the key based on how the team is performing. If we were flying like our last visit to League 1 without WG’s playing services then there is no issue to debate. I think somewhere within the club - a very intransigent stance is being adopted and the “plot has been well and truly lost”. I had hoped that after witnessing such a poor start to the season on so many levels common sense would prevail but it now looks very unlikely.

There is no chance that this team will be picked but I would go with :- Fox Gibson P.McKay East Hendrie McGrory Wilson Todd Paton Bange L. Gibson Difficult to pick a RCB as none of the candidates have been remotely solid but on basis that Paul McKay did well last season (pre-injury) I would go with him. Unlikely that both Wilson and Todd will be fit. I don’t think Cochrane has what it takes so I would look elsewhere. I really want Connelly in the team certainly ahead of Murray but Paton doesn’t deserve not to start given his overall contribution so far and I genuinely think young Lewis is potentially “the real deal” so need to start giving him proper game time to test him. If he runs out of steam Connelly is a great option. This is all fantasy stuff because our best player will probably be standing on the touch line duplicating what Grant Murray can do and we will continue to look very weak defensively down our right flank. That said still hoping for a much needed win whoever plays.

I disagree totally on the WG issue - we have an experienced Asst Manager in Grant Murray who can take a significant degree of the day to day workload off Wullie's shoulders leaving him free to play as required. It is blatantly obvious to everyone that when he plays we invariably look a different team. If he was a marginal performer I could see the sense in him stepping back BUT nothing could be further from reality. Not only should he be the first name on our team sheet - he would be the first name on most Championship team sheets as well. I agree totally that the Board have taken bold decisions to keep us FT and they are to be commended for that. Running a FT football operation on our crowds is one of the most unenviable challenges I can think of especially with our geographical disadvantages. As I have said previously, I have no idea what the politics are behind the decision regarding WG but the rationale behind the decision needs to be communicated to the supporters because his continual omission just doesn't stack up. We are so devoid of quality on the pitch and despite being FT we repeatedly struggle to outperform very modest PT opposition. I haven't seen a standout team yet in this league. The fact that FCE are riding high in second place says all you need to know about the underlying quality in this division and we are making the challenge harder by not picking our best and most experienced player.

Agreed and can we have Gibson Senior - throw in Wilson and Todd if they are fit (a big if where that pair are concerned) and you have a platform to build on.