Glenmavis Diamond

It's not mind blowing. It's very simple. There was a good 6 or 7 early fouls, in very similar positions about 35 yards out, which all went unpunished. Whether you think they were fouls or not is not the point. They were given, so the ref thought they were fouls. So many in a short space of time would be considered consistent. Yet no bookings. Then he books the same player twice very quickly, so sent off. Funnily enough, the fouls pretty much stopped. Then goes out to level it up by giving us 3 bookings, 2 of which were for first fouls, not persistent fouling like your players were doing. So it absolutely had an impact. One, because the ref didn't clamp down on the fouls quick enough with an early booking and two, because he gives Airdrie more bookings for a fraction of the fouls. The ref was very poor. However, I am in no way blaming him for the loss, merely pointing out it was one of many contributing factors.

With all due respect, you've actually proven my point. 13 fouls and only 2 bookings. Yet we had way less fouls and got 3 bookings. Two of which were for the respective players 1st fouls. Irrespective of whether you think they were fouls or not, the ref gave them, yet failed to book players time and time again. So your players kept committing fouls until he eventually booked your boy twice in quick succession. You had a yellow card coming long before it came. He then proceeds to book and send off our player for his only 2 fouls. First one was a yellow for pulling. The 2nd was not. Also booked McCabe for a first foul. He was inconsistent. As for your second point, defending is winning the ball. Fouling is fouling. As soon as we got past your man, they committed a foul. Almost every time in the 1dt half. Any most went unpunished so you kept doing it. I never said it was a bad tactic of yours. In fact, it's a clever way to stop a team whose strength (usually!) is playing good football through teams. So it worked well for you. Anyway, that was only 1 point of many I made. The overall point I made was, we deserved to lose. I do believe I ended with that.

Arbroath may have had some bad results before, but have won 4 on the bounce now. They're nobodies mugs and showed that today. 3 home wins in a row too. Home form is crucial. Yeah we've lost 3 away games, but we've won our 2 home games. Need to keep home form going but try and pick up some points away from home too. Our performance today, whilst awful, is not consistent with how we've played this season. We've had some excellent results with this same group of players. Being the only team to beat Partick in the league being one highlight. There's several factors that influenced the outcome of today's game. 1. I think McCabe went with the wrong starting 11 today. Not sure he and McMaster work well in midfield. Also don't think O'connor should be starting, especially if it results in McGregor being put onto the opposite wing from where he's done well lately. And why drop McStravick who has looked good and creative in the last 2 games? Makes no sense. 2. I also think the wind played it's part, which Arbroath knew how to handle and we clearly didn't. 3. Too many players weren't at the races today. You can cope with one or two, but not 7 or 8. We were sluggish, 2nd to every ball and out-muscled. They wanted it more. 4. Too many long, hit and hope passes that didn't come off. That's not how we play. There was far less attempt to play through the middle today. I put that in part down to McCabe and McMaster both playing. Think they both sit too deep so can't expect Frizz to do it all. Gal came back plenty to collect the ball deep and was fouled a lot when he got it. 5. The ref let a lot of fouls go unpunished for them. Eventually booked a guy twice in quick succession but I felt he would try and level things and he did. They fouled us way more, yet we got 3 cards to their 2? Nuts. Why is this important? Because I think they went out their way to stop us playing. As soon as Gal or Frizz beat their man, they were fouled. Ref didn't clamp down early so they kept doing it. There's other factors too but ultimately, we deserved to lose. It happens. What's important is that we work hard this week to make sure it doesn't happen again next week, or any time soon!

I see the experienced addition of Aiden McGeady is working wonders for Ayr so far. Hope we manage to spank them when we play them. They could be the new Falkirk!

Would you go as far as to play Liam Prunty in goals? I'd certainly get as many Fringe players in as possible and rest players. GK usually not as important in that respect, but more about giving a young GK like Prunty that exposure maybe.

Given that was apparently the first game in over 40 games that we've not scored in then yes, I'd say it was the outlier. I think a team playing our style who end up having 4 midfielders out at the same time will always be challenged to compete in the same way they usually would. Most teams would be the same. And it's easy to say change tactics but becoming a long ball team requires players who suit that style. We don't have many that do, since it's not how we want to play. Just unfortunate and hopefully next game at our ground, we can show a better performance and maybe score some goals.

Why? Just why?

I think what today shows you is how important the tactics and style of play are that Rhys has embedded into the team. To go away from home to Dundee Utd missing 3 midfielders, then have our 4th and arguably one of the best go off injured after 5 mins and Still be able to play our way and control large parts of the game speaks volumes. Not to mention starting debutants today McStravick and Hancock, followed by another in Gav Gallagher off the bench. Not the result we hoped for but so much to be encouraged by for the season ahead. I get a feeling that McStravick and Frizz playing together could be extremely exciting to watch. @airdrieman I think mentioned McStravick maybe playing out wide next week but pretty certain he's a central player so would prefer seeing him in there if that's where we are going to get the best out of him.

Tell that to some of our own fans.

Yeah, the club should have signed an extra 3 or 4 midfielders to account for the possibility of having 3 injured and one suspended at the same time becaus that happens a lot eh.

Exactly. You can't justify signing another couple of midfielders just incase an unprecedented event happens. You'd have a squad of 30+ if you took that approach. Also, Rhys said in his recent interview that he's specific about who he wants to sign with a view that they're capable of pushing the starting 11 for a spot. That way he doesn't end up with lots of unhappy players chapping his door asking why they don't get a game. To date, he's done an incredible job of striking the right balance throughout the squad and the team atmosphere looks second to none. The players are happy, they're fighting for each other, they're working their socks off and leaving nothing on the pitch. That's the attitude we've all been crying out for.

Also, the high risk high reward comment from Rhys was about our style of play, not our signing policy, so it's unfair to lift and shift it out of context. I don't think our signings are high risk. What would be high risk is signing aging players on the decline who are looking for a bigger wage than they'll contribute to, who have as much chance being injured as anyone. Experience doesn't always win the day, as Falkirk have proven time and time again.

I too am worried about the thought of relegation. You'd be foolish not to, given how rank league 1 has been for so many years. I'd also like to see us sign a couple more players, be it permanent or on loan, but I do expect that to happen at some point over the next month. I'm also worried about how Saturday will go as away to Dundee Utd is a huge test. Biggest budget v smallest (most likely) so it's gonna be tough. In saying that, I do believe in the group of players we already have in place. More importantly, I believe we've got one of the most exciting young managers in the game right now, who is still learning himself. Yeah we finished 3rd in League One last year. But I'll bet you McCabe learned a lot from that and some of the losses. You can already see how much tighter we are becoming defensively without compromising too much on our style of play. We also banged in the 2nd highest number of goals in Scotland last season. So far this season we've scored 15 goals in 8 games. That's pretty incredible form a league up and with 2 games against SPL teams in there too. Let's be honest, all lively debates aside, it's exciting as feck and going to continue to be for the season ahead. But we are in the Championship and I've no doubt the club will do all they can within their power to remain here.

Could a team of kids survive in the Championship? It'd be a very difficult challenge for sure and most likely a team of kids would not survive. No issues agreeing to that. The thing is, which is what many people keep missing the point of, we don't have a team full of kids. We've got an excellent blend of youth and experience. A young GK with a whole year of Championship experience with QoTS and the best part of last year in a promotion winning team with us last season. A very experienced, and settled defence. A midfield with a great mix of both, namely Frizz, Telfer and McCabe who've bags of experience with some superb young talent already holding their own in big games. An attack with Gal, Gabby and Todorov. There's experience right through the core of the team, with young players mixed in. And you know what? They're all talented and all contributing. It's not a case of, experience guaranteeing better play. You could easily argue that the younger players have made more of a contribution in many games this season already.

And it's comments like this that prove there's no reasoning with some folk on here. Let's see where McInroy is v McMaster in a few years time. As I said, they're both good players right now and offer a lot. You clearly don't agree and that's fine. But as I've said before, I'm happy to trust Rhys and the clubs approach and opinion of what a talented player is.

You said they don't have the capability to play in the first team. I challenged that they might, as others have proven before them. You're not even giving them a chance and writing them off, purely based on their age. McInroy may well be a cracking player for Thistle this season. But what's his wages like? Maybe outwith our budget? Also, will he end up being better than our current midfielders? Not guaranteed. I'd have McMaster over him any day.

No. As they've already been playing and playing well so merit there place in the team. The fact you'd consider dropping McMaster, a player whose leading by some distance in the August player of the month vote, speaks volumes. It's clear that you're in the Alan Hansen 'you can't win anything with kids' camp so we shall have to agree to disagree.

I don't know yet. As they've not had the opportunity. But as I've said before I'd trust McCabe's judgement on a player's over anyone on P&B.

Any experience csn be good experience, depending on how they use it and are coached. Lovi had several 1st team Fringe players in their team. A good learning curve for our players or the level they need to aspire to. Said it already but we are not expected to win every game. We will have hard games, but to flip an old saying, if you're good enough, you're old enough. ETA: Imagine saying to someone like Aiken or McMaster that you were dropping them because we were playing Dundee Utd because they weren't old enough. What would that do to their confidence and belief in themselves?

No, I totally got your point. Murray Aiken is 18. Devenny last season was 18. McMaster is only 20. Aiken and Devenny hadn't played 1st team games before joining us. And starting games.

Not sure how sending offs in the reserves work. But in terms of inexperienced players, you'd say the same of McMaster and Aike who've bossed our midfield so far, against both Dundee and Ross County. Dundee Utd away will always be a difficult game no matter who we bring in. They're runaway favourites got the league and starting to play well. We won't win every game this season. Nobody expects us to. But we've Ready started much better than most expected. And that's with young, inexperienced players starting every week. And how do these players get experience? They only become experienced by getting regular game time.

Who are you meaning and how do you know they don't have the capability to be an automatic pick this season? Rhys said he seems Gavin Gallagher as a replacement for Devenny. We signed McMaster on a permanent deal and he's smashing it and a permanent starter now. You cant say he doesn't count because he was here on loan last season. He's signed permanently, stepped up and is bossing it. Aiken on loan has nailed down a starting spot. Todorov will push Gal all the way and would be starting but for injury. Hancock is being kept out by a solid back 4, but has looked good when he's come on. We've not even seen Gavin Gallagher or McStravick yet, so how could you possibly say they're not going to be good enough to become starters?

If McCabe was close to being fit last weekend, I'd expect him to be fit for this Weekend, at least for a place on the bench again. Telfer could also be back, McStravick could be cleared to play, we've got Gav Gal in. So I think we will be OK and I trust there may be more to join in the coming weeks.

I'd say quantity is down to budget more than quality. He says himself he's signing players who fit into the way we play and can develop and potentially be sold on. Sounds like a sensible strategy to me. He's made it clear he's only going to sing players of a quality that he recognises as being good enough for our team and not just the bench.

Who has he signed that, in your opinion, is 'clearly not good enough'?