Spikethedee

Can I also just add that the SPFL are a bunch of R-Soles for re-scheduling the ICT match to a day that I'm going to be away. Winkers.

Ideal set of results next week would be us, ICT & Ross County winning, IMHO. Don't think ICT will do enough to stay up, (they'll probably lose to Killie, I hope), so them taking points off Accies would suit us best...

Has to be Kerr. 100% committed every game and shows signs of improving all the time. I can understand the vote for Haber, as the difference he made to our play after we signed him is really significant. Bizarrely, the performance of the season from the games I've seen was from Wighton against Motherwell in November when he totally destroyed them. O'Hara looked good for the first couple of months too, but it's been slim pickings apart from that...

This is a genuine quote from one of the betting websites about the circumstances leading to Hartley's sacking: "Wins against Motherwell and Rangers and defeats to Hamilton Academical, Hearts, Ross County, Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Partick Thistle and Aberdeen demonstrate slightly erratic form." No shit...

Surely we couldn't have him as a registered player this season? Unless the Honest Men cancel his playing contract???

I'm betting that Jocky is currently getting Mrs Jocky to wash his tracksuit and bobble hat. Seriously, though, I'm struggling to see a realistic candidate who can turn things around. Two wins and a draw would be enough to escape bottom, three wins probably enough to finish 10th or better, but it's difficult to see where goals are going to come from. El Bak looks lively enough and Haber can hold the ball and bring others into play, but there's precious little else. We also need someone to teach them how to cross the ball into the box, avoiding the first defender, the goalie and opposite touchline... I live in hope.

If, and it's a massive "if" at this point in time, ICT go down and we don't, what is the general consensus on Fon-Wiliams as opposed to Mannus for next season? We seem to have done well in the past picking up ICT players (cough, cough)... BTW - FFS St Johnstone - what kind of fucking numpties are you?? Getting two players sent off for fighting each other and then losing to Hamilton????

Knowing us, we will pump County 3-0, look like we will scrape top six, then lose 1-0 to Accies before the split.

The late 90's - mid 2000's, we took regular 5,6 or 7 goal pumpings off both of the arse cheeks when they were at their Larsson and Negri inspired furthest ahead of the pack. Last night looked like that again. The difference between Aberdeen crosses - accurate, well delivered and precise and ours - hitting the first defender, going straight to the keeper or going straight out, was like night and day. The defence and Bain looked like they'd never met and the central midfield three looked like they couldn't wait to hoof the ball away instead of doing anything constructive. El Bak was the only one I would give even close to pass marks to, although Ojaama did ok when he came on. As for where we go from here? Would love to think that Hartley could pull things together - the performances against Motherwell, St Johnstone at Hogmanay, Rangers (and the second half against Celtic) at Dens all point to the fact that we can do it when the mood takes us, but the majority of evidence suggests otherwise. Would recommend that pay for Wright, as it looks like he can take bit part players or mediocre journeymen and put them together into a coherent team, but I doubt he'd be interested unless the Yanks can flash the cash to tempt him, though. Other than that, what's the alternative? McGhee? Butcher? Duffy? I think we will end up hoping that two of the Accies, ICT and Well continue to be worse than us and scrape 10th and then be in the same position in the summer. I would just like to thank my Dad at this point for encouraging me to be a Dundee fan, it's been great... (Yes, before all the inbred fermers make the joke, I am from Dundee and I do know who my father is, and it isn't my uncle - unlike most of you...)

If they do have a pub/club, they should be looking at more than just matchdays. Have some kind of deal through the season ticket extra vouchers - If you are there for a live tv game you can get a free burger/sandwich/whatever if you buy a drink at the bar, or free soft drinks for drivers etc. A mini museum with memorabilia from the title-winning squad and other stuff like that. Would hate to move to a stadium on the outskirts of town that is indistinguishable from other ones like McDiarmid etc.

If we are to move, we have to have a stadium that can be used for concerts/conferences etc, Incorporating a pub/cafe is a must too. Something akin to the stands at Tynecastle would be good...

With us not having a game in midweek, I was thinking about how I would look over the first two sets of fixtures and how each player has been. This is where I got to: Bain - Seems to have taken a step back since last season, he's conceded a fair few goal this season that I would have expected him to save. However, he is still the number one keeper by far. Mitchell - Didn't concede in the games he played, but just doesn't fill me with confidence. Holt - Infuriatingly inconsistent. I think there's a decent player in there, but just doesn't produce it often enough. Vincent - Looked woeful in his first few games, has been slightly better recently, but still not near good enough to make me realise why Hartley was so eager to get him on a pre-contract O'Dea - Solid signing, few lapses here and there, but a good choice as captain. Hateley - Looks interested about twice per game, if we are lucky. His crosses from corners and free kicks have been actually pretty decent, but not sure it's enough to justify a place in the team. Low - Still waiting for him to play more than two games without getting injured, so can't really say anything, expect that he hasn't done anything noteworthy when he has played. Loy - Thought he was going to kick on and fill the gap left by Hemmings at the start of the season, but just seems to have faded away. However, looking at our subs at Pittodrie, he might have been worth keeping, although he might not have been too keen to stay warming the bench. Duffy - Never seen anything from him that would make me see why we signed him, never mind Celtic. Williams - Only we could sign a winger that doesn't want to run with the ball, take people on or cross the ball. Waste of a wage. O'Hara - Started the season looking like the signing of the summer for any club. Hasn't been anything like the same player since he came back from injury. Would love to see him playing as an attacking midfielder behind the front men, instead of being out on the wing or at right back! Julen - Like Holt, I think he could be a really good player, but doesn't produce it often enough. Also quite prone to giving away penalties, not the best thing for a central defender. Ross - Hasn't really featured much this season, but must be wondering if he's really that much worse than Vincent, McGowan, Hateley etc. Would like to see him given another chance, but wouldn't be broken-hearted if he didn't. McGowan - Has one game where's he's everywhere, tackling, breaking up attacks and then using the ball effectively, then the next he's shouting at everyone, looking fed up and making ridiculous challenges and unnecessary fouls. Maybe relying too much on his cult hero status, rather than his efforts on the pitch? Yordi - Was pretty decent against Hearts at Tynecastle, has a bit of physical presence, but needs a lot more work to be good at this level. El Bak - Could be one hell of a player, good control of the ball, quick footed and not afraid to have a shot. Can also look uninterested if things aren't going well and is too easily shoved off the ball. Haber - Made quite a difference when he first arrived - someone who could win headers, bring other people in to play and, without sounding cliched, has a good touch for a big man. Needs someone to link up with though. The game against St Mirren showed that if someone can do better than him in the air, he can quickly become anonymous. Gadz - Becoming a more and more important player, seems to have the fewest moments of madness of all our central defenders and, apparently, has quite a finish on him! Kerr - Player of the season so far, committed, powerful on the ball and quite pacy. Still has a lot of rough edges, but definitely a star in the making. Wighton - Absolutely superb against the fermers at Dens, flashes of brilliance dotted throughout the season, but still far too lightweight and gets muscled out of the game too often. Gomis - Physically imposing, but not really impressed with his positional play or his distribution. I think we have a (small) nucleus of good/potentially good players - Bain, O'Dea, O'Hara, El Bak, Haber, Gadz, Kerr and Wighton. Some players we could happily see the back of without any heartache - Duffy (has he actually left??), Williams, Gomis, Low, Vincent. We also have a fair few players that I can see some positives in, but with an almost equal number of negatives - Holt, Hateley, Julen, Ross, McGowan, Yordi, Loy and Mitchell. It's these players where Hartley has to prove he is worth the money - can he get the best out of these players or will they move elsewhere and then show their potential under a different manager? We need some creativity in midfield, more bite in midfield (without undue recklessness), a proven finisher and competition at left back. So, that should be easy to sort out before Wednesday...

Ciftci seems to be the other rumor that keeps milling about in the background...

I read in one of the papers that Greg Tansey had turned down a new deal at ICT was looking to leave at the end of the season. So, that's one more for us next season, I presume...

f**k's sake. If you can't even rely on Hamilton to be shite, then there really is little hope, is there??

We have no creativity in midfield, long punts up the park or misplaced passes are the order of the day when we get the ball going forward. Williams, Ross, Vincent, Low, McGowan, Hateley and Duffy appear to be our midfield options (assuming O'Hara gets a game when fit, which he should) and I don't see much out of that lot at the moment. Would a new manager be able to get more out of them, or play them in a better formation, before the window opens and we can sign more players? If you think the answer to that is a definite "yes", then failure on Wednesday should result in a new manager. I personally can't see that being the case at the moment...

Someone really needs to have a word with Yordi. Just saw him in ASDA, and had a quick nosey into his trolley (like you do) and, it was full of vegetables, fruit and other healthy stuff. Has no one told him he's meant to a professional Scottish footballer?? Where was the lager, fags, chocolate and lard??? Poor show all round...

We would have lost to them, again, so thank goodness we've only got the Malta game to loo forward to this weekend...

Can't really see Juanma being the answer to whatever the question was. Would like to see a right back (ideally one who could cover at left back too), another central defender and a winger who can take responsibility and try to beat their man. Probably some more loan players from Crystal Palace/West Brom etc, will arrive, do very little and disappear by January.

Always wary of clauses related to appearances: several times there have been players who have been stuck on the sidelines as one more appearance would trigger an additional amount of money to be paid, particularly when the club they are playing for hits financial difficulties. Doubt he would consider oxford if he's turned down birmingham as has been reported.

Was thinking that, if they do decide to include a bar, they might have to have restrictions when either of the bigot brothers are in town. Simplest solution would be to have a special Buckfast trough built that we can fill up and just leave them to it...

Has anyone else seen the advert on sky for the new SPFL Premiership season?? (It specifically says it's for the premier.) It's got the Dabs' prominently on display, but no sign of us at all.... b*****ds.