The Toun Clock

Could see May still being an option. If we publicly confirmed we went for Brophy then I'd say May fits that mould. Craig Levein seemed delighted Nicky Clark and Chris Kane were about to return from injury so can't see that happening. @Rob1885if you remember in the group chat years ago when StJohnstone were going through there little glory year, I said Chris Kane would be a future Scotland international! First the Pars to mid table glory then books a seat on the plane to Germany!

Deniz chucks one in on Saturday - BAHGAWDALMIGHTY, THAT'S JULIAN SPERONI'S MUSIC!

Been here many times before but I think we might get a wee treat or two this week. Not just a run of the mill, will do a job signing but maybe something exciting. I know nothing, purely speculation but just a wee feeling going by the managers comments last week.

Fair doos. I was pretty shocked when Morton got a gig with you in the Champ since he was playing lowland league last season, and in those previous games against us he did look done. Strapp is a good player.

Nice! Hoping we’ll see the same impact in the next few months.

What’s changed Ton fans? Was it just a bit of time needed for players to gel or has there been changes to who’s playing and where etc? Have to admit, in the two league games I did think you could struggle but have been on an amazing run. Wasn’t until yesterday I checked, no defeat since 18th November which is some going.

We paid all that money for the snow machine and the big hose, it’ll need to get used.

We’ve still got injuries, six of the seven missing would start, it’s quite significant but it shouldn’t be an excuse. We’ve still got a good 11 and an okay bench even if mostly academy kids. Tough gig, Morton really on form, I didn’t realise quite how on form they were until I checked FlashScore yesterday, not lost in any competitions since a challenge cup defeat on penalties to Airdrie in mid-November. Still, it’s a winnable game for us, yesterday showed we’ve got plenty fight in us even with key personnel missing out. Im fairly certain we’ll see the pen gif at least twice this week before we meet. Yesterday showed we really need that striker!

Amazing what a bit of fight and togetherness will do. I’d say the players and coaching staff will probably breathe a little easier tonight. A lot to do but a good platform to build on now.

I enjoyed the game, watched a decent steam on the firestick. Thought Dundee Utd had plenty of the ball which is what I expected, but they didn’t really do much with it (until stoppage time where they could have had three). Thought we looked a bit more like last season, hard to beat but could catch you on the break and get a goal. Unfortunately we’re still missing the legs of Matty Todd amongst others to help with that. When you look at that Utd squad it certainly concerned me, coming off a three week break still missing players I was worried it could be rabbit in the headlights if we conceded early but after the first quarter of an hour I thought we looked quite good even if Dundee Utd had a lot of the ball. Thought Fagan-Walcott looked tasty for his first game, didn’t put a foot wrong and got better as we went. A solid acquisition, let’s hope it continues. Thought Fisher and Otoo were really good and played really maturely. Edwards and MOH put in a decent shift, the former with that outstanding clearance on the line with the last kick of the ball. Got to remember MOH isn’t a wing back, so he deserves a bit of slack. He put plenty balls into the box but unfortunately right at a Utd defender. Great to see Hammy back in the middle of the park, played well. Actually forgot he played there since it was late October the last time he would have featured there. Chalmers didn’t see much of the ball but did get a bit more stuck in. Thought Summers done well on the ball but there’s something about him, he looks unfit, I don’t mean injured but like he could do with a bit more time in the gym. He might just be that bit slower and he could be carrying something but he seems to lack a bit of sharpness. Moffat didn’t have much involvement and McCann wasn’t great, he isn’t the man for the loan striker. Last but not least, Deniz. I’ve been unimpressed with him at times this season, he’s a big confidence player and if its not going well he’s prone to chucking one in but he made some crucial saves, especially late on in injury time. Looking at Raith’s collapse I can’t see anything but a Dundee Utd win even if they keep dropping points here and there. Even looking at their bench, guys like Moult, Cudjoe and Mochrie. Heeeeeeuge game next week for us against high flying Morton at East End.

Show off

Fairly sure Jakubiak won’t be available, great if he is.

If we play with that spirit and togetherness we had last year then there’s no reason we can’t cause a bit of a shock, but still a lot of those guys are missing still. Of course if I was a betting man I’d say home win but it’s not Celtic Park we’re going to. Two league games have been close this season, especially up at Tannadice. McPake has been fairly quiet one actually saying who’s back and available and who’s not, probably sick of doing it because when he does someone gets injured again. I felt a bit brighter about the team since the QP game three weeks ago but it’s still fairly threadbare. I reckon it’ll be something like this… Mehmet, Fisher, Hammy, MFW, MOH, Edwards, Summers, Chalmers, Otoo, Moffat, Wighton. 3-5-2, Moffat just playing off Wighton. Can’t see McCann starting but on the bench hopefully. Little, Fenton, Allan, McCann, Sutherland brothers. Still a pretty poor bench. Still to come back - Bene, Breen, Comrie, Todd, Tod, KRH, Jakubiak. I reckon if we had everyone fit then 6 out of 7 of those start. Head says a pasting, heart says a 90th minute winner in off Mark Kerr’s arse.

I was listening to a podcast a few months back and they were talking about new parking restrictions in Dundee around the stadium, sounds like a lot of people have been stung. I know you've had one but from what I heard I think it's pretty tricky in those streets near the stadium.

I'm one of those guys who knows the club will be working hard to do business but I feel every day you read all these teams around us are doing business and we're like "something might happen in a week". I know it's all a food chain and we need this club to sign someone before they'll let their player come on loan etc but it's frustrating as hell. Not overly fussed about Rudden, not because I didn't want to sign him but because I knew he'd sign for RR or even Partick Thistle when the Courier reported everyone but Dundee Utd were keen from the Championship

Absolutely, I said this on the RR thread yesterday. Chance to scrap it out for the league and at least have a decent crack at the playoffs or be involved around the middle of the table with an outside chance of fighting it out in the playoffs at the wrong end. Like it or lump it they'll be offering more coin to Rudden or Dundee, however it works. I think the only chance we had of getting Rudden was his previous with McPake and the fact he's gonna start, I don't think he's getting that guarantee at Raith with Hamilton and Vaughan up there. FWIW, I think realistically we could still finish 4th, but we will not lay a glove in the playoffs unless everyone's back playing, fighting fit and we've gone on some sort of run and build momentum which I just can't see happening.

Courier reporting Raith are going to win the race for Rudden. They've put out an interview with McPake where he expects the market to accelerate for the Championship now. We're talking with one who's still with a parent club in England. As it's outwith Scotland we'll need it done before next Thursday. With "more to come".

Fair doos then, I stand corrected. I think I'd heard some rumour at the time that he handed in his resignation because the club wanted to change the coaching staff underneath him, letting go guys like Jason Dair and out of respect for him he said he was leaving too. Could be complete balls of course, more than likely. Love the Craw, one of my first ever real hero's. See that time he came back from Aberdeen and came on to score the winner in a 3-2 game against Killie! OFT.

Yeah the first thing I thought when I seen us both linked was he probably wouldn't be a guaranteed starter, behind Hamilton and Vaughan. Whereas in our team I think he'd be first choice striker if we're playing one through the middle with two wide. McCann is better coming from wide, Wighton technically is a good footballer but he's not an out and out striker and we've seen enough of Jakubiak now to see he's actually decent, he's not not a guy who's going to be in the box getting goals every week. I reckon you guys will probably have that wee bit extra coin to put towards him/Dundee and of course looks like he'd be in an exciting title challenge with Dundee Utd, with a better chance of going up through the playoffs than we would. However not a guaranteed starter, behind a couple of fan favourites. For us, he's worked with McPake before (could be a good thing or a bad thing) as he signed him for Dundee and will likely be the main man in the final third. I'd say he'll definitely be going on loan in Fife but where we'll just have to see.

Be shocked if Stevie C fancied it. I’m sure he still holds the club in his heart but I don’t think he left on very rosey terms. Not really against him but he resigned. Christ, to think of the players Stevie brought in, Nisbet, Murray, Turner, Edwards and many more. Even some of the loans, Mayo who’s flying with Killie, Fraser Murray, Scott Banks, Ewan Henderson. A lot of really talented boys. He’s certainly got the eye for a player and I’d be delighted if he did fancy the role, I just don’t know if he would.

Seen Dave McKay and Gary Monty putting the big hose into Mo Hutton’s van earlier. Collected a dozen barrels of high quality fife rain water that freezes at above freezing temperatures. If the Dundee weather isn’t bad enough, they’ll pump that onto the Tannadice pitch on Friday night.

He does, but he could probably get it ran for him. I’m sure his wife is involved in some of the stuff and then he has coaches like Nat Wedderburn, Dylan Easton and I think some other younger guys.

I noticed that the "Head of Professional" (dreadful name) is now advertised on the COWS. Wouldn't be shocked to see Joe Cardle doing something like this...

I don't want to risk an injury... I'd actually love to take a walk round the pitches and have a wee snoop. I start later on a Monday/Tuesday for childcare so I'm always going past at about 11:30 so try and catch a look but it's tricky. Last season my wee boy was doing the Pars Foundation mini dribblers at Pitreavie and in the spring months they used the outside pitches. The class would finish just as the first team had went on to the big pitch to train so I'd hope my kid would want to hang about but he was more interested in that bloody windmill at FMC! Aye could be, although I think he was back in full training later last week. I think more likely McCann as the others with leg injuries won't be anywhere near running I don't think and this person looked a bit big to be Kane.

Aye it's hard to say as you've only got that 10 seconds when driving past but would certainly say the player looked a bit Lewis McCannish