parsboi

Louis Longridge and Dom Thomas in the starting queens line up

Christ that would be a career ender the size of that ego. Am I reading this right, 2000 home fans expected for this? That’s a fair jump up from the days of 400 or so attending to watch the amateurs in league 2. Fair play.

Never thought of any of our players “not trying” under McPake. I actually believe he is the best man to get the most out of what we have. My concern is the quality of what we have at this level. Hard work, guts and commitment will get them so far, but we need quality and right now - that’s the bit that’s unproven for me. I’ll add to my post by reminding myself that we have Chris Hamilton who is more than capable of being a dirty wee shite who could upend DT23 in the first 5. What odds on a yellow for Hamilton on Saturday?

I’d like to think we could get at least a draw on Saturday but it will be tough. Would also have liked us to have someone capable of whacking Dom Thomas several feet in the air in the first few minutes. However given our track record over the years, much more likely he’ll score a winner. Could be a difficult couple of weeks for the club if we don’t pick up a win this week or next as we’ll start to sink down the table a wee bit. This could be McPakes first real test on getting us out of a bit of a gully on form.

In league 1 aye. Everyone fully fit he struggles to get on our bench. Why waste a full time wage on someone like that ego at his age is unlikely to get better?

Rob man - You’ve come away with some belters this window. I’ll take just one - with respect to the guy, Darren Lyons, a 28 year old midfielder playing part time in his last gig in league 1 for Kelty who finished lower-mid table certainly wouldn’t improve our midfield. He’s done well to get in at Arbroath and I hope he does well there. But come on.

I laughed at first, then I remember a lot of your previous posts - and I’m realising you might be serious…? On a side note, why the hell are Partick loaning a striker to another championship club? We’ve all seen that movie a couple of times!!

Don’t feed the obvious thick troll.

Will get it taken off them and big German jackboot put straight through the skin of it for their troubles. That’ll show them. All the social media build up from Rovers is very entertaining. Feels very like how Falkirk tried to play up their first big derby game at home last season where we just did the usual couple of pieces, nothing too pointed or controversial. The same outcome today would be very welcome. Btw - anyone got that gif of Tade getting upended by Fleming and the entire Rovers end going up in unanimous rage and disbelief? Marvellous piece of footage.

See that bit about not passing to others, that’s his problem. I suspect no matter who was playing with him he still wouldn’t pass the ball. It was always about him - the antithesis of a team player. Maybe someone does find a player in there - but in reality he’s dropped and dropped and dropped in levels, demonstrates I’m not alone in thinking he’s just not going to improve. *edited to add - I get what you’re saying about McPake as coach how would he react, I suspect that would still need serious attitude adjustment from Kennedy, and even then, I’m not convinced.

Good post. Shows we’re reaping the rewards of being more diligent on character than just “talent”. Glad Kennedy is getting found out and continues to drop down the levels. Not been more raging at a Pars player than I was at him against Hamilton with his pathetic diving. As for Pybus, again finding his level.

We rarely see a draw at Tannadice in this fixture…

Weren’t.

This is going to be a very VERY tough game. Part of me thinks we’ll be lucky to avoid a 3 or 4 goal hiding. But then we’ve just not had that under McPake. A draw would be an excellent result. Tannadice should be a good venue to visit. But then they have the worst bunch of jumped up fuds in hi-vis vests for security, some of the worst catering in the lower league, and then £25 for entry. Yuck.

That was a very good game, watching a proper clash of styles with Airdrie setting up with one of the most expansive attacking formation I’ve seen in a long time. First half their front 3 sat right on our back 3, meaning Edwards and Comrie were forced to check a lot of their normal runs. Midfield was then bypassed most of the time by Airdrie who looked to suck our front 2 plus young Tod onto their back line, pushing our team up, then being direct with long passes onto runners on our defensive sides. Second half (and this is where McPake really earns his corn) we cut that out and changed shape ever so slightly to suffocate that - and that’s how the game was won. McCabe shouldn’t have taken himself off if that was a tactical change - but he’ll learn. Airdrie impressed me. I think there is zero chance of them going down. There’s far too many creative pacey players in that side, and I think McCabe and Fordyce really have something as a management team to believe that more growth is to come. They’ll take a pumping or two (like last season) but they’ll also catch a few teams in this league cold. As for us, yes, we need a few bodies and I mean a few. But the core and spirit of our side will do us well, as long as they can react well to a few defeats - because we will absolutely lose a few games this season, and possibly a few in a row. That’ll be the real test.

Joe Chalmers btw. Some of his direct play was fantastic. He’ll always have a slack pass in him - nature of midfielders at this level, but he had a superb game up to the sending off then had to drop deep with the rest of them.

Paul Allan likes this

Is never to be in a Dunfermline shirt ever again. Nice laddie, but a damning indictment on that season that he was player of the year.

Guaranteed not to be the case. Chill ffs

I can definitely smell something else from you….

Based on his performances at Livingston, yes. Based on how he’s done in the last couple of years, that’s a bit more debatable, injuries and inconsistency under his last manager haven’t helped to be fair. Still think he’d be a very good signing, but if we didn’t go for him or get him, there are plenty other options out there.

Then you may well be “finished”. I’m not getting the desperation for us to be in for Shaun Byrne. Other than a great 2 seasons for Livingston, has he really done it at Dundee? I mean we’ve been linked with him for the last three seasons with nothing happening. Hes a lovely guy and I thought he’d really kicked on when at Livingston but since then, he always seemed to be injured or on the fringe at Dundee? Certainly not a “if he doesn’t sign I’ll be snapping my season card and flinging it in the Forth” moment if we don’t go in for him.

Kids love reptiles.

If we had wanted to sign McGowan, we’d have done it. He was a bit part player in the league below, and indeed has ended up in that league. For too long managers at our club have wasted budgets signing dross that we are then stuck with. If this is the new signing model then let’s stick with it and see where it takes us. One year in so far, it’s been not bad…..

Serious foul play A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play. That challenge is a textbook example of excessive force, and endangered the safety of his opponent. Serious foul play is penalised with a red card.