Sons' sorrow

[Jan Vojáček]

I know it seems early, but we can't take any risks on not staying up - I think if we fail to beat Morton that Aitken has to go - just not been good enough so far - don't want to leave it 'til we're stranded at the bottom to act

Surely this is a joke?

[sonsanorak]

Early days to judge aitken.

As for getting rid of him, I cant see us paying a manager off.

[optimistic]

I know it seems early, but we can't take any risks on not staying up - I think if we fail to beat Morton that Aitken has to go - just not been good enough so far - don't want to leave it 'til we're stranded at the bottom to act

what a brutal statement

[ThirdrockfromtheSon]

Ridiculous statement by BigMacDFC. FFS, Abramovitch, Romanov, and Cellino at Leeds all give Managers longer than a few games.

Jeez!

I said earlier that something's gone wrong since Paisley. I don't know what it is, but something's awry.

But sack a Manager so soon? Get the f**k!!

[BallochSonsFan]

Fans pay their money and are entitled to their opinions.

Booing isn't for me. It's understandable watching yesterday's game that fans felt frustrated but is there any point in booing after the final whistle? By all means get noisy during a game. When the final whistle has gone? It just adds nothing. In an ideal world the noise coming from the stand would be to support the team. They didn't give us a whole lot to support on Saturday but abusing players as they leave the park isn't going to change things.

As for the suggestion that Aitken's position should be under threat? At this stage of the season that's reactionist nonsense.

Aitken will be under no illusions as to Saturday's performance. It was very similar to the East Fife game in the cup where we had plenty of possession, done absolutely bugger all with it and ended up conceding soft goals. We went out of the cups with a whimper and our performance on Saturday was weak. We looked utterly clueless going forward and the first goal was comedy defending. It's unforgiveable to switch off at a free kick. There's a lot to be frustrated about with our start to the season, not least our utter failure to create chances from open play. Our creative players fade in and out of games and our striker looks woefully short of sharpness. I'd hoped that Craig would come good with games but its not happening for him. Similarly, I think Aitken's decision to reduce Andy Graham to a bit part player, leading to his release from the club, will have won the gaffer no friends given how poorly Darren Barr has played so far. A central defensive partnership of Barr and Wright was never going to happen - I asked whether we'd see Barr shunted to right back and that's exactly what happened. Harsh on Taggart who offers more than Barr going forward, but right now Aitken seems to be going with Barr on reputation rather than the quality of his performances.

But its far too early in the season to be getting on the backs of players. The Hibs and St Mirren 6 points were brilliant and entirely unexpected. Our big games this year will be against Livi, Alloa, Morton and Raith. It's those 4 teams that we're in direct competition with to avoid finishing in the bottom 2 and its our results against those sides that will determine where we end up. We've cashed in one of the early season bonus wins with our loss yesterday and we really can't afford not to take anything from the Morton game, but we need to go into that game believing we can get a result because if we're short on belief before the September weekend then it's going to be torture from now until the start of May.

Aitken's certainly used up the feel good factor our opening 2 league wins bought him and he shouldn't escape criticism when fans think he's got it wrong, but criticism is a world away from abusing the team as they leave the park. I'm not an advocate of blind faith - just a touch of realism at such an early stage of the league.

[bigmacDFC]

Sorry for that, but it was certainly funny for me to watch

[Thommo90]

Well done to sonstv for getting some words from aitken on camera, hopefully that's a feature we will see more often?

[Sons Fan]

Saturday was pretty poor stuff, powderpuff upfront and to many side way passes when we needed to get forward and Craig is looking more and more like Nish every game.

BUT

Due to are first two games we are in a decent position so no need to talk about sacking the manager etc. The players and manager know what they need to do.

[Trawler Rum & Weetabix]

We can debate and agonise to the cows come home but here’s my tuppenceworth for trying to address the current malaise:-

•Replace Barr and Docherty at full-back with Taggart and Waters – the latter pair are defensively the formers’ equals but crucially they can get up and down the pitch at pace.

•Retain Buchanan and Wright in central defence; on Sat Wright was progressively sucked into the same level of mediocrity as those around him, but I still think he’ll be a decent signing.

•In midfield Gallagher needs rested and Kilpatrick played from the off. He and Scott Brown have to be given instructions to drive forward with Routledge playing the holding role.

•Now it gets tricky. Do we play Cawley and if so where ? Is Gibson currently justifying a starting place ? No, IMO. Ditto Craig. That leaves Fleming who is not a natural striker or scorer and young McCallum. Perhaps Brown/Kirky/Gibson across the middle with Cawley playing off Garry up front ? Who knows ?

Aye, lots to think about this week for the two Stevies.

[Darren1872]

I'd like to see Gallagher tried upfront. He got a double vs Morton in the cup and looks lively when. Played in an attacking role.

[mairdrink]

Well done to sonstv for getting some words from aitken on camera, hopefully that's a feature we will see more often?

We're hoping so...

[The Moonster]

We can debate and agonise to the cows come home but here’s my tuppenceworth for trying to address the current malaise:-

•Replace Barr and Docherty at full-back with Taggart and Waters – the latter pair are defensively the formers’ equals but crucially they can get up and down the pitch at pace.

•Retain Buchanan and Wright in central defence; on Sat Wright was progressively sucked into the same level of mediocrity as those around him, but I still think he’ll be a decent signing.

•In midfield Gallagher needs rested and Kilpatrick played from the off. He and Scott Brown have to be given instructions to drive forward with Routledge playing the holding role.

•Now it gets tricky. Do we play Cawley and if so where ? Is Gibson currently justifying a starting place ? No, IMO. Ditto Craig. That leaves Fleming who is not a natural striker or scorer and young McCallum. Perhaps Brown/Kirky/Gibson across the middle with Cawley playing off Garry up front ? Who knows ?

Aye, lots to think about this week for the two Stevies.

I'm intrigued to know what has made you think Wright will be a good signing? I've been far from impressed so far, he's extremely slow and I just can't agree that he was "sucked into the same level of mediocrity as those around him" - he was caught napping for the first goal (at a time where I'd expect someone as experienced as him to be switched on and screaming at the others around him) and was turned oh so easily for the second.

There's a lot of shit getting blown out of proportion here though, all of a sudden we're a shite team and everyone needs dropped. We're 5 games in and have a brand new squad still gelling. We're sitting in 7th, a position that any Sons fan would have killed for pre-season. I'm not saying there aren't issues with the squad, but lets not lose the plot here. Consistency for a part time side in a wholly full time league is always going to be toughest part, stay calm folks.

[Jan Vojáček]

Fraser Wright so far fits into the Colin Nish category of players who's performances are rhyming slang of their names. Barr and Bucky at centre back. Taggart at RB and either Waters or Docherty at LB. Both seem decent enough.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Fraser Wright so far fits into the Colin Nish category of players who's performances are rhyming slang of their names. Barr and Bucky at centre back. Taggart at RB and either Waters or Docherty at LB. Both seem decent enough.

I'd agree with this.

I think Barr is receiving a lot of unfair criticism, even at right back he's not been that bad, I just prefer Taggart there and him at CB. Wright is a guy who required injections to help him get through last season, he looks done, both goals on Saturday made him look a bit silly. The first was an absolute shocker to concede, proper amateur stuff, and the second had him flailing around like a new born foal.

My fear is with all the mention of 'guaranteed' first team football when he signed that he wont be getting dropped any time soon. It may only be his 2nd game but I see nothing to suggest he's an improvement on what we have, or what we let go.

[supersons]

Lol.

Crazy stuff and as a supporter questions have to be asked but this is basically a new team and he needs to work out his best formation.

Saturday should have been a breeze and ultimately we should have taken all three points but if you can't take your chances you will no doubt get stung.

A mixture of Frazer Wright comedy defending and the ref getting another decision wrong cost is and Alloa scored with 2 of their 3 chances.

I would say in Aitken's defence that last season we would have had no chance of beating Hibs/St Mirren so you have to be happy with that.

We now have to beat the likes of Morton etc as that is where we should be competing.

My fear is a cricket score against Rangers if we defend like we did on Saturday!!

[O'Kelly Isley III]

I'm intrigued to know what has made you think Wright will be a good signing? I've been far from impressed so far, he's extremely slow and I just can't agree that he was "sucked into the same level of mediocrity as those around him" - he was caught napping for the first goal (at a time where I'd expect someone as experienced as him to be switched on and screaming at the others around him) and was turned oh so easily for the second.

There's a lot of shit getting blown out of proportion here though, all of a sudden we're a shite team and everyone needs dropped. We're 5 games in and have a brand new squad still gelling. We're sitting in 7th, a position that any Sons fan would have killed for pre-season. I'm not saying there aren't issues with the squad, but lets not lose the plot here. Consistency for a part time side in a wholly full time league is always going to be toughest part, stay calm folks.

The problem is Moonster, they are not gelling - on recent performances they are struggling, and on a consistent basis. As regards the defence we have conceded 8 in 5 league games, so hardly crisis proportions, and maybe the real problems lie further up the park. To lend weight to that theory, the two league wins were achieved against teams who were coming at us, it's when we have to open up teams that we're floundering right now - just like Scotland.

Anyone who was at Methil and Hampden will be beginning to realize that far from blips, these were warning signs. We have hardly hit the bye-line or tested a keeper in the last four games and that needs addressed pronto. And I have to agree that two full-backs who can get down the wing and into the opposition box are preferable to playing hoof-ball from 60 yards out wide.

[The Moonster]

We've played 5 league games. Much of which has been spent trying players in different positions. We've signed 16 new players, anyone expecting smooth sailing right from the off is expecting too much.

Are you suggesting that we're a poor team and our wins against Morton, Hibs and St Mirren were all blips? Consistency hasn't been a strong point of a Dumbarton side since 08 and even then it took us 2 thirds of a season to get the finger out. As I said, calm and patience is needed here, not knee jerk reactions to a couple of poor results.

[bigmacDFC]

I'm assuming Craig has to be dropped for the Morton game after Aitken's comment about 'some of the players not going to play next week' - I hope it's in favour of The Don playing in-behind Fleming

I hope Aitken isn't the kind of manager that would continue playing both Barr and Wright simply because they want to play every week and I don't think he is

[Scottylintonstowel]

I think we will do better against Morton who we have already beaten this season as being the home team they will attack us which suits Dumbarton style of play. As I have said before Gary Fleming this season is playing the best form of his career but he is crying out for a target man to lay off. If macormack or bourke was playing with him Gary would get 20 goals this season. Surely taggart will return at right back. He was one of our best players before being dropped and also Cawley must be in the side because of his speed and industry. Aitken has said at the press conference that certain players had been found out and will not be playing next week. Could the names Wright and Craig be missing next week? We can't even blame nishy. Build the team around routledge who is a premier league player and things could turn positively for us. Remember only two weeks till the Ibrox mob arrive. It would great to be the first team to beat them.

[Jan Vojáček]

Are Jonny Graham and Scottylintonstowel were the same person? They have extremely similar posting styles. Anyway, I agree, we seem to suit playing against teams trying to attack us, looking forward to seeing what the lad Ross can give us. Did he get injured training with us or County does anyone know?