Dunfermline v Queens

[Distant Doonhamer]

2 hours ago, Rob1885 said:

Be interesting to see who starts up front. I'd be inclined to go with Wighton and Todorov, Mccann to come on early 2nd half if it's not working.

Todorov will likely score against us again. 

[Rob1885]

2 hours ago, DA-go Par Adonis said:

We should probably start the game with plan B, try and get to HT at 0-0, and then change to plan A in the 2nd half.

prefer the john Mcglynn approach: plan B is to do plan A better

[DA Baracus]

4 hours ago, Fae_the_'briggs said:

If the visiting fans are housed in the North(?) Stand and considering we'll probably only bring around the usual number (2 - 300 at a guess) could part of that Stand be made available to home fans if demand merits it? 

 

Nah you can only segregate the North Stand in to NW and NE.

[AlwaysAPar]

This must be the first match thread I’ve ever seen where queens fans aren’t united in predicting their team to get pumped.

Even last season they had no faith they wouldn’t get outdone by Grant and Hughes.

Their new manager must clearly be a miracle worker to have instilled this reserved optimism down there!

[BeeJay]

Yip, until the next match that is!

[Otis Blue]

48 minutes ago, AlwaysAPar said:

This must be the first match thread I’ve ever seen where queens fans aren’t united in predicting their team to get pumped ...

This isn't going to end well, is it?

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, AlwaysAPar said:

This must be the first match thread I’ve ever seen where queens fans aren’t united in predicting their team to get pumped.

Even last season they had no faith they wouldn’t get outdone by Grant and Hughes.

Their new manager must clearly be a miracle worker to have instilled this reserved optimism down there!

Not seeing that much optimism for Saturday to be honest.

Plenty are saying we really need to win if possible, but that's very different from saying we think we're going to do it.

[Skyline Drifter]

3 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Not seeing that much optimism for Saturday to be honest.

Plenty are saying we really need to win if possible, but that's very different from saying we think we're going to do it.

Yeah this. Dunfermline away was one of our best performances in the 1st half of the season and we still didnt win. They've lost once all season and can clinch the title with a win. I dont expect to win. I think we can win if Dabrowski, Brydon and Paton keep up current form but we'll need a better performance than we saw against Alloa and Peterhead. 

There's a lot of positivity about the current run but nobody really expects to win and very few expect to ultimately make the playoffs.

If offered losing no further ground on Alloa by full time I'd happily take it. Suspect we'll need Kelty to win for that though.

[Monkey Tennis]

22 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

 

If offered losing no further ground on Alloa by full time I'd happily take it. Suspect we'll need Kelty to win for that though.

Yes, that's how I see it.  We need to at least match what Alloa do on Saturday, but in a much tougher fixture.

Even if we manage that, although it keeps us hanging in there, it's a game nearer the end of the season and would still require a big turnaround in fewer remaining games.  

All of that of course ignores Edinburgh, and we've no right to do that, given that they're only a point back and are playing Clyde.

 

We're maybe more upbeat than we've been, but I don't think that really equates to optimism about either Saturday itself, or reaching the play-offs.

[Skyline Drifter]

5 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

All of that of course ignores Edinburgh, and we've no right to do that, given that they're only a point back and are playing Clyde.

I'm not massively bothered by Edinburgh. They havent won in weeks and if we gather enough points to catch Alloa its pretty unlikely we'll both be caught from behind by Edinburgh. Ultimately it doesnt really matter if we miss the playoffs and finish 5th or 6th. 

Unless Alloa absolutely collapse (& to be fair to them they showed no signs of it on saturday, we got lucky to win) we're going to need 3 wins at least to catch them. We're not doing that and then seeing Edinburgh pass us from behind.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Skyline Drifter

[Rjc-1988]

Hope to see Cochrane restored in place of Connelly to bolster the midfield (which was outnumbered and outplayed last week). Keep 2 up top and try and get better ball retention than we achieved against either Peterhead or Alloa. 

[19QOS19]

5 hours ago, Rjc-1988 said:

Hope to see Cochrane restored in place of Connelly to bolster the midfield (which was outnumbered and outplayed last week). Keep 2 up top and try and get better ball retention than we achieved against either Peterhead or Alloa. 

I'll be surprised if MB makes such a change to the system. If Connelly is dropped then I'd expect it'll be Murray (or Gibson I suppose). Replacing him with Cochrane would certainly be a more defensive move and nothing from MB so far suggests he'll be up for that. I'd love Cochrane and Wilson to be in the same midfield together but I think they're too similar for it to be effective. 

[Monkey Tennis]

7 hours ago, Skyline Drifter said:

I'm not massively bothered by Edinburgh. They havent won in weeks and if we gather enough points to catch Alloa its pretty unlikely we'll both be caught from behind by Edinburgh. Ultimately it doesnt really matter if we miss the playoffs and finish 5th or 6th. 

Unless Alloa absolutely collapse (& to be fair to them they showed no signs of it on saturday, we got lucky to win) we're going to need 3 wins at least to catch them. We're not doing that and then seeing Edinburgh pass us from behind.

I take the point about Edinburgh's form.

However, a scenario is not inconceivable in which tomorrow goes really well for us in terms of Alloa - we draw at Dunfermline, while they lose at Kelty, - yet we find ourselves behind Edinburgh because they've beaten Clyde.

I agree that Alloa represent our biggest concern, but they're not our only possible one.

[Otis Blue]

Everyone seems to expect Embra to easily swat Clyde aside on Saturday.  That's forgetting that Clyde badly need the points as they are now in a real relegation battle with a much more organised Peterhead side, and also that Clyde are coming off the back of solid draws with Kelty and Falkirk.  My view is that confidence is on the wane at Embra and I'd not be surprised to see Clyde get a point at "home".  Like SD, I'm not seeing Embra as a serious threat now.  The last playoff place battle is between Alloa and Queens, and it's currently Alloa's to lose.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Otis Blue

[Skyline Drifter]

21 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

I take the point about Edinburgh's form.

However, a scenario is not inconceivable in which tomorrow goes really well for us in terms of Alloa - we draw at Dunfermline, while they lose at Kelty, - yet we find ourselves behind Edinburgh because they've beaten Clyde.

I agree that Alloa represent our biggest concern, but they're not our only possible one.

You're right of course, I'm absolutely not discounting Edinburgh finishing above us, but even in your scenario Alloa would remain the target. I just don't think we're catching Alloa and still finishing below Edinburgh and if we don't catch Alloa I'm not caring an awful lot whether we finish behind Edinburgh or not.

If your scenario should come to pass (and frankly I'd merrily accept that right now), another interesting point is that Edinburgh play at Falkirk on Tuesday coming (game brought forward because of Falkirk's cup semi final in a fortnight) so they'll not only be above us, they'll have an opportunity to go above Alloa and 4 points above us with a far better GD before we next play. We'll have a game in hand of course but points in the bank and all that...............

[Monkey Tennis]

21 minutes ago, Otis Blue said:

Everyone seems to expect Embra to easily swat Clyde aside on Saturday.  

You see, that's not remotely true either.  Why does so much on here get reduced to absolutes?

Saying that Edinburgh have a very winnable game, (based on a pretty stout body of evidence) is not the same as expecting anyone to be easily swatted aside.

Nuance, balance, measure: they're all allowed you know.

[Monkey Tennis]

11 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

I just don't think we're catching Alloa and still finishing below Edinburgh.

I don't think it either, but it's perfectly conceivable, and therefore merits consideration.

[Manwithnoball]

58 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

I'll be surprised if MB makes such a change to the system. If Connelly is dropped then I'd expect it'll be Murray (or Gibson I suppose). Replacing him with Cochrane would certainly be a more defensive move and nothing from MB so far suggests he'll be up for that. I'd love Cochrane and Wilson to be in the same midfield together but I think they're too similar for it to be effective. 

Agreed to be fair it's always Murray or Connelly switch but none of the did anything to deserve to keeping their place. I would play Cochrane beside Wilson and then move Todd forward. Not normal but Dunfermline can clinch league and we will need to frustrate them so they don't score early. Would take a draw all day long but as others have said they just know how to win games. 

[DA Baracus]

12 minutes ago, Manwithnoball said:

and we will need to frustrate them so they don't score early

Oh I wouldn't worry about that. 

[Rjc-1988]

1 hour ago, 19QOS19 said:

I'll be surprised if MB makes such a change to the system. If Connelly is dropped then I'd expect it'll be Murray (or Gibson I suppose). Replacing him with Cochrane would certainly be a more defensive move and nothing from MB so far suggests he'll be up for that. I'd love Cochrane and Wilson to be in the same midfield together but I think they're too similar for it to be effective. 

Neither of these two (Connelly and Murray) deserve to start in such an important game. I don’t actually think Wilson and Cochrane are all that similar at all - Cochrane hardly ever runs with the ball, whereas Wilson does, Cochrane very rarely gets ahead of the ball whereas Wilson does get into the box like he did at Alloa for second goal.