The last time I posted on here we were undefeated in the league and... oh hud on, I've already tried the whole 'just needs me to start the match thread for good luck' thing.

Knoester (pronounced K-nooster according to big Tyrone) is available but doesn't look like Oday Dabbagh will be. Still too early for Mitov & Sokler.

A lot of big decisions for Thelin, in a game he dare not lose (His job is not under threat, but the reaction would be vitriolic).

Knoester or Dorrington? Not sure if Knoester can complete 90 minutes yet so suspect we'll see one start then subbed off around the hour mark. Remember we could go to extra-time so could be a 120 minute game. Maybe even Rubezic gets some minutes; if you're going to throw him back in, at home to lower league opposition would be when to do it. Personally I'd start Dorrington who I didn't think was terrible at Hibs. Keen to see how good Knoester is, but given the importance of the game I'd start someone who has been here a few weeks.

Mackenzie or Jensen on the left? And if it's Mackenzie, does Jensen get in ahead of Devlin on the right?

Keskinen on the left, right or not at all? Does Okkels start or does Morris come in? Gueye, Nisbet or Clarkson - who drops out? 

Away end sold out, 1,700 Dunfermline fans, fair play to them for a lunchtime Sunday kick-off. Not looking like a big home crowd, hopefully that doesn't affect the Jimmy Calderwood tribute pre-match, but Aberdeen charging £24 for a live TV game hasn't helped.

32 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

Again, we're talking about a backup right back. Any one of St mirren, Utd, Killie, Dundee right backs would be fine. To be honest though, the priority was actually a left back, who might be able to cover at right, rather than the other way round. For several hundred thousand pounds, we should have a guy who is immediately replacing Devlin, or can be used elsewhere. I don't think we've got either. What I think will happen is that Devlin will be replaced by Thelin's man because of the associated price tag. It's just not great squad building.

We are not talking about a back up right back though, we are talking about a player who can play multiple positions, that’s been our ongoing issue. Someone even referenced dom ball in recent weeks prior to jensen’s arrival. We shoehorned Milne into that role, mcgarry couldn’t play more than one position, and we’ve cried out repeatedly for a right/left back to provide competition/cover. Think Jensen is getting unfair criticism.

again, who in Scotland would have been as good/a better signing?

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

We are not talking about a back up right back though, we are talking about a player who can play multiple positions, that’s been our ongoing issue. Someone even referenced dom ball in recent weeks prior to jensen’s arrival. We shoehorned Milne into that role, mcgarry couldn’t play more than one position, and we’ve cried out repeatedly for a right/left back to provide competition/cover. Think Jensen is getting unfair criticism.

again, who in Scotland would have been as good/a better signing?

Either Adams @ Falkirk or Watrit @ Ayr Utd would have been worth a closer look at.

Both look capable of playing at a higher level 

Going to against grain and say although happy to be through that was not a good performance especially in first half. We did not move ball well at all at times. Jensen runs about a lot but beginning to see why he has played a lot of games in various positions. Looks every inch a utility player rather than someone you start every week. I would start MacKenzie and Devlin ahead of him. Knoester looked decent if a little rusty and as someone said above we got noticeably worse when Dorrington came on. Special mention to Okkels who managed to hide so effectively that I only noticed he was on when he was being subbed off. Still early but on evidence so far there is no way we should be taking up our option to buy him. 
 

Worst part of the day was predicting 3-0 and not putting it on at bookies. 

Pleased for Jimmy we got the win,could have got ugly otherwise. 

Trip to Dens next. Dundee been the best team at Pittodrie outside the uglies this season IMO,but taken a couple of hammering lately,losing key players. Early goal they might crumble.Might head down if time

31 minutes ago, Jute said:

Going to against grain and say although happy to be through that was not a good performance especially in first half. We did not move ball well at all at times. Jensen runs about a lot but beginning to see why he has played a lot of games in various positions. Looks every inch a utility player rather than someone you start every week. I would start MacKenzie and Devlin ahead of him. Knoester looked decent if a little rusty and as someone said above we got noticeably worse when Dorrington came on. Special mention to Okkels who managed to hide so effectively that I only noticed he was on when he was being subbed off. Still early but on evidence so far there is no way we should be taking up our option to buy him. 
 

Worst part of the day was predicting 3-0 and not putting it on at bookies. 

I don’t accept that. I think perspective is a factor- a back up keeper, a new right back who hasn’t played there before for us, a new defender who has been here maybe a month and joins a team in total turmoil, a central defender who has been here days and severely lacks match fitness, a left back we don’t know what the fuck is going on, a young right mid very low in confidence whose only been here a few months, a center mid badly needing a long break/summer, another center mid finally being given a regular starting role, a new left mid we have no clue if he’s any good, a number 10 who has just returned from a long term injury, and a 9 with zero confidence and who knows his replacement has just been signed. A team who hasn’t won a league game since early November, a team who hasn’t scored in numerous games, and who is hemorrhaging goals. We won 3-0.

zero negatives if you ask me, many positives from today but certainly not perfect. We’re a squad who needed completely overhauled and it’s happening mid season, we’re not far off third in the league, and in the QFs of the cup. Not a bad season all things considered. 

Edited February 9, 20251 yr by OrlandoDon

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Either Adams @ Falkirk or Watrit @ Ayr Utd would have been worth a closer look at.

Both look capable of playing at a higher level 

Perhaps, but repeating myself, we’ve signed a player who can play multiple positions. He’s also young, 23, and I may be right in saying has come to us at the end of his season? I think he’s been very positive, very eager to be involved, an attacking fullback who gets up and down, and if Delvin had scored today we’d be heaping endless praise. I think the guy deserves a break and a chance, he’s got to get up to speed with Scottish football and has been throw right into the starting 11 within days of arriving. Think many are being highly critical, take a breathe.

Edited February 9, 20251 yr by OrlandoDon

2 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

I don’t accept that. I think perspective is a factor- a back up keeper, a new right back who hasn’t played there before for us, a new defender who has been here maybe a month and joins a team in total turmoil, a central defender who has been here days and severely lacks match fitness, a left back we don’t know what the fuck is going on, a young right mid very low in confidence whose only been here a few months, a center mid badly needing a long break/summer, another center mid finally being given a regular starting role, a new left mid we have no clue if he’s any good, a number 10 who has just returned from a long term injury, and a 9 with zero confidence and who knows his replacement has just been signed. A team who hasn’t won a league game since early November, a team who hasn’t scored in numerous games, and who is hemorrhaging goals. We won 3-0.

zero negatives if you ask me, many positives from today but certainly not perfect. We’re a squad who needed completely overhauled and it’s happening mid season, we’re not far off third in the league, and in the QFs of the cup. Not a bad season all things considered. 

To counter that perspective the team we were playing today are 1 point off relegation play off place to league 1 and have won a grand total of 6 league games all season. It was not a good performance today. It was much like the Elgin game a few weeks back. We did enough to get through but not much else.

32 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

Perhaps, but repeating myself, we’ve signed a player who can play multiple positions. He’s also young, 23, and I may be right in saying has come to us at the end of his season? I think he’s been very positive, very eager to be involved, an attacking fullback who gets up and down, and if Delvin had scored today we’d be heaping endless praise. I think the guy deserves a break and a chance, he’s got to get up to speed with Scottish football and has been throw right into the starting 11 within days of arriving. Think many are being highly critical, take a breathe.

We're giving our opinion on a new player, it's nothing to get concerned about. We've all been wrong before and I'll happily be wrong again. It's kind of the point of football forum to give initial thoughts and predictions. Nobody is booing the lad or telling him to fuck off back to Scandinavia. 

The point I was making is that I don't think he can play multiple positions at all. We've not signed a utility player, we've signed a right back. He was poor at left back, just as Dorrington is poor at left centre half, because it's not his position. It's like me putting waiter on my CV because I was one decades ago. Devlin has played across the back for us (about ten minutes at left back), and could be better called a utility player, as could MacKenzie. At most, then, Jensen can play two positions, and one of them poorly. 

Also, he hasn't really been attacking or getting up and down in any of the games. Today, his starting position was always very high because we were playing a poor team, and he rarely got beyond the winger (annoyingly he did when Morris came on, blocking his one trick!). That, for me, is the area that we'll likely get the most gains in with him. As you say, he's had a season and is getting up to speed. I think if he can really get up and down the park then we will have a much better player on our hands. That should be more than manageable. He's a neat and tidy player otherwise, he has the technical side sorted, and he hasn't had any time to develop a relationship with Keskinen or Morris. 

1 hour ago, OrlandoDon said:

Perhaps, but repeating myself, we’ve signed a player who can play multiple positions. He’s also young, 23, and I may be right in saying has come to us at the end of his season? I think he’s been very positive, very eager to be involved, an attacking fullback who gets up and down, and if Delvin had scored today we’d be heaping endless praise. I think the guy deserves a break and a chance, he’s got to get up to speed with Scottish football and has been throw right into the starting 11 within days of arriving. Think many are being highly critical, take a breathe.

You asked the question, I gave you my considered opinion based on having seen both of these players in person at a game this season.

I am not criticising our signing but there were potentially cheaper Scottish alternatives available to us

25 minutes ago, BigAl said:

You asked the question, I gave you my considered opinion based on having seen both of these players in person at a game this season.

I am not criticising our signing but there were potentially cheaper Scottish alternatives available to us

Understood. It’s purely a hypothetical, they may play multiple positions and they may be able to play at our level. And we may get them cheaper than we paid for Jensen but would it be significantly cheaper, I don’t know. Buying Scottish players is a tough market. I’d prefer Scottish players but that’s hard to find. My point is that we signed a player to play a role in our squad and two or three games in Jensen is getting criticism. Unfair criticism in my opinion.

9 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

Understood. It’s purely a hypothetical, they may play multiple positions and they may be able to play at our level. And we may get them cheaper than we paid for Jensen but would it be significantly cheaper, I don’t know. Buying Scottish players is a tough market. I’d prefer Scottish players but that’s hard to find. My point is that we signed a player to play a role in our squad and two or three games in Jensen is getting criticism. Unfair criticism in my opinion.

Fair does mate.

I'm not a member of the let's knock Jensen club anyway, merely highlighting there were potentially cheaper alternatives closer to home 

Great Draw. At home to Queens Park

5 hours ago, DantheDon said:

Great Draw. At home to Queens Park

Don’t think we could have asked for better. 

Could not have got a better draw. Weakest team left in at home who will lose one of their best players from the Rangers game as he is on loan from us. 

55 minutes ago, Jute said:

Could not have got a better draw. Weakest team left in at home who will lose one of their best players from the Rangers game as he is on loan from us. 

Agreed with the above, but let's take nothing for granted, it took us into injury time to get the win against them.

Hopefully by the time this comes around we might have had a couple of morale boosting league victories 👍

25 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Agreed with the above, but let's take nothing for granted, it took us into injury time to get the win against them.

Hopefully by the time this comes around we might have had a couple of morale boosting league victories 👍

So you are saying I should cancel the open top bus booking?

7 minutes ago, Jute said:

So you are saying I should cancel the open top bus booking?

Nope, just make sure the deposit is fully refundable 😉