Peter Houston

A few more than interesting comments on this topic.
Whilst many are keen to relieve Houston of the blame for yesterdays poor show I feel he is not entirely to blame but must take a share in some of the tactical decisions namely -

1. Scott Robertson, in my honest opinion I think he offers the team nothing. He struts around like some big-time charlie, doesnt tackle, chase back or create anything from midfield.

2. Jon Daly, so called Captain marvel, on what basis does PH come to the conclusion that he is skipper potential. Not once yesterday did I see him roll up his sleeves and get stuck in or even attempt to get a reaction out of his team-mates. At 1-0 down, he like many of his mates just gave up.

3. Why does he allow Gary Kenneth to continually launch the ball 70 yards up the park to no-one and give the ball away needlessly.

I've heard from a reliable source that there's mutiny in the camp and that PH was going to drop Robbo yesterday but was afraid to tell him so instead left Scott Allan on the bench.

I know its a tough job after losing so many first team players last term but that's history now and we have to look forward or we could find ourselves in free fall. We have no money to spend but there are a few youngsters at the club who will need to grow up fast and carry the club forward.

Most of all we need hunger in the side. There was no desire to win yesterday which is the most disappointing thing for me. Yes we were robbed but if we don't score we don't win.......FACT !!

In the first half Dickers put in 5 quality crosses into the box and no one burst a gut to on the end of them,simply not good enough. We created a few reasonable half chances but I think we could have been there all night and we still wouldn't score. Robertson got the ball in the first half and waited on Dixon overlapping him and then proceeded to knock the ball out for a goal kick. He then raised his hand to gesture an apology but Dixon was quite rightly fuming so ignored him. Robertson then began raging at Dixon when in fact it was his error in the first place.........nuts !!

We need to be more attack minded and squeeze the game more. Get the defence nearer the half way line and push the midfield on a bit to offer more support to the strikers. Trying to win games on the counter will not work often enough for us to climb the table.

jacketsforgoalposts
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Totally agree with your analysis.

Jon Daly's lack of effort on Saturday was a disgrace. The fact that he is Captian and should be setting an example makes it more of a disgrace.

My views on Scott Robertson are well known - not a patch on Scott Allan - should be allowed to leave if he can find a club. We can use his wage to get in another striker.

Tactically, you are spot on in your analysis. We need to 'squeeze the game more'.

How many times this season have we been punished for sitting off teams? And again on Saturday we were guilty of doing this.

We've played the games at home in the league against teams we should be be beating at home. I'm not suggesting that we should never lose to these teams, these things happen in football, but 2 points out of a possible 9 at home is not acceptable and alarm bells are ringing load and clear.

How much of this is down to Houston I don't know. But he needs to get a grip of the situation pronto. I do not want to see the club return to instability and a revolving door managerial merry-go-round. So, I would prefer to see Houstie taking positive steps with the supporters backing rather than see him hounded out.

Predicting a long hard season.

Looks like just about everyone that has posted here is pretty much in agreement about the players who are not pulling their weight and the tactics.

On a positive note, i thought Gunning looked pretty solid and reliable, and Rankin was again pretty good and the stand out man for me.

Agreed - Gavin Gunning looked really comfortable. I can only remember one poor pass/clearance from him, but apart from that he strolled through the game and I was glad to see him in the centre of our defence.

The fact is that Houston has created a team that is designed to counter attack - when we are the team that has to attack, which is going to be the case against probably 7 of the 12 teams in the league, we are utterly clueless.

The selection was awful, the tactics uninspiring and the substitutions bizarre. As a fan of Daly I think it's safe to say that he had his worst ever game in tangerine, but even he looked stunned that he was being kept on.

My biggest gripe with Houston is his unwillingness to put his faith in the youngsters. He probably thought he was protecting Allan after the recent hype over him, but in the situation we're in you have to play your best players and the fact is Allan has been one of our best. He seems to me to be a very loyal manager towards his senior pros but sometimes you need to give young players a chance and Houston doesn't do it.

Gunning looked alright though, which was the only positive.

Oh, and whoever decided to pay Willo Flood £4,000 per week or whatever he's on deserves the sack. For our supposed right midfielder to be standing on top of our centre half when we were chasing the game was just ridiculous. He's been stinking since he came back.

Perhaps a bit harsh on Willo, he seems to be subjected to the same treatment Gomis was from Houston "You're a defensive-minded midfielder eh? I know, I'll stick you on the right-wing!" He worked there well under Levein as we played a lop-sided formation with Dixon & Conway our main attacking threat down the left, with Flood & Kovacevic the two more defensive players on the right. Unfortunately now with a left-back at left-wing, the onus is on Flood to do the attacking and he just can't do it, stays inside too often and our right-back gets overrun.

Why Hilson isn't being given a shot there I don't have a clue. People will say that he wouldn't offer any protection to our right-back but Flood isn't doing that anyway!

But if the 4-4-2 is unworkable these days I'd like us to try anything different. St Mirren's 5-3-2 seems to be serving them well, why not have a go at that?

Pernis (although if Banks is up to it, chuck him in!)

Watson Kenneth Dillon Gunning Dixon

Allan Flood Rankin

Russell Daly (ugh...)

Would offer us good width down the sides with Watson and Dixon given free rein to attack at all times and a couple of attacking options down the middle in Rankin and Allan. Russell could run the channels to help out whatever wing-back is attacking and Rankin and Allan could burst into the box to assist Daly (if Daly can be bothered to run that is). Plenty of other options for attacking there too, and easy to change if things aren't going well.

Hobo

Don't even go down that road suggesting 5-3-2 because St Midden are doing well with it. We only want 4 defenders on the park at all times. You of all people suggesting this. What the feck has Houston done too you!?!

5 defenders isn't intrinsically more negative than playing 4 though. Especially when two of them will spend a fair amount of time attacking and a couple of ball-playing defenders (plus Kenneth).

And at any rate, we had 5 defenders on the park against Dunfermline, it's just that in a 5-3-2 they'd all be in their natural positions rather than having a centre-back playing at right-back, a defensive midfielder at right-mid and a left-back at left-mid.

And we are the ones with the money problems