Yorkiepar

Not disagreeing with you, but I have a sneaky feeling that McPake is probably only doing his masters’ bidding. For me the question is, how long will McPake be prepared to hang around if better offers come his way.

Well, we only needed one point and that’s what we got. Looks like it was another rubbish game. What a crap season. Good riddance and let’s hope the summer break gives the Club a chance to regroup and develop a strategy that works AND is entertaining.

Following on from my post (above) I came across this about Man U on the BBC: The 71-year-old (Sir Jim Ratcliffe) said he was “about 10 km” into rebuilding the club, who are currently seventh in the Premier League. "It's a long journey," he said. “The fans are impatient and I have some sympathy with that. "It’s a journey and people, whether they like it or not, have to be a bit patient." I think that statement probably mirrors the mindset of our Directors.

Interesting post, Grant. I agree that we have the basis of a good squad. I doubt there’s going to be a quick fix though. From the little information we’re given it does seem that we are stuck with a supposed long-term plan that the directors favour - creating an Academy with independent facilities, growing your team from the grass roots, etc. - rather than splurging daft sums on players who potentially provide only limited returns. In principle you would have to say that it does look like a sensible financial model. (I presume that the persistence in setting the team up a particular way is also aimed at longer term returns). The problem is that supporters are generally short of patience - understandably, they’re paying good money and want to be entertained - so how long they’ll put up with these experiments is anybody’s guess. I fear that they’ll very quickly start to vote with their feet unless the Board starts to be a bit more transparent with their thinking and their communications.

Totally agree, Raymie. I drove up from Yorkshire for the game yesterday. I don’t get to many matches so was really looking forward to the occasion. What a let-down: it confirmed everything I’ve been reading on this (and the other unmentionable) forum over the past months. I’m a fan of McPake but you do feel the excuses are beginning to wear a bit thin. The many injuries and the resultant disruption I totally accept. But yesterday’s post-match criticism of the state of the pitch was almost laughable. It definitely looks like there is a long term strategy - no doubt part of the supposed “ten-year” plan - and I suspect probably that Meggle has considerable input; but this build up from the back strategy just doesn’t work for us and even if they spend another season trying to perfect it I doubt it ever will. We just don’t yet have (can’t afford?) the quality of player required to zip the ball upfield and mount meaningful attacks. It’s all so ponderous and on numerous occasions ended up with a misplaced cross field ball that could have resulted in a goal against. I felt yesterday that players looked completely lost. Hamilton was a case in point. I know how influential his presence has been but yesterday he was like a lost, headless chicken with some bizarre contorted interception attempts that inevitably left him caught out of position. And why isn’t KRH being given the chance to run at the opposition instead of the weird semi-midfield / defensive role that seems to be expected of him, etc., etc. The alternative long punt was no less effective; the ball usually ending up with the opposition. I’m really glad to see the back of this season in so many ways. At the start of it I personally would have been happy with consolidation - which is what we look 🤞 like achieving. Next season must be a different story though. It’s a clean sheet and we need a fresh and logical look at the player availability and adapt our game accordingly. I think we have the basis of a good squad with some exciting prospects coming through but we need a set-up that promises entertaining, attacking football instead of the nervy, insipid display that we witnessed yesterday. McPake will definitely be on trial.

Interesting, Stanza. Not a word - even correctly spelled! - that I’ve ever come across. Interesting too that the dictionary references are all quite recent: i.e. 1990 or later.

“Mollucate”? Read it here first as well, DougieDave!

Following BBC text. More injuries? - Benedictus and Lewis McCann!

Really chuffed for him. As much as anything he deserves it for all the angst he must have suffered through those many months of player injuries. Onwards and upwards.

Have to say that I would consider it a massive bonus if we end up in the playoffs considering the situation we were in just a few weeks ago.

Anyone have an update on the injuries today? The stoppage for Allan was worryingly long.

Hmm, tonight’s game was a feisty wee encounter. There certainly won’t be any easy games between now and the end of the season. Have to say that Ayr looked good on the ball and (love him or loathe him - and I’m a bit on the fence) Scott Brown had them fired up. This is a very, very tight league.

I feel like I've spent so much of this season dreading each game as it comes along and fearing the outcome; but, of course, occasionally being pleasantly surprised. As Superally says, I do feel more optimistic about this one but I also fear it won't be pretty - it never is when opponents are fighting for their lives. A narrow win for me but please, please, please, no more injuries. Injuries can get tae ........

Today was never going to be a classic example of “the beautiful game”, was it? Thought McPake got it just right though. Yes, we had to mix it physically and there was an element of backs-to-the-wall for long spells too, but we were up to it and Morton were, in the main, properly outplayed and out-thought: good to see when your opponents resort to hoofball and dead ball situations. That penalty decision looked like a travesty so massive kudos to Mehmet for his save. Pars totally deserved that result and what a huge three points those are at this stage of the season.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crg69wrp9y8o Weren’t they planning to put this down at Rosyth?

While the old adage that “one swallow doesn’t make a summer” could apply to this game I’m hoping that we have FINALLY turned something of a corner on the injury front. Several influential players are back in the squad and, with their tails up following last Friday, I think we could win this 2-0.

I’m so pleased for McPake after last night’s result. One of the most heartwarming TV shots was of his celebration following the third goal. This season must have been an absolute nightmare for him but, conversely, I expect that it’s also been a useful, character building experience. Of course there are still seven games to go but even if the “worst” happens I still believe he’s the man for the job going forward: that some people persist in comparing him unfavourably to Grant and Hughes is frankly beyond belief.

Absolutely no point in disposing of the manager before the season’s end. Hopefully we do enough stay up in which case we wipe the slate clean, refocus and come again; fingers crossed that we shake off the injury curse for next season. If we go down ……….. well, anything goes. It’s certainly going to be a tense run-in.

I feel another 2-0 victory for the Pars in my bones.

Nope. I think it'll be a tight game settled by one goal. Just hope it's us that scores.

We did well to bounce back from League 1 after the clusterf***k of the previous season. I do think however that the winning margin flattered us slightly because some of our play last season was, at best, mediocre. What really gave us momentum was the feelgood factor that was instilled in the team. McPake was in the process of building a squad - and indeed still is. That’s why I say that, at the start of this season (note, not at the present moment) I saw consolidation as a sensible target. Nobody could have anticipated that, two-thirds of the way through, there would be two teams stretching away and five teams within three points battling each other to avoid a relegation playoff place. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing. And, no, with respect I don’t think I look “silly”.

Totally agree with you, GG. At the start of this season I think it was recognised that this was going to be a challenging one for DAFC due in general to the quality of the opposition. While some were optimistically (IMHO) predicting a play-off place the more level-headed types recognised that consolidation was the name of the game, at least for the first season. And of course that was before our run of catastrophic injuries. Luck? Well we certainly haven’t had much of it. And maybe the way the game at Firhill panned out has taken us all by complete surprise, because it’s something we just haven’t been accustomed to. But in a way some of the bizarre refereeing decisions stirred memories of years gone by, as I recalled many occasions where we were “robbed” by a supposedly biased referee or one who had been conned by the play-acting of the opposition. Happy days!?

😬

Wow! Fair dos to this guy. Got it absolutely spot-on. 😀

There have been some weird results in the Championship this season with plenty of unexpected outcomes favouring the unfancied team. It only takes the Jags to be having an off day and we might just squeak it. But I have to confess that this is hope triumphing over expectation. Who knows though?