Yorkiepar

Courier reporting that DAFC knocked back twice by Ross County in their attempts to sign Eamonn Brophy on loan. Um, sorry. Previously posted! 🤪

Call me old-fashioned, but I really don’t think the Club would have deliberately flooded the pitch to have the game called off as some of the “better-informed” posters are inferring. We know from previous seasons that the heating system is dodgy; whether it was turned on or whether, more likely, it seems just to have sprung a leak. From a personal point of view it’s disappointing that we don’t have a game to look forward to but I’m certainly not raging. I would have liked to see what our new signing is capable of and I’m certain that, with team spirit being what it appears to be at the moment, we would have given a good account of ourselves. Onwards and upwards. It certainly isn’t any bad thing that McPake has a bit more time to get a semblance of a team back up and running.

Digs, I’m 100% with you on everything you say. We are in a totally different situation to the Grant/Hughes debacle season - thank heavens: yes, we’re struggling at the moment for very obvious reasons but McPake and his team appear to be level-headed sorts and I’m confident that he’ll navigate us out of this crisis. I’m also completely on board with the Board’s longer term vision for the Club. Of course we’d all love to be top of the league, naturally moving on next year to winning the Scottish Premiership, but those of us who have been around for a while know that no sustainable footballing model is created this way. At least, not at our level.

Jakubiak was running with the ball to the Queens box, turned and instantly felt for his left leg.

Even if we had the resources to do it - and I’m not convinced we do - any reinforcements would only be a case of panic buying. Somehow we’ve got to weather this storm, focus on avoiding relegation and regroup for next season.

Ach, my heart desperately wants us to get a result - the backs-to-the-wall effort of the past few injury-decimated weeks says that we deserve it. BUT my head says otherwise. I fear a 0-3 drubbing.

McPake’s been hugely supportive of the medical staff, so you’ve just got to take his word for it. It’s not as if the injuries are vaguely similar - foot, shoulder, hamstring, cheekbone, calf. It’s just weird.

Our injury situation is beyond belief.

There’s no science involved, GG. For me it’s a pin-sticking, rule-of-thumb exercise.

Just over one season into McPake’s tenure I would have to say that we are still very much a work-in-progress, not helped in any way by the injuries we’ve had. I see it as a case of “keeping the faith” and setting realistic targets for 23/24. Of course we’d all love to be challenging near the top of the league, but a mid-table finish would do for me; consolidation this year, progress the next. I would have to agree that our personnel just don’t seem to be gelling at the moment - much of it through force of circumstance with players having to fill unfamiliar roles with which they’re not particularly comfortable. (I suspect that McPake is not oblivious to this and is probably tearing out even more hair than us, the supporters). I’ve been a big fan of Wighton since he joined us from Hearts. His potential is undeniable but I totally concur that he’s not comfortable in the lone striker role; he’s no battler, more an opportunist. They really do need to get somebody up there that he can play off. But this optimistic transfer window purchase of a proven striker who’ll instantly turn things around is simply pie in the sky. Having got rid of O’Hara and Todorov for (no doubt) very good reasons why would McPake then replace them with a like-for-like? Having said that I’ll be delighted to be proved wrong.

Yep. Truly deserved. Captain Fantastic. An inspired signing by McPake. Bene has provided the team with stability and has led by example. Here’s hoping he maintains his fitness and form into next season.

I’d like to say I’m surprised and disappointed by that result, but I’m not. This could be yet another VERY long season, I fear.

Jeez. Following the Pars. Guaranteed ulcers. 🫣

It appears not only to be us that’s struggling with recruitment. The following quote is from today’s BBC Scotland Football Gossip: “Hearts manager Robbie Neilson is “not at all” frustrated by delays in transfer business and is content to begin the season with the squad currently at his disposal”. I’ve no doubt that the BOD and McPake are doing their best to bolster numbers. My advice is to leave them to do their job. Better to have a smaller, committed group of players than a larger squad of disinterested journeymen.

I'm a great fan of Craig Wighton but he is something of an enigma. Since his arrival he's scored a few memorable goals but more often than not he's something of a passenger. He obviously doesn't like mixing it - is that a legacy of his injury-prone past? - but one wonders how his undoubted talent can be realised. Sounded like he missed a real scoring opportunity in the first half. Wonder if he'll be substituted for Todorov in the second half?