read'n'yell

Excellent result and sounded pretty comfortable - 1 shot on target for them. Other teams also winning but our aim is to get 40 points on the board and we are 3 closer to that after today.

Perhaps it took a venting of issues from the players to clear the air and is letting them play free again.

Don't seem to have much luck just now. Hopefully some of their 1-0 leads are lost. Makes today's result even better (or at least more important).

Edited just after kick off when 0-0. It was a question and wasn't meant so seriously, as you can see in my actual post I didn't mention Archie at all, it was more about Stevo not playing and five changes. Didn't think people would take it to heart so much so changed it as it wasn't meant to cause offense.

I've always thought when Higginbotham is on the park he forces the rest of the team to up their tempo. Even when things aren't coming off for him, he still merits his place purely for rallying the team.

2-0!

O'Donnell you beauty.

I removed the question from the title. My post remains the same. If you know any of my posts I'm not an Archie critic.

Doesn't look like we'll be waiting long for a goal - chances each way. Higgy sounds like a handful and getting McGowan a booking is good, he's been on really good form. Anyone there? Whats our crowd like?

The United team lined up without Armstrong and Mackay-Steven really isn't one to fear. If Balatoni and Frans can keep Ciftci quiet then we have a very good chance. Predicting 3-2 (Higgy, Taylor and Balatoni).

Good post. Probably didn't read the content of mine before replying, like the vast majority of your posts. Always trying to shut down discussions with imprudent replies - usually containing an insult for good measure.

Paul Gallacher, Stephen O'Donnell, Conrad Balatoni, James Craigen, Stuart Bannigan, Steven Lawless, Frederic Frans, Christie Elliott, Kallum Higginbotham, Abdul Osman, Lyle Taylor. Subs: Scott Basalaj, Callum Booth, Kris Doolan, Ryan Stevenson, Ben Richards-Everton, Gary Fraser, Declan McDaid No Stevenson - our best player since christmas. The only one who has performed week in week out. Also playing Elliott at left back even after he sold two goals and was a bombscare last week? Even when Booth didn't have a brilliant game, he was still ok. Losing faith. Nice to see Higgy and Lawless back in. Put Stevo in for Craigen and Booth for Elliot. Anyway, will no doubt win today. Just have a feeling it's the type of game we get a result, when no one expects it.

Watched the Falkirk Rangers game last night and Dundee have a really good player in Loy. Thought he was maybe a bit of a poacher but his all round game play is excellent. It's funny watching games now where it is Rangers on the back foot and holding on to a draw rather than the other way around.

Seaborne has to have some sort of psychological issue with injury, nobody gets injured with the frequency he does. Frans/Seaborne looked shakey at the weekend but this was because they were dragged all over the shop - getting little defensive cover from the holding midfielders or wingers. This was compounded when Elliot moved to LB, a noticeable shift in Seaborne's position to cover left, resulted in Frans covering too much of the central area and exposing O'Donnell to attacks down our right side. I don't blame our centre backs at all for last week (except when Seaborne gave away the penalty but this was out of pure frustration at the teams performance I think - still captains should know better). Can we have Stevenson as captain again, I think his desire and willingness to work for the team could spur on his team mates. Also he has a much more influential role in the game and a leader higher up the park is what we need, Only way to win tomorrow is to play them at their own game, attack in numbers and defend in numbers, midfield is simply there to quickly move the ball from defence to attack. No more aimless sideways possession

If he accepts it then he will miss our game and another (always come into effect immediately). United may reject the decision, which means he will play our game most likely, given the time of week we are at. It was a clear elbow 'Goodwin' style so I think he will accept it. EDIT: just noticed they have rejected it. So he will play against us. Crazy as this means he may miss the League Cup Final vs Celtic rather than one game vs us and a scottish cup quarter final vs Celtic. Brave move.

Gals O'Donnell .. Frans .. Seaborne .. Booth Fraser .. Bannigan Lawless.. Stevo .. Higgy Taylor Lets just go for this one, there will be plenty space in behind their defence and we will just need to hold tight at the back. Rather we went for it than try to scrape a draw and lose 1-0 or 2-1.

If we were playing poor football and walking away with points I wouldn't have many complaints. Winning is the most important thing. Although I have said that I don't know how St Johnstone fans turn up, given what they have had to watch for years. I'd much rather we played better football and lost the odd game because of it. If we play good football, we will win more games - I think the two go hand in hand. Our problem is for a while (outwith Hamilton which is an exception under their circumstances and us scoring almost all our chances) we have played poorly AND not got results. I just want to see a team where Archie thinks "@#@# it, let's go for this" and puts out O'Donnell, Frans, Seaborne, Bannigan, Fraser, Osman, Lawless, Stevenson, Higginbotham and Taylor. Giving Banzo and O'Donnell as much freedom as they want to go forward from full back. Not making our forward wingers play wing backs when we have two FB's. Allowing Stevenson a free role and not having to constantly cover in for Osman's poor passing. If we still lost then at least we tried and eventually it will click - but at least try Archie.

And there's the problem. I've been spouting for weeks that the way we have set up since Christmas is like we are going for draws. If you go for a draw, your more likely to lose than win. We need to set out to try and win a game, it's the only way to stop the down turn.

I actually think this is a statement that some people seem to take as gospel. But physical strength is only good if you can use it. I would argue while Lawless is on the pitch, his small stature does not stop him from making a fair share of tackles. He works incredibly hard and it is really only in the air where he has issues. But a winger doesn't have to be a great header of the ball. The potential Lawless can add to the team is far in excess of what Elliot can and I feel Lawless is being punished for a misconception. I would love to see a stat on tackles made in a game, comparing Lawless to Elliot when they are both playing in the same position. It wouldn't shock me if Lawless made twice the tackles. I also want to just say I don't mean to Elliot bash, and I have in the past but laid off him for a while. But now we are in a mini crisis and we have the likes of Lawless and Higginbotham in particular sitting on the bench and Elliot playing. We then have Booth being subbed off and Elliot swapped into his position, only to then throw away two goals. This is Archie's fault and not Elliot's, I won't blame Elliot as he does try but if I got asked to play I'd try - doesn't mean I'm good enough. Anyway there is a clear divide in opinion towards him and to be honest it's the same posters that stick up for him. It's just depressing to watch him, we aren't a low first division club any more.

If Stevenson did what Elliot did for the third goal, people would be saying they never want to see him play again. Elliot tries (usually) because he has to make up for a serious lack of ability and probably realises he is doing well getting on the park for us.

We need a striking coach to come in and tell them how to play in the final third. There must be someone around who would do a day a week with the players.

O'Donnell and Osman can't pass and these two are regulars. Elliott really can not pass. Bannigan only passes backwards. That leaves Stevenson and Taylor to play between themselves. Need Higgy on the park so he has somebody to play with.

Yeh, I'm pretty sure McNamara brought this policy in. Quite a few players used to post after games. The fact it mimicked Eccleston's tweet makes it far worse in my opinion. Wouldn't mind the club terminating his contract. He obviously doesn't want to be here and isn't playing anyway.

How is Elliott in your team. Were you at the game yesterday? He sold two goals. He is the reason we lost.

Team deserved it. Only players that didn't were Strvenson, Taylor and Gallacher. Rest were bombscares or didn't try.