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Lee Mair Get Him In The Team


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We are still paying Lee so we should at least have him on the bench ,he has the experience ,give him a shot build his confidence back up ,will save us bringing in another CB .

you are missing the point here... under contract or not, he has time and again proven to be a liability at the back... and one of the main reasons that we need to bring in another cb.

He was the guy our defence was to be built around and he quite simply is not up to the job.

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I feel like a stuck record!

For the past year and a half I've been saying we need better quality in the Centre Back position - preferably a change of both rather than one.

The stats prove the point:

Last year we had the third worst goals against record, the second worst goals difference. The position in the league purely reflected the ability to stop the ball going into our net and a general inability to score goals.

There was a time when Arsenal won practically every game 1-0 - yes they had a limited ambition up front - but boy could they defend.

Start with the basics of stopping goals and confidence flows through the rest of the team and takes pressure off the defence so that you can build more in the midfield and attack.

The players we have are>

Goodwin - Being played out of position - not that quick and prone to end up in the eye of the referee too often

McAusland - Sorry prone to some really basic errors at this level - has some reasonable games and then some think he's great, but I would be prepared to gamble that he wouldn't get in another SPFL team.

McGregor - Looked a fine prospect a couple of years ago, but serious injury (and I mean serious if you are a pro footballer), has left him without games, probably less confident than he was two years ago and basically untested at the top level.

Mair - Apparently the club, or management don't really want him around. - Not quite sure why as he isn't THAT much worse than any two of the above and would at least be back-up in the event of injury / suspension - that being said he has deficiencies which he can't shake off.

Naismith - completely untested in the top league and may just be too young to step up.

Ok analyse that lot if you will and convince me that we have any combination out of these 5 that stand out as a (Scottish) top flight CB partnership that can stop us leaking goals.

We need a player that can read the game, not attract the attentions of the referee every time he walks onto the park, can instil confidence in those around him and cut down on basic errors. There's bound to be one or two out there who are better than what we have!

Problem is that whatever the fans think - the club and management obviously think differently and don't seem to have the appetite to change things in the CB position. It could ultimately lead to the slide of the club back into the second tier - and that's not knocker-wetting (as many would call it) - it's reality and if you leak goals due to lack of confidence at the back - it leads to a malaise throughout the team.

I am concerned.sad.png

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you are missing the point here... under contract or not, he has time and again proven to be a liability at the back... and one of the main reasons that we need to bring in another cb.

He was the guy our defence was to be built around and he quite simply is not up to the job.

Don't think I am missing the point ,I would also say he is a better defender than McAusland IMO ,McGregor will still need a bit of time ,Goodwin is a midfielder and Naismith still a bit inexperienced ,add to that a goalkeeper that hasn't started off too well ,Mair is no worse.

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and that's not knocker-wetting (as many would call it)

Knocker-wetting?

Is this some kind of wet T-shirt affair?

If so, I no longer wish to be considered as a member of the happy-clapper gang.

Knocker-wetting it is, for me, all the way!

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post_offline.pngDrew

Posted Today, 12:02

Knocker-wetting?

Is this some kind of wet T-shirt affair?

If so, I no longer wish to be considered as a member of the happy-clapper gang.

Knocker-wetting it is, for me, all the way!

o instead of i before c - well known rule in English - but on the other hand maybe knocker wetting would be an enjoyable half-time respite for the West Stand. thumbup2.gif

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Pretty sure Mair is on the type of contract where if he plays something like 20 games a season he wins an extension automatically. Also fairly sure he is one of our highest earners (signed from Aberdeen during the Setanta era). I thought he improved a bit under DL but can still look a bit shaky and lightweight, especially given he is supposed to be the wise old head, experienced pro, holding the defence together. It looks like he is happy to sit out the last year of his contract by training and then not featuring in the match day squad, which he is entitled to do, rather than find another club to play for. All of the above leads me to conclude that while he may be a fine human being he is not the solution to our defensive frailties and I am perfectly happy for him to be frozen out of the picture this season or only used in emergencies so that he doesn't get enough games to 'win' a new contract.

Central defensive options at the minute without Mair are: Goodwin, McAusland and McGregor with Naismith stepping up from the youth team.I think when those three are focussed and on form they are reasonable centre halves at SPL level. I am actually more concerned about our cover at right back as I don't rate DVZ as a defender, he is OK but not spectacular going forward... and i think since he has had regular issues with injuries for the last 3 seasons I don't think David Barron has been the same solid defender he was in 2009/10. We could go into game 2 of the SPFL with DVZ suspended and Barron still out with another injury. Will we see Goodwin at right back and Cheesy and McGregor in the middle?

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I agree with Basil our defence will never feel comfortable as long as that keeper is in although he wasn't solely to blame for the 2nd goal on Saturday as Grainger was short with his passback but he went in like a big Jessie when he should have got his laces through and put it into row z

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Pretty sure Mair is on the type of contract where if he plays something like 20 games a season he wins an extension automatically. Also fairly sure he is one of our highest earners (signed from Aberdeen during the Setanta era). I thought he improved a bit under DL but can still look a bit shaky and lightweight, especially given he is supposed to be the wise old head, experienced pro, holding the defence together. It looks like he is happy to sit out the last year of his contract by training and then not featuring in the match day squad, which he is entitled to do, rather than find another club to play for. All of the above leads me to conclude that while he may be a fine human being he is not the solution to our defensive frailties and I am perfectly happy for him to be frozen out of the picture this season or only used in emergencies so that he doesn't get enough games to 'win' a new contract.

Central defensive options at the minute without Mair are: Goodwin, McAusland and McGregor with Naismith stepping up from the youth team.I think when those three are focussed and on form they are reasonable centre halves at SPL level. I am actually more concerned about our cover at right back as I don't rate DVZ as a defender, he is OK but not spectacular going forward... and i think since he has had regular issues with injuries for the last 3 seasons I don't think David Barron has been the same solid defender he was in 2009/10. We could go into game 2 of the SPFL with DVZ suspended and Barron still out with another injury. Will we see Goodwin at right back and Cheesy and McGregor in the middle?

maybe he and his family are settled in area and he doesn't want to move to any old shitty team ,maybe like most he thinks danny is a shit manager and will be sacked sooner rather than later ,he is shaky but is still streets ahead of cheesy or captain calamity
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maybe he and his family are settled in area and he doesn't want to move to any old shitty team ,maybe like most he thinks danny is a shit manager and will be sacked sooner rather than later ,he is shaky but is still streets ahead of cheesy or captain calamity

No he isn't. Go back to last season and review some of the goals conceded in games he played.

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