Hearts at home - first game after the break

[Arabdownsouth]

No it’s not results like today that do that - it’s results like losing at home to Livingston, St Johnstone and Motherwell that get you relegated. Win those and today is a decent point.



Which I still feel it is - so long as we win Wednesday that is……………………

My point is that when we got relegated last time it was by turning draws into defeats and turning 3 points into 1,just like today. Good battling performances are great but we are still ****ing bottom.

[Arabknight]

Even Nielsen saying that decision to give shankland a penalty wasn’t a penalty. Although he is adamant that the one against djoum was.

[TerryTheTerror]

I thought we played will today and it would have been pretty harsh on Hearts if they'd left with nothing, a draw was a fair result. Pretty frustrating getting so close though but I really don't think their penalty at the end was much of a foul, total dive and the referee bought it.

[dreamoftangerine]

I did enjoy the game today considering how much I was dreading the outcome pre-match. Completely gutted at the end with what seemed an attempt by the ref to ‘level things up’. Hard to say in real time but thought they conned the ref.

Sorry to see Gordon suffer such a bad one. He’s an outstanding keeper and generally a decent bloke. I had a great view of the challenge and thought it was there for both to win and both committed 100%.

Can’t recall popadom having to make too many direct saves other that tip a few corners on.

Encouraging team performance but still feel we leave teams too much time on the ball to pick their passes. Screaming at Harkes and Djoum to get a tackle in but no…we’ll stand and watch them pass around us. Desperately need some proper dig in that midfield area!

Fletcher and Middleton seemed a good combo up too. Watt is not the answer! Holy f@ck he does my head in.

Manager lost us the game on my opinion with poor and badly timed subs. Come on man you have a part to play in this battle so get your sh1t together or it’ll be too late.

Bring on the county.

[shedka]

Do think if any team deserved the win it was us and don't think it's all on the manager, soft pen that the ref bought, agree Djoum should have been subbed as looked knackered but nothing to do with that with regards the pen at the end, I think we'd have held out otherwise

Still a point many didn't think we'd get pre game and we can be confident most home games now that we are scoring goals and can pick up pts, we were narrowly beaten v St j and Well, unlucky in both imo especially the latter with the sending off, we've beaten sheep, Hibs and Killie and drawn with hearts

Need to find something that works better on the road, Celtic Park and Pittodrie were narrow defeats and deserved something from the Pittodrie one, goalie errors arguably cost us in both but still we need to win the odd away game, if we do we'll definitely stay up

[tHeArAb]

Two points dropped today. Absolutely gutted about it. Fletcher was superb. Dunno why McGrath wasnt playing, hopefully back for Wed. Djoum offers very little. Birighitti better although made a couple of poor decisions which are baffling at times. Thankfully didn't cost us anything this week. As for Gordon, he always comes out for a long ball with his knee in the air to fend of attackers. He'll maybe no be doing that again, if he even plays again.

Win on Wed however, and we could be 10th!

[JamesMcClean]

Snodgrass had the absolute freedom of Tannadice to lumber about in the middle and constantly ping off ‘quarterback’ passes over the top, particularly down our left hand side. We never, ever, seemed to ‘get’ that for the entire 90 minutes, even though he turned like an oil tanker and frankly had a certain dare I say it, ‘Fatty Harkins’ quality about him. I hate to say it because I know it’s like a broken record, but Butcher would have let him know in the first two minutes that he could expect phuck all time on the ball for the duration. Even if it meant taking a yellow for the team. But if it meant intimidating the opposition he did it, no question. How many of our current midfield are prepared to do that?

[LSArab]

Looking back at today

Two quality strikes

Disappointing to concede two at home and the soft penalty in last minute

Positives and negatives

We still desperately need a keeper in January and after that I think we will see a big improvement - and dare I say it possible move closer to the top 6 as those in charge want

I wonder if we will play murlgrew and Graham next game and have saved their height for county

[Whitfieldarab]

Watched the highlights on Sportscene tonight and that penalty for Hearts is as soft as it gets, Shankland has conned the ref and he's taken the bait. Cost me £350 on my coupon too😡

[Dreamsof83]

My (pre gettining to the game) optimism perhaps wasn't to be, but definitely deserved the 3 points. So much to dissect! Firstly, bold set up with Harkes on the right of a front 3. Didn't work, not because of Harkes but because Djoum and Levitt couldn't cover the midfield space. Fair play to Fox for fixing that. Second half we could and should have been out of sight.

The Djoum handball was a ridiculous decision. The Gordon one is interesting. He has leapt, two footed and out of control. Regardless of whether he touches the ball first or not that is a penalty and arguably a red card. Horrible to see a Scottish legend injured so badly though. Hope that isnt how he bows out of the game.

The final penalty is an absolute joke. A dive. BUT incredibly naive. Must have seen that the ref was giving them fouls for any slight touch and their crumpling to the floor, shouldn't have given him the opportunity to give it. He was on a mission to be the centre of attention today and was begging for a chance to give a pen

Overall though, we were far more dangerous than them. Looked a threat whenever we went forward. But for good goalkeeping from Gordon, we win that game easily.

I am definitely optimistic for Wednesday now!! Word for Birighitti. Complete confidence in him today. Look assured. Good distribution, long and short at times too. Maybe he will come good.

Merry Christmas all. Hope Santa brings us those boots to march into the top six!