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It's all well and good to make passes from the back but there's absolutely no excuse for getting caught in possession. If nothing is on, nothing is on so send it long into the channel.

Yes, of course. I agree 100%. I'm still incredulous that he did lose possession! It was more of a general point about our inability to pass it and build attacks through the phases. For me, Davis and Arfield should be in view, with the option to pass to. It's a structural issue, or player positioning.

Yeah, we've had too many hard luck stories now this season. We need to get the job done against these teams without stupid mistakes and take our chances with the minimum of fuss. No more excuses.

Quite incredible to lose a goal from this position!!

It was worse being there mate. 2 and a bit hour journey from Edinburgh on a minibus and not a drop of alcohol to watch that gutless display. As you say to go from such a high beating the Dhims to when Jones shot hit the net last night is galling to say the least. Just realised too - my pet hate with this thread is when its filled with non transfer stuff!!! I've just added to it ?

I'd rather a defender hoofed it up the park than dithered, as Worrall did.

Points-wise, we have taken 1 out of 6 v Kilmarnock, 1/6 v Aberdeen and 2/6 v Hibs. That is abysmal.

I've read a number of opinions on here, some suggesting it was the tactics, others suggesting it was player selection, etc. However, for me it was simpler than that. We did not approach the game last night properly. Killie are known to be a team that works extremely hard, and battles for every ball, so why did we appear to be surprised at that? The players did not appear to think that they needed to move as much, make the runs, be quick in moving the ball, or pass sharply. This is an attitude issue, not a tactical or technical one. This is the problem we've suffered from a few times this season and I don't know what the answer is. Our players need to get into the right frame of mind before these games and to me they are clearly not. This demonstrates to me that we lack the right mentality to win the league. Each time we've gone top, we have relaxed (as if this was job done). We need the players to change this attitude quickly. We currently have a winning mentality that enables the team to win games, but it takes a different mentality to win championships, and clearly we don't have it. We don't appear to have a focus on the goal of winning the league and I'm wondering if the team lacks that confidence in itself. I'd have thought that McGregor and Davis could influence that, but it's maybe not enough.

Steve Clarke and other managers know we are going to try and play it out from the back so just instruct their players to mark all our forward and midfield players and to have one or two others ready to harry our back four. Last night Brophy seemed to perform that harrying role very successfully on his own. McAuley looks very uncomfortable on the ball so it was left to Worrall a lot to try and distribute the ball and he ain't too good either. Need to try punting the ball down the channels as a variation for Kent and Morelos to run onto, not down the middle as Defoe is tiny.

I feel so deflated after last night that I don't think there's any transfer activity that would raise my spirits. Unless it's some of our players moving out. Seeing the way the fight went out of the entire team made the whole thing seem futile.

I think both of them improve us. Despite lots of chances last night Defoe was the only one who scored. Kent had the whole goal to aim from from 10 yards out and about 5 seconds to steady himself and still hit it straight at a Kilmarnock player. Defoe is a predator and I think he'll be great with Morelos. Davis's quality on the ball was instantly noticeable last night despite probably being unfit. Agree 100% a creative midfielder would be brilliant but we don't seem to have any target. Not so much as a whisper about anyone apart from the Everton boy who has gone elsewhere. Kent was in the no 10 role last night and he causes problems with his pace and running and creates space for others in doing so but he doesn't have the really important abilities you want in that position at all; great first touch and techinque, passing, link up play, long shots and finishing. I'd be tempted to allow Arfield to play there because in contrast to Kent he is very good at most of those things, not least finishing.

In this type of situation (bus parked in front of us) we are obviously too often blunt and players seem to go through motions (best example was at Dundee in December). We need a player that provides more of a creative spark between the middle and front, someone that gives the midfield/defence, a focal point of sorts. This is a problem that SG solves or it will be his undoing.

John, you will need to change your avatar though I have to say I always considered Bill as more of the Victor Meldrew type. ?

I agree with the above and think that the relationship between the players is something that needs a lot work on the training ground. There were one or two spells in the match where we appeared cohesive and offered a lot of threat but unfortunately, these occasions were too limited.

Our system nullified our full backs last night. Tav in particular really missed Candeias and so we missed our right flank. I was surprised Dafoe started, I assumed he'd be a player we used from the bench, either to replace Morelos after he'd ran himself ragged or to change formation for the last 15 mins if we're chasing a goal. Kilmarnock played well though, their number 8 was the best player on the pitch I thought, he controlled the midfield and the tempo of the match. Jones had an outstanding spell in the second half, I was really impressed by him having previously been a bit meh about him. I do think though that it was just one of those nights. We gifted them the first and the second, although from 25 yards I don't think he should be able to score, but they didn't create much apart from that whereas their keeper had a couple of good saves and we'd one off the post and a penalty claim that on another day would have been given. It's frustrating and we really didn't work hard enough or smart enough, but let's not overreact, there's still a long way to go and other teams will drop points at Rugby Park too.

The ball moves quickly over these surfaces and it came through the defender's legs which explains why McGregor was slow in getting down and wasn't able to move his feet. I thought McAuley did the right thing initially by not committing himself at the half-way line. But to then not close down Jones properly was almost as inexplicable as Worrall's brain fart in the first half. When games are always going to be as tight as last night's was, we simply cannot afford to give away cheap goals like that. We can criticise the manager for the system but even he can't account for mistakes that are completely avoidable.

I have to disagree: when you see it again, McGregor had no chance...

As that moved on he could have passed to Halliday who, despite in that clip showing him moving forward, he dropped back to offer an angle. It was a howler, absolute howler.

They without doubt improve our squad tenfold but I don't think they solve the specific problem we are talking about. They can contribute towards a solution but whether it be now or in the summer, we need that creative midfielder option.

I agree he shouldn’t be shooting but he’s actually quite good as a box to box player. Kent’s shooting wasn’t any better tonight again.