The last few games with the dreaded 4-5-1 have yielded one point and have seen us concede several goals, despite it being a formation that should stop us from conceding. If he even thinks of using this formation against a team like Gretna at Love Street then his position has to be called into question. While my hopes of an ultra-attacking front three of Mark Corcoran, Billy Mehmet and Stewart Kean up are fanciful, it's surely not too much to ask for two of them to start up front. Ideally, it would be Mehmet and Corcoran. Corcoran has scored twice this season and has some pace and trickery, while Mehmet gets the nod over Kean as he's actually scored a goal this season. However, Kean did score in the reserves, so maybe he should play after all. Another option is for Kean and Mehmet up front, with Corcoran wide left and Franco Miranda at left back.
The attacking nature should be continued in midfield, with only one of Hugh Murray and Gary Mason playing. Both are good players, but do we really need two holding midfield type players against Gretna? Ideally, Stephen O'Donnell will keep his place, although a start for Stephen McGinn would be another option. Even a change of goalkeeper is possible, as Chris Smith - despite playing for Scotland under 21s in midweek - has been a bit dodgy at times and Mark Howard surely deserves his chance.
The injury situation is pretty much the same as it has been for some time. Craig Dargo and Ian Maxwell are out, while Craig Molloy and Eddie Malone are also missing from the first team as they haven't played enough reserve games. The only good news is that Alan Reid is fit again, while the international break should have allowed Will Haining to fully recover from his foot injury.
Gretna are a team I would love to see us beat as I despise the way they have bought their way through the leagues and denied they won promotion due to money. I'm also disgusted about the way the media has lapped up the "living the dream" nonsense without wanting to question things. For example, what happened to Rowan Alexander's super duper vision once they reached the SPL? Why were they allowed to bring in a goalkeeper on loan just because Alan Main had signed for St. Johnstone (and confirmed that he was indeed a cheat)? Why do they keep whining about the council, the Scottish Executive and everyone but them supplying funds for a stadium when chairman Brooks Mileson is supposedly minted? And so on.
However, I don't think we'll win. Gretna will pick up their first away victory of the season, and the message boards will make for very interesting reading come Saturday evening!