Just The Facts
With 4 points from 18, there's no denying our form has shaded since we beat Celtic, and with Hearts opening up a 6 point gap and Motherwell threatening to make it a four horse race for the Europa League, there are grounds to be mildly concerned.
But our experience over the last five years has taught us that Hearts current lead will evaporate as quickly as it emerged and even if it doesn't we still have a get out of jail card in the cup which would give us the top Europa League seeding regardless of our league position.
If we can take care of the Fifers then with a favourable draw we'll be just 90 minutes from Europe - but we're not complacent as we've been here before.
The trauma of April 12 2008 still haunts our collective nightmares and the consensus is that the only way to exorcise these demons is to win the bloody thing.
And so far it's going well, as we've been blessed with what's known in these parts as a 'Hearts draw' in not playing anyone of consequence until (hopefully) the final.
So Jimmy, it's over to you, Aberdonia expects.
Over 5000 Reds are making the trip with probably another 1000 cunningly disguised as Fifers so don't you dare let us down... AGAIN!
The Red Avenger
Brand Values
Last weekend saw an unlikely character in a ridiculous costume clumsily bumbling around a stage to the astonishment of most onlookers.
Then, only hours after referee Dougie MacDonald's performance at Pittodrie, Jo Brand did something similar on Let's Dance for Comic Relief. Except her's was entertaining. And was for charity.
It's easy to see why the quality of Scottish football is currently up for debate, reignited by the recent Old firm snoozer, when referees consistently allow hatchet men like David Lilley boot skilful players like Sone Aluko up in the air for 90 minutes with no punishment.
For as long as this sort of thing is permitted, dire, bullying, anti-football, espoused by the Killies and Rangers of this world, will drag the quality level down and the crowds away to their nearest satellite telly.
No time for us to feel sorry for ourselves though, with a big cup-tie on Saturday that will hopefully take us some way to forgetting the horrors of last season. With Reds likely to outnumber the home crowd at Jimmy Calderwood's old ground, the team will not be short of support for now.
Stand Free Ed
