The manager was at a loss as he struggled to find the reason behind "the totally ineffective" performance, the worst he's seen since his return to the club.
He used a variety of descriptions to illustrate our performance but failed to pinpoint any specific fault. On this occasion there was no hard luck tale of a late goal, no referee to blame. The players simply failed to penetrate the opposition and the price was paid when we conceded twice in the second half.
His task is now to pick up the pieces and figure out how to avoid another loss on Tuesday. Pearson will be suspended and Lasley will return but where will we find the spark needed to raise the spirits?
Johnson delivered plenty of crosses on Saturday but they made easy targets for the central defenders. Thomas looked lively enough during his contribution for the final twenty minutes but can we afford to give him a starting place? McDonald was unable to carve out even a half chance and his first touch often resulted in a loss of possession. Defenders were forced to risk long hopeful balls forward as they faced their often static team-mates.
It was a depressing cold, sleety afternoon that sent fans home shivering and shuddering at the prospects for our top flight survival. Thirteen games remain and if we don't see a marked improvement we may soon be competing with Dundee United for bottom place.