Yesterday made one thing obvious: we don't have a winning mentality in the squad right now. That feeling isn't just about a single bad result; it's about how the team looks and, more importantly, how the senior figures react when things go against us. If the players who are meant to stand up for the club look fragile, then the whole dressing room follows.
What's wrong with the leadership?
From where I sit the leadership group seems to be Tav, Butland and Souttar. Each brings something different, but there are real question marks over whether any of them are driving the team on when it matters. Tav has been a stalwart and produced solid individual returns, yet you can argue we haven't seen the ruthless edge from him since that 'invincible' season. Butland can be brilliant, but he also has nights where he looks ordinary and, to be frank, sometimes like a man playing for himself. Souttar earned a new contract and, for reasons I don't pretend to know, hasn't hit the levels we hoped for since.
Why mentality matters
This club isn't built on nice intentions; it's built on attitude, bite and an expectation to win. Mentality shows in tight games, in how we close out leads, how we react to mistakes and how the players look after each other on the pitch. To be fair, tactics and fitness matter too, but without leaders who demand more the rest can drift.
What needs to change?
First, stop mistaking reputation for leadership. Having played well elsewhere or worn the shirt doesn't automatically make you the voice that lifts the team. Second, the manager and coaching staff need to identify who genuinely influences the lads and give them responsibility. Third, recruitment should favour players with proven hunger and resilience — men who won't switch off when a game gets ugly. That doesn't mean wholesale panic, but it does mean a proper assessment of the dressing room and, where necessary, a refresh of the leadership group.
Fans want pride and fight. We all know modern football isn't simple, but dragging standards up starts with people who refuse to accept excuses. If the club listens and acts, there's no reason this team can't recover its edge. If not, we'll keep having the same arguments after every poor night.
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