To say the chances of us defending the trophy are remote would be an understatement. We win a cup about once every quarter of a century so to pull it off two years running is pretty unlikely - and to win the same one again nigh on impossible. However, what we must not do is give it up meekly. That's what Kilmarnock did last season when Stenhousemuir put them out in the first round and it's what we did after winning the Scottish Cup in 1987.
This is probably the hardest tie we could have been given. The draw for the second round of the League Cup is seeded and Queens were the best of the unseeded teams. Having to go there is incredibly challenging, not least because they turned us over pretty convincingly in a pre-season friendly. OK, we were missing a few first team regulars but it was still pretty concerning and our defence was far from solid. This will not be an easy game and if we approach it thinking we just need to turn up to progress we will soon be turfed out. On the plus side, we have avoided a lower league defeat in the last three cup competitions - although that means by the law of averages we must just about be due one!
The chances of that happening have increased since the draw. Our start to the season has been woeful, with goals flying in at one end and very rarely going in at the other. If we play like that against Queens then we will be out. Their defence isn't exactly doing well either at the moment, but they do at least know how to find a way to goal. They'll definitely fancy their chances for this one and will be looking to heap more pressure on Danny Lennon. We're only three games into the season and he won us a cup last term, but the Saints boss is not flavour of the month with the supporters after Saturday's defeat at Ross County.
To avoid making things worse we have to change things about. For starters, let's play the players in their correct positions - so put David van Zanten in at rightback and move Gary Harkins back into midfield. He cannot play alongside Steven Thompson. Either play the big forward on his own with Harkins, Gary Teale and Paul McGowan just in behind, or play Thomas Reilly in a front two - unless we sign someone by the time of the game. We are wasting McGowan in a deeper role to accommodate Harkins. With the players at our disposal playing a 4-2-3-1 is surely the best option. I'd like to see us go with a front two, but with Reilly seemingly only deemed worthy of a subs place at moment we don't have anyone else who can form a productive partnership with Thompson.
It's also time to cut out the messing about at the back. David Cornell is a rather nervy keeper at the moment and he's not being helped by our desire to play risky passbacks and knock it about at the back. Our backline isn't coping too well with it either so for the time being we'd be as well being a bit more direct, rather than letting the opposition get everyone back. The worrying thing is that while the defence is leaking goals, we don't have too many options to change things seeing as Lee Mair seems completely out of favour and David Barron and Jon Robertson are injured. The only alternative is to put Darren McGregor into the centre of defence. You have to wonder why that hasn't happened as, before his injuries, he was our best defender.
Queens have an outside chance of making it into the play-offs for a place in the top flight this season. They cruised to the second division last year, winning the Ramsdens Cup along the way, and Jim McIntyre seems to have seamlessly taken over from Allan Johnston, who did one to Kilmarnock. They're on a terrific run at home and started the new season on the front foot before Saturday's loss at Hamilton. After beating us in pre-season - and Hibs in last year's competition - they'll certainly fancy their chances. They probably won't start as favourites and it would still be a shock if they beat us, but nowhere near as big a shock as if we'd lost to a team like Dumbarton or Cowdenbeath.
The backline is what is causing Queens fans most concern at the moment. Callum Antell has come in to take over from the much loved Lee Robinson and has looked shaky so far, although he is still getting used to his new surroundings and doesn't have a great deal of first team experience. Also, he came through the ranks at Hibs and they don't have the best track record of producing goalies - his move away from Easter Road probably the best thing he could have done to boost his career! If he is lacking experience the defence certainly isn't with the likes of Chris Higgins, Andy Dowie, Chris Mitchell and Ryan McGuffie. Kevin Holt and Mark Durnan may not quite have as much football under their belts but they were still part of the defensive line that was so strong in the second division last season.
The Doonhamers' first few games of the season suggest that while they may have a few defensive frailties, their strikers are more than capable of scoring the goals to minimise the damage. Derek Lyle has started the season on fire and Iain Russell has also looked impressive, having been brought in to offset the loss of the prolific Nicky Clark during the summer. Michael Paton is also pretty handy and Dan Carmichael, who could easily do a job on the right wing in the top flight, is now back from injury. He is a star of the future and it's a surprise bigger clubs haven't taken a gamble on him. Maybe they're worried that Paul Burns, who did so well at Queens, failed with Dunfermline in the SPL and is now back at Palmerston. I don't know why it didn't work out for him at the Pars as he is a fine midfielder, as he has shown since returning to Dumfries. Stephen McKenna and Derek Young provide experience, Kevin Dzierzawski has been recruited from the American college system while youngsters like Dan Orsi, Gavin Reilly and Ian McShane are capable of doing some damage.
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