We'll be fine in the Scottish Premiership.
The most positive of a handful of plus points taken from last night's defeat to FC Kuban Krasnodar, is the fact that despite lacking width and and pace, Stuart McCall's side should have no problem in gaining a top six finish this season.
The result was disappointing, made more so by the first half performance that by all accounts matched the Russians, with a 0-0 score line at the midway point just about deserved. However, as soon as they kicked off the second half, the visitors upped their rate of play to a level that the Steelmen couldn't.
Ivelin Popov's first goal was the definition of clinicism. The one time that FC Kuban had managed to get in behind and deliver a quality cross, the ball ended up in the net via the toe of their top scorer from last season. Preventable? Yes, but the signs of the quality in the Russian side had been shown in first half flashes, before Ibrahima Balde's ball in to the corridor of uncertainty created a slight air of inevitability.
Having cracked the bar from distance in the first half, Balde looked the standout for the away side, and he was to be involved in the move that not only undone The Steelmen's attempted resurgence, but also brought back horrible memories of last year's Euro campaign.
A great bit of play between Vigurs and McFadden resulted in a corner, when Faddy's strike from the edge of the box was deflected wide. The ball was cleared, Stevie Hammell misplaced his ball back in and almost immediately, 7000 fans came down with the worst collective case of Deja Vu in sports history.
Balde broke at speed up the right hand side, and with only one defender back to prevent three attackers getting on the end of the pass, Popov popped up to secure his brace from 12 yards and almost certainly fired the Kubantsy in to the Europa League play off round.
Frustratingly, there was a feeling that the side that earned the Europa League berth last term could have possibly garnered a better result. There's no doubt the pace and width of last year's side would have caused their left and right backs issues and the tenacity and bite of certain players would have had the fans on their feet more often. That was not the case though, and with the competitive season underway, thoughts of past successes need to be put to the side for now.
With the tie at 0-2, McCall's side have the hardest of tasks to progress in Europe. For the first 50 minutes, despite a couple of shakes, The Well were a match for the side that has talent on 27 times their wage bill. A side that could afford to have Djibril Cisse on the bench for the biggest game in their 85 year history shows that despite being an "unknown" side, they were full of quality.
Quality that, barring one side in the Scottish Premiership, The Well are unlikely to face domestically this season. It's disheartening to be going in to the second leg two away goals behind, but come Sunday, MFC have a great chance to recover and set an early marker on the all new Scottish Premiership.
And there is no reason they shouldn't.
With the Pre season games giving everyone a decent run out, the team that started last night was about as strong as McCall and Black could have made it. The surprise inclusion of Lee Hollis paid off, as the rarely used keeper made two great saves from Popov and Cisse in the second half to keep the scoreline down. With An international goalie in Gunnar Nielesen his competition this season, it seems the number one jersey is Hollis' to throw away as the season begins.
The back four were for the most part solid with Shaun Hutchinson a stand out yet again. With the imposing Balde the focus of their long ball play, Hutchinson stood tall and battled for every ball in the air with the massive striker. Having learned his trade from Stephen Craigan, having Stephen McManus beside him this season can only see him get better.
McManus himself had a great game in terms of positioning, tackling and distribution, everything you would expect from a seasoned European performer. Ramsden seems to be settled in the right back position and Steven Hammell, minus the blip for the second goal, was Steven Hammell.
It is in the middle of the park that the biggest difference between last term and this term is going to be seen. With only Zaine Francis- Angol offering any width, the majority of the Well play came through the middle, with the County boys, Lawson and Vigurs charged with playing piercing and penetrative balls forward. Lawson didn't see much of the ball in the early exchanges, but as the game progressed, his passing got sharper and more adventurous.
Vigurs, who also started off fairly quiet, was keen to test Belemov in the Kuban goal at any chance and after finding his range, had a good few efforts on goal, that had the keeper scrambling. His link up play with McFadden, who was frustrated at every turn, was a joy to watch at times, and in the SPFL, should create some great moments in the coming season.
Keith Lasley put in a great shift in the middle, bombing forward at times and at one point found himself at the bye-line crossing for Sutton. It was a big night for the skipper and the occasion didn't get to him as he tussled with Kabore and Tsorayev in the middle of the park. With John Sutton on his own up front, the Kuban defence did a good job on huckling him for the 90 minutes, but the complexion of the game could have changed at the death, had his header from ZFA's left wing cross been a few millimetres closer to goal.
As his powerful effort spun off his forehead, it looked destined to be the smallest of life lines going in to the second leg until it cracked the post and bounced away to safety, The European goal remaining elusive for McCall's side.
The despondency of the result and the way the second goal had been lost was evident at the final whistle from fans ad players alike, but with Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday lunchtime to come, the players need to react quickly and get their heads around putting on a display worth the first points of the SPFL season. Hibs themselves will still be hurting from their Europa exit last week, and will be hungry to begin getting over their Malmo mauling.
With every other side playing before The Well and the Hibees, Stuart McCall will get a good view of how the rival clubs will be set out this season. On last night's showing, he has built a very capable side, that once it gels more will keep The Well in the top six and challenge for Europe once more.
