Chairman Dave Cormack has tonight released the following statement:

“We all recognise that Monday’s disastrous result in the Scottish Cup was totally unacceptable. It added insult to injury after such a poor result against Hearts, following what was a strong performance in the semi-final against Rangers at Hampden.

“The football monitoring board, comprising Stewart Milne, Willie Garner, Steven Gunn and me, have now had a full and frank meeting with Jim. It wasn’t an easy conversation, but necessary after the overall poor results since the World Cup break.

“From our wider discussions over the last two days, we believe that the senior players and the squad are behind the manager. Combined with our discussions at today’s meeting, Jim will be in the dug-out on Saturday. However, to be clear, Jim has been left in no doubt that the Board and the fans are seeking an immediate response from him and the players.”