Mark McGhee will have learned plenty for Saturday's defeat. Regardless of his public pronouncement that "the performance was good" he will be aware our our shortcomings.
Lasley's absence highighted the need for another addition to the squad. We need another midfielder rather than a defender played out of position.
Our inability to convert early chances cost us the game and the forwards will have to sharpen up their act. The news that Moult is unlikely to be available before the first international break means that he will miss the games against Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Rangers and Dundee. We will need a bundle of points from those meetings to enable our top scorer to return to a confident team.
Any hope of progress in the League Cup will require three decent wins against Annan, East Stirlingshire and Stranraer. Four of the best eight runners-up will proceed to the knockout and we already have a goal difference of -2.
Still, we have stuttered at the start of many seasons in times past and come through unscathed. Let's hope for another.