Bleeding Gums Murphy

The Vata thing for manager was a joke which I get doesn't come across very well when written. The right backs point I'll argue. Why, when finances are tight, are we signing 2 out & out right backs? We trimmed the development squad last season to keep the best prospects. Could we not have taken cover from there? Sean Welsh played there before also (in an emergency). Then we have Elliot when he comes back. Quality vs Quantity.

Which bits do you consider nonsense? Apart from all of it!!

Im no fan of BoD (far from it) but when the manager is bringing in one player to replace another in same position within 6 weeks because the first player isn't the type of player required to play system he wants then you can't say he's not been supported. Even the signing of Edwards & Whiteside this week. Quality or quantity again? We all know the system he's going to play before turning up on Saturday & if we know then surely opposition know also. We're too predictable. The DU fans have been complaining about the same thing under McNamara. He's gone because of that despite having better results than us over past few seasons. I know there were other issues such as his contract but ultimately results cost him his job. Welsh,Bannigan & Osman together doesn't work but he persists with it. Changes usually occur reactively (when we're behind or the usual 67th minute change of one striker for another). Crowds are dwindling. Hospitality is not being sold. The football we were playing has been replaced with playing in front of the opposition. Cup runs non existent. Transfer dealings on the whole have been poor- the Taylor episode last Summer & more so the Summer before, no replacement for Sinclair despite him saying the year before he was off. We had numerical trialists in that Summer also but ended up going with McMillan - a good defender but again not the player for the system he persists in playing. As for his replacement. Advertise it, see who applies. I'm sure there would be plenty interest. Lomas & Pressley have both been mentioned previously. Jeez, why not go for Rudi Vata considering he's getting us most of our players these days. We stick with the manager & we're down. 87 points to play for or not, 3 goals by October playing a system that's predictable to the opposition. Couple of occasions yesterday (again) that Doolan has done well in a wide position to get a ball in the box only to find that no one in there. Like I said, predictable. & as I said previously, financially we can't afford to buck the trend. He's costing us money in transfers, no cup run money being brought in, ST sales down, hospitality half full. Why? Are the supporters the vociferous minority rather than the silent majority (many it seems are voting with their feet). Personally I'd say go now but give him one more game. No win vs DU then it's definitely time to go. If he was doing well & someone came along with a better offer then no doubt about it, he'd be off. (& why not?) but when he's doing badly we've to buck the trend? Not for me.

They don't have nearly as many now they've got rid of their biggest weak point. Thistle unfortunately...

Absolutely. No such thing as loyalty anymore whether it be a player/manager/managing director/office staff. A football club is a business & if in business an employee was costing that business money with constant bad decision making, then what happens? I did say a few weeks ago I'd give him til international break, even did last week, but after that today I think he should go now or the BoD put him on gardening leave.

McParland I'll give to.a large extent but Archibald? If Thompson Jnr was to phone tomorrow (as if) & offer him the DU job do you think he would do anything different than he did when he was a player & McCall/Thompson snr came a calling?

Stephen Craigan has been in charge one game. He has more points than Archibald accumulated this season & only one short of our season's goal tally.

Too far.

But they didn't get international clearance (so I was told) to play him today. Amatuer hour Friday signing. (Or Sat if you're in Oz).

Nah. Dick just being a dick criticising The Cup.

Along with Welsh, Osman & Bannigan in the midfield. It doesn't work but hey, it's not Archie's fault. Was willing to give him to after the DU game but after today, naw!! Go please.

What was your opinion on the game today Dick? Did we do enough from where you were sitting?

Agreed. We're only a couple of seasons away from league 1.

I still find it baffling that after stats like that, some folk still cannot say or read anything that wrongs Archibald. If his most recent predecessors had stats like that they'd have been shouting for their hear at least 2 games ago. But Jags legend Archibald, who jumped ship to DU before when they came-a-calling, nope!! He's exempt from criticism as its all the board's fault.

The problem with Craigen was he was released you couldn't say he was good enough to remain with us if you were talking about building a squad to take us to the next level. Now that the next level might be the Championship however!!

1. No, it shouldn't be. 2. They've backed him with additional monies in 2 Jan transfer windows to fix mistakes he has made in the Summer window. 3. They absolutely did. Lomas was one I was talking about being a replacement previously. There are managers out there who would jump at the chance of managing us on the budget/wages. Better than being out of work.

This did make me laugh out loud!! Talk about pot & kettle.

Is it the BoD fault? They are partly to blame no doubt about it. However, I give you John Baird, Mark Kert, Henoc Mukendi & Ross Forbes. ' Then I'll add in Nathan Ecclestone, Jake Carrol To give the BoD their credit in all of that, twice they've backed him with cash in January to bring in Taylor (twice), Bauben, Erskine & others. Finances are tight, is it the BoD to blame? Is it the lack of fans backing at the gate. IMO, a combination of both. However with finances as tight as they are, we can't afford to be doing a Ro$$ Co & changing our team in January every year. That means that due diligence has to be done with the signings we do bring in. An abundance of midfielders who all do similar roles, bringing in another right back weeks after bringing in a right back & what seems to be putting all our eggs in one basket re striker (Taylor) suggests the manager hasn't done that. This along with a persistence of playing the same formation every week -with at the moment (or 8 games out of 9 think it is) - the same result. Namely Partick Thistle nil. I wonder how many folk would've been as patient with McCall or McNamara of they went through same run? The legend that is Alan Archibald clouds some fans judgement I reckon. Remember though, if he was making a great job of this & a higher club came calling, would he stay because of the fans backing? 99% certain it'd be a no. Therefore why should it be any different when he's doing a poor job. 2 games until the international break. No wins in either & I think it's time for change.

That they'll soon be able to purchase the remaining 50% of the ground at a reduced cost?

Discredited for expressing an opinion? Linda blocked me a good while back but how can he say The Cup disappears when we're winning? Is that like LSR (& others) disappear when we're on a run like this? As for this 'players out with my budget' sh!te. We've been here before. We were told that last season & the season before. Someone, apologies as haven't checked back, made the point about Dundee with Greg Stewart from Cowdenbeath & Henmings signed on a free (moved to league 1 down South after we rejected him). Was that Ecclestone we got eventually that year? The talent is there if the coaching is thereto develop it. Of course we can still pull ourselves out of it. Ross County did it last year. Change of management was required though. Ayrshire Jag. You are spot on sir. Problem is I don't think those who are the top of the club worry too much about falling crowds, especially when they own 50% of the ground. I'm sure they'll happily buy the other 50% also...

As opposed to being proactive. But then I think you knew what I meant as you're the mind reader who told me my expectations were to high without knowing what they were.

To be fair, it's better than saying we were 'unlucky' - again!!

Finances & results will always set the agenda in football, nothing else. That doesn't matter if you're Partick Thistle, East Stirling or Rob Roy. Try sticking by people? Ok fine but the flip side is when they're successful & a perceived bigger club comes a calling, are they sticking with us because we stick by them? I think we both know the answer there also. I've said before that believe it or not, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see a successful PTFC team with Archibald at the helm. I just can't see it. Hartley showed yesterday how a football manager can influence the outcome of a game. As someone mentioned before, Archibald's changes almost always tend to be reactive. I hope over the next few games he can get this team winning but performances to date make me doubt that he can. Time will tell.

So we've been unlucky?