Lenziejag

Falkirk and QP draw is probably the best result for us today - 4 points dropped between the two of them, keeps QP 6points behind and Falkirk only 8 ahead.

Guess we aren’t trying to play on the left hand side tonight.

Maybe the beer affected how they were feeling

No - but even after two defeats we are only 6 points off 2nd.

I don’t think that is right. A couple of the charts presented in November showed the cash flow trend through this season with the investment and a typical breakeven year. There is no cash flow need to cut costs this season based on those charts.

Your last sentence is the whole point about this, though. When was the decision taken ? Before the Morton game - makes no sense. After Morton - a bit knee jerk.

This is why it is important to know when the decision was taken to start cutting costs. Before the Morton game seems inexplicable to me given the run of results we had been on. For me, this talk of cutting costs has come from nowhere!

I understand all of this. All of it was known at the start of the season when the club were happy to run with a budgeted loss for this season. At the meeting to approve the 2nd £500K investment, the roof repairs were also known about and were hopefully going to be spread over a few seasons. So, my question remains - why now on the back of an exceptional quarter when we picked up 22 points. What changed ? I don’t really expect you to be able to answer this question unless you have contacts at the club.

Exactly my point. We are far too ready to write a season off after a few bad results and blinkered to improvements - no matter how good. Result based as long as it suits us.

The thing is, I don’t understand the need to offload players at this time. We just had a £500K investment approved in November securing our cash position. There was no indication that the budgeted loss was under pressure. We had taken 22 points from 9 games. There was every reason to give Doolan additional support not take it away. That is why I have asked when the decision to cut costs was taken and why.

What necessity ? Did the £500k not come through ? Has something else happened that was going to make the budgeted loss worse ?

I wonder if that ex player rookie manager was getting hounded for a mediocre start ?

Getting rid of player who is playing consistently well, instead of two or three who don’t get a sniff of a game seems like a really bad decision to make and I don’t think even you with the low opinion you have of the Thistle board believe they would do that willingly.

If what is being said is true that we are trying to offload players, he isn’t getting the financial backing and if that knowledge has been circulating, then it is no wonder we get performances like Dunfermline.

I meant the decision to cut costs.

When was that decision taken and what led to it ?

At the end of September we had 8 points from 7 games. Between October and December we got 24 points from 12 games. There was an obvious improvement in that period. There are definitely some players that don’t look good enough for this league. Neilson, Ablade and Smith who were all last minute signings, I think.Sayers also doesn’t look up to it. Turner hasn’t performed the way I expected him to and I always thought the hype around Megwa was a bit much. Ashcroft is a typical Centre back, but so slow and got caught out on Saturday. The 1st 4 are young guys that would fit laukat’s model(at least 2 of them - not sure where Smith was). Most folk thought Turner, Ashcroft and Megwa were really good signings. O’Reilly and Robert’s have been pretty consistent week in, week out. So, I think that just leaves Crawford, who hasn’t worked out and McKay. I think a squad of 23 or 24 is about right based on the number of injuries we have had this season and last, but I do agree that we need players in their mid 20s. The other thing I would say is that I think knowing what you need in terms of squad members and getting them are two entirely different things.

The last time we got promoted, we got lucky with Archibald taking over a team that couldn’t win away from home and going on an unbeaten run. We almost got lucky again with Doolan taking an underperforming teaming and turning it around. Whether he has what it takes in the long run, I don’t know. But getting rid of him and taking a punt on somebody else would be the same kind of decision as adding £300K to the playing budget to get promoted - A gamble. If we are to get rid of Doolan, we need someone that has already got the experience of getting clubs promoted from the championship more than once.

Maybe Diack should have a word with Nesbit.

Tiffoney at Dundee

Can you clarify whether the £100K cuts for overhead and playing staff is for the remainder of this season or annually?

How many points do you think Falkirk will get ? At the 1/2 way stage last season Raith had 41 points. Dundee Utd won it with 75. Do i think we will win it ? No. Do I think the season is a write off - No. We can still get close to 70 points and that puts pressure on the others.

Which means what ?

No doubt about it. The point I was making is that things can change. (whether you change manager or not). We have won 3 of our last 5 away games having not won any of the previous 4.

Fun fact. In 2012/13 season we had 10 points from our 1st 9 away games. We didn’t lose another one after that, winning 6.