lady-isobel-barnett

Not sure when they're due to go into administration again.

I think McCall will do everything he can to keep the bulk of the players under 25 years old. Losing Sid & McNamara won't free up much cash as we're told they're on a pittance so I can see Robbo and maybe Rowson or Archie leaving. In my view, of Boyle, Cairney, Hodge & Paton we should put the emphasis on holding on to Boyle. Good left sided players are hard to find. We're fortunate that Bannigan can replace Hodge and McGeough replace Paton (as a wingback anyway). Imo Campbell could be a good replacement for Cairney tho' McCall might want to play Jamie out wide. Everything I've seen of Campbell, including last night, looks like he could be starting games soon.

Words can't really say how sorry I, and I'm sure all others on here, are to hear of your tragedy. This is a fantastic project and when completed will be a most fitting way to mark Eilidh's memory. It's just a pity there wasn't a larger crowd last night. Good luck

Great photos, Tommy. Especially like the one of Balatoni scoring.

It's the soft loans thingy that really stinks. With Melville, Brannan and also iirc, Bennett, cash inputs suddenly became loans and in the case of Bennett he became a grieved landowner overnight. Cross the 75% creditor limit with soft loans and you're home, no bother. btw folk talk of Dunfermline's huge debts but they could do a "Dundee" just as easily.

He's come down in the world. On Saturday he was supposed to be getting a taxi Some excellent performances last night. Robbo tried hard to atone for Saturday and played the wingback role as if that was his natural position. I was surprised to see us go 3-5-2 but we played it positively (Robbo & Boyle in attack more often than not. Balatoni & Archie breaking forward regularly). Conrad didn't look like a player who's not been getting a game lately. Grehan & Flannigan played well and were effective while Rowson was back to his usual self. Imo the stand out player last night was Doolan. He controlled the ball well at pace, not afraid to use his weaker foot and his work rate exceptional. My only criticism (well that's really a harsh choice of word) is he does so much defending/tracking back for a lead striker. Kris might have been MotM but the Binos right back would have won an award for the most entertainment. Guy's as keen as mustard. Spent much of the game creating space for himself and shouting for the ball. Just about anytime his colleagues gave him the ball he completely cocked it up. Undaunted he just carried on screaming for the ball. Think it's worth pointing out that altho' the pitch looked good last night it was in fact pretty poor with an irregular bounce. Last three games have been played on three very different surfaces. btw Tom, if you're about the match details don't include Erskine being subbed for Campbell.

Putting the finances aside we'd feel right clowns if we ditched the rugby only to find the pitch still didn't hold up. For reasons, as Tom points out, that could easily happen. Hampden, Fir Park & McDiarmid have all been/are dodgy this season, tho' I think Geoff Brown blames Elton John . Not been mentioned yet but one way forward could be a plastic pitch but I have reservations. Plus side would be opportunities to rent out pitch during week, not have to rent other pitches/training facilities so often, and far less likely to lose a game to the weather (tho' I noticed Stenhousemuir had a game postponed recently while Falkirk's was on). Also the income wouldn't be as guaranteed as at Ochilview, Recs, and as was New Douglas Pk where there isn't the same competition. But, just my opinion and I've watched many games on plastic, I feel something's missing from the entertainment value. Kinda like watching golf on lush parkland courses as opposed to traditional links. Everything's that wee bit more predictable and duller. I've only brought this subject up as I don't see the point in complaining about our pitch without offering some sort of solution.

I wonder if an SPL2 scenario could result in us being fined and/or made to re-turf excessively? As said before I too doubt whether the state of the pitch is the single reason why any real Jags fan would stay away. I would tho' concede that it could be one of a handful of reasons why some fans don't attend. Obviously the Warriors rental is of paramount importance to us but sadly there has to be a debit side. I suppose in theory we could lose out on incremental football revenue, things like Junior Cup finals, Under 21 internationals etc. I'm not that sure that we'd have to play reserve games and the players train away from Firhill if the pitch was a bit more robust. Could we lose out on a Cup TV game? I'd imagine Sky or whoever would/may only opt for another match if it was of equal attraction as a fixture. To repeat I feel there's bound to be a financial downside due to the state of the pitch but the cash from the Warriors deal will be massive in comparison.

Smashin' news

Back to the match and one of the most disappointing facts was that despite playing the same team that performed so well at Raith we flopped in every outfield position. Against Raith every player impressed and tho' Chris Erskine was singled out as our MotM you could make a strong case for any of the other players. This Saturday, made worse as we were playing a team who'd had a tough midweek game and have lost a good few players thru injury, we were as the OP says abysmal. That goes for all ten outfield players who started. It would be convenient to blame the pitch, which unlike the team selection, was chalk and cheese with the condition of Starks, but evidently the last time we really played poorly was on a very good surface at Cappielow. So I suppose we'll just have to put this reversal down to another episode in the Wonders of Jaggydom.When did we first get tagged the Great Unpredictables? 1950s? Felt sorry for the person landed with the task of picking the MotM. If it was me I'd have chosen Shaun Fraser then snatched the champagne back from him as he's underage.

time to say good knight.

Because Grehan wouldn't accept anything longer.

Firstly I haven't a clue by what you mean about dictating when a thread starts. Secondly I'm not dictating when a thread finishes. How do you go about that anyway? I was suggesting that with the OP evidently content with Lance's post that the matter was over with. I'm sorry I hadn't anticipated you or anyone else feeling so strongly about it. Anyway in fairness to Lance is it not better just to leave it be?

I wasn't for a moment suggesting you boo or agree with booing a player off. I am saying categorically that there's a not too small minority that appear to enjoy jeering and mocking a certain player, which is in effect creating a scapegoat. Cheering when said player gets subbed is probably the most noticeable example of what I'm meaning. I've done it myself when it's been a player who's given a half arsed contribution, but I don't think anyone, yourself included, is saying Grehan doesn't put himself about. So we're basically disagreeing about the guy's potential. You've obviously given up on him and I haven't. I've cited a couple of displays where he's been more than decent, another poster more games than that. Gordie reckons it could be confidence and I tend to agree with him. That said I wouldn't be shocked if Martin G turns out to be worthy of a taxi, I'm just far from certain yet that this is the case. On the other point I was making, regardless what anyone feels about Grehan, I don't think it's it's necessarily wise to simply throw Fraser in as his replacement. I'd hate to see young Shaun's confidence shattered by too much expected too soon. Again our rather vociferous intolerant brigade has much to say in my reasoning.

Could you not have just left this thread after Big Col's post? Clearly, well to me at least, the poster who started the thread was (in the post above yours) drawing a line under it after Lance's post. You obviously feel the need to add your tuppence worth to what should've now been a thread that's run it's course. I realise by posting this and thus dragging out the thread I'm falling into the land of hypocrisy so maybe I, like you, should also "get a life".

This is much my view. To be totally honest I saw Grehan play very poorly in a reserve game at Glasgow Green against Q o S and I thought at the time this guy won't cut it. Then, as I posted earlier, he played well at McDiarmid and immediately after against the Q o S first team. I know I wouldn't be alone in saying he was the best player on the field that day. It's also worth comparing the performance of MG that day against Holmes at Queens. Two directly comparable players in two roughly equal rated teams this season. Holmes, who couldn't lace Grehan's boots that day, was stand in team captain, so obviously rated at Palmerston. Holmes as we've seen can be an effective player and have a dud game. I'm not so sure that dud players can have effective games. So imo Grehan isn't a dud and as Gordie suggests it could be a confidence thing. Don't suppose we'll ever find out if the lad's not given more of a chance.

Yip, I think I could've worked that one out. Now tell me why releasing Buchanan is false economy. Are you seriously suggesting in the few months remaining of his contract the net profit from the Club's turnover would exceed the gross cost of employing Buchanan?

Aye and that's before Jaggernaut gets hold of your their instead of there. Life's goin' be hardly worth living, my lad.

Bump!

Not being judgemental but the odds of this appearing in the papers have been considerably shortened by starting this thread.

So is the feckin' pie queue.

That could work but it's a bit late this season tho' I think there's technically 10 or so days left officially.

I don't understand how it was false economy. How would we be better off financially if he stayed?

Could be right about the scapegoat. That's why we need to keep him. Release Grehan and those who are happier groaning/booing/slating/jeering or whatever will want to move on to another. McCall is maybe over reticent in playing the younger players but perhaps he fears their confidence will be shattered playing in front of the teeth gnashing brigade. Any manager ideally wants to introduce young players at home rather than at an away game but when a sizeable minority of your support appear to enjoy mocking individual players then whether to start a youngster or not isn't an easy decision.

It's only my opinion but I can't recall a single game where Erskine has played well and we've been beaten. So I feel that before I rate Chris a magical/important player I'd like to come away from a defeat or a disappointing draw with the consolation of saying at least Erskine had a decent game. Maybe what I'm trying to say is when a wee bit of magic from Erskine turns a game or three and we sneak a few undeserved wins thru him alone then I'll start to see him as an important player. On the positive side I reckon there's no shortage of potential with Erskine and he's definitely worth pursuing with but at the moment I feel he's about 40% substance and 60% potential.