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Bairns vs Jags


jagfox
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Falkirk 🔵⚪️ vs Thistle 🟡🔴  

23 members have voted

  1. 1. Match Result

    • Home Win
      14
    • Draw 🤝
      3
    • Away Win
      6

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  • Poll closed on 02/08/2025 at 03:00 PM

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Big game to begin the post Harry Milne era.

A couple of new bodies in and at least two new starters in the line-up.

Falkirk have added a couple of young loanees, including the lad from Dundee who seemed to do a decent job for them. Scott Arfield also returns and will boost their fans.

Not sure if we will try to match Falkirk's line-up like we did at Ayr?

Mitchell

Megwa Ashcroft O'Reilly Drysdale

Martin Bannigan

Chalmers Turner Fitzpatrick 

Graham

I have a feeling Crawford could vie for the #10 role

It would be good to see if we can be more competitive than our last two games with Falkirk.

Edited by jagfox
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That Megwa boy's so good you've got him playing in 2 positions!

On another subject - Harry Milne always struck me as a smart guy who's likely to be quite switched on. What's he doing using X then?!! I won't hold it against him though... ...much...

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I’m doubtful he’ll play Drysdale as I don’t think he’s actually seen him play (ok, you could possibly have said the same about Sayers, Nilsson and Williams!), but I don’t think he’ll launch an unknown quantity away to Falkirk.. He might opt for OReilly at LB and bring McBeth into CB. 
Think Ablade deserves a start and Turner should play the no 10 role, Chalmers on the left. Fitzy on the bench. 
 

Mitchell

Megwa/Ashcroft/McBeth/OReilly

Bannigan/Martin/Turner

Ablade/Graham/Chalmers 
 

 

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I sense this is the least "must win" game* we'll maybe play this season. With that in mind Doolan may go a wee bit extra cautious and try and sneak the three points but be happy enough with a draw. Or he could approach the game more as a kinda free hit and select a starting XI the way he means to continue. My guess would be he'll take the cautious route. Starting both of the newbies and a tweaked formation away to Falkirk might be considered a bit rash. So I think he'll play O'Reilly at left back with Martin starting and pushing Turner (Crawford) into the "Robinson" position. The rest as you were.

*could probably have phrased that better, but I'm glad we're not playing QP, Morton or Raith this Saturday, 

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I hope Doolan isn't going to go into the Falkirk game deploying the same tactics as previous months. Saturday needs to be seen as free hit and a chance to experiment in the hope of finding something better to go forward with so for me

                          Mitchell

Megwa-Ashcroft-O'Reilly-Drysdale

Lawless- Martin - Turner - Chalmers

                  Ablade- Graham

Harsh on Bannigan but I think we need younger legs in the team so Martin and Turner or Martin and McBeth in the middle.

We need Ablade's pace otherwise we are just too slow also think he could be tasked with stopping their centrebacks playing out to Spencer which seems their preferred pattern of play.

After Fitzpatrick's performance last week he just can't start. So Lawless or MacKay if fit. Also want Chalmers on the left going outside their fullback rather than cutting in from the right.

 

                

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1 hour ago, laukat said:

 

Harsh on Bannigan but I think we need younger legs in the team so Martin and Turner or Martin and McBeth in the middle

                

Bannigan has been our best player for weeks (ok not a high bar) with 3 consecutive player of the month awards, but hey we all see things differently!

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We can’t start with 2 up front as is would mean we have no forwards on the bench and therefore no option to switch things up if we need to chase the game. Besides any suggestion to remove a player from the fragile midfield is just bizarre and only result in longballs over the top and taking out the midfield 

I hope that the addition of Martin will add that midfield hard man we have been missing. The 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 looks a good match for the squad we have. I hope that Martin replacing Crawford will give us some control of midfield and let Turner and Banzo be more creative. I would also start Drysdale if he doesn’t start then it shows a lack of confidence from Doolan and big questions over why we signed him.

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I think Ben is a starter, was starting last Saturday until picking up a dead leg on Friday. Don’t see him dropping Banzo, so Martin maybe on the bench unless he’s going with 3 ‘less creative ‘ midfielders. Can see Aidan missing out with Ablade coming in. 

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1 hour ago, thornwoodjag said:

I think Ben is a starter, was starting last Saturday until picking up a dead leg on Friday. Don’t see him dropping Banzo, so Martin maybe on the bench unless he’s going with 3 ‘less creative ‘ midfielders. Can see Aidan missing out with Ablade coming in. 

👀

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6 hours ago, laukat said:

I hope Doolan isn't going to go into the Falkirk game deploying the same tactics as previous months. Saturday needs to be seen as free hit and a chance to experiment in the hope of finding something better to go forward with so for me

                          Mitchell

Megwa-Ashcroft-O'Reilly-Drysdale

Lawless- Martin - Turner - Chalmers

                  Ablade- Graham

Harsh on Bannigan but I think we need younger legs in the team so Martin and Turner or Martin and McBeth in the middle.

We need Ablade's pace otherwise we are just too slow also think he could be tasked with stopping their centrebacks playing out to Spencer which seems their preferred pattern of play.

After Fitzpatrick's performance last week he just can't start. So Lawless or MacKay if fit. Also want Chalmers on the left going outside their fullback rather than cutting in from the right.

 

                

I agree we have to go for it. No idea how good the new LB is, but not a lot of experience. This may not be the game for him. Fitzpatrick has been awful of late so Lawless n chalmers out wide. He won't drop bannigan ( performances speak for themselves ). I'd like ablade to start. So it's Turner or Martin who will miss out, unless ablade misses out again and both start. I'd hate to think we try for a draw....

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I often notice that when the left-back question comes up, and possible replacements, Bannigan rarely features. But he played in that position (comfortably and competently, as I recall) earlier in his career. True, he's not going to bomb down the wing and overlap like a few of our more recent LBs, but I could see him driving forward through midfield and setting up attacks (whereas now he usually collects the ball in midfield and takes the easy, non-constructive, lazy option of a sideways or backwards pass), and he can tackle. Is he considered too slow for LB now? 

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1 hour ago, Jaggernaut said:

I often notice that when the left-back question comes up, and possible replacements, Bannigan rarely features. But he played in that position (comfortably and competently, as I recall) earlier in his career. True, he's not going to bomb down the wing and overlap like a few of our more recent LBs, but I could see him driving forward through midfield and setting up attacks (whereas now he usually collects the ball in midfield and takes the easy, non-constructive, lazy option of a sideways or backwards pass), and he can tackle. Is he considered too slow for LB now? 

I am open to correction, but I think that Banzo’s last game at left back was away against Motherwell in 2014. Banzo had a difficult afternoon and gave away the penalty by which we lost 1-0.

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watched the falkirk v livi last week

middle to front falkirk are good

the back line I thought were not very clever with fast livi players causing causing them all sorts of problems

imo ablade should start up front, i would rest banzo

falkirk looked very strong on their left side, megwa is going to be very busy 

the rest of the team, over to the manager 😄

 

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6 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

We even had Steve Lawless at left back for a number of games. Something that appears almost surreal. Anyone mind when and the results? 

I think it was against Dundee when we won 2-1 and then the next 2 or 3 after that. If I remember he played as a left wingback.

I have vague memories of Dundee trying to put someone very tall up against him but he was surprisingly good in the air. 

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9 hours ago, partickthedog said:

I am open to correction, but I think that Banzo’s last game at left back was away against Motherwell in 2014. Banzo had a difficult afternoon and gave away the penalty by which we lost 1-0.

I think Banzo may have been put there after then at Hamilton and had a torrid time - was hooked (or moved) at half time when we were 2-0 down. Ended up nearly winning (usual last minute equalizer). However memory is hazy so I'm not sure if I'm getting games mixed up here.

Edited by Duke Gekantawa
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8 minutes ago, Duke Gekantawa said:

I think Banzo may have been put there after then at Hamilton and had a torrid time - was hooked (or moved) at half time when we were 2-0 down. Ended up nearly winning (usual last minute equalizer). However memory is hazy so I'm not sure if I'm getting games mixed up here.

I do remember Bannigan at leftback in a few premier league game. Also think he played there a couple of times in either the season we got promoted or the season prior in the old First Division.

I thought at championship level he should be good enough to cover left back and probably better, particularly on the ball, than O'Reilly

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