[Druridge_Bay_Dogger]

Big game for both teams. City will be looking to bounce back from last Saturday's defeat at QP whereas Berwick will be looking to push on and eye up the play-off pack with a win.

What's the weather like up in Elgin. Is there any doubt about the game?

[elginite]

been a few showers of sleet and hard frost in the morning so might be doubtful

[ducket_lifer]

Having passion for the job is one thing having the ability to do the job is another. Ian Little clearly doesn't have the former. Another season over before the end of Jan.


LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT

The board need to interview the candidates that recently applied for the vacancy and appoint a decent manager instead of taking a turn down the easy route again.


LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT


F****** sick of it.

[Coogs]

ducket_lifer, on 21 January 2012 - 16:17, said:

Having passion for the job is one thing having the ability to do the job is another. Ian Little clearly doesn't have the former. Another season over before the end of Jan.


LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT

The board need to interview the candidates that recently applied for the vacancy and appoint a decent manager instead of taking a turn down the easy route again.


LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT


F****** sick of it.

Jumping the gun a bit, just an off day. Yano needs to be given money to shore up the weak parts of the squad, mainly right back, centre mid and up front.

[ducket_lifer]

Jumping the gun?? don't tell me the come back is on and we are going to win 5-4.

Look at our results in the last two months. When we bump into teams on a bad run they seem to climb back onto the tracks with any easy three points against us.

We could end up 8th as I see Peterhead finishing above us and the prospect of Montrose and Clyde leapfrogging us is also possible.

LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT LITTLE OUT

Fresh start required.

[HibeeJibee]

Tbh, the squad has decent depth and quality... didn't Little himself recently say something along the lines of that he's got the players, and with Gray loaned, was looking at perhaps 1 addition?

Any talk of sacking etc. is way jumping the gun. Yes - the team has now been on a bad run, without a league win in 7 and without a clean sheet in 8. And yes - Crease managed 11pts from his 9 games, and Little has managed 14pts from 11 games. But several performances have shown progress, and guts, and that's positive. Today's heavy defeat is just 1 bad result ultimately.

So clearly results need to pick-up... but there's still 16 of 36 games to play, and Little should (and will) be given the chance to take the team to May and reach the play-offs.

This post has been edited by HibeeJibee: 21 January 2012 - 17:04

[ducket_lifer]

Progress in the amount of passes we make or tackle's we make count's for nothing. Progress in the amount of effort shown counts for nothing.

Progress in the amount of points we collect count's for everything. Progress = 0 Crease 1.33 pts per game, Little 1.27

I rest my case.

[sammyreidloyal]

So what did they play like?
Having been at the last Highland debacle, this is become a regular scoreline whenever we go north.


We are incapable of keeping clean sheets,and are the poorest from side in the league.
Who is going to turn up and watch this?

[Coogs]

There was a decent crowd at the Stranraer game last week. One of the key things missing from the squad is a real leadership presence on the pitch

[BerwickMad]

7 games without a win?! Hmmm. At least we have Cough to look forward to! :/

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

When Chris McLeod and Stephen Thomson re-enter, we'll win. No sarcasm, I think they'll do wonders for the balance of our squad. That said, that Yano says he's happy with the squad does concern me a bit. For example, McLean hasn't been on form, Townsley looks average, Richard Walker is Richard Walker, Deland, for me, just isn't a defender. Goals are exploding into our net more than the previous nights kebab out of Kevin Haynes' arse. 4-3-3 is still the way forward for me, but Little needs to be a lot more concious about the balance of the squad. Going up and playing Walker and Deland in wide positions against Elgin is unreal. We all know the threat that the likes of Paul McMullan can pose. Imagine Richard Walker vs Paul McMullan. McMullan could put another 32 stone on and still absolutely rape him. We also have Elliot Smith out, with the possibility of it being till the end of the season. We need a defender.

I saw today also that Darren Smith has left us. I can't help but feeling a little disappointed with that after seeing him in the EoS cup. He looked very decent and could have been good back-up. Good backup, for example, for times when Kevin McDonald knows he's suspended for next weeks game at Clyde due to yellow cards, and still manages to get a red card at Elgin before that kicks in, or for when Lee Currie picks up his 9th yellow of the season. Greenhill will be in the squad for Clyde no doubt, and no doubt he'll throw in a nieve lunge and get a red. The lack of discipline in the midfield is, for me, indicative of the lack of balance. There is obviously a reason the midfield is picking up so many cards. Fair enough they're picking em up to protect the defence, but the defence should be there to do the job. The defence isn't however there when crazy legs has bombed forward 50 yards.

Up top of course, we simply aren't putting them away. Gribben, Noble and Gray need to fucking sort themselves out and start taking some responsibility. Their lack of goals is very alarming. Chances are being created but not put away. You can't blame Yano etc for that. The blame needs to go to the strikers, and they need to start working on their finishing, because recently it's been nothing short of appauling.

As it stands, I still retain far, far, far far more faith in Ian Little than I did Jimmy Crease. I'm very much in favour of his philosphy, formation and tactics, and I support them. I like his plans for the future, and I certainly won't be calling for his head now. We need to start turning up and winning games now though. The next two games we face Clyde and Peterhead - sides that we need to beat. If we don't, then questions should begin to be asked. It is still the same squad from Crease's era, but Yano needs to choose his words carefully when asked about it. He's got to find a balance between 'aye, some of them are a bit shit' and 'I have confidence in them'. That's not easy, but if he keeps up the 'I have confidence in them', he might end up sending John Coughlin's contract to him. He should probably also start looking at playing down our chances of the play-offs a bit too, because realistically, we're just not consistant enough.

He should be given until at least next season, so him and Horn can build their own team. It'd certainly be interesting to see how much it differs from this one.

[dunkindonut]

HibeeJibee, on 21 January 2012 - 17:00, said:

Tbh, the squad has decent depth and quality... didn't Little himself recently say something along the lines of that he's got the players, and with Gray loaned, was looking at perhaps 1 addition?

Any talk of sacking etc. is way jumping the gun. Yes - the team has now been on a bad run, without a league win in 7 and without a clean sheet in 8. And yes - Crease managed 11pts from his 9 games, and Little has managed 14pts from 11 games. But several performances have shown progress, and guts, and that's positive. Today's heavy defeat is just 1 bad result ultimately.

So clearly results need to pick-up... but there's still 16 of 36 games to play, and Little should (and will) be given the chance to take the team to May and reach the play-offs.

Have to agree with you about Ian Little. Berwick should give him until the end of the season at least. It's not so long ago that Alloa took a mauling up at Elgin and would have been complete folly to suggest sacking Paul Hartley after that result as has been proved by Alloa now being 4 points clear at the top. In my view Berwick should offer Craig Valentine a post as well after his short spell as assistant. No better player to instill some fight in a team. I remember him as a player at Alloa, when the heads went down he was the man to give the team a boot up the a** and get the heads up again.

[JasonElgin]

A deserved win for Elgin, Berwick never really threatened the Elgin goal. The sending off was a bit harsh, he did have studs raised but a yellow card was enough.

[berwicksfinest]

dunkindonut, on 21 January 2012 - 19:16, said:

Have to agree with you about Ian Little. Berwick should give him until the end of the season at least. It's not so long ago that Alloa took a mauling up at Elgin and would have been complete folly to suggest sacking Paul Hartley after that result as has been proved by Alloa now being 4 points clear at the top. In my view Berwick should offer Craig Valentine a post as well after his short spell as assistant. No better player to instill some fight in a team. I remember him as a player at Alloa, when the heads went down he was the man to give the team a boot up the a** and get the heads up again.

Ain't nowt but the mid season slump

[CasperJarrot]

Just wanted to say well done to Mark Durnan and Elgin City today for bouncing back with such conviction after last weeks beating at QP.

I rate the Saint Johnstone defender and know he will have been disappointed to have lost so heavily in his debut at the club but this was the perfect response to help shake off the memory of that defeat and the clean sheet will have helped restore the confidence of the Elgin City defence in general.

[azza]

Its the same old story with Berwick and post christmas. There's no chance of making the play offs there's 4teams a lot better than us and are also consistent something we haven't maintained consistency. mid table mediocrity for us I'm afraid this season yet again probably just where we are now.

[JasonElgin]

Highlights of the game are now on.

http://www.elgincity.co.uk/

[Jacksgranda]

JasonElgin, on 22 January 2012 - 13:47, said:

Highlights of the game are now on.

http://www.elgincity.co.uk/

That's a great site - now added to "favourites".

What height is City's no. 7?

[cityfan]

Jacksgranda, on 22 January 2012 - 14:21, said:

That's a great site - now added to "favourites".

What height is City's no. 7?

He's 6ft 10in

There was once an article in the sun about him being one of the world's tallest players...

The Sun - Paul Millar

[Jacksgranda]

6' 10"?

Holy moly, I didn't think he was that tall!

[ScottR96]

Don't worry, Berwick fans. You'll be back to winning ways next week.

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

Obviously having not been there I can't pass comment on too much of the game, but jesus christ. Barclay for the 2nd and 3rd is just absolute material. The first goal sees their striker squeeze the ball through about four players.

The defending for the 3rd is absolutely fucking awful. The midfield is taken out of the game by their number 3, and then the whole of the back four stands off. The highlight immediately after that goal shows Deland 10 yards out of position and what looks like Notman having to scramble back. Eventually that highlight shows the ball back across, in which not one defender has chosen to pick up a striker who is almost seven foot fucking tall. It's fucking basic defending. Honest to f**k, I actually can't wait for Chris McLeod to return, because that is fucking amateur. He might be a total bombscare with it at feet but at least he can fucking mark someone.

McDonald's red was never a sending off imo. Some refs wouldn't even give a foul for that.

I hope to f**k Robbie Horn can do something with that defence, and Yano can start working on sorting the middle of the park out, because defensively, those highlights show so many weaknesses that it's a disgrace. It's all basic stuff.

[shaft2]

Apparently the club have a 5 year plan but it must not include Little and Horn otherwise why would they refuse to pay the £2k for the training badge?The club have this week said they are financially secure so why not pay it themselves?

They went cap in hand to the supporters to ask if they would pay it but right;y that was refused,why pay out cash for something that will not be used at the club past May?

No progress of any note has been made since they binned JC,none at all at all and it is becoming embarrassing.

[CasperJarrot]

JasonElgin, on 22 January 2012 - 13:47, said:

Highlights of the game are now on.

http://www.elgincity.co.uk/

Excellent website with good coverage of the key moments of the game. Thanks for the link.

[sammyreidloyal]

Is the Keeper Barclay,the same clown who wobbled all over the shop at Deveronvale? He cant catch a cold -LOOK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS!!! Time for a rest methinks....!
There is no confidence in any Berwick player,the Elgin boys smelt blood and could have had nine.

BRFC You don't look good from that video,sending off was harsh but Barclay should have gone for the assault at the end,dear me,poor,poor,poor