The Falkirk FC Thread

[ANEWHOPE]

Feels like we are a million miles from getting going at the moment.

Perhaps it was the impressive start in the league cup group games that had given some of us a feeling of confidence of a good start this season, but that's certainly been blown away these last couple of games.

The biggest worry to me is how threadbare we seem to be when just a few players get injured or suspended.

I usually like to avoid blaming the manager, but tactically I don't think anyone understands what a Houston is trying to do at the moment.

Why do you like to avoid blaming the manager? Surely if that is where the blame lies then it is where is should be go? Otherwise your assessment is not an honest appraisal?

[roman_bairn]

Why do you like to avoid blaming the manager? Surely if that is where the blame lies then it is where is should be go? Otherwise your assessment is not an honest appraisal?

Generally I always think jumping to the conclusion that it's the managers fault is the easy option for someone who usually has no idea what they are talking about.

Houstons record as manager, much as he frustrates me at times, has not been that bad overall.

However why he is persisting with Kerr with Taiwo in the middle at the moment is beyond me.

Both tonight and on Saturday the set up of the team and the substitutions and subsequent repositioning of the team to accommodate the changes was embarrassing at times.

[ANEWHOPE]

Kind of what's pissing us all off I think. I could have recruited better than Houston this year. 1 good signing in Loy and he has completely ignored all the problem areas of the squad even after letting 7 players go, no doubt freeing up a pretty large chunk of cash for wages.

Worth pointing out that these problem areas have not just appeared. At least 2 season they have been evident to all but the one man with the ability to fix them. Just as bad as their existence is my impression that he doesn't seem to accept or acknowledge there are problems.

Injuries/suspensions are unfortunate but to have a squad and end up with the Luca playing right back is negligent in the extreme. Part of me felt sorry for him being asked to play there, part of me also thinks the physical shape he is in is borderline shameful.

A few games in would under normal circumstances be too early to judge but the vast majority of the squad have been with us for a considerable amount of time, although from what we saw tonight and from a large chunk of the game on Saturday it didn't look like it. Grim stuff indeed.

[ANEWHOPE]

Has anyone ever seen Alex Harris and David Smith in the same room?

You could ask the same question but with Alex Cooper.

[ANEWHOPE]

I think it’s a scandal that Livingston players were allowed to play with a 1 metre circumference invisible force-field that prevented any Falkirk player from entering tonight.
Will somebody please tell Tony Gallagher that it is his job is to stop crosses coming into the box.  Being young is no excuse for failing to complete the basics of being a full back.

• Taiwo & Kerr as a centre paring doesn't work, yet we keep trying it
• Craigen as a right of left midfielder doesn't work, yet we keep trying it
• Shepherd as anything doesn't work, yet we keep trying it
• Long throws haven't worked for a year and a half, yet we keep trying them
• One up top doesn't work, certainly not when its Nathan Austin, I love the guy but a strong breeze puts him on his arse
• We've needed a solid right back for years, we still do (and we've added the need for a solid left back too)
• Houston as a tactician, motivator and recruiter doesn’t work, yet we keep trying it

All of it needs to change.

Superb summary. [emoji122]

[lanky_ffc]

Missed the game tonight, but I'm not buying the 'worst performance under Houston' patter. Two seasons back we shipped 5 to Peterhead FS.

[Jimmy85]

Football is a funny old game eh? Two weeks ago Falkirk were knocking back bids from Man Utd for Gallagher while Sibbald was overrated and you didn't need him to steamroller the league. 

[ANEWHOPE]

Missed the game tonight, but I'm not buying the 'worst performance under Houston' patter. Two seasons back we shipped 5 to Peterhead FS.

I was at both and tonight was worse. That was a freakish result and we actually started off well but tonight was grim.

[bejazz1]

Football is a funny old game eh? Two weeks ago Falkirk were knocking back bids from Man Utd for Gallagher while Sibbald was overrated and you didn't need him to steamroller the league. 

Tbf, I think we need more than Sibbald to steamrole the league.
I'm not sure he'd had made much difference tonight as the team looked lost all over the park. Livi were fit, hungry and made our team look limp not to mention their physicality and that was evident right through the whole team.
We looked jaded like we'd just finished a grueling long hard season.

We need to sign a striker, left back, right back. How many attempts did Austin, Miller, Hippolyte, Shepherd and Loy game tonight, I can remember any, did they?
If we have no money to change it were totally fucked,

Atrocious stuff, well worthy Livingston and great value for money, teamwork at its best, their management team deserve immense credit!

[MrDust]

2 hours ago, latapythelegend said:

So glad I held off getting my season ticket. Tonight just saved me £275. Somebody needs to get that board to f**k.

The buck falls with the manager regarding the last two performances.

1 hour ago, djchapsticks said:

Isn't this just a standard Falkirk start over the last few seasons before you get going after about 6 or 7 games?

Two seasons ago, we lost three league games, the bar obviously is high to match that but whilst the same manager is in charge and the opposition has weakened, he will be judged against that.

1 hour ago, GMBairn said:

Kind of what's pissing us all off I think. I could have recruited better than Houston this year. 1 good signing in Loy and he has completely ignored all the problem areas of the squad even after letting 7 players go, no doubt freeing up a pretty large chunk of cash for wages.

Every club bar Livvy and Brechin in this league has released more than they have signed, only leaving out the above two due to an educated guess.

The buck falls on Houstie now, it for sure now is his team as Grant, Loy and I should say Shepherd remain from him taking over, it seems as it stands, last season was a warning as the inheritance players left as his signings failed to replace once more.

Craigen, Austin, Luca, Rankin, Kidd. Thomson, Aird

Sorry given the choice now, I'd sign two of the above, at a push three without going into a huge list of failures before.

The board albeit not ideal have given easily a top 4 budget as it stands, he has wasted. The biggest failing was our defence last season, we have same defence and a rookie at left back, whose value counter is going down per game. The development squad is wasted on him, Shepherd wasn't good enough when you came in Mr Houston and won't be when you are gone. We play a lumbering centre half before you play our 19yr Scotland youth cap right back, OHara obviously has Shat in your teapot.

I'm fed up seeing two centre halves, three strikers(sorry including Shepherd) two full backs, Maybury etc on our bench in the past, the development squad is there to fill the bench and give them experience to stake claims later. We have went from a progressive club who gives youth a chance, to selling it before it's had a dip in the first team, development squad wasted on Mr Houston.

His interview said on Saturday that he'd had Livvy scouted, tonite suggested otherwise with team selection.

Sorry Houstie, the buck falls with you

[Harry Kinnear]

Totally agree the buck falls with Houston.

 

How long have we all been saying Taiwo and Kerr cannot play together yet he persists with it.

 

How long have we all been saying Shepps just isnt good enough yet continually he gets the nod over O'Hara, how many chances is he going to get.

 

The squad isn't balanced, we have too much cover in some positions and none on others.

 

Houston got a budget and no matter what it was, he made the signings. Gasparatto at RB was the final straw. He is clearly not in the shape a player needs to be to play at this level and looked totally out of his depth.

 

Shadwell takes a lot of stick on here, as does Olaf on One F with regards to some of their posts about Houston but after watching that last night it's looking more and more like they are spot on.

 

Anyone want to buy a season ticket [emoji21]

 

 

[Bofabairn]

Have just listened to Houston's interview on official website.

The man is a clown.

[Harry Kinnear]

Have just listened to Houston's interview on official website.
The man is a clown.

Showed absolutely no respect to Livingston. They were better than us, looked fitter than us and wanted it more.

Gasparatto wasn't fit, has he ever been. The guy looks a good 3 stone overweight.

Didn't come across well in that interview at all.

[Bofabairn]

2 minutes ago, Harry Kinnear said:

Showed absolutely no respect to Livingston. They were better than us, looked fitter than us and wanted it more.

Gasparatto wasn't fit, has he ever been. The guy looks a good 3 stone overweight.

Didn't come across well in that interview at all.

I agree - ridiculous comments about a Livingston team who were simply better than us.

He has no humility.

Going on about their physicality!!!!! He obviously learned nothing from Killie game 2 seasons ago despite his comments to the contrary!

 

 

 

 

[Harry Kinnear]

I agree - ridiculous comments about a Livingston team who were simply better than us.
He has no humility.
Going on about their physicality!!!!! He obviously learned nothing from Killie game 2 seasons ago despite his comments to the contrary!
 
 
 
 

Seeing that interview makes me understand why so many fans of other clubs hate Houston.

Didn't make good viewing at all and he took absolutely no blame for the shambles on the pitch.

Injuries, budgets, paper thin squad blah blah blah.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Houston being a bitter, disrespectful c**t after a defeat? Never. I refuse to believe that.

[Newbornbairn]

There was no teamwork and the players look unfit. How many coaches do we have and wtf are they doing?

 

Lost count of the number of times we passed or headed the ball across our own crowded18yd box - no disrespect to Livi but another team could have murdered us last night.

[ilostmyself]

There was no teamwork and the players look unfit. How many coaches do we have and wtf are they doing?
 
Lost count of the number of times we passed or headed the ball across our own crowded18yd box - no disrespect to Livi but another team could have murdered us last night.

Biggest problem with that is that we now have to play almost the exact same unfit team on Saturday.
If no development squad players get on the bench in the cup when you have nobody in their position then they have no chance in the league.

[Just a bairn]

You'd almost think this Herbalife thing doesn't actually work.

[Shadwell Dog]

Getting sibbald in would certainly be a start but I doubt even neymar could fix a side which has far too many weak areas. Far too many players being played in the wrong position instead of using the suspensions etc to give some of the youngsters a chance. Only reason I can see for him doing what he did last night was to perhaps show the bod that he needs more players but the chances of that are now zero with us missing out on a decent quarter final tie and the money that comes along with it.