Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[Salvo Montalbano]

If St Johnstone were to be interested in one of your players, who would it be? 
We're after wingers, CMs and strikers. 

Depends. Higginbotham has scored a few and has plenty of assists but isn't a true winger. He also is either superb or like playing with a man down (sometimes literally as he likes a ref card). Aird came with a poor reputation and didn't play much in the middle of the season (there's a bit "what if" right there) but has looked really good for us. Think that's because he feels liked by the fans and squad here as he seems to be a confident lad who likes having his ego stroked. Cardle is getting on a bit but when he's on it is unstoppable. Everyone knows he's going to cut in from the left and shoot or cross an in-swinger with his right foot but when he's good nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. He loves the Pars too.

CM has been an issue for us and we've had various players in there, none of whom really would add much to St Johnstone I don't suppose.

Up top, Clark gets stick for not running around a lot and missing a few chances but he's still one of the top scorers over the past 2 Championship seasons. I can't see Ryan or McManus being Premiership quality at the moment. Callum Smith is our youngster but spent the second half of the season on loan at Alloa.

Tl:Dr version - maybe Nicky Clark or Kallum Higginbotham but they'd both be gambles.

[Black and White Tragic]

Somehow missed this great interview with Bert Paton;
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/dunfermline/interview-bert-paton-on-jock-stein-and-dunfermline-cup-glory-1-4727949

Living legend.

[HoBNob]

10 hours ago, Rob1885 said:

That substitution was outrageous

 

Not arsed if he stays or goes. Can see the pros and cons for both.

Aye that sums it up for me. 

 

 

Some substitute that. 

[Black and White Tragic]

 

Keep: Robinson, Morris, Ashcroft, M’Voto, Martin, Higginbotham, Aird, Craigen, Vincent Beadling, McManus, Clark

 

Indifferent: Cardle, Lochhead

 

Release: Talbot, Paton, Wedderburn, Shiels, Splaine, Armstrong (end of loan), Duthie

 

Not included Murdoch, Williamson, Smith as they’re under contract.

 

Think it’s important to keep most of this squad together, and that includes the manager. The performances and run of form we’ve had recently, has shown that we can challenge. We can’t afford to have big changes and have a sticky spell waiting for things to ‘click’ after every transfer window.

Release Talbot and Paton?! How easily you treat Talbot as a forgotten man because Martin has played some of the best football of his career after coming in. Talbot is a solid fullback and excellent defensive cover. Defo keep.

 

Paton is the most underrated player in our squad. A classy midfielder but AJ mysteriously seems to overlook him. Defo keep and give him gametime.

 

I think our squad needs minor tweaks but there was more than an element of bad luck to last nights loss. On another night that could have been a 4-0 spanking we dished out.

[ExxyJj]

Also maybe worthwhile bearing in mind that we'll be entering into the new reserve league for the 2018-19 season.

[Black and White Tragic]

Aye that sums it up for me. 
 
 
Some substitute that. 

You guys can’t have it both ways. The number of times AJ was criticised for not changing it, or not bringing on subs this season yet you complain when he does.

If we’d equalised and then gone on to win in ET or pens it could have been considered a master stroke. Unfortunately the tactic was probably not considered in training as the likelihood of the game going as it did was negligible. We probably needed to be cuter by initially putting him in midfield and not make it obvious what we were up to.

That may have been the tactic but it looked like he was a little lost out there. There were also a couple of long range airborne passes that weren’t aimed at him which didn’t help.

I’ve just seen that Livvy are charging £20 for the second leg next Friday so at least our massive support have been spared a fleecing.

I’d always preferred the idea of when returning to the top tier, it being as champions anyway rather than this arriving via the backdoor. Bring on 18-19!

[HoBNob]

5 minutes ago, Black and White Tragic said:

You guys can’t have it both ways. The number of times AJ was criticised for not changing it, or not bringing on subs this season yet you complain when he does.

 

Because anyone with an ounce of fucking sense could see that it was an absolutely mental substitute. 

 

 

[parsforlife]

Because anyone with an ounce of fucking sense could see that it was an absolutely mental substitute. 
 
 

Several players looked round in utter disbelief when they saw him ready to come on

[Stellaboz]

Was a huge gamble that looked immediately that it wouldn't pay off. f**k it, all managers have done this, it's not the reason we lost.
I'd punt Paton, Shiels and Talbot. McManus too if he's out of contract, not sure.

[parsboi]

The M’Voto change you could work out why.  United had correctly worked out that Higgy and Aird were serving up the threats and closed that down immediately in the second half.  We were never going to win in the middle so M’Voto up top to try and cause some panic was the plan.  Didn’t work.  But worth a punt.  

[Black and White Tragic]

Was a huge gamble that looked immediately that it wouldn't pay off. f**k it, all managers have done this, it's not the reason we lost.
I'd punt Paton, Shiels and Talbot. McManus too if he's out of contract, not sure.

Gamble indeed. At least he tried throwing the dice.

Get rid of our player of the season? Clearly you’re not thinking straight.

[Stellaboz]

Not my POTY. Wouldn't be near it.

[HoBNob]

Aye but he runs around allot. 

[D.A.F.C]

Robinson, good keeper but can lose the head. Keep.

Murdoch, replace. Injury prone. Under contract.

Talbot, 50/50 on this one. Squad player.

Martin, keep. Versatile and looking good ATM.

M'Voto. 50/50 he's not much of a footballer but unstoppable in the air.

Morris, keep.

Ashcroft, essential. Keep.

Williamson, sell on.

Splaine, let go.

Wedderburn, let go.

Paton, let go.

Shiels, let go.

Cardle, let go.

Craigen, we can get better.

Vincent, offer deal.

 Beadling, year loan?

Armstrong, meh. Don't know.

Higgy, keep.

Aird, keep.

Clark, keep.

Ryan, under contract.

McManus, keep.

Smith, under contract.

Major changes we also need to add quality to the bench. Lochhead and Duthie are nowhere near the quality we need.

 

 

[DA Baracus]

Get rid of Williamson? The same guy who was in the league team of the year?

Why is it so personal for you with him?

[CallumPar]

Release Talbot and Paton?! How easily you treat Talbot as a forgotten man because Martin has played some of the best football of his career after coming in. Talbot is a solid fullback and excellent defensive cover. Defo keep.
 
Paton is the most underrated player in our squad. A classy midfielder but AJ mysteriously seems to overlook him. Defo keep and give him gametime.
 
I think our squad needs minor tweaks but there was more than an element of bad luck to last nights loss. On another night that could have been a 4-0 spanking we dished out.

I would assume that Talbot, given he’s nearing the end of his career, will be wanting a regular game. I don’t think he’s going to get that with us next season. To me, he has struggled this year and he’s only going to get poorer. I would also imagine he’s on more money than Martin, who looks to be a much better left back. Nothing personal, I just think it’s time to move on.

As for Paton, I agree he’s a talented player, but he clearly doesn’t fit into the manager’s plans and seems to have become very injury prone. 2 years at this level and he has been constantly injured. I would be surprised if he’s been available for 50% of games. Even when fit, he also doesn’t seem to be in the manager’s plans. Why keep paying him, if the manager isn’t going to use him?

As I said, for me, the cover/competition for places is too weak. Not so much the starting 11. We need different options, not just like for like changes. United were a totally different team, when they brought Mikkelsen on at half time. Morton have undone us with changing systems and bringing on other options, on more than once occasion. We can’t react to that, if we don’t have other options available. Our bench is generally made up of players that are just poorer versions of the players ahead of them, without offering anything different - unless we play them out of position. The only way to change that, is to get rid of those lesser players, and bring in other options.

Having said that, I don’t know what’s available in the transfer market. I don’t know who’s out of contract, or who’s available for loan. Obviously, if it’s not feasible to bring in a better/cheaper option that can cover the full back area, I’d keep Talbot. Likewise, if there’s a cheaper option out wide, that would offer something other than Cardle, without sacrificing quality, why would we keep Cardle - who I’d suspect is a high earner, and I think Aird is a better player.

[smpar]

You guys can’t have it both ways. The number of times AJ was criticised for not changing it, or not bringing on subs this season yet you complain when he does.

If we’d equalised and then gone on to win in ET or pens it could have been considered a master stroke. Unfortunately the tactic was probably not considered in training as the likelihood of the game going as it did was negligible. We probably needed to be cuter by initially putting him in midfield and not make it obvious what we were up to.

Not buying this at all, I’m afraid.

[D.A.F.C]

Get rid of Williamson? The same guy who was in the league team of the year?
Why is it so personal for you with him?

Sell on not get rid.

[Chicken Wing]

Sell on not get rid.

Same difference

[D.A.F.C]

Tell that to juventus and united