Todd_is_God

Lando with the wrong hat on

It's a flight from Turkey, but what a nick to get yourself in all the same.

Points down to 12th / 20th is absolute nonsense. Participation trophies.

I suspect this is sarcasm. I don't think it's much of a surprise that a team 33 league games undefeated and won the league at a canter fill all but 1 slot in the TotY tbh. And deservedly so.

What’s it to you?

True, but I got that info from Struthers a few weeks ago so I expect he’ll be ITK.

Sure they are Tue/Wed & Sat then Wed & Sat the weeks immediately following the final game.

Billy Reid won it when we won the First Division so I wouldn't say Rodgers or Clement are a shoe in for it.

Bayern haven't had a bad season, though. That's what makes this achievement even more incredible.

You'd think those that watch Accies every week would have been highlighting how poor the manager is at managing and motivating our team...

Doesn't quite make up for the shiter you got last time at NDP but does, I suppose, support the theory that decisions even themselves out over the season.

I remember thinking about this last time we played this fixture, but why are Falkirk in their change kit? It's more of a clash than wearing navy blue.

Yes

Winning the league was the target tbh, and matching Dunfermline's total from last season was chosen as a (realistic tbh) total that would achieve that. He's managed neither. The club were very quick to use the points total as his KPI in defence of him when he was still on track to hit that but probably not win the league. Promotion is not a word that has ever been used this season as a target or aim. Because it is the absolute minimum expectation from the backing and investment he's received. Not getting promoted would represent complete failure not just a missed target.

If we finish on 75 points he'll still have missed his target, though. Which is a fact. I'd still punt him if we go up.

His target was to amass 80 points - that's on the record from fans forums. He cannot achieve this ergo he has failed to achieve his target for a second consecutive season.

I agree tbh. The bottom half of the Championship isn't too different to the top of League One. We should have beaten Airdrie last season and we were utter dross, but it's no surprise to see both Airdrie and Dunfermline in the playoff hunt. You'll be there too, and I reckon we could be there or there abouts if we get the chance. Looking at the teams for next season's Championship I think it will be very open, evenly matched, and won by a relatively low points total. A great opportunity for many clubs, the like of which it hasn't been for some time.

I think the majority are comfortable that it's not possible to finish above a side that drop 12 points in 36 games. However you don't watch us every week. The football is pish, there is no clear identity or style of play, we sit in and try to protect 1 goal leads at home to teams like Edinburgh City rather than trying to kill games off, he still doesn't know his best XI, and he continues to make baffling substitutions that actively weaken us. If we were second but playing decent football going into the playoffs then fine. But we've not been at that level since before Christmas. Our players literally turn up to training, eat beans on toast, doss about for a bit, have a starbucks, and then watch Netflix. Yet we're still second. That's not because of Rankin.

It's a matter of fact he has not. At its most basic level he was set a target for this season and cannot achieve it. Two seasons in charge, zero out of two targets achieved.

Given we were level on points after the First Quarter I don't actually think there is a gulf in quality between the two sides. We'll never know, obviously, but had you'd lost up in Cove I don't think we'd be sitting here in April with you lot miles clear and with that as your only loss. You've built on the confidence and belief that you can grind something out every week, and not having been beaten will be on your opposition's minds as well. You'll do well next season, but if we do go up, a decent manager would have our current squad sniffing around the playoff spots too. I dunno why Falkirk fans are so desperate for it to be true that Rankin has done a good job.

Unless it's Clyde.

We're in different divisions, so this is just a nonsense comparison. I'm being very careful not to come across as diminishing the magnitude of going unbeaten in any division, because i'm not - that is, quite simply, a remarkable achievement, but a full-time team in League One amassing a large number of points just isn't that great of an achievement.

I'm not entirely sure what difference that makes to my point tbh - John Rankin is not a good manager and we are where we are in spite of him, not because of him. It's really not an achievement to be so far ahead of 3rd place given the money we have shovelled into this season. However, to give your question a bit of respect, it's possible. A stronger manager may have tried to win the first game at TFS (we were both pretty terrible ) and who knows how your season pans out without the air of invincibility around your squad that has grown and grown as the season has progressed never getting beyond the 7th (I think) match day. Same with your late equaliser up in Cove. But there's no need though to resort to hypotheticals as we've had two full seasons of him demonstrating he may be a good coach but not a good manager. What's absolutely certain, though, is we wouldn't be any lower with a different manager.

As above I don't think this happening would be saying very much. QotS and Cove as full-time teams would be my only concern with this tbh - they might see you lot finally buggering off as a great opportunity to get out of this league and strengthen. This squad we have, with a decent manager, should be able to deal with that. But Rankin would worry me - he's too passive and lacks the ruthlessness to put teams to the sword. He'd leave the door open for sure. I'd be up for taking McCall off Clyde's hands.

Lyness has conceded I think 4 goals the whole time he’s been with us. No reason to drop him. I’ve not been that convinced by Fulton this season at all tbh. He doesn’t command his box like he did in seasons past and hasn’t stood out as any better than the other 2 keepers we’ve played. He’ll be on a decent wage too given he joined us in the top league - wouldn’t be that bothered if we let him go in the summer and kept Lyness and Smith.