AllyMonc

Hope we try passing the ball to people on the same side as us next week. Not really sure what’s brought on the absolute Brexit Football we’ve seen the last 2 home games but it’s about as successful as the PM’s deal (bit of mild satire for you there). Apart from handsome Rab and I guess Shepherd we were utter guff. Thomson looked like his first season where he would occasionally take time out from giving the ball away to foul someone and it’s the first time Andy Black hasn’t had pass marks. All that said we’re still well ahead of where I expected us to be and I really enjoyed my macaroni pie so it’s not all bad.

Aye that was pish. Slightly more energy than against Stirling the other week but arguably less quality. Not sure if we're bottling it or are just regressing to the mean. Either way it's not much fun. Danny Galbraith and I are going to fall out before the end of the season.

I don’t have much to contribute here other than I think I’ll have a macaroni pie instead of my usual scotch.

If it’s any consolation your highlights package is tremendous and produced very quickly. That looked much more like us. Going to be some run in.

Ah, looks like we’re getting a reaction this week then. 3 up after less than 20 mins is some going.

Not sure if we’re having a wobble or not but would be lovely to pick up 3 points here. We were tremendous last time out at Hampden something close to that will do I’d imagine. We’ve got a fair bit of pace in the final 3rd so the big pitch should suit us. Not making it through today but I hope everyone has a lovely time xx

“McDonut “

I accept the point but at the moment none of City’s business looks particularly outrageous, certainly not to the extent it would cause concern about the future viability of the club. Balatoni has consciously dropped down to part time to pursue a career as a Financial Adviser. Handling was playing part time before us (and not all that well I believe so I’m not sure there would have been a queue for his services) and I assume is looking to use us as a springboard back to full time. Galbraith has hardly kicked a ball for 2 years and it appears is now writing articles for Edinburgh Live. Laird is probably on a good wage and certainly will have had a pay rise from when he joined. He’s been our most important player since the day he arrived to be fair to him. Shepherd again is using us to get his career back on track under a manager he likes. He’ll also be on a reasonable amount I’d imagine. Henderson B, Henderson L, Black, Smith etc. are all lower league part time players who have consistently been paid lower league part time wages. And I assume that hasn’t changed since they signed for City. Where I do think you would see increased fan activity or increased fan concern is in regards to where we’re going to be playing our football after next season. If our ambition is to be the best part time team in the country then we need a ground that is fit for purpose, Meadowbank looks a no go, Ainslie Park is brutal if the crowd is over 400. I’d imagine if we’re not any further forward by this summer you’ll see real pressure from the support to get some clarity, you certainly will from me anyway. Aye if we go and start bringing in guys who are playing regular full time football and have other full time options then that would be a concern in terms of sustainability.

Aye funny how folk see things differently I guess. I thought Galbraith started well and was then was an absolute passenger and that Watson was the only one in our midfield with any aggression. We seemed to play a different formation today, 442 with a diamond rather than a 4231 so I’m not sure if that had an effect. We’re still in an incredible position and I’m happy to write today off (along with the last 5 mins at Berwick) but I genuinely expected a reaction today and we were mince.

Again a fair point(s) but again I would argue not as relevant as people might think. The Thomson signing skewed everything, people that had started to have concerns about the board and the direction they were taking the club didn’t really get time to build up any meaningful discontent as very quickly Thomson was brought in and that was a line in the sand for the already mildly disgruntled. *Not going to go over old ground but I thought signing him was the wrong thing to do and I took my protests to the board* Basically we got promoted, survived (as the ‘old’ Edinburgh City), a new board came in, some people grumbled, Thomson signed, some people chucked it, the board carried on, changed the club (and I think most accept that was necessary now) and here we are. Another, important factor to consider is that the depths of what I don’t know are a constant surprise to any that come in contact with me. Maybe some of the people I sit next to every week see a fuller picture but if they do they’re not sharing it with me. *edited to add, me using ‘drifted away’ was probably incorrect and paints an inaccurate picture, it ended up being more abrupt than that for the reasons stated above.

Utter pish today, not sure many who came to see us for the first time today will be back in a hurry. Full credit to Albion who brought a good support and were better defensively than anyone else I’ve seen this season. Deary me we missed Andy Black’s aggression in midfield. Absolute powderpuff without him. Probably the first game I’ve felt the manager has negatively impacted us, taking off Watson and leaving on Galbraith was either a piece of performance art, too complex for me to fully comprehend or one of the thickest substitutions of the season. Take your pick. Were always going to have a rough patch but that performance was a concern and the only positive from today is that Clyde did us a favour (only a small one as it’s a 3 horse race now).

That is a very long and articulate post for this time on a Friday evening. What I will say in response is that since our time in the Lowland League (and East of Scotland before that) there has been wholesale changes to our board and the way they run the club. And I think that renders some of your points moot. Yes previously everyone who went along to Meadowbank would have a fair idea of what was going on, who was being paid what etc. but it’s a new era now, a more professional one and one where the board appear to keep their cards relatively close to their chest. Unless I’m being deliberately kept in the dark (and I’m not sure I’m quite that unpopular) I honestly don’t think most fans have much idea what’s going on behind closed doors. City are a very different club now, some don’t like it and have drifted away, some are okay with it and have stayed, some are stuck somewhere in between. My own guess is that we’re amongst the highest payers in the league but not way out on our own. But like I said, that’s a guess.

Meh, people are touchy professional or not. Personally, as long as we don’t do a Gretna (or screw anyone over) I’m not overly bothered.

The manager having a wee dig at the ‘in the knows’ on Pie and Bov in the Evening News this week.

For what it’s worth (FWIW) I’d give half price entry to Stirling season ticket holders tomorrow and would do the same every home game when the respective clubs are to visit. If it was adopted across the league it gives a bigger incentive to buy a season ticket and if there’s one thing clubs at this level should be doing is looking after their season ticket holders, in my honest opinion (IMHO). I’m also fine with the half price entry for the Hibs and Hearts lot and think it makes perfect sense but I can see why it sticks in the craw for some.