The Falkirk FC Thread

[knee jerk reaction]

I don't get the constant disappointment surrounding Houston? getting to the cup final plus one of our best ever seasons finishing just behind rangers with some brilliant results, last season wasn't as good to watch for football style or for results but it wasn't bad (the "we only finished 2nd because everyone else was rubbish" is just patronising nonsense), god knows how we'd be on here if we were to drop down a league like Raith, Dunfermline, Morton, Ayr and Airdrie have all done recently. Houston isn't psychic, he was probably like 90% of the guys on here before the 1st league game, thinking we were looking good for the season! hindsight is a wonderful thing. however, the start to the league has been shocking, we are not looking like a team and struggling defensively. hopefully a fortnight before the next league game will give us time to kick start the season, a wee run will shoot us up the league and make everyone a wee bit happier, COYB

sometimes being optimistic can lead to disappointment as I'm actually looking forward to a weekend in Sligo, we live in hope....

[Skyline Drifter]

1 hour ago, ANEWHOPE said:

Unless I've got it wrong (there is a good chance of that) it seems like the overwhelming majority on here are agreement that time is up for Houston. What's next?

Serious question to all Falkirk fans because I am interested.

From the outside it appears as if Houston has done a pretty good job at Falkirk. You were never likely to win promotion in the last three seasons with the company you had but other than finishing below us in 14/15 (a season in which he got you to the Scottish Cup Final) he has had you finish higher than you really should the other years and eliminate Hibs from the playoffs along the way. Whilst I accept losing to United in last year's playoffs was gutting, it was very close.

He started this season brightly, blitzing through the League Cup group and with Loy and ultimately Sibbald back you all seemed pretty confident. 

You have had a disappointing start no doubt but its 4 games plus a League Cup defeat in extra time to Livi. It seems a bit of an over-reaction to go so quickly to "he has to go". Has he earned no latitude at all? It just seems to me another highlight of the modern day "never more than 4 or 5 games from tbe sack" attitude. I presume there's more to it than I am seeing here?

Edited August 27, 2017 by Skyline Drifter

[BigSpow]

Serious question to all Falkirk fans because I am interested.
From the outside it appears as if Houston has done a pretty good job at Falkirk. You were never likely to win promotion in the last three seasons with the company you had but other than finishing below us in 14/15 (a season in which he got you to the Scottish Cup Final) he has had you finish higher than you really should the other years and eliminate Hibs from the playoffs along the way. Whilst I accept losing to United in last year's playoffs was gutting, it was very close.
He started this season brightly, blitzing through the League Cup group and with Loy and ultimately Sibbald back you all seemed pretty confident. 
You have had a disappointing start no doubt but its 4 games plus a League Cup defeat in extra time to Livi. It seems a bit of an over-reaction to go so quickly to "he has to go". Has he earned no latitude at all? It just seems to me another highlight of the modern day "never more than 4 or 5 games from tbe sack" attitude. I presume there's more to it than I am seeing here?

Yes there's more too it.

[Skyline Drifter]

6 minutes ago, BigSpow said:

Yes there's more too it.

Uh huh, which is?...........

[Senor Bairn]

You have had a disappointing start no doubt but its 4 games plus a League Cup defeat in extra time to Livi. It seems a bit of an over-reaction to go so quickly to "he has to go". Has he earned no latitude at all? It just seems to me another highlight of the modern day "never more than 4 or 5 games from tbe sack" attitude. I presume there's more to it than I am seeing here?

There definitely is more to it than that but I can see how from an outsiders view it looks like we're a bunch of moaners (well we are but for good reason )

Houstie inherited a good squad with the likes of Vaulks, Alston, Sibbs, Loy and Grant (signed before Gary Holy left) already here before he arrived. He's done really well over the last couple of seasons but this wasn't down to his signings. The season we finished second behind rangers was probably our best season in a long time and the sides two best players in Vaulks and Alston were sold on. Vaulks, an athletic box to box midfielder who could score from anywhere in the oppositions half was replaced by John Rankin. We still haven't signed anyone to replace Alston tbh. Last season we played some absolutely dross football. Houston continued to play the likes of John Baird and Mark Kerr through sheer loyalty even though they were mince for large chunks of the season. Houstons recruitment has been absolutely shocking since he came to the club and it's starting to catch up with us.

People are starting to get fed up of the board also pretending that they want to get us promoted as well x

[Distant Doonhamer]

25 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

Serious question to all Falkirk fans because I am interested.

From the outside it appears as if Houston has done a pretty good job at Falkirk. You were never likely to win promotion in the last three seasons with the company you had but other than finishing below us in 14/15 (a season in which he got you to the Scottish Cup Final) he has had you finish higher than you really should the other years and eliminate Hibs from the playoffs along the way. Whilst I accept losing to United in last year's playoffs was gutting, it was very close.

He started this season brightly, blitzing through the League Cup group and with Loy and ultimately Sibbald back you all seemed pretty confident. 

You have had a disappointing start no doubt but its 4 games plus a League Cup defeat in extra time to Livi. It seems a bit of an over-reaction to go so quickly to "he has to go". Has he earned no latitude at all? It just seems to me another highlight of the modern day "never more than 4 or 5 games from tbe sack" attitude. I presume there's more to it than I am seeing here?

A really excellent and measured post SD. 

Obviously such matters are a mystery to us QOS fans who would never ever write off a season after a handful of games 

[GMBairn]

19 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

Serious question to all Falkirk fans because I am interested.

From the outside it appears as if Houston has done a pretty good job at Falkirk. You were never likely to win promotion in the last three seasons with the company you had but other than finishing below us in 14/15 (a season in which he got you to the Scottish Cup Final) he has had you finish higher than you really should the other years and eliminate Hibs from the playoffs along the way. Whilst I accept losing to United in last year's playoffs was gutting, it was very close.

He started this season brightly, blitzing through the League Cup group and with Loy and ultimately Sibbald back you all seemed pretty confident. 

You have had a disappointing start no doubt but its 4 games plus a League Cup defeat in extra time to Livi. It seems a bit of an over-reaction to go so quickly to "he has to go". Has he earned no latitude at all? It just seems to me another highlight of the modern day "never more than 4 or 5 games from tbe sack" attitude. I presume there's more to it than I am seeing here?

There are a few things people are annoyed about, he has been getting stick for his recruitment over the last few seasons (which has been fucking dreadful), failing to address our obvious deficiencies in defence which has really come back to bite us this season. We haven't really played nice football either but what the team did have was determination and a will to fight in every minute of every game. He was able to get the best out of the good players that we had but he inherited all of them.

No one expected us to win the league in the past few years but this year would have been the best chance we have had since relegation given that we have gotten over the initial financial hit of relegation and seen the bigger teams go out of the league.

After 4 games we are now so far adrift that it seems like it would take a miracle for us to win the league now and the board have been criticised for a lack of ambition and their comments made at the fans forum during the week so everything is boiling over a bit and as manager he will take the brunt of that.

[Disco Duck]

He has failed to address shortcomings in our team season after season.

He shows no responsibility, humility, or ability to learn - he persists with the same shit every week and blames the players if it goes wrong.

He has zero tactical understanding outside 4-4-2.

He plays his favourites week after week even when everyone around can see they are garbage.

He has zero rapport with either players or fans.

but more than anything, his football is fucking dull to watch.  Passing sideways and then lump it forward to the opposition.  Little time for youth.  Little pace.  Always the safe option.

And all of that is just about forgivable if we win matches...but not only are we losing, we're being shafted every week. None of the players have any confidence or desire and that has to be laid at his door.  If it was an unlucky run of narrow defeats fine, but we've not competed in any of the matches.  It's not bad luck - it's a bad manager.

Edited August 27, 2017 by Disco Duck

[Grangemouth Bairn]

24 minutes ago, Senor Bairn said:

 

There definitely is more to it than that but I can see how from an outsiders view it looks like we're a bunch of moaners (well we are but for good reason )

Houstie inherited a good squad with the likes of Vaulks, Alston, Sibbs, Loy and Grant (signed before Gary Holy left) already here before he arrived. He's done really well over the last couple of seasons but this wasn't down to his signings. The season we finished second behind rangers was probably our best season in a long time and the sides two best players in Vaulks and Alston were sold on. Vaulks, an athletic box to box midfielder who could score from anywhere in the oppositions half was replaced by John Rankin. We still haven't signed anyone to replace Alston tbh. Last season we played some absolutely dross football. Houston continued to play the likes of John Baird and Mark Kerr through sheer loyalty even though they were mince for large chunks of the season. Houstons recruitment has been absolutely shocking since he came to the club and it's starting to catch up with us.

People are starting to get fed up of the board also pretending that they want to get us promoted as well x

 

Very well articulated SB. You are one of the most measured posters on here.

 

[Russ]

It's been pretty well summed up the reasons the majority of us are now fed up and want him gone. And I know I'm just going to cover most of what has been said before but f**k it I want a rant.

His recruitment ridiculously bad which considering he was scouting for Celtic before he came to us was something we were all expecting him to do quite well. I'm going to list all his signings for us:

Tom Taiwo, Jamie Macdonald, Owain Tudor Jones, Alan Maybury, Mark Kerr, Aaron Muirhead, Deniz Mehmet, Alex Cooper, David Smith, John Baird, Taylor Morgan (remember that fucking goon), Joe Shaughnessy (played exclusively as a right back), Rory Boulding, Kevin McCann, Paul Watson, Lee Miller, Bob McHugh, Danny Rogers, Ryan Sinamonn, Myles Hippolyte, Nathan Austin, Alex Tokarczyk, Joe McKee, Lewis Kidd, Liam Henderson, Fraser Aird, John Rankin, Luca Gasparotto, Robbie Thomson, James Craigen, Rory Loy, David Mitchell, Alex Harris.

Now whilst there is some good players in there, there's also a large amount of shite. He seems incapable of building a competent defence and he can't seem to replace players that he loses. Obviously signing John Rankin to be Will Vaulks replacement was a new low for him.

He's got no tactical awareness whatsoever and after playing 4-5-1 for a bit when he took over now we play 4-4-2 every week despite not really having the players to play this successfully.

There just a whole staleness about the club at the moment and obviously nothing's going to change with our board anytime soon the playing staff and backroom staff are in need for a shake up. If we want to get out of this division we need fresh ideas and start spending our budget wisely. Two things that Houston is incapable of doing.

[Shaws88]

Surely it's time to give David Mitchell a run. The boy is a class keeper and commands his area. I think he'll settle that defence down.

[Poet of the Macabre]

4 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

We've an injury prone 35yo CM if that's something you're lacking?

 

Is it Martin Hardie? Worked well last time for Dunfermline.

Think the most worrying thing about Falkirk is how often they do daft gimmick stuff like the hot tub and the crane. Clearly they're just opening the doors to anyone who flashes a bit of cash at them. Would expect a club of Falkirk's stature to have a little more in the way of standards.

[djchapsticks]

8 hours ago, BigSpow said:

You clearly know feck all about football then. Then again you're a Ton fan.

McKee was shite at Morton. He was also shite when he was briefly with St. Mirren. 

So it stands to reason that he is still not very good. That he's a lynch pin in a midfield which is receiving a regular shoeing suggests that this is the case. 

[PG.Colossus]

Serious question to all Falkirk fans because I am interested.
From the outside it appears as if Houston has done a pretty good job at Falkirk. You were never likely to win promotion in the last three seasons with the company you had but other than finishing below us in 14/15 (a season in which he got you to the Scottish Cup Final) he has had you finish higher than you really should the other years and eliminate Hibs from the playoffs along the way. Whilst I accept losing to United in last year's playoffs was gutting, it was very close.
He started this season brightly, blitzing through the League Cup group and with Loy and ultimately Sibbald back you all seemed pretty confident. 
You have had a disappointing start no doubt but its 4 games plus a League Cup defeat in extra time to Livi. It seems a bit of an over-reaction to go so quickly to "he has to go". Has he earned no latitude at all? It just seems to me another highlight of the modern day "never more than 4 or 5 games from tbe sack" attitude. I presume there's more to it than I am seeing here?

Turgid football, poor signings, squad imbalance, playing players out of position, persisting with players who are past it, squandering budget on players that were never going to be good enough, negative formations, inability to take any blame for his failings. Please feel free to add to this...

[GAD]

1 hour ago, djchapsticks said:

McKee was shite at Morton. He was also shite when he was briefly with St. Mirren. 

So it stands to reason that he is still not very good. That he's a lynch pin in a midfield which is receiving a regular shoeing suggests that this is the case. 

Obviously I've only seen them once, but midfield looked a real problem for Falkirk when we gubbed them. Kerr looks off the pace and the wingers gave no cover at all to the fullbacks. We were the same last season, when we were also talking about a "decent squad" and how we weren't getting the most out of it, when what we really had was a shite imbalanced squad and no midfield, which even Ross couldn't get much more out of. We were utterly reliant on an injured and unfit Rocco Quinn to try and hold us together before we collapsed most weeks when he went off. Signing McGinn kept us up.

[gav-ffc]

The main thing that's really annoyed me from pre season is how we press.

In the betfred cup we pressed every team right up the park winning the ball back in the opposition half and going forward.

Each league game and league cup game v Livi we stand off everyone even when they are in the box very much like Dobbies 2nd on Saturday.

[Shadwell Dog]

The main disapoointment is that our team has deteriorated quite substantially over the past 2 seasons and now when the league title is there for the taking it looks like we'll be lucky to end up mid table. Our team from two seasons ago would scoosh this league but 4 league games into this season and we've lost only one league game less than we lost all that season when the standard of teams fighting out for the title was far higher. Poor recruitment and hanging on to players when their clearly past it plus the reluctance to play players in their strongest positions mean we're way off the pace now .

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Is it Martin Hardie? Worked well last time for Dunfermline.
Think the most worrying thing about Falkirk is how often they do daft gimmick stuff like the hot tub and the crane. Clearly they're just opening the doors to anyone who flashes a bit of cash at them. Would expect a club of Falkirk's stature to have a little more in the way of standards.

The commercial team are a rare ray of sunshine. As outlined at the meeting the other night, they've doubled the income in the last couple of years, not easy in these financial times.
I was looking around (in despair) on Saturday, and pretty much every square inch available for sponsorship has been covered.
The gimmicks don't bother me, they're just a bit of fun which people are getting sour about because the team's so horseshit.

[Newbornbairn]

The commercial team are doing their job - bringing in money. Trucks in the corners and hot tubs might look strange, but companies paid cold, hard cash to do it.

[lanky_ffc]

It's sound lads, Bill Leckie says Houston is a 'forward thinking manager' and reckons he'll turn it around. Panic over IMO.