The Falkirk FC Thread

[Rocco]

Defence certainly seems to be shaping up well and the keeper looks like a decent addition.  Main question marks hang over centre mid , right back and up front.  Paton will obviously take one position and we really need a bit more creativity in there to partner him.  Up top some goals and a wee bit more experience could make all the difference.

As said before I can't see him spending money on a right back that will be a starter. Can see him bringing someone in as a backup but imo right back will McGhees position this season

[Shodwall cat]

23 minutes ago, EdiBairn said:

The difference is that Manchester City play a system which only requires 1 upfront as they have lots of other attacking players who can support the striker. 

We're not going to have strikers or midfielders good enough to do that(as shown last night) so we'll be playing 2 upfront in most games. 

If we only had 2 strikers like you suggest, we'd have absolutely no one to bring on in case of injury or not playing well.

Funnily enough, we did exactly as you suggest in 2013/14 with Rory Loy and Mark Beck our only 2 strikers. Loy then got injured and we had no first team back ups for the play off quarter final.

3 or 4 was my idea of enough. Yes your gambling on avoiding injuries but sometimes you have to to compete with sides with much bigger budgets.  For example you'd take Stephen Dobbie instead of two or even three of the boys we've got.  You'd be gambling then on him not getting injured though.

McGhee  can certainly  do a job at right back as long as we're not thinking of going three at the back any time soon.

Edited July 25, 2018 by Shodwall cat

[DeeBairn]

McGhee will be starting RB. I reckon Muirhead has been whining about not being guaranteed a start at CH, he seems the type. PH has put him wide to show what he can do going forward last night. Safe to say McGhee has nothing to fear. 

[Rocco]

McGhee will be starting RB. I reckon Muirhead has been whining about not being guaranteed a start at CH, he seems the type. PH has put him wide to show what he can do going forward last night. Safe to say McGhee has nothing to fear. 

Possibly giving Muirhead a run out at RB as he may be expected to cover there if McGhee gets injured

[Poet of the Macabre]

You've signed a dozen or so players and apparently aren't even finished with the summer recruitment. They're not all going to gel straight away. Some might but others will take a few weeks, some months and a couple might not fit in at all. That's the chance you take when you totally overhaul the squad.

I think it's a big risk but you certainly can't judge anything until at *least* the first quarter of the season. As funny as it is to see Falkirk fans panicking, some of you need to chill.

[Guest Back Post Misses]

14 minutes ago, Poet of the Macabre said:

You've signed a dozen or so players and apparently aren't even finished with the summer recruitment. They're not all going to gel straight away. Some might but others will take a few weeks, some months and a couple might not fit in at all. That's the chance you take when you totally overhaul the squad.

I think it's a big risk but you certainly can't judge anything until at *least* the first quarter of the season. As funny as it is to see Falkirk fans panicking, some of you need to chill.

As I said last night you were always going to get people on here panicking. They will be the same to jump on Hartley's back then the first to jump up and down if we win a couple of games.

The reality is it was always going to take time. So many of them have little or no experience of Man's football coming out of the English Academy system. It is different to playing in a public park to rolling up to Tannadice and Firhill. They may have the talent in term of technique, it is what is between the ears that is to be tested

 

[Rocco]

As I said last night you were always going to get people on here panicking. They will be the same to jump on Hartley's back then the first to jump up and down if we win a couple of games.
The reality is it was always going to take time. So many of them have little or no experience of Man's football coming out of the English Academy system. It is different to playing in a public park to rolling up to Tannadice and Firhill. They may have the talent in term of technique, it is what is between the ears that is to be tested
 

One thing I've noticed from our support at the two home games so far is that they expect Hartley to play what they believe the strongest 11 to be, however, these same "fans" would jump on his back when injuries or form forced him to change the team and the guys coming on were clueless.

Problem is these fans have no idea about football and you can tell they've never played at a competitive level. These fans at also the loudest and first to show their displeasure

[ShaggerG]

2 hours ago, EdiBairn said:

The difference is that Manchester City play a system which only requires 1 upfront as they have lots of other attacking players who can support the striker. 

We're not going to have strikers or midfielders good enough to do that(as shown last night) so we'll be playing 2 upfront in most games. 

If we only had 2 strikers like you suggest, we'd have absolutely no one to bring on in case of injury or not playing well.

Funnily enough, we did exactly as you suggest in 2013/14 with Rory Loy and Mark Beck our only 2 strikers. Loy then got injured and we had no first team back ups for the play off quarter final.

Gave you a greenie! I knew you could do it!! 

[Anthony Fitzgerald]

You've signed a dozen or so players and apparently aren't even finished with the summer recruitment. They're not all going to gel straight away. Some might but others will take a few weeks, some months and a couple might not fit in at all. That's the chance you take when you totally overhaul the squad.
I think it's a big risk but you certainly can't judge anything until at *least* the first quarter of the season. As funny as it is to see Falkirk fans panicking, some of you need to chill.

Far too sensible.

[Reggie Perrin]

One thing I've noticed from our support at the two home games so far is that they expect Hartley to play what they believe the strongest 11 to be, however, these same "fans" would jump on his back when injuries or form forced him to change the team and the guys coming on were clueless.

Problem is these fans have no idea about football and you can tell they've never played at a competitive level. These fans at also the loudest and first to show their displeasure

Far from having played at a competitive level many of them would struggle with the tactics of a primary school playground kick about.
I'm not really into the "show us your medals" arrogance of "football men" but the lack of even basic knowledge of what they are paying to watch displayed by a lot of supporters is bewildering and very, very annoying.

[Senor Bairn]

Dunno about the rest of you, but I’m still absolutely gagging for the season to start.

[WestfieldBairn]

Talking about strikers , and it’s probably been discussed before, but why did we let Nathan Austin leave? He didn’t fire on all cylinders last season but no one did. He has proved that when his confidence is up he can score goals at this level. He done it at the tail end of the season before last and is doing it again with ICT. I think he’ll easily get double figures this season.

 

[ShaggerG]

I've only seen two games so far, last night's and the Forfar match. Although there's a hell of a lot of improvement still required, I think it's fair to say that there was a world of difference between the 1st half v Forfar and what we saw last night so progress has been made IMO.

I think we're still short at RB and striker (I wonder if Hartley has possibly made a mistake with Turner) however, I feel that our biggest need is a midfield play-maker. Someone who can put his foot on the ball, calm things down a bit, then make a killer pass. Sibbs, of course, would have been tailor made for that role and I don't think we've replaced him adequately. 

On an individual basis I would say that we've seen some good and some bad in all of the new recruits. The goalie looks like he can make a save and is comfortable with the ball at his feet however, last night it looked like he'd been nailed to his line as I don't remember him coming to collect any crosses at all. Harrison didn't look as slow last night as he did v Forfar and, again, looks comfortable on the ball. Sammut looks like exactly what he is, a young laddie learning his trade. Owen-Evans I thought was one of our better performers last night and looked like he made a difference v Forfar. Paton's the one that I don't get however. Hartley should have known exactly what he was going to get with him yet I don't really see him making any significant contribution. Maybe he's one of those who's best work goes unnoticed? 

Anyway, if we can bring in a good creative midfielder and an Andrew Nelson then I think we could maybe just surprise a few a folk this season, including ourselves!!

[ilostmyself]

14 minutes ago, CC52 FFC said:

Talking about strikers , and it’s probably been discussed before, but why did we let Nathan Austin leave? He didn’t fire on all cylinders last season but no one did. He has proved that when his confidence is up he can score goals at this level. He done it at the tail end of the season before last and is doing it again with ICT. I think he’ll easily get double figures this season.

 

I'd have kept him 100%, definite potential there.

Problem was that he was absolutely awful when he played under Hartley,  you can't really grudge him for getting rid of him based on that.

[Rocco]

(I wonder if Hartley has possibly made a mistake with Turner)

I'd like to get everyone else's opinion on Turner as I can't say I've seen anything that would make me think there is a good player in there. It is still early days but I don't see what he offers and where his strengths are. Doesn't look quick or strong enough to hold the ball up, doesn't look like a poacher who'll get you plenty of goals.

Obviously there is a player there as he seems to be well thought of and someone must have seen something to think he was worthwhile bringing up. Also Port Vale look to have kept the door open for a return in January so they must be seeing something I haven't

[Reggie Perrin]

I'd have kept him 100%, definite potential there.
Problem was that he was absolutely awful when he played under Hartley,  you can't really grudge him for getting rid of him based on that.

I remember posting a pretty scathing piece on the attitude of Austin and Hippo when they moved on. Still think that they are fair weather players that are more interested in looking like footballers than being the real deal.
No loss.

[Rocco]

I'd have kept him 100%, definite potential there.
Problem was that he was absolutely awful when he played under Hartley,  you can't really grudge him for getting rid of him based on that.

He was shocking when Hartley came in. May have been because his confidence was low at that point but he just offered nothing. Hartley probably had to free up his wage to bring Nelson or Jakubiak in

[Syd Puddefoot]

Nelson signing imminent.Would enhance the front line no end.

[Bairney The Dinosaur]

Nelson signing imminent.Would enhance the front line no end.

Brilliant that we got him on a permanent deal and 3 years as well!

[Bairnardo]

Not for the first time, I have just caught up and read someone post that "folk on here thought we were going to piss the league because we signed handsome players"

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