The Falkirk FC Thread

[roman_bairn]

But that set of duffers came in July 2018. Nine months after he became our manager.
At the time of his appointment, it was an absolutely sensible appointment.

My last word on Hartley.
Someone posted earlier when he took over from Houstie, we failed to win any of his first nine games in charge and that we didn’t even score in seven of those games.
Yes we eventually scraped together the points needed to survive but it was hardly the inspirational stuff that many on here think we will get overnight with a quick change.
I’m not saying that change is not the right answer, I’d just like us to be a bit more considered and make sure we know what we will be getting before making a change.
Certainly I don’t want us to do anything before the Montrose game. Another repeat of Saturdays display and I’d probably be more convinced...

[Ranaldo Bairn]

1 hour ago, Numbers_One_To_Eleven said:

Really don’t understand your stance. Utterly disregard people but not offer any names yourself. Seems very negative. I would go someone who knows the Scottish game within our budget (obviously) so yeah, probably ones from the managerial merry-go-round.
 

Jim McIntyre seems a good shout. Mark Kerr has served an apprenticeship and is doing okay, maybe him?

Kerr is having a shocking time of it at Ayr and the knives are out for him, going by their thread.

[bejazz1]

Watched the highlights of the EF game again. Thinking back to the start of the season we were aiming to play fast flowing attacking style football with energy and pressing teams with tempo high up the park to retrieve the ball when we lost it. What on earth has happened? We really looked well beaten down without a fight, we were slow, lethargic and disjointed even looked like the part time team.
How have we got to this point? what has changed that our managers don’t seem to be able to motivate? Is it possible they are beginning to think that because of the league position and the potential huge gap over our rival sides that they are becoming too cocky beginning to believe their own press and starting to experiment with changing personnel? I have never seen so many changes either starting or substitutions during matches since we played Rangers in the Bet Fred.
Maybe need to get back to basics and get a settled best 11 on the park and build from there.
We have an interesting cup tie coming up against a team struggling in the Championship and this will give us an idea if we are able to step up to the plate. The next 2 league games are massive but I fear if we do find ourselves off top spot in the league I don’t think we’ve got the guile or bottle to recover and this will inevitably lead to change.
I also don’t get this ex player love in with some fans. Mark Kerr really? Look through most of all Scottish leagues and it’s not a necessity... many teams are managed by individuals who are not connected to their current clubs. I am fed up hearing about playing the game the Falkirk way, the news is it’s not working so maybe we need to change this thinking if we are changing the management team.

[Gaz]

1 minute ago, roman_bairn said:

My last word on Hartley.
Someone posted earlier when he took over from Houstie, we failed to win any of his first nine games in charge and that we didn’t even score in seven of those games.
Yes we eventually scraped together the points needed to survive but it was hardly the inspirational stuff that many on here think we will get overnight with a quick change....

For those nine games we were still reliant on Houston's squad of utter haddies. Nevertheless, we had a better PPG record under Hartley than we did under Houston.

From January onwards, when Hartley was able to bring in his own players, our performances and results improved exponentially. We didn't 'scrape' points - out of those 18 league games we won 10 of them and drew 3.

This is fact. It's not up for debate - the results are there for all to see.

[ShaggerG]

2 hours ago, Numbers_One_To_Eleven said:

Really don’t understand your stance. Utterly disregard people but not offer any names yourself. Seems very negative. I would go someone who knows the Scottish game within our budget (obviously) so yeah, probably ones from the managerial merry-go-round.
 

Jim McIntyre seems a good shout. Mark Kerr has served an apprenticeship and is doing okay, maybe him?

You don't understand my stance?

I've ruled out Hopkin and McCann because I don't think they would be the right appointment. I would add McIntyre to that too. Ayr haven't been as good under Kerr than they were with McCall and I would regard him to be in the rookie bracket so don't see the point in replacing what we have with him. I assume he's under contract too so it would cost us to get him. I could offer names but they'd be unrealistic. Guys like Robinson or Wright for example. Holt is a slim possibility but I'd be wary given his track record of chucking jobs. It's also doubtful that it was him that brought the success to Livi given the situation with Martindale. (Add Hopkin to that).

I'm as frustrated as anyone else at the downturn in the last 3 games, but more so that we haven't been playing well, even when winning, so I'm not sure that M&M are the team that can lead us to the top division, but I do still think that they'll get us promotion from L1. So, no, I'm not being negative in not wanting to bin them just yet and replacing them with one of the usual suspects. Lose against Montrose, with the team not putting in the required effort and application, then my stance may change.

[roman_bairn]

For those nine games we were still reliant on Houston's squad of utter haddies. Nevertheless, we had a better PPG record under Hartley than we did under Houston.
From January onwards, when Hartley was able to bring in his own players, our performances and results improved exponentially. We didn't 'scrape' points - out of those 18 league games we won 10 of them and drew 3.
This is fact. It's not up for debate - the results are there for all to see.

Ill leave this here so it’s clear for all to see.
You need to read up from the bottom. Surely anyway the point here is that change did NOT breed an automatic uplift in players performance levels.
Something that’s the fundamental basis of what’s being argued is needed just now.....

[FFC 1876]

If it was to be on purely ex managers then I'd want Pressley back. We played some of the most exciting football we've ever played under him since we were relegated from the SPL. He worked well with the youngsters in our squad to get the best out of them and he also managed to make some good quality signings along the way in Farid, Lyle Taylor, Higginbotham, Compton, Mark Millar, Mcgovern and Vaulks was also someone Pressley brought in albeit he never played him. His interviews were the only thing I despised.

Edited January 4, 2021 by FFC 1876

[Hank von Hell]

1 hour ago, Gaz said:

For those nine games we were still reliant on Houston's squad of utter haddies. Nevertheless, we had a better PPG record under Hartley than we did under Houston.

From January onwards, when Hartley was able to bring in his own players, our performances and results improved exponentially. We didn't 'scrape' points - out of those 18 league games we won 10 of them and drew 3.

This is fact. It's not up for debate - the results are there for all to see.

I agree with you , Hartley was/is a decent manager and his record is pretty good outside of us.

Where it all went wrong for him at Falkirk was when Craig Campbell got involved.

The Brentford Model & Superscout were forced onto Hartley in his second season by Campbell and the BOD (Project Premiership , ha!) . The reason he didn't see any of these players is because they were signed above his head. I also read an interview with him where he expressed his shock and surprise at us closing the academy.

I have no love for him and he does seem an arrogant little pr*ck but Falkirk fans are quick to point the finger at him for our demise when the real answer is Campbell, Miller, Lang etc. - the biggest failures in the history of the club.  

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

5 hours ago, Hank von Hell said:

I agree with you , Hartley was/is a decent manager and his record is pretty good outside of us.

Where it all went wrong for him at Falkirk was when Craig Campbell got involved.

The Brentford Model & Superscout were forced onto Hartley in his second season by Campbell and the BOD (Project Premiership , ha!) . The reason he didn't see any of these players is because they were signed above his head. I also read an interview with him where he expressed his shock and surprise at us closing the academy.

I have no love for him and he does seem an arrogant little pr*ck but Falkirk fans are quick to point the finger at him for our demise when the real answer is Campbell, Miller, Lang etc. - the biggest failures in the history of the club.  

A bit of revisionism over Hartleys first season. The good spell included 3 wins over perhaps the worst second tier team ever and also 3 wins in real end of season affairs against teams who had, like us, sealed their position. 6-1 over Dundee Utd was pretty special but it was still a very patchy second half to the season .

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

Also of note is there was a lot of calls for more English based players as it was felt the “lazy” local recruitment of Houston was his biggest weakness. Scouting is crucial but I for one was encouraged at the time about the different approach by the club. We just ended up signing a lot of duds, to a man.

[Bairn in Exile]

Huv' they no' been sacked yet?

We HAVE to get out of this league this season and they don't have what it takes. As mentioned before, nobody wants to see anybody get the sack but they both probably have a few bob behind them, it's not as if we would be making them destitute when they go.

Nobody is bigger than the club, player, manager or anybody, we have to put the club first.

[Bula Bairn]

9 hours ago, Duncan Freemason said:

Fux sake, let’s get the madness out of the way. I raise your Neil McCann with a Billy Dodds.

I'd have no issue with McCann bringing in Dodds as assistant if that's what he wanted, sure it would be a massive improvement on what we have now! 

Folk need to take the blinkers off and look at it objectively.  McCann has played at the top level, has premier league management experience, is passionate, media savvy and will have a point to prove. 

I can't see us making any changes this season regardless though. 

[Bairney The Dinosaur]

Did not have BainsfordBairn being cancelled on my list of things to happen in 2021!

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

1 hour ago, Bula Bairn said:

I'd have no issue with McCann bringing in Dodds as assistant if that's what he wanted, sure it would be a massive improvement on what we have now! 

Folk need to take the blinkers off and look at it objectively.  McCann has played at the top level, has premier league management experience, is passionate, media savvy and will have a point to prove. 

I can't see us making any changes this season regardless though. 

Totally. No guarantees but you’re spot on. McIntyre is another one who fits the bill. Hopkins style would be hard to stomach if it was his Livi type approach mind you.

[Hank von Hell]

2 hours ago, Bairney The Dinosaur said:

Did not have BainsfordBairn being cancelled on my list of things to happen in 2021!

Yes, bit of a shock, who knew?

However it was a very poor post - full of hatred and very derogatory those trying to make a living in less glamourous jobs. 

And to give the Rangers fans the moral high ground is unforgivable. 

 

[Shadwell Dog]

12 hours ago, Gaz said:

Looking down on cleaners is shit patter.

We could do with a good sweeper at the moment.

[Shadwell Dog]

12 hours ago, roman_bairn said:

Would that be the same Jim McIntyre who was previously sounded out for the job but made it clear he wasn’t interested?…

Was it not more the fact he'd already been lined up for the Ross county job?  Another manager on the way down.

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Shadwell Dog

[bairn88]

Hmmm, not into this “cancelling” idea.

It was a very badly worded post, think bainsford will realise that when he reads it over, but tbh I understand the point he was getting at. Using their jobs (cleaners etc) to make the point was the shoddy bit. Is it really offensive to say those who typically support the arse cheeks of our society are of lower intelligence? I think it’s fucking spot on tbh! 

 

[Shadwell Dog]

10 hours ago, FFC 1876 said:

If it was to be on purely ex managers then I'd want Pressley back. We played some of the most exciting football we've ever played under him since we were relegated from the SPL. He worked well with the youngsters in our squad to get the best out of them and he also managed to make some good quality signings along the way in Farid, Lyle Taylor, Higginbotham, Compton, Mark Millar, Mcgovern and Vaulks was also someone Pressley brought in albeit he never played him. His interviews were the only thing I despised.

How the feck was jack Compton a quality signing? That's one of the funniest things I've read on here for a while.  You'll be saying Mehdi Khalis was a superstar next.Exciting football. The guy has been a failure everywhere he's been .

Hartley was the right move at the time. We'll never know how he would've done if the board hadn't foisted their superscout philosophy on him and had just let him handle recruitment like he had everywhere else in his career up to then. May have worked out may have not.  Campbell and Lang again have to take the brunt for that decision.

Can we not perhaps look at someone who is on the way up in their career rather than the normal choice between no experience at all or a manager whose just been fired and is on.the way down.  A young manager who has successfully cut their teeth somewhere looking for their next step up to me is who we should be looking for.

Edited January 4, 2021 by Shadwell Dog

[welshbairn]

Jack Compton was signed by Eddie May.