The Falkirk FC Thread

[Proudtobeabairn]

Gomis should always start in place of Miller if fit.  

We've absolutely nothing down the left side if Connolly not back.  Fotheringham and Leitch are just a waste of a jersey.  Maybe Sammon out wide and Keena up front (assuming Dowds not fit).  Dowds probably now our no.1 pick up front if fit which says it all.  

[Shadwell Dog]

55 minutes ago, Donathan said:

Any ITKs know of likely return dates for our injured players with the playoffs starting in under 2 weeks? I think if we roll out the following XI we’d genuinely have a shot of beating Cove and a championship side


Mutch

Hall - Durnan - Dixon

Neilson - Miller - Telfer - Kelly

Morrison

Keena - Sammon

Subs: Cantley, McClelland, Mercer, Gomis, Alston, Dowds, Fotheringham, Connolly, Laverty

If Holt doesn't know when any will be back it's doubtful whether anyone else will unfortunately.

[Anthony Fitzgerald]

Hartley did a decent enough job in his first season but it was hardly earth shattering.
He inherited an average squad in eighth place and finished the season in 8th place. He was also helped by the dire Brechin team that couldn’t win a game.

His first season from when he took over, he won the second most points. We were that far behind that 8th was about the best we could have done. That season St Mirren and Livingston went up and have been in the premier league ever since.

[Bairnardo]

I still want to see Dowds and Keena up front together tbh. Ideally with Connolly and Morrison occupying the wings.

[Shadwell Dog]

3 minutes ago, Trump said:

His first season from when he took over, he won the second most points. We were that far behind that 8th was about the best we could have done. That season St Mirren and Livingston went up and have been in the premier league ever since.

I was never entirely convinced by him that season I must say. Some of the performances even after January were dreadful. I mind Dundee united away being on a par with the complete dross we've been served up recently.

[Guest Ecosse83]

17 minutes ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

Gomis should always start in place of Miller if fit.  

We've absolutely nothing down the left side if Connolly not back.  Fotheringham and Leitch are just a waste of a jersey.  Maybe Sammon out wide and Keena up front (assuming Dowds not fit).  Dowds probably now our no.1 pick up front if fit which says it all.  

Yep I’d start Sammon there as well. Get him running at them with the balls into his feet and he will cause problems. 

[Guest Ecosse83]

10 minutes ago, Trump said:

His first season from when he took over, he won the second most points. We were that far behind that 8th was about the best we could have done. That season St Mirren and Livingston went up and have been in the premier league ever since.

But but but he till only finished 8th

Good fact based post that

[PedroMoutinho]

4 minutes ago, Ecosse83 said:

But but but he till only finished 8th

Good fact based post that

The second most points I believe refers to the period after January. He certainly failed to get anything at all out of the existing squad which isn’t surprising with his man management skills.

Just checked- he won 1 game prior to January and 10 after (3 of which were against a dreadful Brechin game).

Edited April 26, 2021 by PedroMoutinho

[Bairnardo]

I was never entirely convinced by him that season I must say. Some of the performances even after January were dreadful. I mind Dundee united away being on a par with the complete dross we've been served up recently.

Dundee Utd away was pre transfer window IIRC. The game where Blues went to RB and Aero to LB and we got utterly torn apart.

Mark Kerr ran the width of the pitch with the ball looking for someone to take it, and got driven all the way back to the keeper. He was seething. Aero beat the shit out of Craigen after the game the rumours went....

It was a fucking shambles but I think it was the start of Hartley routing that squad. We ended up with Jakubiak and Nelson up front, Robson and Tumilty both did well from Wing Back. Tommy T put in some belting performances too post January.

We went right off the boil once safety was confirmed tbf but at one point looked like we could have went up the table. We lost a home match to the Pars which kind of killed the momentum.

That was a decent side though, and had we held onto most of them we wouldnt be where we are.

[Gaz]

1 hour ago, PedroMoutinho said:

Hartley did a decent enough job in his first season but it was hardly earth shattering.

He inherited an average squad in eighth place and finished the season in 8th place. He was also helped by the dire Brechin team that couldn’t win a game.

He inherited an absolutely dreadful squad (we had won 3 points out of 18 before Houston left). From January where he was able to sign his own players we won 10, drew 3 and lost 5 - 33 points from 18 games. Had we went the whole season at that rate of points per game we'd have comfortably finished second.

EDIT:

Don't get me wrong, Hartley did an absolutely horrific recruitment job that summer and deserved to be punted for assembling probably the worst squad I had seen up until this year, but the facts are that his appointment was an excellent one and his first season with us he did very, very well. He's done very well as a manager since leaving us too.

I'm not convinced any of us will ever know the full story of what happened that summer, but it would not surprise me one bit to find out many decisions were taken that weren't his, given our absolute shambles of a board.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Gaz

[TheScarf]

Was it Hartley who signed Sammut, Lewis, that 'keeper who played for Celtic etc?

[latapythelegend]

1 minute ago, TheScarf said:

Was it Hartley who signed Sammut, Lewis, that 'keeper who played for Celtic etc?

Yes, the guys from down south presumably on the recommendation of his scout down there. 

[bairn88]

40 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Dundee Utd away was pre transfer window IIRC. The game where Blues went to RB and Aero to LB and we got utterly torn apart.

Mark Kerr ran the width of the pitch with the ball looking for someone to take it, and got driven all the way back to the keeper. He was seething. Aero beat the shit out of Craigen after the game the rumours went....

It was a fucking shambles but I think it was the start of Hartley routing that squad. We ended up with Jakubiak and Nelson up front, Robson and Tumilty both did well from Wing Back. Tommy T put in some belting performances too post January.

We went right off the boil once safety was confirmed tbf but at one point looked like we could have went up the table. We lost a home match to the Pars which kind of killed the momentum.

That was a decent side though, and had we held onto most of them we wouldnt be where we are.

Can’t imagine any of our lot laying into others after shite performances like Aero did if the rumour were true. They’d all be told to have a smile on their face and happy with their hard work, as that’s all that matters to our board and management now 

[Bairnardo]

1 minute ago, bairn88 said:

Can’t imagine any of our lot laying into others after shite performances like Aero did if the rumour were true. They’d all be told to have a smile on their face and happy with their hard work, as that’s all that matters to our board and management now 

Craigen was at his shitebag worst that day. I left the match early, which, if sober is something I never do, but the sight of Blues getting absolutely ripped apart by Billy King, the incident with Kerr and generally making Laszlos United look like Brazil had me absolutely fucking seething. 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Was that the same match that Haber literally couldn't be bothered blocking a shot on the line?

[Gaz]

The Dundee Utd hammering was in November. We played them in the new year once Hartley had brought in a good few players and thumped them 6-1.

[18BAIRN76]

Wasn't it two seasons in a row where we turned in absolutely turgid, bottom of the barrel performances at Tannadice? Probably why folk are getting confused. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by 18BAIRN76

[Dawson Park Boy]

14 minutes ago, 18BAIRN76 said:

Wasn't it two seasons in a row where we turned in absolutely turgid, bottom of the barrel performances at Tannadice? Probably why folk are getting confused. 

Seem to recall Durnan scoring against us.

[Bairnardo]

Seem to recall Durnan scoring against us.

Durnan scored a winner in a 1 0 defeat for us at Tannadice but I cant remember if it was under Houston the season we pipped them to second, or under Hartley the following season (the same season we belted them at home.)

I think that Durnan one was Houston tbh but could be wrong

[Anthony Fitzgerald]

The second most points I believe refers to the period after January. He certainly failed to get anything at all out of the existing squad which isn’t surprising with his man management skills.
Just checked- he won 1 game prior to January and 10 after (3 of which were against a dreadful Brechin game).

That’s what it was, fair enough.

He inherited an absolutely dreadful squad (we had won 3 points out of 18 before Houston left). From January where he was able to sign his own players we won 10, drew 3 and lost 5 - 33 points from 18 games. Had we went the whole season at that rate of points per game we'd have comfortably finished second.
EDIT:
Don't get me wrong, Hartley did an absolutely horrific recruitment job that summer and deserved to be punted for assembling probably the worst squad I had seen up until this year, but the facts are that his appointment was an excellent one and his first season with us he did very, very well. He's done very well as a manager since leaving us too.
I'm not convinced any of us will ever know the full story of what happened that summer, but it would not surprise me one bit to find out many decisions were taken that weren't his, given our absolute shambles of a board.

Yeah this is my take on the thing overall.