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I think why Houston’s reign soured in the end was that the squad ran out of energy after three straight fantastic season all ended in disappointment (losing the cup final to 10 men, losing the play-off final from 1-0 up and then losing the play-off semi-final to a team we had significantly bettered over the season). Any player who’s worked so hard through the season only to end in heartbreak three straight times will eventually struggle for motivation. 

 

He’s had his break now and I think he can come in and galvanise the current squad to get the best out of them. I’d take him in a heartbeat. 

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... Yes more of them would have worked out just now but that’s simply because we are in basically what is a part time league ...

No-one has made that comparison.

Straight fight between Hartley/MacKinnons permanent signings - given they had a superior budgets - versus Houston's when it was being reduced year-on-year there is no contest.

Remarkable actually that we attracted them but a shame they didn't show enough in our colours.

Edited by Blame Me
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45 minutes ago, Gaz said:

Houston signed hardly any members of that squad. It started to fall apart for him when he actually had to sign his own players rather than coach the ones he had left to him. His recruitment was terrible.

Sounds like John Hughes when he had Terry Butcher's team.

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Guest Ecosse83
40 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

'Dodgy recruitment". Plenty of those head and shoulders above what has come after. 

I took that as a comparison but obviously read it wrong! 

Out of curiosity how many of Houston’s signings would you say was a success in Falkirk colours? 

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53 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

'Dodgy recruitment". Plenty of those head and shoulders above what has come after. 

Agreed the Cup final squad a poor comparison but signing guys like Taiwo, Kerr, Miller and countless others in that list I'd say it was more hits than misses.

Had Houstons tenure not dropped off as suddenly as it did he'd be given more credit.

Anyone reading this thread back to the start would form the opinion no manager or player in Scotland is ever good enough for us and it's wearing 😞

The reason it dropped off as suddenly as it did was largely down to his poor recruitment. Kerr and Miller were two of the biggest culprits for downing tools after Houston announced his planned retirement. The first 7/8 games of that season (before Hartley came in) were absolutely abysmal in terms of performances and results. I certainly wouldn't have either of them as 'hits'.

Edited by Gaz
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1 minute ago, Gaz said:

Kerr and Miller were two of the biggest culprits for downing tools after Houston announced his planned retirement. The first 7/8 games of that season (before Hartley came in) were absolutely abysmal in terms of performances and results. I certainly wouldn't have either of them as 'hits'.

Which is why we are in our current sh*t state and the demise started i never understood the hero worship of either. I cant even believe someone called for Kerr as manager with Houston to guide him why would you want to work with someone who basically caused you to get sacked.

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17 minutes ago, AL-FFC said:

Which is why we are in our current sh*t state and the demise started i never understood the hero worship of either. I cant even believe someone called for Kerr as manager with Houston to guide him why would you want to work with someone who basically caused you to get sacked.

I think the pair of them had a fair bit of credit in the bank from their time with the club as youngsters but the way they performed under Houston in that last season was really poor and really changed my opinion of them for the poorer.

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12 minutes ago, Gaz said:

I think the pair of them had a fair bit of credit in the bank from their time with the club as youngsters but the way they performed under Houston in that last season was really poor and really changed my opinion of them for the poorer.

If i mind right the rumour doing the rounds was to get Houston the sack and the 2 of them take over (as they thought they would be given the chance).

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As has been mentioned Houstie did very well at getting more out of Pressley and Holt's signings but his own signings were brutal in the main. That and him announcing he was going to be off at the end of the season undoubtedly started the demise that we've never recovered from. I mean do we really want someone who signed Taylor Morgan and Alec Harris anywhere near our recruitment? Any manager coming in can't be temporary in my mind either. There must be scope for him to carry on after the end of the season or you'll just get the same situation we got in Houstons last season with players not bothering as the manager won't be there long so why bother.

Edited by Shadwell Dog
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Definitely some cloudy memories here, and those correctly being set straight.

Houston was a fantastic manager for us, and one missing McCracken rugby tackle away from being an all time legend.

But his recruitment was horrendous. Alex Harris; no more needs said. John Rankin "replacing" Will Vaulks. His teams had definitely run out of steam and were dreadfully sterile by the end. Remember the "creative" CM of Kerr and Taiwo?

Despite that, if I heard he was going to steady us for the rest of the season as head coach I'd be delighted.

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1 minute ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Definitely some cloudy memories here, and those correctly being set straight.

Houston was a fantastic manager for us, and one missing McCracken rugby tackle away from being an all time legend.

But his recruitment was horrendous. Alex Harris; no more needs said. John Rankin "replacing" Will Vaulks. His teams had definitely run out of steam and were dreadfully sterile by the end. Remember the "creative" CM of Kerr and Taiwo?

Despite that, if I heard he was going to steady us for the rest of the season as head coach I'd be delighted.

By getting to extra time?

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2 minutes ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Definitely some cloudy memories here, and those correctly being set straight.

Houston was a fantastic manager for us, and one missing McCracken rugby tackle away from being an all time legend.

But his recruitment was horrendous. Alex Harris; no more needs said. John Rankin "replacing" Will Vaulks. His teams had definitely run out of steam and were dreadfully sterile by the end. Remember the "creative" CM of Kerr and Taiwo?

Despite that, if I heard he was going to steady us for the rest of the season as head coach I'd be delighted.

Rankin was lined up regardless of Vaulks leaving/staying.

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5 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

By getting to extra time?

Yes. Which was the platform for the inevitable Vaulks screamer and Alston top bins raker that would have sealed the win for us.

By jove, we would have applauded in a vigorous fashion. One or two young impetuous types might have got out of their seats to show their approval.

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6 minutes ago, Ecosse83 said:

I took that as a comparison but obviously read it wrong! 

I'll concede it could be read like that but I was meaning comparative Championship squads assembled under Hartley & MacKinnon rather than more recent sides.

7 minutes ago, Ecosse83 said:

Out of curiosity how many of Houston’s signings would you say was a success in Falkirk colours? 

MacDonald, Taiwo, Hippolyte, Miller, Kerr, early Muirhead, Baird, McHugh, Rodgers, and McGhee. I'd also include Mutch as he's been hard done by recently under Sheerin.

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8 minutes ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Yes. Which was the platform for the inevitable Vaulks screamer and Alston top bins raker that would have sealed the win for us.

By jove, we would have applauded in a vigorous fashion. One or two young impetuous types might have got out of their seats to show their approval.

To be fair, that was your tactic on the day; shoot as soon as you had the ball in our half.

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Guest Ecosse83
7 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

I'll concede it could be read like that but I was meaning comparative Championship squads assembled under Hartley & MacKinnon rather than more recent sides.

MacDonald, Taiwo, Hippolyte, Miller, Kerr, early Muirhead, Baird, McHugh, Rodgers, and McGhee. I'd also include Mutch as he's been hard done by recently under Sheerin.

What I’d give for a Baird up top right now 

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MacDonald, Taiwo, Hippolyte, Miller, Kerr, early Muirhead, Baird, McHugh, Rodgers, and McGhee. I'd also include Mutch as he's been hard done by recently under Sheerin.

I’m absolutely no having Jamie MacDonald as a good signing.

But for comparison he also signed Alex Cooper, David Smith, Taylor Morgan, Alex Harris, Ryan Sinnamon, Owen Tudor Jones, Alan Maybury, John Rankin, Rory Boulding, Kevin McCann, Alex Tokarczyk, Fraser Aird, Luca Gasparotto, James Craigen, Joe McKee, Liam Henderson, Lewis Kidd.

Now I’m disputing that, apart from his last few months in charge, that Houston was an excellent manage for us but his recruitment was mainly terrible. And most of us were even highly critical of him for it at the time.
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4 hours ago, Believe The Hype said:

If a DoF's role is to go out and find players then Houston is not the man for that job, unless we just want to see the same faces from the central belt. 

You wouldn't have him in charge of recruitment obviously, but coaching and player development. Whatever Alex Smith's job title was essentially. Picking up players would be between head of scouting and head coach. 

Worrying when the highest footballing authority at the club is an absolute chancer like Gary Holt. 

Moot point we even require a DoF/SD but more football brains wouldn't go amiss

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