The Falkirk FC Thread

[Bairnardo]

2 minutes ago, latapythelegend said:

 

If Airdire stay down that is still who I'd fear the most if they keep their squad together.

You would imagine going up is the only way they keep Ian Murray. 

[Guest Ecosse83]

Just now, Bairn in Exile said:

Happy to be enlightened Shadwell, what do you know?

What do you know Bairn In Exile? Maybe you can enlighten us about the goings on at Raith! 

[Otis Blue]

2 hours ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

A team full of Journeyman imvho.

Unlike the other lower league clubs ...

[Shadwell Dog]

7 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

Happy to be enlightened Shadwell, what do you know?

I know that it was the Raith chairman who pushed through the deal when mcglynn was against it.  

[Shadwell Dog]

11 minutes ago, Rennieball said:

I think you're being really unfair on Houston there tbh. For a start, Rankin was not a replacement for Vaulks and Harris was not a replacement for Alston. He also brought in players that were key in our 2nd place pushed in both 15/16 and 16/17, John Baird, Mark Kerr, Lee Miller, Myles Hippolyte etc. 

So who were the replacements then? Craigen who hardly kicked a ball? Joe McKee who was brutal in the main.  The vast majority of his signings were rotten. Taylor Morgan , Rory boulding, Alex cooper, David Smith, Harris,  tudur Jones, Kevin McCann, Ryan sinnamon, Fraser aird, gasparotto, John Rankin to name but a few.  You can count his really good ones on a fifers hand.

[Bairn in Exile]

Just now, Shadwell Dog said:

I know that it was the Raith chairman who pushed through the deal when mcglynn was against it.  

Fair enough.

[Shadwell Dog]

11 minutes ago, latapythelegend said:

I fear Cove more than Dunfermline and Airdrie more than QOS to be honest.

QOS and Dunfemrline will most likely have total rebuilds (similar to us) and Kelty will need investment to compete as their current squad isn't anything other than a solid League 1 team.

If Airdire stay down that is still who I'd fear the most if they keep their squad together.

I want Airdrie to stay down as I think we may be interested in a few of their players with a bit of luck.  Them getting promoted though would make that a struggle .

[AGPar]

7 minutes ago, latapythelegend said:

I fear Cove more than Dunfermline and Airdrie more than QOS to be honest.

QOS and Dunfemrline will most likely have total rebuilds (similar to us) and Kelty will need investment to compete as their current squad isn't anything other than a solid League 1 team.

If Airdire stay down that is still who I'd fear the most if they keep their squad together.

The appointment of an actual, experienced management team combined with a decent summer of recruitment (plus a departure or five) and I'd really, really like to think we might finally be in a position where we are no longer "fearing" any opposition in the third tier of Scottish football. The craven, shitebag, "very, very, very tough league" mentality fostered by McKinnon, then "M and M", then Sheerin, then Rennie, needs binned - immediately.

[The Moonster]

11 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

You would imagine going up is the only way they keep Ian Murray. 

Where do you think Murray will go? He's jumped ship and been burned before and to me there doesn't seem any pressing need for him to leave Airdrie - all parties look happy and he's building a strong core of a squad there. Obviously if a Champ club comes in for him he'll be tempted but I'm not convinced he'll leave. 

[Bairnardo]

Just now, The Moonster said:

Where do you think Murray will go? He's jumped ship and been burned before and to me there doesn't seem any pressing need for him to leave Airdrie - all parties look happy and he's building a strong core of a squad there. Obviously if a Champ club comes in for him he'll be tempted but I'm not convinced he'll leave. 

The bold bit is jist of my assumption that he'll probably move on if Airdrie dont become such a club themselves. 

Money talk, despite what various Airdrie fans have insisted on this thread. 

[Otis Blue]

It sure as hell won't be a stroll in the park next season guys.

Clearly the big favourites will be the Bairns and the Pars simply because of their larger supports and hence budgets. Then you have the rich kids of Kelty and QP (or possibly Airdrie who clearly have a decent squad/coach if they can keep that together).

QOS will be hard to call. Remaining full time but with a new relatively untried management team and a fair rebuild required as always.  That said, Gibson's football should be more adventurous and pleasing to the eye than we had under AJ. So we might just fly under the radar, initially ... I hope!

Could be a decent watch to be fair.

[Shadwell Dog]

11 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

Fair enough.

No surprise that he was not happy at being flung in front of the cameras to field questions and therefore couldn't get out of Raith quick enough when we came calling. He was desperate to get the Falkirk management job which in our situation is quite remarkable.

[Shadwell Dog]

5 minutes ago, Otis Blue said:

It sure as hell won't be a stroll in the park next season guys.

Clearly the big favourites will be the Bairns and the Pars simply because of their larger supports and hence budgets. Then you have the rich kids of Kelty and QP (or possibly Airdrie who clearly have a decent squad/coach if they can keep that together).

QOS will be hard to call. Remaining full time but with a new relatively untried management team and a fair rebuild required as always.  That said, Gibson's football should be more adventurous and pleasing to the eye than we had under AJ. So we might just fly under the radar, initially ... I hope!

Could be a decent watch to be fair.

Will be interesting to see how Gibson gets on. He has previous of falling out with all and sundry as a player. Mind him going home himself in the middle of a match after spitting the dummy out with Pressley.  Never played for us again. Should be different that's for sure.

[bridge of allan bairn]

22 minutes ago, Rennieball said:

I think you're being really unfair on Houston there tbh. For a start, Rankin was not a replacement for Vaulks and Harris was not a replacement for Alston. He also brought in players that were key in our 2nd place pushed in both 15/16 and 16/17, John Baird, Mark Kerr, Lee Miller, Myles Hippolyte etc. 

I agree. in addition almost no player or manager has a 100% positive record in the whole time at any club, even the likes of guardiola and mourinho. you are always going to have a bad run at some point. to criticise Hughes for the way he left when he gave so many brilliant memories to me as a player and manager is something I personally won't do. mcall and jeffries, 2 of my other favourite managers also left under a cloud,  this is football. Tottenham, another falkirk legend allegedly scrubbed the only existing video of stainrods goal direct from kick off (thankfully I was there and will never forget it). Hughes and houstie took us to Europe and cup finals. I remember a high stakes game at brockville against Inverness when yogi grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck (reminded me of that game Keane did it for man United away at juventus) and scored a bullet header at the hope Street end to equalise. houstie did sign some duffers but he was a brilliant player manager was great tactically, did sign some great players and in the main was brilliant 

I guess the point I was trying to make earlier is, when you have legends, players, managers above I prefer to focus on the 90% they did right, the great memories they leave me with than the...ah but he signed Alex Harris etc

[JulioBairn]

I wish folk would stop pissing their pants at how difficult the league is going to be. These teams are hardly brilliant and this nonsense about 4th being a good achievement needs hit on the head. With good recruitment we have every chance.

[Otis Blue]

Just now, Shadwell Dog said:

Will be interesting to see how Gibson gets on. He has previous of falling out with all and sundry as a player. Mind him going home himself in the middle of a match after spitting the dummy out with Pressley.  Never played for us again. Should be different that's for sure.

I get what you say. I've watched Gibson in all his spells with QOS, and most seasons he was a second yellow or a red waiting to happen. Strangely, last season he did seem calmer though (relatively that is, still blew a gasket v Accies and walked).

I'm no fan of the player/coach role, so I'm not confident, but he's a local boy who clearly loves his town and club and his passion for the game comes across big time in his interviews - whereas AJ's interviews always left me depressed. We could be decent, but we could easily be shite - ever thus, eh?

[Otis Blue]

1 minute ago, JulioBairn said:

I wish folk would stop pissing their pants at how difficult the league is going to be. These teams are hardly brilliant and this nonsense about 4th being a good achievement needs hit on the head. With good recruitment we have every chance.

You (and the Pars) will be clear favourites ... 4th shouldn't even be on your radar.

[Bairnardo]

3 minutes ago, Otis Blue said:

You (and the Pars) will be clear favourites ... 4th shouldn't even be on your radar.

Given that we haven't made the playoffs for 2 seasons on the belt, I don think thats true. Of course we should be aiming at the top and we should build around that goal. 4th place however, will be a demonstrable improvement. 

Now if the rhetoric from the club was along the lines of "its a toguh league, lot of big budgets around, but with a fair wind theres no reason why we cant target the playoffs" id be seething. But I think the expectation from all is that we go balls out for promotion. 

[Proudtobeabairn]

28 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

No surprise that he was not happy at being flung in front of the cameras to field questions and therefore couldn't get out of Raith quick enough when we came calling. He was desperate to get the Falkirk management job which in our situation is quite remarkable.

That's not true.  If Raith had been offering the same money and length of contract he's have stayed there.  

[Bairnardo]

1 minute ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

That's not true.  If Raith had been offering the same money and length of contract he's have stayed there.  

How can you possibly type that there as an expression of fact?