The Falkirk FC Thread

[Jimmy1876]

2 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

Been trying to think of late.... How do you pin down our recent dip in form....  I'm not sure where I consider the starting point to be where we began to look a bit off it, and it's not immediately obvious what changed. 

 

The only thing I can think of that for me definitely ties in with how we have looked, and something I can pick out as a definite change from McGlynn, is the dropping of Finn Yeats from the side. 

For me we started well because it was a new team, new tactic and everyone in the league was new to each other pretty much. But slowly teams have found us out. We tend to play really well when we can do some short, fluid passes out from the back. 

As time has gone on other teams have found us out. Which means they have gone to either deep blocks - Dunfermline, FC Edinburgh, Peterhead or high pressure forward and not giving any time on the ball: Airdrie and Montrose (ish). Both have been relatively effective as an opposition to our tactic and whenever that happens we seem to panic and give up on what works well, fast, short passing out from the back which is what gets us those early goals. In its place and in the second half we seem to revert to hoofball from Donaldson or Henderson up to Burrel or Alegria who by this point are isolated and seem to expect goals to come from that. It does generate a flurry of corners (re Kelty) but we are just not clinical enough to score enough that way when we are on the back foot. 

If we have any hope of improvement we need to change tactically, I think having 2 up front would be better. 2 different players stylistically up front and dropping one of the 3 pretty similar players (Nesbit, Kennedy, Morrison, McGuffie) seems a no brainer. But then I'm not a football manager so maybe I'm wrong. 

[Bairnardo]

8 minutes ago, Jimmy1876 said:

For me we started well because it was a new team, new tactic and everyone in the league was new to each other pretty much. But slowly teams have found us out. We tend to play really well when we can do some short, fluid passes out from the back. 

As time has gone on other teams have found us out. Which means they have gone to either deep blocks - Dunfermline, FC Edinburgh, Peterhead or high pressure forward and not giving any time on the ball: Airdrie and Montrose (ish). Both have been relatively effective as an opposition to our tactic and whenever that happens we seem to panic and give up on what works well, fast, short passing out from the back which is what gets us those early goals. In its place and in the second half we seem to revert to hoofball from Donaldson or Henderson up to Burrel or Alegria who by this point are isolated and seem to expect goals to come from that. It does generate a flurry of corners (re Kelty) but we are just not clinical enough to score enough that way when we are on the back foot. 

If we have any hope of improvement we need to change tactically, I think having 2 up front would be better. 2 different players stylistically up front and dropping one of the 3 pretty similar players (Nesbit, Kennedy, Morrison, McGuffie) seems a no brainer. But then I'm not a football manager so maybe I'm wrong. 

What the defence are capable of ball playing wise has been negatively affected by the replacement of Yeats with Mckay, which also fits my timeline... but I agree, it's time for a change, one which specifically gets the ball to stick momentarily between midfield and attack which is Alegrias wheelhouse, and Lawal to be the guy taking the ball off him and looking to create. 

McGlynn needs to wise up over Lawal IMO. He absolutely played his way into the team and shouldn't be a guy that gets lifted and laid. 

[Rizzo]

For me it was the home result against Kelty Hearts that was the first time I really felt we were ropey af but there wasn't an obvious reason behind it. I remember thinking at the time that we couldn't afford to go into the home game against Dunfermline having dropped points against Kelty in the previous home game. I know we got a comfortable win against QoS the week after but it was largely that game along with the game against Montrose away that confirmed we had a good few bad days in us and probably wouldn't have the consistency required to challenge for the title.

We'd obviously had the daft results against Kelty and Airdrie away from home by then as well, but if we'd been able to continue to win 9/10 and draw the other 1 at TFS we'd have been in with a decent shout.

The away result at Kelty you could just about write off as being a result of McGlynn's bizarre team selection on the day but when we played them at home there was really no excuse for the performance we put in.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Rizzo

[PedroMoutinho]

There hasn’t really been a dip in form imo- we haven’t been able to put a run of wins together all season and there has always been the chance of a stinking performance.

Edited December 12, 2022 by PedroMoutinho

[JinkyBairn]

Grim as f.

[PedroMoutinho]

I see O’Neills will be our new kit provider from next season- will give them a chance but their list of existing clubs doesn’t exactly scream quality outfit.

Edited December 12, 2022 by PedroMoutinho

[18BAIRN76]

Got an O’Neills strip before and the quality is quite genuinely night and day compared to the current Puma tops you could spit fucking peas through. Happy with that decision.

[Guest Ecosse83]

I’m expecting an orgasmic strip next season now, no more generic Puma pish! 

[Stainrod]

7 minutes ago, PedroMoutinho said:

There hasn’t really been a dip in form imo- we haven’t been able to put a run of wins together all season and there has always been the chance of a stinking performance.

The bottom line is the squad is not good enough to win this league. I think the critics of MCGlynns Tactics are a bit unfair as he has done well to play the hand he was dealt. I don’t think many could have done better. We just need to adjust our expectations for a few years and understand that the journey to the top of the championship or the bottom of the premiership will not be straightforward. Once he has built HIS squad would be a better time to evaluate the team and our performances. Only one or two of the squad would be good enough to play at that level and that won’t include Morrison Nesbit Henderson any of the keepers mcguffie etc 

 

[Bairney The Dinosaur]

15 minutes ago, PedroMoutinho said:

I see O’Neills will be our new kit provider from next season- will give them a chance but their list of existing clubs doesn’t exactly scream quality outfit.

Eh? It doesn't take much digging to see they have a reputation as a brilliant bespoke kit supplier.

[ShaggerG]

5 hours ago, JinkyBairn said:

Grim as f.

Why is it as Grim as f.?

[TxRover]

10 hours ago, Stainrod said:

Only one or two of the squad would be good enough to play at that level and that won’t include Morrison Nesbit Henderson any of the keepers mcguffie etc 

I was amused to see Luke Holt is now down in the eighth level of English football as a Trawler Boy. I guess McGlynn figured out what his dad couldn’t, eh?

[Grangemouth Bairn]

14 hours ago, JinkyBairn said:

Grim as f.

Surely it’s all about generating income and quality of product ? Bit early to write them off.

[RC_Bairn]

14 hours ago, Stainrod said:

The bottom line is the squad is not good enough to win this league. I think the critics of MCGlynns Tactics are a bit unfair as he has done well to play the hand he was dealt. I don’t think many could have done better. We just need to adjust our expectations for a few years and understand that the journey to the top of the championship or the bottom of the premiership will not be straightforward. Once he has built HIS squad would be a better time to evaluate the team and our performances. Only one or two of the squad would be good enough to play at that level and that won’t include Morrison Nesbit Henderson any of the keepers mcguffie etc 

 

Genuine question here - what is the threshold of players that JM needs to sign for this to become HIS squad? I think we can agree that very few managers will ever have a squad made up entirely of their own signings.

McGlynn has signed more players than Holt/Sheerin and indeed many of those who were here before his arrival have kept McGlynn signings out of the team.

Also your post seems to suggest that McGlynn should get a 'free pass' until he has HIS squad.  So regardless of how this season finishes McGlynn should be the manager next season?  I don't remember the same goodwill extended to other managers who inherited bad squads.

[Blame Me]

16 hours ago, Ecosse83 said:

I’m expecting an orgasmic strip next season now, no more generic Puma pish! 

Looking at some of the designs they have I reckon we could see some belters over the contract. 

I don't think the lack of clubs is a slight on their brand - They're clearly trying to break into the football market as there rugby/GAA stuff is quality.

[ShaggerG]

57 minutes ago, RC_Bairn said:

Genuine question here - what is the threshold of players that JM needs to sign for this to become HIS squad? I think we can agree that very few managers will ever have a squad made up entirely of their own signings.

McGlynn has signed more players than Holt/Sheerin and indeed many of those who were here before his arrival have kept McGlynn signings out of the team.

Also your post seems to suggest that McGlynn should get a 'free pass' until he has HIS squad.  So regardless of how this season finishes McGlynn should be the manager next season?  I don't remember the same goodwill extended to other managers who inherited bad squads.

IMO we can't continually keep churning managers. We may, for example, have been in a better position now if we'd stuck with Miller & McCracken. We'll never know of course.

The thing with McGlynn however is that, although he obviously has his limitations, (like all managers) there does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel with him. We can play well when in the mood and there does seem to be some positivity about the place that hasn't been apparent for many seasons now. This could all evaporate quite quickly though and we would need to get shot if we end up on a consistent downward trajectory. 

As things stand though I think he's earned the chance to take us into next season when he will have the chance to completely build his own squad which will include anyone that's out of contract that he decides to offer terms to. I would like to think though that he'll say thanks and cheerio to Williamson, Watson (if he can't encourage McKay to move on), Ross, Hetherington, McGuffie, Wilson, Sneddon and Malcolm (although we really don't know if he's any good or not). Question marks over Henderson, Nesbitt and Oliver too for me although I doubt he'll be able to get much better in within the likely budget. So, at least eight out to hopefully be replaced with four or five of superior quality.

[ShaggerG]

25 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

Looking at some of the designs they have I reckon we could see some belters over the contract. 

I don't think the lack of clubs is a slight on their brand - They're clearly trying to break into the football market as there rugby/GAA stuff is quality.

Aye, I had a wee look and some of the designs would look great as a football shirt IMO. Of course it wouldn't matter one jot to some folk who the kit supplier, or the bovril supplier or who provides the fucking cheese for the cheeseburgers is. It's not good enough, full stop!

[Zbairn]

What would be quite nice from the club, if they were to post online various strip designs from O'Neills and let the fans choose by a vote.  Particularly since we can get a bespoke strip. Maybe even get some designs from the fans in

Better that than have one (or two) at the club deciding ! 

[Reggie Perrin]

Just now, Zbairn said:

What would be quite nice from the club, if they were to post online various strip designs from O'Neills and let the fans choose by a vote.  Particularly since we can get a bespoke strip. Maybe even get some designs from the fans in

Better that than have one (or two) at the club deciding ! 

I noticed that the club mentioned retro kits in their news release.

Perhaps it would be a more appropriate idea to run a poll of which oldie kits the fans would like the club to stock.

For me it would be early 70’s with white under sleeve panels, late 70’s Bukta (home and away) and early 80’s Patrick.

[PedroMoutinho]

9 minutes ago, ShaggerG said:

As things stand though I think he's earned the chance to take us into next season

I’d be wanting to see significantly more from him before making that decision. As was pointed out on Falkirk Daft last night, our previous managers have all been punted with very similar points records to Mcglynn so far, never mind given contract extensions.

He has been given the opportunity to bring in a significant number of players yet we have won less than half of our games in league 1. Nothing there yet to suggest he should be given an extension for me- hopefully that will change over the second half of the season.