The Falkirk FC Thread

[RC_Bairn]

1 hour ago, Kevin James Left Knee said:

My personal view: Can we stand back and take a breath. Clearly recent performances and team selections have not been good but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. We are clearly in a better position than last year, you can bring up statistics but we are in the playoffs and in a Semi. I sometime think there are some people here on P&B who just wait for bad news to jump in with criticisms.

Personally I think the players are avoiding injury more than trying hard as they want to be in the spotlight on the 29th. Also I bet agents are looking at that game and stirring behind the scenes, they've already been negotiating (this is not any particular inside knowledge this always happens in the cup - Inverness had the same problem a few weeks ago) for more bonus money. I suspect the moving around the players is a mixture of trying to be cute for other managers, trying to rest people and also to motivate players to give them the impression that they have an equal chance of starting against Inverness. I don't think this has worked but that's my reading of it.

To start suggesting we should sack McGlynn  is utterly stupid and is not going to happen. I'm willing to bet that the players suddenly find form when the tv cameras are on them.

There's no doubt we have improved on last season.  But the real question is have we improved enough to justify the significant extra budget that JM has used and arguably wasted?  He's signed a string of goalkeepers, each one worse than the last.  Finn Yeats who despite a promising start has fallen away badly.  Lawal and two strikers (Burrell and Allan) who the manager clearly doesn't rate - the latter even costing us a fee.  I'd probably suggest he has a 50% success rate in his recruitment which is simply not good enough.

Let's also take this semi-final issue off the table.  It's being used to paper over so many cracks.  I would wager than in the history of the Scottish Cup no team has had an easier route to the semi-final, and indeed the final if we make it.  So lets no kid ourselves on that reaching the Scottish Cup semi-final is some massive achievement.  It's not.

[Shodwall cat]

1 hour ago, Springfield said:

Assuming we are still here next season, don’t buy that we will win the league comfortably. Much of our downfall is across all teams. 

FFS we have a great chance to get up this year and McGlynn needs a rocket up his arse. Fck his two year gold plated deal, if I was on the BOD I’d sure be spelling it out that to the management that lasts night farce was completely unacceptable.

It’s not beyond impossible to get up this year, and I’d be reading the riot act today to every single player. Bunch of pussies.

Sounds like that was done in the changing room last night.  No it's very much not impossible although some folk on here would make you think we'd need to get past real Madrid and then man city in the playoffs.  Airdrie being held up as some sort of superstars considering  in the last two games ,we've beaten them comfortably and then  really should've beaten them at home despite our recent dip in form.  After tha it would be Hamilton, Arbroath or alloa it would seem if we get that far. We beat Ayr who are a far better side than either and alloa aren't exactly a team we should be fearing. We need to up our game but it's hardly an impossible task to see us still getting up.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Shodwall cat

[TheScarf]

Didn't Dunfermline basically keep their squad who got relegated from the Championship last year?  Whereas you have a squad full of guys who have played at this level for years? Probably doesn't help trying to finish above them.

[true_rover]

6 minutes ago, Shodwall cat said:

Not been any overly long ones handed out compared to the previous managers. Whats happening with Murray at your place. Has the challenge cup papered over the cracks of a pretty poor league campaign. I suppose it will keep him in post for another year . He's got another year to go too I suppose.

Season has been fine, nothing particularly great or dreadful but that's a big improvement on the form from the second half of last season.

Had to deal with a massive injury list, a budget mostly eaten up by contracts issued by the previous manager with automatic increases and lack of strikers who can actually score goals but room for improvement next year with potential investment coming in.

[Enigma]

Just now, Shodwall cat said:

Not been any overly long ones handed out compared to the previous managers. Whats happening with Murray at your place. Has the challenge cup papered over the cracks of a pretty poor league campaign. I suppose it will keep him in post for another year . He's got another year to go too I suppose.

Yeah Murray’s been hit and miss. McGlynn’s unchecked spending last season (which is as much our boards fault for lack of oversight as much as anybody else’s) left Murray with hardly anything to play with. Signings started well enough with Easton, Brown etc, but have petered out into the more erratic and desperate. In terms of building a squad and signing players, I’m not convinced.

He’s persisted with McGlynn’s 4-2-3-1 in pretty much every game this season as that’s what the players are used to, which is great as his (supposedly) desired 4-1-3-2 would have seen us pumped most week. It’s gone stale though and we haven’t signed a number 9 capable of filling the striker role. His tendency for just chucking on attacking players for defensive ones when things aren't going our was seems naive at best and rarely yields results. Tactically I’m not convinced.

He’s got another season to prove himself and he’ll hopefully have more in the way of budget next season, a few players will leave and there could be some extra funds from this new consortium should that go ahead.

This season was always going to be a transition season for us, and next season could well be the same as the new owners bed in and make their changes. Murray, to his credit, is a good communicator and seems to have built a good team spirit and work ethic amongst the squad. He’s not had it easy at us all though with the McGlynn/Goodwillie hangover and all the boardroom shenanigans. I’m not 100% sure he’s the man to take us further but I feel he’s not going to take us backwards. The Rovers fans, to their credit have been pretty forgiving towards Murray and seems to acknowledge he’s not been dealt an easy hand.

 

[Tea and Busquets]

3 minutes ago, true_rover said:

Season has been fine, nothing particularly great or dreadful but that's a big improvement on the form from the second half of last season.

Had to deal with a massive injury list, a budget mostly eaten up by contracts issued by the previous manager with automatic increases and lack of strikers who can actually score goals but room for improvement next year with potential investment coming in.

I’d agree with this. We’ve had an average season thus far and if we are in League 1 next season, this one has given us the platform to do better next season. Next season must equate to promotion under McGlynn. If it didn’t, then he’d have to go. 

[Shodwall cat]

3 minutes ago, Enigma said:

Yeah Murray’s been hit and miss. McGlynn’s unchecked spending last season (which is as much our boards fault for lack of oversight as much as anybody else’s) left Murray with hardly anything to play with. Signings started well enough with Easton, Brown etc, but have petered out into the more erratic and desperate. In terms of building a squad and signing players, I’m not convinced.

He’s persisted with McGlynn’s 4-2-3-1 in pretty much every game this season as that’s what the players are used to, which is great as his (supposedly) desired 4-1-3-2 would have seen us pumped most week. It’s gone stale though and we haven’t signed a number 9 capable of filling the striker role. His tendency for just chucking on attacking players for defensive ones when things aren't going our was seems naive at best and rarely yields results. Tactically I’m not convinced.

He’s got another season to prove himself and he’ll hopefully have more in the way of budget next season, a few players will leave and there could be some extra funds from this new consortium should that go ahead.

This season was always going to be a transition season for us, and next season could well be the same as the new owners bed in and make their changes. Murray, to his credit, is a good communicator and seems to have built a good team spirit and work ethic amongst the squad. He’s not had it easy at us all though with the McGlynn/Goodwillie hangover and all the boardroom shenanigans. I’m not 100% sure he’s the man to take us further but I feel he’s not going to take us backwards. The Rovers fans, to their credit have been pretty forgiving towards Murray and seems to acknowledge he’s not been dealt an easy hand.

 

Sounds very much similar to the position we've been in.

[Shodwall cat]

14 minutes ago, RC_Bairn said:

There's no doubt we have improved on last season.  But the real question is have we improved enough to justify the significant extra budget that JM has used and arguably wasted?  He's signed a string of goalkeepers, each one worse than the last.  Finn Yeats who despite a promising start has fallen away badly.  Lawal and two strikers (Burrell and Allan) who the manager clearly doesn't rate - the latter even costing us a fee.  I'd probably suggest he has a 50% success rate in his recruitment which is simply not good enough.

Let's also take this semi-final issue off the table.  It's being used to paper over so many cracks.  I would wager than in the history of the Scottish Cup no team has had an easier route to the semi-final, and indeed the final if we make it.  So lets no kid ourselves on that reaching the Scottish Cup semi-final is some massive achievement.  It's not.

The budget had to be increased or pep guardiola couldn't have got us challenging with the dross left over from last season.  Anyone who thinks those that have moved on have done so out of the goodness of their hearts is kidding themselves. We'll still be paying a percentage of hetheringtons full time wage as well I'd expect whilst decent money is being taken up by Williamson, Watson for little or no return.

 

On the cup semi we still had to beat a decent Ayr side with a far bigger budget than ourselves to get this far. As a league one club you're not going to get to a semi without a bit of luck in the draw but let's not diminish the fact that we beat a side a good bit above us in the pyramid .  I bet Aberdeen wish they were in our position and they would've had exactly the same easy run to the semi as we've supposedly had.

[Shodwall cat]

3 minutes ago, Tea and Busquets said:

I’d agree with this. We’ve had an average season thus far and if we are in League 1 next season, this one has given us the platform to do better next season. Next season must equate to promotion under McGlynn. If it didn’t, then he’d have to go. 

I agree promotion next season would have to be the be all and end all if we don't get up this season. The basis has been laid of a decent side to build on and that has to be carried on. No excuses.

[Enigma]

2 minutes ago, Shodwall cat said:

Sounds very much similar to the position we've been in.

Well, apart from that fact you’re in League One, where FT football is probably never going to be sustainable. Yeah the Rovers have been run appallingly for years, losing money hand over fist. Hopefully the new owners run a tighter ship.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Enigma

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

16 minutes ago, RC_Bairn said:

There's no doubt we have improved on last season.  But the real question is have we improved enough to justify the significant extra budget that JM has used and arguably wasted?  He's signed a string of goalkeepers, each one worse than the last.  Finn Yeats who despite a promising start has fallen away badly.  Lawal and two strikers (Burrell and Allan) who the manager clearly doesn't rate - the latter even costing us a fee.  I'd probably suggest he has a 50% success rate in his recruitment which is simply not good enough.

Let's also take this semi-final issue off the table.  It's being used to paper over so many cracks.  I would wager than in the history of the Scottish Cup no team has had an easier route to the semi-final, and indeed the final if we make it.  So lets no kid ourselves on that reaching the Scottish Cup semi-final is some massive achievement.  It's not.

Tbf, we’ve had some kind draws in recent times to reach semi-finals and finals.

[dave_binos]

1 hour ago, Blame Me said:

 

You feel it shouldn't have to be co-ordinated or instructed but really need the singing section to get going continuously in the play-off games. 

 

 

 

[ShaggerG]

2 hours ago, Shodwall cat said:

Given our recent mediocre home form perhaps going to Airdrie for the second leg wouldn't be a complete disaster.  

I agree with this. I don't really think it matters which way round these games are played> Airdrie have a good record at the FS while we'll have a big crowd at their place who'll all be pished and roaring us on. There's definitely an argument that it would be better to have the second leg away, assuming we're still in the tie at that point.

[Enigma]

4 minutes ago, Numbers_One_To_Eleven said:

Tbf, we’ve had some kind draws in recent times to reach semi-finals and finals.

Your run to the Scottish Cup Semis was easier than our run to the Challenge Cup Final.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Caractacus Potts said:

That’s not true. We were second place, 4 points from the top in 20/21 with 3 games left. Last season we were dire but part of that was Rennie who was our manager when the 5 year plan was announced. We still seen sense to not keep him on. 

If we want to see Premiership football then there’s no point hanging on to a guy who we have no faith in taking us there. Fortunately he has recruited well so there won’t be as big an overhaul needed but you can’t compliment recruitment and not criticise the man for struggling to get the players to best most teams in this league on a regular basis. 

This is Elvis all over again. Recruitment was fairly decent, but he wasn’t very good at building a team…..not terrible, just not great. McGlynn has upped the standard of player but had the summer and full pre-season as well as a January…..and we have still had to indulge in the classic McGlynn collapse that was his enduring Raith Rovers hallmark.

Recruitment……..hard to say if some of them really are decent, because he doesn’t play them. He wants them to “stick together”, but I would venture a few of his signings will offer up a wry smile to that tag line.

The other claim that he has “improved last season’s flops”. A marginal claim at best. Nesbitt has given us 8 decent performances this season versus four or five last season…….and gets a two year gig on the back of it. McKay…….a bit of improvement, but as last night showed, still capable of awful performances. I see precious little elsewhere. McCann is being played, and I think that’s all it took for the wee man to turn in reliable performances.

The back four as individuals are of the standard required, but as a disciplined unit, they are a shambles at times, and that alone has shown how far ahead of him McPake actually is…….a highly disciplined approach with everyone crystal clear on what is expected of them. Do you see that with us? Not even close.

Just waiting on the roll out of the deflection stats to show how many other leagues we are winning (best home record league and best points gained from a losing position being my particular BS stat favourite.) Instead of thinking how we top Dunfermline on the points gained from a losing position, look at the stat that matters…….how many points dropped from a losing position. Dunfermline have gained 14 points and dropped 19 points. We have gained 18 points (whoop whoop) and dropped 33 points.  19 v 33…….that’s the real stat…..not 14 v 18

[18BAIRN76]

The semi-final is of course, fantastic and despite recent form, having a day out at Hampden is never something to take for granted.

 

But for me, it’s now descended into a deflection tactic. Folk who don’t want to criticise the management team now go, “but the semi-final!”. As I said, great we’re there - but it’s only really Ayr who were a team we shouldn’t really have beaten on our run there. If we didn’t have the ICT game in a couple of weeks, this monumental collapse in league form would be getting more scrutiny imo.

[Enigma]

 

7 minutes ago, Duncan Freemason said:

Just waiting on the roll out of the deflection stats to show how many other leagues we are winning (best home record league and best points gained from a losing position being my particular BS stat favourite.) Instead of thinking how we top Dunfermline on the points gained from a losing position, look at the stat that matters…….how many points dropped from a losing position. Dunfermline have gained 14 points and dropped 19 points. We have gained 18 points (whoop whoop) and dropped 33 points.  19 v 33…….that’s the real stat…..not 14 v 18

This is very interesting. McGlynns speciality last season with us was blowing leads. Turning wins into draws, draws into defeats. Very frustrating. I think we actually topped the half time league table last season which is just crazy.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, 18BAIRN76 said:

The semi-final is of course, fantastic and despite recent form, having a day out at Hampden is never something to take for granted.

 

But for me, it’s now descended into a deflection tactic. Folk who don’t want to criticise the management team now go, “but the semi-final!”. As I said, great we’re there - but it’s only really Ayr who were a team we shouldn’t really have beaten on our run there. If we didn’t have the ICT game in a couple of weeks, this monumental collapse in league form would be getting more scrutiny imo.

……..we are moving ever closer to the “jam tomorrow” narrative being rolled out yet again. No doubt someone will be scrabbling around to see if the Half Time Cup is something we could win this season.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Duncan Freemason

[Blame Me]

12 minutes ago, Duncan Freemason said:

... Just waiting on the roll out of the deflection stats to show how many other leagues we are winning (best home record league and best points gained from a losing position being my particular BS stat favourite ...

You're just inviting the Fifers most corners retort  but a very good summation.

[Tea and Busquets]

Could you imagine if it was Celtic or Rangers we were playing in just over a week’s time on this form?