Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[craigkillie]

On 01/03/2020 at 19:27, smpar said:

Thomas will more than likely return to Kilmarnock in the summer and stay put. Afolabi is still a long way away from being in Celtic’s first team so he’ll either be released or sent out on loan again. Absolutely no inside information of either of those but they seem like the most likely scenarios.

I would be very surprised if we offered Thomas something.

[Stellaboz]

19 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

I would be very surprised if we offered Thomas something.

YOINK

[101]

I think we might get Dom's first refusal unless someone comes in from the premiership. 

Also do you think the club will be hoping that Nisbets sale with make the club debt free (again) £700k to an English club is peanuts

[Stellaboz]

Keep Thomas and sell in 2 years for £5m

[CallumPar]

I would be very surprised if we offered Thomas something.

Has he not impressed at all with Killie? He honestly looks far too good for this level, in the handful of games we’ve seen him play.

[Stoo61]

If Killie dont want him, he'll surely attract another Premier League club, United even. 

Its going to be another big rebuild this summer. 

[Poet of the Macabre]

1 hour ago, D.A.F.C said:

We are talking about the announced loss at the club are we not?
Please dont try and tell others what they can and cant talk about. Bit arrogant perhaps?

Right, don’t greet.

[DAFC.]

1 hour ago, craigkillie said:

I would be very surprised if we offered Thomas something.

Really? I suppose he has been loaned out every season for, what, the past 3 years? 

I'd love to keep him for the title surge next season. Unless Hearts are relegated, then it'll be the play-off surge.

[smpar]

I would be very surprised if we offered Thomas something.

That’s surprising. Are Killie more or less seeing out his contract as a loanee at other clubs to save a bit on wages?

[HoBNob]

3 hours ago, Stellaboz said:

Is it fine to assume that these "high" earners were Hippolyte, the Longridge brothers, Higginbotham and perhaps Fez? I can't imagine the likes of Robinson, Durnan, Muirhead, Craigan and Williamson were on particularly high wages compared to who we have now. 

Even if we're paying the same as those last 5, we've completely leveled up the quality. 

Comrie > Williamson

Murray > Durnan (also Devine on current form beats anything he's played previously)

Nisbit > Muirhead/everyone

Craigan was a decent hand but with Turner and Paton in midfield and the full back positions covered, it was the correct decision.

Robinson trained part time and Williams looks a decent loan signing in Scully's place.

Think you'll be surprised. 

Durnan came from Utd where had he been on reasonably big wages, Muirhead came from Mk Downs and left that contract early, Williamson was offered a contract when he was one of our better players and we were worried about losing him for some coin, would've thought they'd all have been quite big earners. 

Faiss would've got a decent wedge plus I think we were paying his house apparently. 

 

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, CallumPar said:

 

Has he not impressed at all with Killie? He honestly looks far too good for this level, in the handful of games we’ve seen him play.

He has impressed in small amounts in fits and starts, but that's four separate managers who haven't really liked what they've seen and have either not picked him or loaned him out. It was the same thing at Motherwell beforehand. Perhaps partly down to attitude too. There's definite talent but I get the feeling he'll be one of these guys who will consistently look great in the lower leagues but then not really make an impact in the top flight.

[D.A.F.C]

He has impressed in small amounts in fits and starts, but that's four separate managers who haven't really liked what they've seen and have either not picked him or loaned him out. It was the same thing at Motherwell beforehand. Perhaps partly down to attitude too. There's definite talent but I get the feeling he'll be one of these guys who will consistently look great in the lower leagues but then not really make an impact in the top flight.

Do you regularly play 442 or two wingers?

I get that burke is decent but who else? Play overlapping fullbacks?

[craigkillie]

11 minutes ago, D.A.F.C said:

Do you regularly play 442 or two wingers?

I get that burke is decent but who else? Play overlapping fullbacks?

We've played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 since Thomas joined us. Jones used to play on the left and Burke or McKenzie would play on the right. Since Jones left, McKenzie has tended to play on the left and Burke on the right. Liam Millar also played a decent number of games in 2019, but left in January.

Our full-backs are our biggest attacking outlets - O'Donnell and Taylor were both superb at it over the last two seasons, and Hamalainen has replaced Taylor since he went to Celtic. We tend to focus everything down our right because O'Donnell and Burke are arguably our best two attackers.

I think Thomas' biggest problem is that we've always built our team on being organised and everyone knowing their roles and working hard to stick to that. He is a bit more of an off-the-cuff player and that hasn't really suited us. The likes of Jones, Stewart and Mulumbu got away with it because they were exceptionally good, but when you're just OK like Thomas is you're not going to be worth the gamble.

Edited March 3, 2020 by craigkillie

[Poet of the Macabre]

Thomas does seem like a confidence player to me. He was absolutely buzzing after that great assist on Saturday and was running all over the place trying to make something happen or win back possession. I wouldn't want all our attackers to be similar to him but he has that spark that excites fans and can produce goals and chances.

[D.A.F.C]

We've played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 since Thomas joined us. Jones used to play on the left and Burke or McKenzie would play on the right. Since Jones left, McKenzie has tended to play on the left and Burke on the right. Liam Millar also played a decent number of games in 2019, but left in January.
Our full-backs are our biggest attacking outlets - O'Donnell and Taylor were both superb at it over the last two seasons, and Hamalainen has replaced Taylor since he went to Celtic. We tend to focus everything down our right because O'Donnell and Burke are arguably our best two attackers.
I think Thomas' biggest problem is that we've always built our team on being organised and everyone knowing their roles and working hard to stick to that. He is a bit more of an off-the-cuff player and that hasn't really suited us. The likes of Jones, Stewart and Mulumbu got away with it because they were exceptionally good, but when you're just OK like Thomas is you're not going to be worth the gamble.

Thanks, just wondering how you can afford the luxury of loaning out kiltie and Thomas but that explains it.
Ross Millen getting game time though, nothing to do with his dad....

[parsforlife]

Must say your reports seem to be describing a different player.

His attitude doesn’t seem in question at all and neither do have any doubts over what he does defensively. Of the wingers/attacking midfielders who have played for us this year he is the less likely to to go out of position(which tbf Crawford doesn’t really mind) and he’s more than happy to track back when needed. He’s far better going back than kiltie for example.

I get that the gap between the divisions can sometimes seem smaller than it actually is but I’m absolutely shocked that he doesn’t even seem to be in contention. Good news for us tho, I’d absolutely love him to sign up.

[HoBNob]

I can see what he's getting at tbf. 

I think it's absolutely possible that Thomas could be a good player in the Premier, would need to be in the right system though and Kilmarnock don't play one that suits him ideally, and he's not that brilliant a player that they'll feel the need to accommodate him. 

 

I genuinely think he's better than Kiltie though, I hope they release him but I could see United signing him up. 

[craigkillie]

37 minutes ago, D.A.F.C said:

Thanks, just wondering how you can afford the luxury of loaning out kiltie and Thomas but that explains it.
Ross Millen getting game time though, nothing to do with his dad....

Millen barely ever gets a game - he's back up to O'Donnell who hardly misses a game. His signing was probably partly down to his dad being there, but probably also down to him being willing to come along and essentially just play for the reserves for most of the season. In fairness to him, although he's clearly not a top flight player, he's had some big moments - he scored the winner at Tynecastle last season, and then set up our third goal against Aberdeen in the cup which would have been the winner if we hadn't spectacularly shat the bed.

[Salvo Montalbano]

I would be very surprised if we offered Thomas something.

Is he not contracted until next season anyway? Seem to remember him signing an extension after his loan spell at Dumbarton?

[craigkillie]

Aye you're right actually - his contract runs until 2021. He'll probably get yet another go at pre-season before being loaned out to someone in the Championship.