supersons Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Well said rab, I mean Wilf 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Paddy Flannery Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I'm confident that Ian Murray is a better judge of a player than anyone posting here. I don't doubt that but if rumours are to be believed he has offered a contract to guy he has zero confidence in. It was Murray who chose to play Chris Turner at left back over Scott Smith. The same goes for McDougall with Murray utilising guys like Kirkpatrick and Fleming on the wing before he would play McDougall. I don't know about you but that to me means that Murray doesn't rate Smith or McDougall very highly at all. If Murray chooses to play players out of position when we have ready made replacements sitting on the bench then it gives the impression he doesn't deem them as good enough to have a place in our starting 11. If that is the case then why offer them new contracts? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren1872 Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Would be good to know if McDougall and Smith are on improved contracts.. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O'Kelly Isley III Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I'm confident that Ian Murray is a better judge of a player than anyone posting here. Without labouring the point, then why is he offering contracts to players who were peripheral for most of last season ? Ian Murray has the potential to be a first-class manager at a high level but in player selection he remains an appreciable work in progress - for every Paul McGinn and Scott Linton there is the occasional Owen Ronald and Kevin Smith; in that respect he is little different from every other manager in the game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FifeSons Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I'd like to see us try and pinch a few of Cowden's players. Them staying up may mean that is less likely to happen, of course. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howlin' Wilf Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I'm guessing that Murray has had a look around and decided there is no point in churning the squad for the sake of it. He seems to be opting for continuity and that may be no bad thing. Of the seven teams in our league from last season, only Accies and ourselves improved on our position. Maybe he thinks there is more improvement to be squeezed from the current squad. The main gripe seems to be the re-signings of Smith and McDougall. At face value these seem curious I'd agree but lets wait and see if they take the opportunity they've been offered. Murray obviously thinks they can offer something. On the keepers, again it may be that there have been enquiries made and that the manager feels that there's nothing better available. On McGinn, Linton and Megginson I guess that offers have been made but that the players concerned have others to consider? Morton are an obvious lesson in what churning from a strong position can achieve. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howlin' Wilf Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Without labouring the point, then why is he offering contracts to players who were peripheral for most of last season ? Ian Murray has the potential to be a first-class manager at a high level but in player selection he remains an appreciable work in progress - for every Paul McGinn and Scott Linton there is the occasional Owen Ronald and Kevin Smith; in that respect he is little different from every other manager in the game. So he's good but not perfect. Kevin Smith's signing was met with approval at the time as he had a reasonable track record. Owen Ronald? well it didn't work out - he may make a claim elsewhere. No manager gets it 100% right, but for a work in progress Murray's percentages are pretty good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonsanorak Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 We re not to know what contracts have been taken up or offered. For all we know smith and dougs have been offered a gadzillion a game but told their third choice and unlikely to play. However, my expectation is for a better standard of player and stronger squad based on the increase to the ST prices. Its still early days in the close season and plenty of players will have contracts expiring in the next week or so. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedrick1 Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 (edited) Time to settle down. We've signed up those from last season who probably didn't have any other options. Those still to consider will weigh up options particularly mcginn. I wouldn't have used money from smith to offer more to mcginn/meginnson.that's not us. Don't expect a lot over next few weeks. Don't see point in speculating about who we should go for just wait and see. I guess this is the fun of pre season. Edited May 18, 2014 by cedrick1 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FifeSons Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Thank f**k East Fife went down. Maybe we'll have a chance of hanging on to Linton now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowden til i die Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 What's this about Linton? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squeezebox-son Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 I wasn't under the impression that Linton wasn't happy with us. I think and hope that he is one of the next players to sign on in the next few days. He makes a difference to the team. Unless he was to be going Full time (can't see that happening) then surely we will be his best option? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FifeSons Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 What's this about Linton? Just a joke; cedrick1 reckoned East Fife were one of the potential teams Linton was waiting on. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howlin' Wilf Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I mean no disrespect to either OK3 or BBPF and they and others are perfectly entitled to express their views on players and the re-signing thereof. I make the point again though, is it possibly the case that Murray has surveyed the SPFL landscape and decided not to take a risk with alternative signings? That is to say that maybe he has made a list of available goalkeepers, maybe he has enquired about some, maybe he has concluded that those available would offer little or no improvement and/or higher cost? The goalkeeping coach will have had an input here too. I don't think there's anyone here not surprised with the signings of McDougall and Smith........but Murray knows these guys, sees them in training and obviously feels that he can improve them and get more from them. Perhaps better to offer guys like that another chance than to bring in others who are disgruntled about not getting a game? I may be wrong and these signings may well come back to haunt him, but I for one am pleased that it is Murray who is making these decisions. We were all delighted to see him re-sign, it is maybe time to trust in him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Moonster Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) I mean no disrespect to either OK3 or BBPF and they and others are perfectly entitled to express their views on players and the re-signing thereof. I make the point again though, is it possibly the case that Murray has surveyed the SPFL landscape and decided not to take a risk with alternative signings? That is to say that maybe he has made a list of available goalkeepers, maybe he has enquired about some, maybe he has concluded that those available would offer little or no improvement and/or higher cost? The goalkeeping coach will have had an input here too. I don't think there's anyone here not surprised with the signings of McDougall and Smith........but Murray knows these guys, sees them in training and obviously feels that he can improve them and get more from them. Perhaps better to offer guys like that another chance than to bring in others who are disgruntled about not getting a game? I may be wrong and these signings may well come back to haunt him, but I for one am pleased that it is Murray who is making these decisions. We were all delighted to see him re-sign, it is maybe time to trust in him. I find it difficult to believe that we've looked over every player and decided that players like Ewings and MacDougall are the best we can get. That sounds disrespectful to them and I certainly don't mean it in that way but, especially in MacDougall's case, I find it really difficult to accept he's the best squad player we're able to get. Every other team in this league, including both part time teams are capable of finding a good goalkeeper, again I find it difficult to accept that he's the best available. Yes, Murray knows what they can do and will take comfort in that but I just think it was perhaps time for a wee freshen up. We can trust in Murray and still pass comment on his work. I am still hopeful we'll put a good squad together and I hope Murray can get the targets he's looking at. Edited May 19, 2014 by The Moonster 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Parr Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Perhaps with an increased player budget Murray is looking to run with a bigger squad next season. That's the only reason I can see for offering the likes of Ewings and Smith new contracts. Surely we'll have a new keeper between the sticks next season, the other two haven't been good enough for two seasons now. Pleased to see Fleming, Graham, Gill, Aggie etc re-sign mind. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Pete Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Decent piece on Murray from the SPFL site: http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/murray-delighted-to-remain-at-dumbarton/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghead ranter Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Murray should have been on the blower to Tommy Wright on Saturday night, while he'd've been half fu' and feeling gallus, and got him to pledge Chris Kane to us for the season there and then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rankine Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) Wilf makes a good point about players being disgruntled if they're not playing regularly. By all accounts we have excellent team morale and perhaps the likes of Grindlay, Ewings, Smith & McDougall are part of that, i.e. happy to be part of the squad whilst knowing they aren't an automatic pick. It could be a disaster to replace them with someone who may be slightly better but could destroy squad morale if they aren't playing every week. Edited May 19, 2014 by mike rankine 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Paddy Flannery Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Wilf makes a good point about players being disgruntled if they're not playing regularly. By all accounts we have excellent team morale and perhaps the likes of Grindlay, Ewings, Smith & McDougall are part of that, i.e. happy to be part of the squad whilst knowing they aren't an automatic pick. It could be a disaster to replace them with someone who may be slightly better but could destroy squad morale if they aren't playing every week. I personally don't think we should be signing guys for the sole purpose of sitting on the bench. A couple of experienced heads and a backup goalkeeper aye but the rest of our signings should be players we feel improve the squad, not just there to make up the numbers. A counter argument to that would be if players are happy to be backup will they really push themselves to break into the first team? Will they make a regular starter up his game to keep his place in the team? As has been mentioned though Murray hasn't done much wrong thus far so I trust he knows what he's doing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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