Sons' sorrow

[FifeSons]

14 minutes ago, optimistic said:

To be honest, I’ve not seen a game due to this pandemic and managing my earnings a lot shrewder, so I go on my thoughts based on what I read on here, and stats I see of games

That's fair enough and understandable. 

What I do find baffling though (not saying this is the case with you, @optimistic) is people saying they won't bother paying to watch the team or spend money the way they usually would when the club is struggling most (i.e. "this is shite, I won't be back until we're good again"). How on earth do folk like that think the club is going to move forwards without all the financial backing we can possibly get from fans?

Edited December 20, 2020 by FifeSons

[George Parr]

12 minutes ago, optimistic said:

I was genuinely surprised at the poll I created on the “sons of the rock “, Facebook page, where it was 84-4 in favour of keeping Duffy

To be honest, I’ve not seen a game due to this pandemic and managing my earnings a lot shrewder, so I go on my thoughts based on what I read on here, and stats I see of games

Would we trust Duffy with another January transfer window?

Do we need more juniors/highland league players at our club?

Surely Andy Ryan for example would have been affordable than keeping jones on?
 

The only thing that would have me swinging the axe on Jim is to adjust down our outgoings. If he's cheap then hold onto him as long as we can. 

I would anticipate that season 21-22 will see our budget reduced again, with streaming, reduced or no attendances and social distancing all still in place through the early stages at least. Under those circumstances it's difficult to forsee season ticket renewals being as strong this season. For that reason the SG Grant, whilst disproportionate to what the Championship teams are scooping, is particularly welcome.

Fingers crossed we can avoid relegation and some of the clubs with poorer supports (Cove, Clyde) go up, leaving Thistle and Fawkirk stuck here.

Everything now should be focussed on club survival to get through the other side of COVID. No need to be picky with management unless we start to get horsed every other week.

[Jan Vojáček]

42 minutes ago, optimistic said:

I was genuinely surprised at the poll I created on the “sons of the rock “, Facebook page, where it was 84-4 in favour of keeping Duffy

To be honest, I’ve not seen a game due to this pandemic and managing my earnings a lot shrewder, so I go on my thoughts based on what I read on here, and stats I see of games

Would we trust Duffy with another January transfer window?

Do we need more juniors/highland league players at our club?

Surely Andy Ryan for example would have been affordable than keeping jones on?
 

Given Robert Jones was playing as an amateur for Stranraer when we signed him,  I'd be beyond staggered if Andy Ryan was less expensive than him.

[optimistic]

Given Robert Jones was playing as an amateur for Stranraer when we signed him,  I'd be beyond staggered if Andy Ryan was less expensive than him.

I’m not saying Ryan was less expensive, but that surely we could have competed with Stirling Albion for his signature, financially, and been a more attractive proposition for the boy, seeing as we are a league above?

I’m sure there’s plenty Duffy hasn’t bothered his arse to even try to attract to the rock

[FifeSons]

I'd like to have seen us go for Hester from Elgin, he's something we haven't had in ages; a natural goal scorer. They picked him up from Arbroath for nothing. I expect bigger clubs than us will be coming in for him and a fee will be required with his new deal.

Edited December 20, 2020 by FifeSons

[Mr November]

13 minutes ago, optimistic said:

I’m not saying Ryan was less expensive, but that surely we could have competed with Stirling Albion for his signature, financially, and been a more attractive proposition for the boy, seeing as we are a league above?

I’m sure there’s plenty Duffy hasn’t bothered his arse to even try to attract to the rock

Airdrie tried to sign Andy Ryan and couldn’t match what Stirling were offering, so I’d be surprised if Dumbarton could have. 

[FifeSons]

5 minutes ago, Mr November said:

Airdrie tried to sign Andy Ryan and couldn’t match what Stirling were offering, so I’d be surprised if Dumbarton could have. 

Our budget is probably smaller than several League Two sides, so that surprises me in no way.

Edited December 20, 2020 by FifeSons

[FifeSons]

1 hour ago, George Parr said:

Everything now should be focussed on club survival to get through the other side of COVID. No need to be picky with management unless we start to get horsed every other week.

This completely. Duffy might be unremarkable in many ways, but he would not see us relegated, which is the most important thing this season.

[FifeSons]

5 hours ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

Duffy has made a total arse of the squad and he needs to deal with it as soon as possible, fannying around like nothing is wrong until the last week in January wont do.

Unpopular opinion, but I don't think the squad is that bad. Its a natural winger a striker short IMO.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

This completely. Duffy might be unremarkable in many ways, but he would not see us relegated, which is the most important thing this season.

Whilst I hope you are correct, I have to say that's quite a remarkable assertion. I'd be interested to know on what you base it, as it certainly isn't current form.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Just now, FifeSons said:

Unpopular opinion, but I don't think the squad is that bad. Its a natural winger a striker short IMO.

We have some decent individuals but as a squad it’s massively imbalanced and padded out with jobbers. We have 20 players - 7 of them are guys I wouldn’t consider good enough for this league (Morrison, Church, Smith, Johnstone, Langan, McCluskey & Jones). We have 4 central midfielders in the shape of Wedderburn, Carswell, Hamilton, Langan and I’m not sure there’s a pairing amongst them where you could say that 1 compliments the other. In terms of attacking midfielders we have Forbes and Frizzell and in all honesty Forbes looks like this level may be beyond him these days. Up front we only really have one striker who looks good enough to start games with the other 2 simply making up the numbers. Duffy has on numerous occassions now, favoured 1 of the 2 who I’d consider nowhere near good enough to be starting.

As I said, there’s a good few individuals but as a collective it’s imbalanced and there are too many guys who I look at and think I dont want them near our starting 11. I’d go as far as saying this is the worst Sons squad in recent memory and unless there is some major surgery done on it in January I genuinely fear how the rest of the season will pan out.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

14 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

This completely. Duffy might be unremarkable in many ways, but he would not see us relegated, which is the most important thing this season.

Really? We can’t score goals. Teams who can’t score goals don’t tend to fare too well. I don’t dislike Duffy but he seems to be struggling to get the best out of what is a very limited squad, and I’d consider that to be his number 1 strong point. 

[The Moonster]

25 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

Our budget is probably smaller than several League Two sides, so that surprises me in no way.

Other than Queens Park, what sides have bigger budgets than us? 

I just can't agree with the assertion we're this poor.

[FifeSons]

11 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

22 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

This completely. Duffy might be unremarkable in many ways, but he would not see us relegated, which is the most important thing this season.

Whilst I hope you are correct, I have to say that's quite a remarkable assertion. I'd be interested to know on what you base it, as it certainly isn't current form.

Other than yesterday and Forfar (where we still took a point), I don't think we've played that badly in the league. Falkirk outclassed us and are a superior side to everyone in the league (despite today's result), but we still should've scored a few. We deserved far more than 0 points from East Fife and Peterhead. Partick was a tough watch, and you can disagree with how we approached it, but the players did the job they were asked to do and defended well.

We have the best goalkeeper in the league and two of the best central midfielders. Its a tight league and I don't think we'll be far off either play-offs, but I don't see Duffy taking us down.

Edited December 20, 2020 by FifeSons

[FifeSons]

7 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

Really? We can’t score goals. Teams who can’t score goals don’t tend to fare too well. I don’t dislike Duffy but he seems to be struggling to get the best out of what is a very limited squad, and I’d consider that to be his number 1 strong point. 

I agree the lack of goals is a worry, but given we've had 6 out of 9 games away, I don't think our points total is shameful. We're two points off either play-offs. I'm not panicking yet.

[FifeSons]

16 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Other than Queens Park, what sides have bigger budgets than us? 

I just can't agree with the assertion we're this poor.

Edinburgh City will hands-down also have a bigger budget. It would not shock me in the slightest if say one of Elgin, Stenny or Stirling's was too. We suffer from owner's who don't contribute a penny, which is not hard to beat, and our location, with the gruesome twosome taking all footballing interest in our large catchment area.

Edited December 20, 2020 by FifeSons

[FifeSons]

27 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

We have some decent individuals but as a squad it’s massively imbalanced and padded out with jobbers. We have 20 players - 7 of them are guys I wouldn’t consider good enough for this league (Morrison, Church, Smith, Johnstone, Langan, McCluskey & Jones). We have 4 central midfielders in the shape of Wedderburn, Carswell, Hamilton, Langan and I’m not sure there’s a pairing amongst them where you could say that 1 compliments the other. In terms of attacking midfielders we have Forbes and Frizzell and in all honesty Forbes looks like this level may be beyond him these days. Up front we only really have one striker who looks good enough to start games with the other 2 simply making up the numbers. Duffy has on numerous occassions now, favoured 1 of the 2 who I’d consider nowhere near good enough to be starting.

As I said, there’s a good few individuals but as a collective it’s imbalanced and there are too many guys who I look at and think I dont want them near our starting 11. I’d go as far as saying this is the worst Sons squad in recent memory and unless there is some major surgery done on it in January I genuinely fear how the rest of the season will pan out.

I should perhaps rephrase that as "I don't think our best starting eleven is that bad". I do agree there's several in the squad who simply aren't anywhere near good enough and you have to question why they were signed.

I am happy enough with Duffy as manager, though. Could I be proven wrong by the end of the season? Of course.

Edited December 20, 2020 by FifeSons

[O'Kelly Isley III]

Other than yesterday and Forfar (where we still took a point), I don't think we've played that badly in the league. Falkirk outclassed us and are a superior side to everyone in the league (despite today's result), but we still should've scored a few. We deserved far more than 0 points from East Fife and Peterhead. Partick was a tough watch, and you can disagree with how we approached it, but the players did the job they were asked to do and defended well.
We have the best goalkeeper in the league and two of the best central midfielders. Its a tight league and I don't think we'll be far off either play-offs, but I don't see Duffy taking us down.

The 'defending well' bit is the only club we currently have in the golf bag. Thistle blew a penalty and Dabrowski played heroically, Cove pounded us in the last twenty five minutes, with Clyde having already done so for forty five and Airdrie for eighty five before that. We never conceded in any of them but you simply cannot go through a season on that basis. A fact which Montrose took six minutes to remind us of yesterday.

[BallochSonsFan]

I wouldn't be upset if Duffy went in the summer. I wouldn't punt him now because we'd struggle to bring in anybody better. I'd also let him make squad changes in January a what we've got right now isnt good enough and what we're doing isnt working. If we're keeping Duffy for the 2nd half of the season and giving him the chance to keep us up then he needs to have the ability to try and fix his fundamentally broken squad.

Summer 2021? Whether we're in League One or League Two, I'd be shaking Duffy's hand and thanking him for his time at the club. I'd be moving him on along with his assistant.

[BallochSonsFan]

9 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

I should perhaps rephrase that as "I don't think our best starting eleven is that bad". I do agree there's several in the squad who simply aren't anywhere near good enough and you have to question why they were signed.

I am happy enough with Duffy as manager, though. Could I be proven wrong by the end of the season? Of course.

What is our best starting 11? Genuine question because even the 11 I'd pick would have a few issues.