Sons' sorrow

[gmca]

1 hour ago, FifeSons said:

The only thing I’d say is that Stirling have just had 4 away games in a row, which was a massive chance for us to open up a gap.

This.

Was a bit concerned Sons might pull away from us over this run of games. Think we did alright though, got 1 win and 3 draws out of the 4games after being fairly idle through postponements.

I think Tuesday is a big game for you. Good teams go through relatively bad spells, with a terrible result (like yours yesterday) either leading to a recovery in form in the next game, or a continuation of poor form.

Win the game and you're 5 points ahead. I know whose shoes I'd rather be in if that happens.

[Victor mcdade]

That 3 year deal for Farrell is looking a great decision...

Still in a good position to go up but the thought of being stuck watching his negative football for 3 more years is rotten.

Our pitch needs sorted ASAP, it's a big problem.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

58 minutes ago, Victor mcdade said:

That 3 year deal for Farrell is looking a great decision...

Still in a good position to go up but the thought of being stuck watching his negative football for 3 more years is rotten.

Our pitch needs sorted ASAP, it's a big problem.

Minor correction.  We are still in a good position to have a chance of going up, probably via the play-offs, but there's no certainty that we will.

I think many of us are now hoping rather than believing.

[FifeSons]

5 hours ago, Victor mcdade said:

That 3 year deal for Farrell is looking a great decision...

Still in a good position to go up but the thought of being stuck watching his negative football for 3 more years is rotten.

Our pitch needs sorted ASAP, it's a big problem.

I’d forgotten we did that. What a mental decision.

It was good that he acknowledged we deserved to lose on Saturday, but he made it sound like it was a freak one-off, rather than a culmination of us playing badly for ages.

[George Parr]

I think we need to win every match between now and playing Stirling away at the end of the March. And to be fair 4 of the 5 matches are at home so we should be at least targeting maximum points.

[squeezebox-son]

10 minutes ago, George Parr said:

I think we need to win every match between now and playing Stirling away at the end of the March. And to be fair 4 of the 5 matches are at home so we should be at least targeting maximum points.

Surely, you always target maximum points though?

Yeah, I think on paper before the home matches started a few weeks back we seen it as a big opportunity but I think many now feel like we have been simply 'found out'. With no plan B, it's now looking like a hefty challenge to stay top of the league.

[George Parr]

2 minutes ago, squeezebox-son said:

Surely, you always target maximum points though?

Yeah, I think on paper before the home matches started a few weeks back we seen it as a big opportunity but I think many now feel like we have been simply 'found out'. With no plan B, it's now looking like a hefty challenge to stay top of the league.

Well there's a Stranraer away fixture in that run and normally I'd be content with a draw there. At this point I think we have to win.

[Boghead ranter]

Facebook page chief knicker-wetter now trying to get everyone worried about Stenny being the chief threat to our title challenge.

[Jan Vojáček]

2 minutes ago, Boghead ranter said:

Facebook page chief knicker-wetter now trying to get everyone worried about Stenny being the chief threat to our title challenge.

I clocked this from one of the group's most active members (not said knicker wetter in chief) the other day and it really put that page into perspective.

Quote

I’m not local anymore and got a bit of a mobility issue so sadly it’s been a while since I was fortunate (?) enough to see just last play and so I’m pretty reliant on fan posts and Twitter feeds and, from what I’ve taken from this season is we’ve been lucky more often than good.

If you're basing your extremely long winded (aye, I know that's hypocritical coming from me...) takes on games from what you see on the Facebook group and Twitter, rather than what you've seen with your eyes, then I'm suggesting it might not be the most well-rounded take.

If I based my views on social media, then John Lundstram would've been in the Rangers Hall of Fame at 14:58 yesterday. And then was the worst player ever to play for them by 16:55.

Luck doesn't take you top of the league after 24 games. And luck doesn't earn you a club record number of consecutive wins, club record unbeaten home run or club record quickest goalkeeper to 10 clean sheets.

I'm not feeling great about things at the moment. We've hit a rocky patch. And we're far from the best side to watch. But you don't luck your way through a season from July until March.

We're top of the league because we deserve to be. Just as, if Stirling overtake us, luck won't have played a part in that for them.

This next month is massive for us. Faz hasn't really turned round a poor run of form yet during his time in charge. So it's a big test of his capabilities as much as the squad.

In saying that, two of our three defeats in the league so far in 2023 have been as a result of howling defensive mistakes. That penalty on Saturday and the mess that was the Forfar game. Faz can be criticised, but he can't be held responsible for experienced players making inexcusable howlers.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

54 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

I clocked this from one of the group's most active members (not said knicker wetter in chief) the other day and it really put that page into perspective.

If you're basing your extremely long winded (aye, I know that's hypocritical coming from me...) takes on games from what you see on the Facebook group and Twitter, rather than what you've seen with your eyes, then I'm suggesting it might not be the most well-rounded take.

If I based my views on social media, then John Lundstram would've been in the Rangers Hall of Fame at 14:58 yesterday. And then was the worst player ever to play for them by 16:55.

Luck doesn't take you top of the league after 24 games. And luck doesn't earn you a club record number of consecutive wins, club record unbeaten home run or club record quickest goalkeeper to 10 clean sheets.

I'm not feeling great about things at the moment. We've hit a rocky patch. And we're far from the best side to watch. But you don't luck your way through a season from July until March.

We're top of the league because we deserve to be. Just as, if Stirling overtake us, luck won't have played a part in that for them.

This next month is massive for us. Faz hasn't really turned round a poor run of form yet during his time in charge. So it's a big test of his capabilities as much as the squad.

In saying that, two of our three defeats in the league so far in 2023 have been as a result of howling defensive mistakes. That penalty on Saturday and the mess that was the Forfar game. Faz can be criticised, but he can't be held responsible for experienced players making inexcusable howlers.

Now call me an idiot, but I don't see that Facebook quote as being wildly inaccurate.  I've attended almost every league game this season and there are a fair few fixtures where we have dug out results - Coatbridge twice, the first home match with Elgin, the recent home game with Annan and the draw at Bonnyrigg for starters - and whilst you rightly say that 'luck' won't get you top after 24 games then by the same token 'digging out' seldom wins championships.

You write that the next month is massive for us.  Indeed, but it will also be an indicator of just how well we can respond to the first period of adverse results, and yes poor performances. And remember, even with howling defensive mistakes, if you are creating and working the keeper at the other end you always have a chance.  Just saying.

[Jan Vojáček]

2 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

Now call me an idiot, but I don't see that Facebook quote as being wildly inaccurate.  I've attended almost every league game this season and there are a fair few fixtures where we have dug out results - Coatbridge twice, the first home match with Elgin, the recent home game with Annan and the draw at Bonnyrigg for starters - and whilst you rightly say that 'luck' won't get you top after 24 games then by the same token 'digging out' seldom wins championships.

You write that the next month is massive for us.  Indeed, but it will also be an indicator of just how well we can respond to the first period of adverse results, and yes poor performances. And remember, even with howling defensive mistakes, if you are creating and working the keeper at the other end you always have a chance.  Just saying.

I didn't necessarily mean that comment exclusively was lacking accuracy. Just that, as someone who has said he isn't able to go to games and bases his opinion entirely on what he reads on social media, said Facebook commenter might not be able to provide the most rounded take on things. If you read our Facebook posts, but hadn't looked at a single result all season you'd genuinely think we were sat in a position akin to Peterhead or Clyde in the league above

I think, and hope, that we'll go back to what we do well after recent troubles. We can set up in a rigid shape and we can defend well. Albeit that means we have to be clinical on the break when we get chances. Is it like watching Ian Murray's golden era? Absolutely not. But if it grinds out wins then that's the only metric that this season - and Stevie Farrell - will be judged on.

As you say, if we were creating chances then we'd have a better chance of overcoming howlers. But, by the same token, it feels like much of our success has been on the mantra that no team has ever lost a league game in which it's kept a clean sheet (someone will point out a technicality here, I can sense it!).

If we can get back to keeping clean sheets like we did up until the turn of the year, we'll give ourselves a right good chance of getting over the line. I fancy us to out-defend teams. I don't think we don't have the firepower to outscore them.

As ever though, the first goal tomorrow will be vital. If we get it then I think we'll see the Dumbarton side from earlier in the campaign. If we fall behind, then I fear we'll see the side from the previous two weeks - who seem to treat being a goal behind like being one down in the final minutes of a cup tie. Tactics out the window, ball launched forward to a host of bodies at every chance.

As an aside, we surely must be due a goalscorer soon? By my record Bryan Prunty's 17 (2011/12) is the last time we had a player for a full season who could be described as anything like a 'prolific goalscorer'. Jim Lister deserves a mention too for his 15 the season after. But Paddy must've been our last player to hit 20 in season?

Top scorers (all comps) since 2011-12

Ross MacLean (9)

Jaime Wilson (7)

Isaac Layne (9)

Calum Gallagher + Dom Thomas (14)

Calum Gallagher (7)

Robert Thomson (12)

Garry Fleming (11)

Garry Fleming (6)

Mitch Megginson (12)

Jim Lister (15)

Bryan Prunty (17)

[microdave]

40 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

But Paddy must've been our last player to hit 20 in season?

 

He is indeed. It was in 2000/01 when we played at Cliftonhill before moving into the Rock. It's been a while.

[Jan Vojáček]

5 minutes ago, microdave said:

He is indeed. It was in 2000/01 when we played at Cliftonhill before moving into the Rock. It's been a while.

I can feel myself falling down a well of 'last player to score 20 goals in a season' for each team in the SPFL. And I really don't want to. But I know I can't resist. 

[GordyBrow]

11 minutes ago, microdave said:

He is indeed. It was in 2000/01 when we played at Cliftonhill before moving into the Rock. It's been a while.

Christ, I feel old now.

[Jan Vojáček]

10 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

I can feel myself falling down a well of 'last player to score 20 goals in a season' for each team in the SPFL. And I really don't want to. But I know I can't resist. 

Bit the bullet for League Two only. And this was off the top of my head when I thought who their best goalscorers have been in that time. But every other team in the league has had someone hit at least 20 goals in (fairly) recent times.

Stirling Albion - Jordan White
Annan - Tommy Goss*
Stenhousemuir - Mark McGuigan
Elgin - Kane Hester*
Forfar Athletic - John Baird
East Fife - Nathan Austin
Stranraer - Jamie Longworth (Craig Malcolm also hit 15/15/18 in consecutive seasons)
Albion Rovers - Alan Trouten

*Current season

If we'd had Chris Kane for a full season then he'd probably have been our man. Same with Stephen Dobbie. But we haven't, so we're long overdue one!

[microdave]

Since Kenny Wilson left us in 1972, we have only had 7 seasons where the top scorer has reached 20 goals.

74/75 Tom McAdam 20

75/76 John Bourke 26

76/77 John Bourke 22

86/87 Gerry McCoy 22

89/90 Charlie Gibson and Stuart MacIver 21

91/92 Jimmy Gilmour 20

00/01 Paddy Flannery 21

[Jan Vojáček]

4 minutes ago, microdave said:

Since Kenny Wilson left us in 1972, we have only had 7 seasons where the top scorer has reached 20 goals.

74/75 Tom McAdam 20

75/76 John Bourke 26

76/77 John Bourke 22

86/87 Gerry McCoy 22

89/90 Charlie Gibson and Stuart MacIver 21

91/92 Jimmy Gilmour 20

00/01 Paddy Flannery 21

We probably used up our lifetime supply of quality goalscorers in the 70s alone 

[George Parr]

5 minutes ago, microdave said:

Since Kenny Wilson left us in 1972, we have only had 7 seasons where the top scorer has reached 20 goals.

74/75 Tom McAdam 20

75/76 John Bourke 26

76/77 John Bourke 22

86/87 Gerry McCoy 22

89/90 Charlie Gibson and Stuart MacIver 21

91/92 Jimmy Gilmour 20

00/01 Paddy Flannery 21

Holy hell that's dire. Particularly this century.

Quite surprised to learn Sir Patrick only managed 20+ once. I had him down as a deal more prolific than that.

[microdave]

2 minutes ago, George Parr said:

Holy hell that's dire. Particularly this century.

Quite surprised to learn Sir Patrick only managed 20+ once. I had him down as a deal more prolific than that.

You're right to have him down as a prolific scorer because he was. From his first full season he scored 18, 16, 21 and 19 goals in his first four seasons before the goals dried up a bit in 02/03.

[GordyBrow]

1 hour ago, microdave said:

 

89/90 Charlie Gibson and Stuart MacIver 21

Excuse me?