The East Fife Thread

[sammytroot]

In the game  v Dumbarton , there were 10 players aged under 20 who were in the 21 listed for the game .5 actually played including a 17 year old who made his debut.

Both Aaron Steele and Darren Watson , again teenagers, who would normally have started were both injured.

Perhaps youthful exuberance may be contributing to the upturn in fortunes.

[Kelheart]

Mon the Fife looking forward to a couple of Fife derbies next season with yourselves n the Pars

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

 

 

[Rob Smith]

Wow! Stevie Crawford? The guy that was to pick up on the mess that Young left? The guy that was given the job with the club without them even interviewing any other candidates.
Serious questions have to asked as to why this has been allowed to happen? .  
 

[Spirit of the Mound]

Have been well run for several years but serious questions of competency from BOD this past year or so.

[Specky Ginger]

6 hours ago, Rob Smith said:

Wow! Stevie Crawford? The guy that was to pick up on the mess that Young left? The guy that was given the job with the club without them even interviewing any other candidates.
Serious questions have to asked as to why this has been allowed to happen? .  
 

I'm not defending your board, but other candidates, or their agents, would have approached East Fife to register their interest and maybe the board saw Crawford as the standout candidate. You only need to look at some of the names mentioned when vacancies have arisen in the championship this season to see that there's not an abundance of exciting candidates. 

Crawford inherited a carcass of a squad from Young. It always amazed me on here how delighted East Fife fans were at every player from the previous season re-signing when they invariably fell away towards the end.

Unfortunately, you lost a decent player in Agnew, and the other real talent (Kevin Smith) isn't getting any younger.

Add to that, an abject ability to defend set pieces, and it's not a good mix. I remember the, justified, rage at the ridiculous award of a penalty to Falkirk a few weeks ago, but the more pertinent issue was leaving an opposition centre half unmarked in the box at a corner in the 89th minute of the match.

Crawford has a decent CV and because he's liked and respected at many clubs, I'm sure he'll have good contacts to bring in younger players and loanees for next season, and maybe most importantly a leader to organise your defence.

 

[Stevo Fife]

Agree with above, Specky. Crawford inherited a pretty poor squad and deserves next season in the basement league to prove his worth. Worked for Naysmith and he was no great shakes either but he brought the club back up. 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Stevo Fife

[tazz1903]

Crawford  is not the manager who can take us forward 

[Stevo Fife]

11 hours ago, tazz1903 said:

Crawford  is not the manager who can take us forward 

If you can't be a manager in the basement league then you'll never be a manager. Deserves a shot at it.

[fifer67]

 I know the January transfer window is difficult to sign players in but for me  not bringing in striking options in that window has played a major part in our down fall. Since Stevie has come in the defending has generally been better but our lack of a goal threat has killed us. Kyle Connol is more than decent at this level but he has had no service or any one of decent quality playing along side him. Once Kyle goes back to Kilmarnock we will need to find new striking options. Since the start of 2020 things have been going down hill and the fans knew the squad assembled for this season would really struggle against teams that were spending big and bringing in quality for league one level. The jury is still out on Stevie Crawford but 4 months and a January transfer window is never going to be enough time to sort out the mess he inherited. He without doubt deserves a chance to build his own team and bring in the types of players he needs to compliment his footballing style. He’ll know better than anyone what he’ll need to do it will just depend if he can get signing targets to buy into his vision.

[troy]

Another loss, is the team any better under Stevie Crawford.Since it’s all about results he’s managed 2wins since he came in.I’m struggling to see us come back up into this division.

[Mon_The_Fife]

Another loss, is the team any better under Stevie Crawford.Since it’s all about results he’s managed 2wins since he came in.I’m struggling to see us come back up into this division.

The writing was on the wall before the season had even started and most of us called a relegation battle with the squad we had assembled.

Crawford can only work with the dross that was at the club and very difficult in January to overhaul the squad. He needs his own summer window to bring in his own players.

The vast majority of the blame lies with the board who didn’t support Young last summer, hence why we were still scrambling for players like Onsu-Bonsu(sp) in September to bolster the squad.

The board need to back Crawford if we want to get out of League 2 at the first attempt.

[Wee Jockie]

Childish but Fife till I die. Gutted but obviously been inevitable for a while.
Haven’t been since beginning of the lurgy. First game of next season, no matter what I’m doin I’’ll travel to be there.
I’m faeMerhil.
Getting some vicious abuse cos of relegation.
Hic.. another whisky now

[Cambuslang Fifer]

you wonder if the contracts signed will be overturned due relegation or willing to leave under freedom of contract similar to Agnew. but ones worth keeping will be millar, Healy, Steele, Jude the rest I wouldn’t be moaning of letting go and seeing players like dunsmore, slattery, smith etc move on pasture new for me.

also do we need three/four defensive players in the same team ie slattery, Blair, millar and Davidson and for me cangia gets that vote for his consistency alone, playing time in the middle despite given Davidson injury etc how good he’s been for us we don’t need four defensive players in same team and also new defence and attackers too plus another goalie!

but also with guys like walls recently, Cunningham if they aren’t too old for u20 level next term to be loaned out gain more games at lower level get to level of newton and Healy obviously, means more space but equally it’s going be hard to recruit now in L2 than what it has been but hopefully we find gems of another Kyle Wilkie type players of rival teams would be worth but we have no clue how L2 teams performed either? maybe get Craig Thomson back as one, he not local and playing well at Forfar be one but big summer for Crawford get his own rubber stamp on the team.

but I’m just glad we can safely say we’re heading to L2 and press the restart button and hope results improve next season but it’s going be a big summer or a few seasons.

[Big Fifer]

As above, we'll never know what affect SC could/should have done because the recruitment last summer was absolutely terrible. Hopefully something to smile about next season. 

[DAFC.]

Ach, gutted for Stevie. He had a massive job on his hands to be fair. Looks like he didn’t have much leverage in January and was pretty much left to work something out with the dross?

Is he contracted for next season as well? Hopefully gets good backing and EF can bounce right back up. Don’t think League 2 will have to deal with a Lowland/Highland team next season spunking the cash like others have had recently.

[tamthebam]

If Edinburgh City don't go up (likely) and Fraserburgh beat Bonnyrigg and then Cowden (hmm...) then you might be our "derby" next season. 

I, for one, welcome our new Methil overlords. Just don't repeat the December 1937 scoreline... 

[flyfifer48]

8 hours ago, Cambuslang Fifer said:

you wonder if the contracts signed will be overturned due relegation or willing to leave under freedom of contract similar to Agnew. but ones worth keeping will be millar, Healy, Steele, Jude the rest I wouldn’t be moaning of letting go and seeing players like dunsmore, slattery, smith etc move on pasture new for me.

also do we need three/four defensive players in the same team ie slattery, Blair, millar and Davidson and for me cangia gets that vote for his consistency alone, playing time in the middle despite given Davidson injury etc how good he’s been for us we don’t need four defensive players in same team and also new defence and attackers too plus another goalie!

but also with guys like walls recently, Cunningham if they aren’t too old for u20 level next term to be loaned out gain more games at lower level get to level of newton and Healy obviously, means more space but equally it’s going be hard to recruit now in L2 than what it has been but hopefully we find gems of another Kyle Wilkie type players of rival teams would be worth but we have no clue how L2 teams performed either? maybe get Craig Thomson back as one, he not local and playing well at Forfar be one but big summer for Crawford get his own rubber stamp on the team.

but I’m just glad we can safely say we’re heading to L2 and press the restart button and hope results improve next season but it’s going be a big summer or a few seasons.

8 hours ago, Cambuslang Fifer said:

you wonder if the contracts signed will be overturned due relegation or willing to leave under freedom of contract similar to Agnew. but ones worth keeping will be millar, Healy, Steele, Jude the rest I wouldn’t be moaning of letting go and seeing players like dunsmore, slattery, smith etc move on pasture new for me.

also do we need three/four defensive players in the same team ie slattery, Blair, millar and Davidson and for me cangia gets that vote for his consistency alone, playing time in the middle despite given Davidson injury etc how good he’s been for us we don’t need four defensive players in same team and also new defence and attackers too plus another goalie!

but also with guys like walls recently, Cunningham if they aren’t too old for u20 level next term to be loaned out gain more games at lower level get to level of newton and Healy obviously, means more space but equally it’s going be hard to recruit now in L2 than what it has been but hopefully we find gems of another Kyle Wilkie type players of rival teams would be worth but we have no clue how L2 teams performed either? maybe get Craig Thomson back as one, he not local and playing well at Forfar be one but big summer for Crawford get his own rubber stamp on the team.

but I’m just glad we can safely say we’re heading to L2 and press the restart button and hope results improve next season but it’s going be a big summer or a few seasons.

You're surely not including Blair in a defensive midfielder role. He is shocking and if he is the standard Crawford thinks will get us out of league 2 then we are doomed. The shirking out of tackles especially against Queens Park would for me mean get him out the door

[Cambuslang Fifer]

20 minutes ago, flyfifer48 said:

You're surely not including Blair in a defensive midfielder role. He is shocking and if he is the standard Crawford thinks will get us out of league 2 then we are doomed. The shirking out of tackles especially against Queens Park would for me mean get him out the door

Don’t know what his role is certainly not attacking or any but I would bin most of them I said and keep canaggia but that’s me.

[fifer67]

There have been some pretty dire times supporting the Fife over more years than I care to remember but what has been allowed to go on in the last year is up there with the worst. Season 1996/97 last time we were in the 2nd tier lives long in the memory for how bad that was but the season gone by will even give that a run for it’s money. The summer recruitment was a disaster and there was no plan B in January. Agree majority of players need to go as the losing mentality that hangs around the club has to be broken. Crawford never stood a chance as he had to plough on with the majority of the squad that was put in place prior to his arrival. The lack of goals would drive any footballing enthusiasts away from the game. We had a decent team there for for 4 or 5 years but things have been in free fall since the first games back after COVID. Took 2 seasons to come up last time we got relegated I wouldn’t put money on that being improved on, but we can only hope that better days can return again. Hopefully the board learn lessons from our pre season planning last year and get  a plan put in place that has things ready to go for mid July.