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14 minutes ago, printer said:

Don't know much about King and Armstrong (I'm sure someone will be on soon to dismiss them as 'jobbers'), but midfield and an experienced left back were two weaknesses IMO, so good on that front.

I see Armstrong also plays centre back, doesn't look like we'll be short of numbers for that position. 😁 

Andy Graham appeared to be playing right wing back in the 2nd half. Think that says all there is to say about the experimental nature of the game last night. Thought it was amusing that in the blazing heat (admittedly had cooled a bit by kick off time) we play the game in our all black training kit.

 

Edited by Father Barrys Sign (Top Half)
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49 minutes ago, Father Barrys Sign (Top Half) said:

Andy Graham appeared to be playing right wing back in the 2nd half. Think that says all there is to say about the experimental nature of the game last night. Thought it was amusing that in the blazing heat (admittedly had cooled a bit by kick off time) we play the game in our all black training kit.

 

Thought that kit would make for a pretty decent away strip to be honest

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Armstrong was hopeless for us. He must have done a turn in the Lowland to get another move up the way though.

The move by Ferguson from Kelty to Alloa does seem more bewildering by the week doesn't it? He would have pissed league two this season with probably a better squad of players at Kelty and Alloa looks a bloody tough job on the surface to have success this year considering the clout Falkirk and Cove seem to have.

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People (other fans) aren't filling me full of confidence here about some of our signings. May be a bit of devilment, as always, however, we have experienced championship players and we have signed a couple of untried and untested lower league players. Be interesting to see if last years retained play. No new gaffer signs people and sits them in the stand. King, Durnan and Sammon do interest me for this league though. 

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1 hour ago, Neilly said:

 

The move by Ferguson from Kelty to Alloa does seem more bewildering by the week doesn't it? He would have pissed league two this season with probably a better squad of players at Kelty and Alloa looks a bloody tough job on the surface to have success this year considering the clout Falkirk and Cove seem to have.

Have to admit I have wondered this myself. He had a strong team and big budget at Kelty and would have been very well placed to win League 2. He appears to have taken on a harder challenge at Alloa. The list of retained players was good and the chairman also spoke of an increased budget but the signings have been a bit left field. That's not to say they won't work out but from the outside looking in it does seem like an interesting career move by Ferguson. 

Will be vindicated when he destroys everyone on our march to title glory. 

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I think perhaps hes looked at Jack Ross and Jim Goodwin and viewed Alloa as a quicker stepping stone to a higher profile job in management.

I agree the season looks like no cakewalk. My expectation (which will be fairly typical and unsurprising) is that we will be within that promotion play-off area, but theres no guarantees, and as stated going to be a tough league to win.

Edited by Father Barrys Sign (Top Half)
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Jordan Armstrong wasn't too hot at Stenhousemuir but I would have kept him around for the 2020/21 season and was a little sorry to see him reject our contract offer and join East Kilbride. He's a big lump of a boy and has all the raw attributes to make it as a decent lower-league centre-back. As long as he stops getting pushed around and frightened by bouncing balls, he'll do the Wasps a decent-enough turn.

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14 minutes ago, whereismillar said:

We were told Kevin O.hara was no good

Innes cameron was  no good .

 

the new players will do the talking on the park  ,, or not,  we shall see 

it is an anxious time for Alloa fans with the new manager and players coming in

Surely exciting rather than anxious?

To be fair, neither Cameron or O'Hara had been great elsewhere before joining us (although Cameron didn't get a lot of game time at Ayr), but both were given a proper chance at Alloa and certainly delivered. Maybe Peter Grant deserves a slice of that credit.

I believe we have a squad now that can compete for a play off place. Up to the manager to get the most out of them.

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Jordan Armstrong wasn't too hot at Stenhousemuir but I would have kept him around for the 2020/21 season and was a little sorry to see him reject our contract offer and join East Kilbride. He's a big lump of a boy and has all the raw attributes to make it as a decent lower-league centre-back. As long as he stops getting pushed around and frightened by bouncing balls, he'll do the Wasps a decent-enough turn.
Would agree with this more so rather than Neilly's hopeless verdict.

He certainly struggled a bit at the start but came onto a game toward the end of the season and had a few really solid games.

That said still surprised a good League 1 team has taken him.
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Adam King is one of these players who carries a reputation but doesn't seem to have done much, in terms of first team football, to earn it. 

He's 25 and he's only played in something like 65 league games, at a number of different levels. Other than a spell at Crewe Alexandra in 2015, he hasn't played more than about ten games in a season. 

There's obviously something that managers see in him. Some keep signing him, and others keep taking him on loan, but he just doesn't seem to make an impact. 

In his spell at the Rovers last season he came in and was really anonymous. He wasn't actively bad in a way that some players can be, but he just didn't impose himself on games. He's like a 5/10 at everything, but that adds up to nothing. Not a great passer, not a great runner, doesn't really tackle or shoot. Just shuffles the ball around. 

His career from here can really go one of two ways. Either he drops to a level (which could be League One or could be lower...) where his skill level leaves him above the average player and he starts to look half decent, or his particular skillset proves to be ineffectual at any level and he just drops out of the game completely. 

We've seen it happen with other players who had promising youth careers and got a big move early on, and I wouldn't bet against it with King. 

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Can’t really disagree with much of Raith’s above summary, but I do feel it’s too negative. I’d expect King to do just fine for you, and I wasn’t opposed to signing him as a holding or defensive mid.

He’s not flashy or electrifying, but he’ll take care of the ball and distribute it. Seemed willing enough to fall back into the box and muck about, but going forward is certainly not his forté. He’ll likely get panned as too fast to pass the ball off or not creative enough, but you’ll have to judge for yourselves. Certainly didn’t look clearly outclassed at the Championship level versus the Pars and Dundee, so should be comfortable in League One.

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1 minute ago, TxRover said:

Can’t really disagree with much of Raith’s above summary, but I do feel it’s too negative. I’d expect King to do just fine for you, and I wasn’t opposed to signing him as a holding or defensive mid.

He’s not flashy or electrifying, but he’ll take care of the ball and distribute it. Seemed willing enough to fall back into the box and muck about, but going forward is certainly not his forté. He’ll likely get panned as too fast to pass the ball off or not creative enough, but you’ll have to judge for yourselves. Certainly didn’t look clearly outclassed at the Championship level versus the Pars and Dundee, so should be comfortable in League One.

Sounds like what we need in the team to replace Hetherington if Im honest.

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I feel like it's relevant to the discussion to point out that Tex is literally the only Rovers supporter who would have kept King. 

Given you've only had the two of us offering an opinion, it'd be reasonable to assume that the Rovers support were split on him. We absolutely weren't. 

(Now, of course, that's no guarantee of anything, but it would take quite the summer of development for Adam King to look capable of replacing Stevie Hetherington.)

Edited by Raith Against The Machine
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14 minutes ago, Raith Against The Machine said:

I feel like it's relevant to the discussion to point out that Tex is literally the only Rovers supporter who would have kept King. 

That’s not true, but I was certainly in the minority, if that assists evaluation of these posts.

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1 hour ago, Raith Against The Machine said:

 

(Now, of course, that's no guarantee of anything, but it would take quite the summer of development for Adam King to look capable of replacing Stevie Hetherington.)

I don't think Father Barry was suggesting King would be an immediate like for like replacement for Hetherington. But the Hetherington who left Alloa was a very different player to the one who first arrived, a player who had been dropping down the levels previously and took time to find his feet. When he did, he went on to flourish and left the club a far more accomplished performer. Obviously doesn't work for every signing but that will be the hope for the likes of King too. Worth saying also that Liam Dick left Alloa looking much stronger than when he initially signed for us. For all we have been one of the best part-time sides in recent times, we're always going to be working in that kind of market to some extent. 

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