Falkirk v Queens

[gav-ffc]

Tudur Jones starting for the under 20s this evening.

Looks like Leahy is now the preferred left back as Dick playing also, I like Liam and I think he's a season off being ready.

@falkirkbairns: FALKIRK :Bowman, Rowan, Dick, McNab, McGeever, P. Grant, Hogg, Tudur Jones, Shepherd, Boulding, , T.Grant #SJFFC

[NavyBlueArmy1876]

Here's the team that started vs QotS in the play off second leg last season

McGovern

Vaulks Flynn McCracken Kingsley

Millar

Alston Sibbald

McGrandles

Loy Beck

Players that are in red have gone. McGovern and Flynn are no great losses, MacDonald has come in and Vaulks will slot to his natural position of centre back.

Only time will tell but I think Shaughnessy will do well for us at right back. Kieran Duffie is only a few weeks away from returning to fitness and with Maybury and Rowan we certainly have cover in that area. Kingsley leaving is a massive blow. We have Liam Dick, and Luke Leahy, neither of which are even close to Kingsley's ability at defending, or attacking. How much can you miss a left back I hear you ask...just ask Dundee United fans.

Next there's the midfield, where we have lost two of our best players. Millar has been replaced by Taiwo and Owain Tudor Jones (due to Houstie preferring to play two holding midfielders), and McGrandles replaced by Cooper and Smith. Both players are massive losses in my opinion and only time will tell if those that have been brought in are good enough to replace them.

Beck is no great loss, but his presence and the formation is. Loy is a really good player at this level (top scorer last season iirc) but needs someone to play up front with him. So far he has been very isolated at times and with only Boulding signed as a striker it looks like being a much harder season for him.

We have a few more young players coming through and with 9 players signed, more depth. The losses of Kingsley, Millar and McGrandles could have ripped the star quality from our team though, Saturday should be a good marker to see where we are at right now.

So yes, as I said (a few times) far too early to tell anything at this stage, but if we finish outside of the playoffs I will be very disappointed.

[Guest]

Tudur Jones starting for the under 20s this evening.

Looks like Leahy is now the preferred left back as Dick playing also, I like Liam and I think he's a season off being ready.

@falkirkbairns: FALKIRK :Bowman, Rowan, Dick, McNab, McGeever, P. Grant, Hogg, Tudur Jones, Shepherd, Boulding, , T.Grant #SJFFC

Yes a season off being ready for Stenhousemuir

[Guest]

Unfortunately, no. I think we will invoke the ghost of Levein, and we will go out trying to ensure we don't lose the game.....which in this league, is a real pity, as out with Hearts and Sevco, most teams look capable of crumbling under a bit of pressure.

Kind of frustrates me this "we must have two strikers" chat. Whether we like it or not the game has moved on. It is played in four lines now rather than three. Formations seem now designed to be much more flexible and players (forward thinking players) need to be able to play anywhere across the front.

Rather than the formation being wrong I believe it is more down to players. The best we have played since Latapy retired was when Pressley played one up with Farid in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Higginbotham had licence to play anywhere across the pitch and we were sensational to watch on the break at times. We sold him and it went all Pete Tonge. We have sold McGrandles now and it is get to pot since. So for me it is about players rather than systems.

[Crawford Baptie]

Do you think he will play two up top?

No. I would have Loy playing just off Bia Bi.

[palmy_cammy]

Kind of frustrates me this "we must have two strikers" chat. Whether we like it or not the game has moved on. It is played in four lines now rather than three. Formations seem now designed to be much more flexible and players (forward thinking players) need to be able to play anywhere across the front.

Rather than the formation being wrong I believe it is more down to players. The best we have played since Latapy retired was when Pressley played one up with Farid in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Higginbotham had licence to play anywhere across the pitch and we were sensational to watch on the break at times. We sold him and it went all Pete Tonge. We have sold McGrandles now and it is get to pot since. So for me it is about players rather than systems.

In general I agree with what you are saying, and certainly in future years it will be the case that the majority of young players that have come up through the youth ranks will have played 4-2-3-1 or a variant all of their lives. It would be nice to think we will even have players who can use their weak foot, be comfortable in more than one position, and perhaps even the odd defender who doesn't look like he's about to have a nervous breakdown with the ball at his feet.

At present though, we don't have many Philipp Lahm's operating at this level who can seamlessly change positions, and the only thing more annoying than someone spitting teeth unless their team plays 4-4-2, is a manager who has a system he likes and then plays irrespective of the players he has available.

[Anthony Fitzgerald]

1 up front is alright provided you have a Latapy or a Higginbotham. Unfortunately we don't have that at the moment.

Loy was brilliant for us last year when playing alongside someone. On his own he looks lost. Not his fault, the managers for not being able to get the best out of him.

I'd have Pooper as an impact sub, he's not done anything yet to merit a start.

[Guest]

In general I agree with what you are saying, and certainly in future years it will be the case that the majority of young players that have come up through the youth ranks will have played 4-2-3-1 or a variant all of their lives. It would be nice to think we will even have players who can use their weak foot, be comfortable in more than one position, and perhaps even the odd defender who doesn't look like he's about to have a nervous breakdown with the ball at his feet.

At present though, we don't have many Philipp Lahm's operating at this level who can seamlessly change positions, and the only thing more annoying than someone spitting teeth unless their team plays 4-4-2, is a manager who has a system he likes and then plays irrespective of the players he has available.

I may be just old and wrong, but I have never subscribed to the "evolving game" theory. Martin O'Neil was at pains to point out at the World Cup that people had to understand that Van Gaal hadn't invented football, and that every permutation of players and systems had already been tried at some time or another.

Even if we go back to the humble basics of a 1 to 11 where the players essentially played as two rows of five, there's nothing I have seen down the years where that formation using the right players couldn't beat any other formation on any given day. A row of five organised and quick defenders would still give any attacking formation problems. There's a degree of fashion gobbledygook in all of this that TV now demands. At the end of the day, it's 11 v 11, and it's the quality of the individual players coupled to how the are integrated into a team that will always win the day rather than whether or not there is a diamond formation in the middle of the park.

[Homer Thompson]

I may be just old and wrong, but I have never subscribed to the "evolving game" theory. Martin O'Neil was at pains to point out at the World Cup that people had to understand that Van Gaal hadn't invented football, and that every permutation of players and systems had already been tried at some time or another.

Even if we go back to the humble basics of a 1 to 11 where the players essentially played as two rows of five, there's nothing I have seen down the years where that formation using the right players couldn't beat any other formation on any given day. A row of five organised and quick defenders would still give any attacking formation problems. There's a degree of fashion gobbledygook in all of this that TV now demands. At the end of the day, it's 11 v 11, and it's the quality of the individual players coupled to how the are integrated into a team that will always win the day rather than whether or not there is a diamond formation in the middle of the park.

Very much agree with this. Far too much is made of formations. Where they come into it is when you use a particular formation to play to your own players strengths or your opponents weaknesses. Queens, for example, destroyed Dundee on the first day of last season by playing one striker and two wingers against their back 3.

[ToonBairn]

When Kingsley first came on the scene, I remember the general consensus was that he wasn't good enough and I include myself in that. Dicko is in a similar position and I think we have to stick with him at left back. After 2 and a bit years, I've still to see what Leahy actually does

[Guest]

When Kingsley first came on the scene, I remember the general consensus was that he wasn't good enough and I include myself in that. Dicko is in a similar position and I think we have to stick with him at left back. After 2 and a bit years, I've still to see what Leahy actually does

Kingsley always looked better than Dick. Leahy will play, i am convinced. If he performs well he will keep his place imo

[Believe The Hype]

I thought Kingsley was rid rotten when I first seen him at the 3-0 game at Ibrox. Never expected him to excel the way he did

[distresseduke]

Kingsley always looked better than Dick. Leahy will play, i am convinced. If he performs well he will keep his place imo

Have to agree ...dick has been very poor recently...first half at Easter road he couldn't even do the simple things and ended up running it out of play twice with nobody near him ...leahy looked okay against jambo cheats when he came on

[Distant Doonhamer]

Very much agree with this. Far too much is made of formations. Where they come into it is when you use a particular formation to play to your own players strengths or your opponents weaknesses. Queens, for example, destroyed Dundee on the first day of last season by playing one striker and two wingers against their back 3.

Very much take your point here.

That said it`s very QOS to destroy a team 4-3

[Homer Thompson]

Very much take your point here.

That said it`s very QOS to destroy a team 4-3

Yes, I did think about that when I posted it.

[MrDust]

I may be just old and wrong, but I have never subscribed to the "evolving game" theory. Martin O'Neil was at pains to point out at the World Cup that people had to understand that Van Gaal hadn't invented football, and that every permutation of players and systems had already been tried at some time or another.

Even if we go back to the humble basics of a 1 to 11 where the players essentially played as two rows of five, there's nothing I have seen down the years where that formation using the right players couldn't beat any other formation on any given day. A row of five organised and quick defenders would still give any attacking formation problems. There's a degree of fashion gobbledygook in all of this that TV now demands. At the end of the day, it's 11 v 11, and it's the quality of the individual players coupled to how the are integrated into a team that will always win the day rather than whether or not there is a diamond formation in the middle of the park.

I was probably with you until McCall came our way and slotted in a nice 3-5-2 formation, which I was dead against, with my arguements that it really is just a 5-3-2 polished up to sound better....

Would we have won the league playing 4-4-2 ......maybe, but I dont think we would have won as handsomely, thanks to the formation.....

I disagree with Oneil too, more so with formations taking in more than 3 digits now, I am sure there are varying permutations that have never been tried and tactics and positional sense within that have not been done.

What Van Gaal did do in the world cup, was not to be stubborn over one formation.....the majority of modern day managers seem to be stubborn and dont change a structure or formation that is there preferred. See Elvis as an example.

Ive caught the Big match day revisited the last few mornings on ITV 4, which is games from the 70s, tis refreshing to see how it all was, no real moanings over wasting time, no rolling over 100 times for a foul, no diving or going down too easy even when they were basically raped and being able to tackle. The game has moved on so much with fitness, touch and generally the speed of the game for the better its hard to say, but I have said the death of old school football arrived with the 4-5-1 formation which I bet if not all, close to all teams in the world have used at various points......

On Saturdays game, I think we will go 2 up front and Id have

MacDonald

Shug

Mcracken

Vaulks

Leahy or Dick

Smith

Tawio

OTJ

Sibbald

Loy

Botti

Not too fussed over Leahy or Dick is in, Dick in the first couple of games was our best defender but lost a wee bit recently, Sibbald has been playing really well last couple of games and doesnt deserve to be dropped and Id have Botti and Loy up top or even Boulding and Loy with whispers in Bouldings ear that Botti is waiting by, which is probably better option as Botti has done better being the impact sub so far in the short term

[Marshmallo]

Sibbald off Loy is the way to go, he needs to be forced to take responsibility to see if he's up to fulfilling his potential. He's still got the ability to get a good move imo and he'd be strongest in the hole where his lack of pace wouldn't be as much of an issue.

[Guest]

..........and that's a role he's played before, and that's role that Pressley knocked out of him before Holt made him near enough check out completely last season by turning him into some sort of weird mild mannered midfield ball winner.

If Sibbs is given a role where he is expected to be repeatedly tackled, he'll do just fine. If he's given a role where he is expected to tackle repeatedly, he will fail.

I will never forget watching Pressley telling him to "hold" against Hamilton. He was barely ten yards inside their half of the pitch, and Pressley wanted him no further forward. For me, Holt made the situation even worse by trying to turn him into some sort of midfield terrier............surprise surprise, Sibbs got played every week, and for the most part failed.

[Hawk]

Well a week is a long time in football. I wasn't fully tuned in with McIntyre and his early managerial tinkering. This time last week I would have been quietly confident of a win here, now I'm not so sure due to the week's changes.

I think nine of the starting eleven are certs with only the centre of midfield a bit of an uncertainty. If Fowler is available and McShane is fit I would bring them both back in to replace Kev and Lewis.

My preferred team would be.

Clark

Dowie, Higgins, Durnan, Holt

Carmichael, McShane, Fowler, Russell

Reilly, Lyle

[Guest]

I was probably with you until McCall came our way and slotted in a nice 3-5-2 formation, which I was dead against, with my arguements that it really is just a 5-3-2 polished up to sound better....

Would we have won the league playing 4-4-2 ......maybe, but I dont think we would have won as handsomely, thanks to the formation.....

I disagree with Oneil too, more so with formations taking in more than 3 digits now, I am sure there are varying permutations that have never been tried and tactics and positional sense within that have not been done.

What Van Gaal did do in the world cup, was not to be stubborn over one formation.....the majority of modern day managers seem to be stubborn and dont change a structure or formation that is there preferred. See Elvis as an example.

Ive caught the Big match day revisited the last few mornings on ITV 4, which is games from the 70s, tis refreshing to see how it all was, no real moanings over wasting time, no rolling over 100 times for a foul, no diving or going down too easy even when they were basically raped and being able to tackle. The game has moved on so much with fitness, touch and generally the speed of the game for the better its hard to say, but I have said the death of old school football arrived with the 4-5-1 formation which I bet if not all, close to all teams in the world have used at various points......

On Saturdays game, I think we will go 2 up front and Id have

MacDonald

Shug

Mcracken

Vaulks

Leahy or Dick

Smith

Tawio

OTJ

Sibbald

Loy

Botti

Not too fussed over Leahy or Dick is in, Dick in the first couple of games was our best defender but lost a wee bit recently, Sibbald has been playing really well last couple of games and doesnt deserve to be dropped and Id have Botti and Loy up top or even Boulding and Loy with whispers in Bouldings ear that Botti is waiting by, which is probably better option as Botti has done better being the impact sub so far in the short term