Jefferies Must Go Thread

[DAFC.]

As much as I've never been a fan of the guy's managerial style, does anybody have any serious suggestions as who to replace him with?

Danny Lennon, as an example. Knows how to win lower leagues with a team on limited resources.

There's plenty of others that could do a better job but if Jefferies was sacked at this point just now he'd be ideal IMO. Can't see Jum being sacked, which is shite. Board will probably wait till he's off anyway at the end of the season.

[GordieBoy80]

As much as I've never been a fan of the guy's managerial style, does anybody have any serious suggestions as who to replace him with?

I would invite applications, we're still a big enough draw to get a decent calibre of manager, when Tom Forsyth quit (and we were 3rd worst in Scotland at the time) apparently the Dundee manager was begging for the job . I would have went for Billy Reid personally but he has a job in Sweden now just now so that's out.

[Parscelona]

Pretty much outlined the other week who i would like to see replace Jefferies, whether it be this season or if he decides to retire at the end of the season.

In saying that though, i am not actually convinced that he is actually retiring. He could easily change his mind.

[Parscelona]

Sorry for the double post, yet are the people denying that we have the biggest budget in the league for real?

Who the f**k do they think are paying more wages than us?

[DAFC.]

This pish that paying his release fees if we were to sack him will plummet us into admin again is nonsense.

However, realistically, will it cost that much? No. It would probably cost a bomb though. If we have any ambition of getting out this shite league and remaining full-time, we need a new man in charge, genuinely don't know where or goals are going to come from. Moffat has proved to be a terrible signing.

[BB_Bino]

Moffat has proved to be a terrible signing.

Don't think anyone saw that one coming when he was signed.

[DAFC.]

Don't think anyone saw that one coming when he was signed.

Yep. Thought we pulled off a coup with that one, obviously not.

TBF doesn't help when you've got a team that just lumps the balls to him and expects something to happen but his goals record speaks for itself.

[DA Baracus]

Yep. Thought we pulled off a coup with that one, obviously not.

TBF doesn't help when you've got a team that just lumps the balls to him and expects something to happen but his goals record speaks for itself.

There's still plenty of time for Moffat to prove himself

[Poet of the Macabre]

Yep. Thought we pulled off a coup with that one, obviously not.

TBF doesn't help when you've got a team that just lumps the balls to him and expects something to happen but his goals record speaks for itself.

See, I don't think we do that at all and that's the problem. Ayr played very direct last season and he got almost 30 goals.

I can understand the Board thinking there's no point in sacking a guy who is planning on leaving at the end of the season anyway. Especially when we've all seen how shite the league is over the past two seasons and we could very well still end up promoted anyway.

As for names I'd take Danny Lennon, Derek Adams, Stephen Aitken, Billy Reid or even just Potter/McCann.

[Hedgecutter]

Don't think anyone saw that one coming when he was signed.

Tbf, what club in the past hasn't signed a player of promise who became some sort of flop?

[DAFC.]

There's still plenty of time for Moffat to prove himself

Not going to hold my breathe if I'm being honest.

[Shandon Par]

We've seen Moffat coast to the top scorer awards. Geggan and Falky, pre-admin, had bossed us to the top of the First Division. Throw in Ryan Scully and Gregor Buchan and that's the spine of a team that should walk this league.

Scully and Buchanan are doing well as, IMO, they pretty much just do their own thing. Scully tops most of what comes his way and Buchanan strolls about like the classy big cad that he is, winning tackles and spraying passes. Where the team rely on the manager for tactics and training is where it all seems to go wrong for us.

We've roughly the same points tally as this time last year. That's despite two transfer windows since our signing ban being lifted (ie despite being able to build the team he wanted they're doing no better than the youthful crew from early last season). In summer we signed guys nobody else could probably hope to have landed. Of course we've missed Ryan Wallace but on the couple of occasions he did appear earlier in the season he was clearly so out of shape he'd be a long way off being able to make a useful contribution.

[Poet of the Macabre]

I honestly think we have a decent team but some of the guys progress is being stunted at the moment. I think we should try Williamson on the right of midfield as he's clearly never a defender. Continue his Bale-esque transition...

[Parscelona]

Is anyone concerned that if Jefferies does actually leave at the end of the season and we bring a new manager in, that our preparations for next season will be disrupted regardless of which division we end up in?

For example, who gets to decide which players would be offered a new deal for the following season if he is retiring? He surely can't be allowed to hand out contracts to players who a new manager might not even want.

Unless of course its already been decided that McCann/Potter are going to be the next management team.

[Rob1885]

Sorry for the double post, yet are the people denying that we have the biggest budget in the league for real?

Who the f**k do they think are paying more wages than us?

Too right, it's absurd to suggest we aren't streets ahead of the rest of the league in terms of budget.

[DAFC]

Difficult questions.

1. Physicality

Why is there a soft spine to our team? Why are we playing several players who simply don't physically match other teams? Does this result in losing midfield battles and soft goals at set plays? After two years why can't the young guys beef up despite full time training? Ryan Thomson seems like the only one who has worked on strength. Why do we keep signing young inexperienced centre halves? What do you expect when they come up against experienced pros? It's never going to work!!!

2. Youth Setup.

Yes we have young players, so do other sides who beat us easily. I do not believe the young players are learning anything or learning from their mistakes. Tying in with physicality why do we constantly play them and wonder why it doesn't work? They are simply not good enough.

3. Player loyalty, favourites and tactics.

Why does Geggan, Falkingham and Millen play every week regardless of form?

In Millen's case he completely unbalances the team and slows down the play. He can't defend. All he can do well is cross,mostly from infective deep positions. Surely Whittle and Williamson should be playing together? Would this not make the team more balanced?

Ryan Thomson deserves a chance in midfield, he adds physicality and with Geggan struggling he would be an able replacement. What does he need to do?

Why are we playing a flat midfield with central midfielders played out wide? Why won't we try one game with two wingers? We have zero width unless Williamson plays and if he does all you need to do to stop him is double up. It's slow, painful idiotic buildup that hardly ever works.

How about playing a formation that suits all players strengths and makes us hard to beat?

Again do you think a team with several small, weak guys will compete against Forfar away? Just play the biggest players we have and give us some sort of chance instead of clutching to some strange footballing ideal that does not work!

All of these things have been painfully obvious since before the first playoff against Alloa, yet here we are years later watching them happen week in week out. It's simply unacceptable for a full time side.

[parsforlife]

You've made the same points over and over, mostly because you seem to be wanting to pack the side with has-beens and tbh I can't be bothered covering most of it again.

I will cover the millen point tho, He is our best defensive full back- by a long distance, i really don't get how many people can't see that. He gets far too much unfair stick because he's not Williamson, and for some strange reason people want him not to play to his strengths. We evidently miss his set-piece play as well. Yea he's not as exciting as whittle or williamson, but he doesn't have to be to be a good player.

[DAFC]

I agree he's not a good player.

Filling a side with has beens, not really saying that though am I? We need more experience and several physically bigger players.

Morton, Cowden, Alloa, Forfar, Dumbarton are all doing better than us on less resources. Cowden had more young players yet bullied us at times and won the set pieces. Why is that? Purely down to bad training and managment.

[DAFC.]

Scully has been outstanding and has earned us a good few undeserved points this season. Millen has to start no matter what and the only youth player we have who looks anywhere near making a career for himself is Williamson, who drifts in and out the team. Agree with what was said about him being shifted to midfield. He struggles when defending but going forward he is brilliant: gets himself into great open space to create chances. Martin is extremely dodgy and, if Buchanan wasn't beside him, we'd have conceded a lot more goals than what has been accumulated thus far. Think Whittle is decent enough at left back.

Thomson never gets a game despite being the only midfielder with a bit of muscle. Falkingham was good last season. So far he's blown hot and cold. Geggan simply hasn't turned up yet is our captain and still gets a game. Forbes is a waste of a jersey and I feel aggrieved that we let Husband go for him. Spence has played well so far, looks an intelligent player, he knows what's happening around him on and off the ball and links up well. Haven't seen much of Stirling but he looks nippy and could be more useful imo if he was played with another winger on the other side. Shaun Byrne was decent last season as well, totally shit so far.

Moffat, as said before, has been a disappointment. Maybe I'm a bit harsh with previous comments but so far he looks nothing like a player who scored goals for fun in this league. Much improvement required. El Bak either plays outstanding or can be totally anonymous, he can show flashes of pure brilliance but lacks dig. Ugwu is really poor. That game versus Airdrie (was Airdrie right enough) he looked brilliant but since he has been pathetically shit and that debacle over the penalty against Forfar doesn't bode well either. He's only got a contract till January anyway, I believe? He should be dropped and wages used to bring a journeyman who knows the script in. Dods, who is 39, totally walked it against us, we need someone with similar experience.

Tactically, he plays people out of position with 4 central midfielders in the centre of the field frequently. No width at all.

The team we have, when used to its potential, is good enough to win this league. With Jefferies' tactics we aren't going to achieve those performances. You'd imagine he'll be kept on till the end of the season unfortunately.

[parsforlife]

I agree he's not a good player.

Filling a side with has beens, not really saying that though am I? We need more experience and several physically bigger players.

Morton, Cowden, Alloa, Forfar, Dumbarton are all doing better than us on less resources. Cowden had more young players yet bullied us at times and won the set pieces. Why is that? Purely down to bad training and managment.

Well you are, everyone you suggest we sign is somebody who's career is pretty much over. How are morton doing better than us, what relevance do the championship teams have(none of them use your go-to tactic of signings anyway)? I really don't see the need to bulk the team up, don't see any that are that weak anyway, taking into account their size/age. it just seems silly to criticise JJ for being a dinosaur and yet want us to pretend its the 90s again.

Genuinely it can't see much wrong with our squad, its fairly well balanced and we have enough talent throughout, other than scully and buchanan theres nobody we can't do without for a few games and I don't think theres anybody who isn't capable at this level either.

This is a squad easily capable of winning this league, maybe there's room for a few tweaks I'm january but theres enough here already, I can't really criticise our signing policy.

i'm a little at lost as to how to improve but i'd be much more inclined to look at our attackers (and our management of them) before anywhere else. We clearly aren't getting the best out them, especially moffat, i think we should be getting them turning their markers more and getting the ball in behind, its pretty clear that goalscoring is more of an issue for us than defending and the stats back that up.