Christophe Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Effectively Syngenta are (almost) the same amount of "tiers" removed from us as Hibernian. So I imagine the idea is it further develops the partnership idea but in the other direction, giving our younger players somewhere to go out on loan etc. Where that falls down is that we don't really have that much of a youth system to speak of! Who from the club this year would have benefited from going out to tier 8 for example?! As for the lack of communication from the club in recent days, is it just something as simple as certain individual/s being on holiday following the end of the season? Hoping for better consistency on social media once the new team are embedded. But let's not forget it's a fairly new thing for the club to be as communicative as they have been this season (and perhaps last). Certainly didn't get that level of output even as recently as a couple of years ago. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 6 hours ago, Christophe said: Who from the club this year would have benefited from going out to tier 8 for example?! Ryan Blair. Send him down to the eighth tier to toughen him up for a year and he'll be ready for the rigours of League 2 football. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Clear out!.... "The following players have returned to their parent clubs following the expiry of their loan deals: Callum Yeats, Paddy Martin, Jack Brydon, Jayden Fairley, Thomas Collins & Alan Docherty. Additionally, the following players have also left the club upon the expiry of their contracts: Creag Little, Jonathan Tiffoney, Chris McQueen, Ryan Blair, Thomas Halleran, Botti Biabi, Greig Spence, Mark McGuigan, Ryan Watters, Chris Kane, Tommy Muir and Martin Shiels" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 And in the other direction..... "What can be confirmed at this stage is that we are close to finalising the signings of SEVEN new players, including a former Rangers Academy player, a Championship Striker and a Championship Midfielder! So keep an eye on our social media channels over the weekend!" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Let the speculation begin....Aidan Wilson, Charlie Adam and Declan McManus, ambitious! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 2 minutes ago, Christophe said: Clear out!.... "The following players have returned to their parent clubs following the expiry of their loan deals: Callum Yeats, Paddy Martin, Jack Brydon, Jayden Fairley, Thomas Collins & Alan Docherty. Additionally, the following players have also left the club upon the expiry of their contracts: Creag Little, Jonathan Tiffoney, Chris McQueen, Ryan Blair, Thomas Halleran, Botti Biabi, Greig Spence, Mark McGuigan, Ryan Watters, Chris Kane, Tommy Muir and Martin Shiels" No massive surprises in there. There were a couple of players I would have liked to have kept on, especially Mark McGuigan and Thomas Halleran, but I think this is what most right-minded people would have expected. The article also mentions Paul Brown, Cammy Graham, Callum Erskine and Josh Grigor have been offered contracts for next season, while Adam McCracken and Jack Hodge have been invited in for pre-season training. I thought Hodge would have been offered terms outright. 1 minute ago, Christophe said: And in the other direction..... "What can be confirmed at this stage is that we are close to finalising the signings of SEVEN new players, including a former Rangers Academy player, a Championship Striker and a Championship Midfielder! So keep an eye on our social media channels over the weekend!" I don't like the way this has been written. It feels quite patronising. A former Rangers academy player? Why should we be excited about this? It could be Ross Perry or Kyle Hutton who ends up at Ochilview. A Championship striker and midfielder? The last two players from that level who signed for us were Greig Spence and Gary Harkins, so let's calm down a bit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Agree with Hodge deserving another year outright. Happy with the rest offered on. Not sure what Adam McCracken offers us though, maybe Swift just hadn't had a close enough look at him yet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Would expect another batch off the Hibernian conveyor belt, though that poses it's own question: These "strategic partnerships are styled as long-term arrangements, but what happens if a new manager like Swift comes in who obviously had his own big ideas for the club, and doesn't fancy a pre-selected bunch of 18 year olds turning up for his pre-season? Not saying based off the first year of it that it wouldn't be welcomed, we had a couple of gems there....but might not work out like that every year or be to the new management teams liking 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilly Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 3 minutes ago, Christophe said: Would expect another batch off the Hibernian conveyor belt, though that poses it's own question: These "strategic partnerships are styled as long-term arrangements, but what happens if a new manager like Swift comes in who obviously had his own big ideas for the club, and doesn't fancy a pre-selected bunch of 18 year olds turning up for his pre-season? Not saying based off the first year of it that it wouldn't be welcomed, we had a couple of gems there....but might not work out like that every year or be to the new management teams liking I'm sure this will be made clear in the interview process and what requirements there are for the manager in terms of playing or developing these players (if there are any obviously). Simply Swift wouldn't be going in here blind and will have to surely buy into the strategic project. If we can get Martin/Yeats level players then I'm sure everyone is happy including the manager. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 6 minutes ago, Christophe said: Would expect another batch off the Hibernian conveyor belt, though that poses it's own question: These "strategic partnerships are styled as long-term arrangements, but what happens if a new manager like Swift comes in who obviously had his own big ideas for the club, and doesn't fancy a pre-selected bunch of 18 year olds turning up for his pre-season? Not saying based off the first year of it that it wouldn't be welcomed, we had a couple of gems there....but might not work out like that every year or be to the new management teams liking I suppose one way to look at it is the strategic partnership will help us with squad building - for example, if we needed to sign 10 players and had budgeted to do so, we could bring in three on loan from Hibernian, leaving us with more money available to sign the other seven. As Neilly says, the new manager will be aware of the working relationship with Hibs when he was interviewed for the job. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drs Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 12 hours ago, Christophe said: Effectively Syngenta are (almost) the same amount of "tiers" removed from us as Hibernian. So I imagine the idea is it further develops the partnership idea but in the other direction, giving our younger players somewhere to go out on loan etc. Syngenta entered the Junior leagues as a pathway for their youth teams. Combined the entire squad had probably shaved twice such was their lack of experience. Couple that with them struggling for numbers, think they had 13 players one day I saw them and one of them had been signed on loan that morning, and they were soon taken over by the team behind Pennies Ams. Not sure if thats still the case as that was all pre-Covid. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 Our squad for the 2021/22 season so far looks like: Goalkeepers Graeme Smith Defenders Adam Corbett Midfielders Callum Tapping Forwards David Hopkirk 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 14 minutes ago, Francesc Fabregas said: Our squad for the 2021/22 season so far looks like: Goalkeepers Graeme Smith Defenders Adam Corbett Midfielders Callum Tapping Forwards David Hopkirk Just thinking how daft it was to have given Graeme Smith and David Hopkirk two-year contracts at the end of the 2019/20 season. Smith has been a fine player for Stenhousemuir but was there any need to hand a 37-year-old goalie such a long contract? He was in decline even before his ACL injury and I'm worried how he'll fare once we're back in action. Hopkirk, meanwhile, might have been one of our better players that year but it wasn't enough to justify such a lengthy deal. Someone might need to correct me but I don't think we've ever signed a player on a two-year contract where it's worked out well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Ferguson's Hat Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 I think I've got cream for Syngenta if anyone needs it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Midnight Express Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 On 11/05/2021 at 15:41, true fan said: Midnight express - w’happen? I'm keeping stchum like other posters have said it's a proper emptying! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Midnight Express Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Francesc Fabregas said: Just thinking how daft it was to have given Graeme Smith and David Hopkirk two-year contracts at the end of the 2019/20 season. Smith has been a fine player for Stenhousemuir but was there any need to hand a 37-year-old goalie such a long contract? He was in decline even before his ACL injury and I'm worried how he'll fare once we're back in action. Hopkirk, meanwhile, might have been one of our better players that year but it wasn't enough to justify such a lengthy deal. Someone might need to correct me but I don't think we've ever signed a player on a two-year contract where it's worked out well. Spot on comment re 2 year deals, unfortunately prophetic as well! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Minertaur Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 How was Spence for you guys? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true fan Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 Squad assessed and nobody wanted or premeditated decision to wield a machete? bold or foolhardy? Mmmh. Time will tell 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 1 minute ago, The Minertaur said: How was Spence for you guys? Not fantastic, truth be told. People were really quick to tell us: "Wow, Greig Spence is a great signing for League 2!" after he joined from Arbroath in January 2020, but they obviously hadn't realised he'd gone two years without scoring in the league. He played okay-ish in some matches and chipped in with the odd goal but he certainly wasn't the talismanic penalty-box striker some of us had hoped for. This season, with Davie Irons determined to play a 4-3-3 formation no matter what, Spence was used as a wide forward (?) and a number 10 (?), roles that really didn't suit him, and he was eventually packed off on loan to East Fife. I don't think he made much of an impression there. He might do well back at Cowdenbeath and he could form a good partnership with Liam Buchanan, but I'd treat his signing with caution if I were you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Minertaur Posted May 13, 2021 Share Posted May 13, 2021 59 minutes ago, Francesc Fabregas said: Not fantastic, truth be told. People were really quick to tell us: "Wow, Greig Spence is a great signing for League 2!" after he joined from Arbroath in January 2020, but they obviously hadn't realised he'd gone two years without scoring in the league. He played okay-ish in some matches and chipped in with the odd goal but he certainly wasn't the talismanic penalty-box striker some of us had hoped for. This season, with Davie Irons determined to play a 4-3-3 formation no matter what, Spence was used as a wide forward (?) and a number 10 (?), roles that really didn't suit him, and he was eventually packed off on loan to East Fife. I don't think he made much of an impression there. He might do well back at Cowdenbeath and he could form a good partnership with Liam Buchanan, but I'd treat his signing with caution if I were you. Oh not saying we've signed him. Was just surprised to see him released. Thanks for the reply! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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