Stirling Albion Thread

[gmca]

9 hours ago, headthebaw said:

Bill Orr is KRs assistant at EK

Cheers.

[Lichtie78]

Paterson been up to much?

[BB_Bino]

Paterson been up to much?

Looked good when he comes on, he just doesn’t come on very much

[Dumb yatt]

16 hours ago, BB_Bino said:

Paterson been up to much?

Started in 2 games where defenders were red carded. He was subbed to bring on a replacement defender. So he is not having much luck when he starts. He’s still lively and likes to be involved. Might get a goal out of him this Saturday.

[WC Boggs]

On 30/03/2022 at 20:17, Lichtie78 said:

Paterson been up to much?

Quick and talented player.  Our lack of quality up  front hasn't helped him shine. Neither have stupid red cards from other players.  Good swoop by Dick Campbell to get him on your books. Even better swoop getting Dick as your manager in the first place. If anybody knows how to get results on a tight budget, it's him.

[TheWestStand]

Got bored today so decided to do a Keep, Keep, Go list for next season(Or a Go, Go, Go).

 

Interested to here peoples thoughts with nothing to play for now this season

 

Currie - Keep

Law - Not seen enough off

Dunsmore - Keep(return as a perm deal)

Cummins - Go

Creaney - Go

McGregor - Keep

Banner - Keep

McNiff - Go

Hancock - If Possible, Extend loan

Mclean - Go

McGeachie - Go

Patterson - Don't extend loan

Leitch - Go

Moore - Keep

Roberts - Keep

Laird - Go

Flannigan - Keep

Grant - Go

Carrick - Keep

Francis - Go

Mackin - Go 

[headthebaw]

Here's my choices. Too many players haven't delivered despite early season promise.

Currie - Keep

Law - Keep

Dunsmore - Keep

Cummins - Go

Creaney - Go

McGregor - Go

Banner - Keep

McNiff - Go

Hancock - Keep if poss

Mclean - Keep if fit

McGeachie - Keep

Patterson - Go

Leitch - Go

Moore - Go

Roberts - Go

Laird - Go

Flannigan - Go

Grant - Go

Carrick - Go

Francis - Go

Mackin - Go 

[MrBeeno]

If the club are serious about getting out of league two then a number of changes need to take place.

Here are my thoughts:-

Currie          -maybe keep

Law              -keep

Dunsmore  -keep if possible

Cummins    -go

Creaney      -go

McGregor   -keep

Banner        -keep

McNiff         -go

Hancock    -keep if possible

McLean      -go,decent player but is he fit?

McGeachie-go

Patterson's  -keep if possible

Leitch           -keep

Moore          -keep

Robert's       -keep

Laird            -go ?

Flannigan  -go

Grant          -go ?

Carrick       -keep

Francis        -go

Mackin        -go

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by MrBeeno

[BazMac]

It’s quite crazy that players like Ray Grant, Laird and Leitch are on a few lists to go, but the likes of Moore and Roberts are on the keep list.

Obviously we’ve not seen the best of them, but those are some good players. And you just know that if we release them they’ll go on to do well for another team. Makes you half want to keep them just in case they come good with a fresh season.

Edited April 12, 2022 by BazMac

[MrBeeno]

2 hours ago, BazMac said:

It’s quite crazy that players like Ray Grant, Laird and Leitch are on a few lists to go, but the likes of Moore and Roberts are on the keep list.

Obviously we’ve not seen the best of them, but those are some good players. And you just know that if we release them they’ll go on to do well for another team. Makes you half want to keep them just in case they come good with a fresh season.

I think Mark Laird has probably seen his best days on the park.He will be 36/37 yo next season and picks up too many cards now with ill timed tackles.Would be decent coming off the bench tho.

Ray Grant is another decent player I think ,if he had the right players around him.Hes been 50/50 for me this season.

[WC Boggs]

 It's Darren who will decide who stays, who goes and who comes in.  I see no harm in people giving their personal opinion on that, but opinions rarely agree on it.  I'll restrict myself to what I want to see come out of it.  A solid back four with adequate cover for suspensions and injuries.  A creative competitive midfield with good passing ability, a goal scoring threat in it and a combination of strikers that provide a threat in the air and on the deck.  While all for competition for places, that comes out of adequate cover all over and doesn't negate needing a first eleven consistent enough to virtually pick itself.  That's no easy ask, but it's what we'll need to get out of league 2 in the upward direction.  

[TheVoiceofReason]

Recruitment is such a lottery at our level especially given our setup ie hire a manager, boot him out after a year, get in a new guy who starts from scratch, repeat 

Before a ball was kicked last year the general view was that we had a decent team with good players in goal, centre backs, defensive mid, creative mid. We did all raise concerns about striking options.  On top of that we had pace and skill out wide with Flannigan, bikey, heaver and - a bit later - scally. 

We were also bigger and stronger than previous years and a bit more streetwise and we had a good age profile - instead of the previous couple of old guys and tons of kids 

But it all went wrong for whatever reason - people not getting on, injuries to key players or whatever.  I'm ignoring covid because everyone had to cope with that 

DY couldn't get much improvement out of the team but I would have thought that the likes of leitch, grant, McGregor, Flannigan and McLean (if recovered) would be not a bad starting point for a new side.  Maybe dunsmore would be worth a punt as he's started looking a bit better since getting more fit.

I like Laird but he's injury prone, young Hancock will go on to better things I expect, difficult to assess young Paterson as he's not had enough game time and I'm not fussed about the rest.  

[headthebaw]

4 hours ago, WC Boggs said:

 It's Darren who will decide who stays, who goes and who comes in.  I see no harm in people giving their personal opinion on that, but opinions rarely agree on it.  I'll restrict myself to what I want to see come out of it.  A solid back four with adequate cover for suspensions and injuries.  A creative competitive midfield with good passing ability, a goal scoring threat in it and a combination of strikers that provide a threat in the air and on the deck.  While all for competition for places, that comes out of adequate cover all over and doesn't negate needing a first eleven consistent enough to virtually pick itself.  That's no easy ask, but it's what we'll need to get out of league 2 in the upward direction.  

To be honest, that's exactly what we all thought we had at the beginning of this season

[WC Boggs]

2 hours ago, headthebaw said:

To be honest, that's exactly what we all thought we had at the beginning of this season

To be equally honest me too, apart from some reservations about a shortage of cover at the back.

[BB_Bino]

I don’t remember anyone saying we didn’t have a good squad, in fact I don’t remember anyone saying we wouldn’t comfortably be in the Play Offs, but throughout the late summer and early part, I remember posting that Carrick, Mackin, Bikey & Heaver would have to step up and deliver more goals….and for me that’s been the big problem, they didn’t. There has also been little from Midfielders like Flannigan and Leitch, both really good players on there day but scoring is something that is lacking in their game.

The question now is, a lot of those players have had a couple of goes at it, and have failed, do they get another?? If it was up to me personally, I’d keep Currie, McGeachie, McGregor, McNiff and Carrick as the foundation of the team to build around and offer Law, Banner and Moore deals to fill the squad and then subsequently bin the rest.

It’s going to be interesting to see what direction Young takes us, he does seem to want to play in a more passing game than KR did and has sung the praises of alot of players in the squad, so suspect more will be offered deals and maybe around about 10 -12, so we shall see.

[rhliston]

1 hour ago, BB_Bino said:

I don’t remember anyone saying we didn’t have a good squad, in fact I don’t remember anyone saying we wouldn’t comfortably be in the Play Offs, but throughout the late summer and early part, I remember posting that Carrick, Mackin, Bikey & Heaver would have to step up and deliver more goals….and for me that’s been the big problem, they didn’t. There has also been little from Midfielders like Flannigan and Leitch, both really good players on there day but scoring is something that is lacking in their game.

The question now is, a lot of those players have had a couple of goes at it, and have failed, do they get another?? If it was up to me personally, I’d keep Currie, McGeachie, McNiff and Carrick as the foundation of the team to build around and offer Law, Banner and Moore deals to fill the squad and then subsequently bin the rest.

I would probably have had McGregor on the list of those to keep as well, I honestly think he was excellent alongside a steady head like McLean, yes he has his rash moments but with the right partner, I like him, but after his Mum’s rant on Facebook about him leaving in the summer due to the attitude of the fans, which was quickly deleted, I look forward to seeing where he is going that’s “bigger and better” for him. On this seasons performances, I would be stunned if he makes the step back up and League 2 wise, surely there are a couple of small teams and then a much of a muchness about the rest??

It’s going to be interesting to see what direction Young takes us, he does seem to want to play in a more passing game than KR did and has sung the praises of alot of players in the squad, so suspect more will be offered deals and maybe around about 10 -12, so we shall see.

Agree with a lot of what you said. biggest problem we have is scoring goals. Really need a 15-20 goals a season striker, question is where do you find you. 

Heard a rumour that Dunsmore was a offered a contract for next season. Would keep the following from this seasons squad, Currie, Law, Dunsmore, McGregor, McNiff, McLean, McGeachie, Leitch, Moore, Flannagan. R Grant, Carrick, Roberts, J Grant, Let the rest go. 

Lets hope DY can do the business in the Summer and get the right players in. As I said a good striker to play along side Carrick would be at the top of my priority list. 

[BB_Bino]

Where the whole “who I’d keep” debate falls down is that we supporters don’t know budgets and how much it would cost to keep the players. Whilst I’d be happy to keep those players RListon, I suspect that all the biggest earners at the club are amongst that list, which maybe doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for DY to bring in his own “big hitters”. Maybe I’m wrong, if all those players were to stay then I wouldn’t have a problem with that. I suppose we just have to wait and see.

If the Dunsmore rumour you heard is true then I think that would be a good start. If he had a future at East Fife, then considering their position, he wouldn’t have been allowed on loan I would have thought, so with his steady performances since coming to the club, thrown in the fact he has worked with DY previously, I think that would be a good start to rebuild from.

Good Striker to play alongside Carrick (assuming he stays) would be vital for club and player. It’s a pity what happened with Andy Ryan as we were set to have that this season. I also think Carrick is more effective through the middle and has to play there, he can do a job wider but I think he does his best work centrally. Stick him with someone like Jordan White and they would be a lethal partnership, but then I suppose everyone at this level is scraping around for that same player.

[TheVoiceofReason]

2 hours ago, BB_Bino said:

It’s going to be interesting to see what direction Young takes us, he does seem to want to play in a more passing game than KR did and has sung the praises of alot of players in the squad, so suspect more will be offered deals and maybe around about 10 -12, so we shall see.

I don't see this passing game you refer to at all.  We play the same way as everyone else in the division except Kelty as far as I can see.  

[BB_Bino]

I don't see this passing game you refer to at all.  We play the same way as everyone else in the division except Kelty as far as I can see.  

I’m not sure it’s a passing game, but as I said in my original post, it’s a more passing game than KR preferred. KR’s style was very much to hit channels and get Defences turned, we’re don’t seem to be as reliant on that under DY. I’m not saying there has been a drastic change but I’d be surprised if you hadn’t seen a more passing and pressing approach.

[WC Boggs]

You can't win consistently without a solid back four and we never had the back up to cover for more injuries in defence. That's when things seriously began to fall apart.  Apparently KR had an attitude that loan players wouldn't play for the jersey, so the loan system was never used as it desperately needed to be.  The two he did finally bring in were of no help in that area. Law never looking ready for first team football at left back.

KR's obsession with using Mackin as our lead striker with Carrick playing behind him didn't help either. Carrick rarely saw the ball with punt after punt going to a striker who couldn't jump and met most high balls with the top of his head. On the break on the deck, so many times the fullbacks were in the box before Mackin ever got there. It just wasn't working. Bikey added pace and persistence when fit, but was out through injury more than in.  There was also a lack of consistency in midfield that was never resolved.  

I can't say I agree with KR's attitude to loan players. They need to shine, to either show their club they've got something, or get themselves noticed if they are on their way out.  We went for over two months struggling to field a back four, praying none of them took a knock. That's when we lost game after game. 

Not helping were two players who were absolute poison in the dressing room. I'm not going to name them, they're gone, like the man who brought them in. Choose your own pet reasons why it all fell apart. There were plenty of them.

Parents can be ultra protective towards their sons in football. It can lead to them saying the wrong thing if fans are having a go at them. I'm really not ready to start on Mrs McGregor for that. She loves her son. Good on her.