The St. Mirren FC 2023/24 thread

[sergie's no1 fan]

We've been handing out two-year contracts for the past few years - sometimes it's worked and sometimes it's left us having to pay folk off. It's not that new a development - Mullen and Flynn both got 2.5 year deals a couple of years back.
It's good that we're getting our business done early (earlier than 2017 when we had a far greater need for reinforcements) but I'll save the full praise for the recruitment team until we see if they're any good! They did a decent job during the summer as there haven't been any of the stinking failures we saw under Stubbs.

Agreed, although they deserve credit for getting the deals done early in the window.

Yeah, what I mean is hopefully with these guys being looked at properly before we sign them, we don't have to pay them off. Every signing is a risk though. Especially the english guys coming up from the Under 23's, we don't really have a good track record with they kind of signings.

[Lex]

Agreed, although they deserve credit for getting the deals done early in the window.

Yeah, what I mean is hopefully with these guys being looked at properly before we sign them, we don't have to pay them off. Every signing is a risk though. Especially the english guys coming up from the Under 23's, we don't really have a good track record with they kind of signings.

Least we’ve got options at the back now. Heard a few people mention a possible return for Lee Hodson who’s out of favour at Gillingham. Would like him back for his versatility, decent player too.

No way of knowing if any of these signings will be any good of course, all we can do is wait and see. Hopefully at least one of Broadfoot or McKenzie will be fit by the end of the break too.

[sergie's no1 fan]

Least we’ve got options at the back now. Heard a few people mention a possible return for Lee Hodson who’s out of favour at Gillingham. Would like him back for his versatility, decent player too.

No way of knowing if any of these signings will be any good of course, all we can do is wait and see. Hopefully at least one of Broadfoot or McKenzie will be fit by the end of the break too.

[emoji7]. They 2 belters are an exception to that ha.

[Coventry Saint]

4 minutes ago, Lex said:

Least we’ve got options at the back now. Heard a few people mention a possible return for Lee Hodson who’s out of favour at Gillingham. Would like him back for his versatility, decent player too.

No way of knowing if any of these signings will be any good of course, all we can do is wait and see. Hopefully at least one of Broadfoot or McKenzie will be fit by the end of the break too.

 

I'd bite yer hand off to see Hodson back, tbh. His attitude and performances at the back end of the season really impressed me. Don't blame him for taking a (presumably) bigger offer down south.

[Bobby_F]

23 minutes ago, Stu said:

We've been handing out two-year contracts for the past few years - sometimes it's worked and sometimes it's left us having to pay folk off. It's not that new a development - Mullen and Flynn both got 2.5 year deals a couple of years back.

It's good that we're getting our business done early (earlier than 2017 when we had a far greater need for reinforcements) but I'll save the full praise for the recruitment team until we see if they're any good! They did a decent job during the summer as there haven't been any of the stinking failures we saw under Stubbs.

Even now, looking back, it's hard to believe how consistently awful Stubbs signings were.

How on earth did we survive that year!

Thanks Oran... and Dundee!

 

[Silvio]

2 hours ago, Bobby_F said:

Even now, looking back, it's hard to believe how consistently awful Stubbs signings were.

How on earth did we survive that year!

Thanks Oran... and Dundee!

 

I noticed Coulson playing against Spurs at the weekend. Think he's been playing most of the season for Boro. 

They must be playing him further forward as he was absolutely horrendous at left back. His positioning was probably the worst I've ever seen for a full back! 

[Hendo]

55 minutes ago, Silvio said:

I noticed Coulson playing against Spurs at the weekend. Think he's been playing most of the season for Boro. 

They must be playing him further forward as he was absolutely horrendous at left back. His positioning was probably the worst I've ever seen for a full back! 

Not as bad as Cole Kpekewa, he positioned himself on the pitch rather than the stand

 

[Bobby_F]

56 minutes ago, Silvio said:

I noticed Coulson playing against Spurs at the weekend. Think he's been playing most of the season for Boro. 

They must be playing him further forward as he was absolutely horrendous at left back. His positioning was probably the worst I've ever seen for a full back! 

I remember he was brilliant in the 0-0 league cup game at Killie.

Whole team played really well, and I remember thinking "We're in for some season"!



I was right.

[C4mmy31]

Calum Waters will remain on loan at St Mirren until the end of the season but will be back at Killie this summer after agreeing a new contract until 2021.

The left back has made 18 appearances for the Buddies in the first half of the campaign.

And while he will stay with Jim Goodwin’s team for the rest of 2019/20, the 23-year-old has extended his contract at Rugby Park for a further season.

We wish Calum all the best for the rest of the season.

[Munoz]

30 minutes ago, C4mmy31 said:

Calum Waters will remain on loan at St Mirren until the end of the season but will be back at Killie this summer after agreeing a new contract until 2021.

The left back has made 18 appearances for the Buddies in the first half of the campaign.

And while he will stay with Jim Goodwin’s team for the rest of 2019/20, the 23-year-old has extended his contract at Rugby Park for a further season.

We wish Calum all the best for the rest of the season.

Has been slightly inconsistent and struggled against teams with a physical presence (Ikpeazu,  Hearts). 

Hopefully he'll improve in the remainder of season now that he's got some experience behind him. 

[sergie's no1 fan]

Meh. Got to trust Goodwin with this one (or maybe his hands are tied with the deal we made at the start of the season) but Waters has been the weak link at the back for me.

[Coventry Saint]

5 minutes ago, sergie's no1 fan said:

Meh. Got to trust Goodwin with this one (or maybe his hands are tied with the deal we made at the start of the season) but Waters has been the weak link at the back for me.

Maybe the new guy can push out wide left if and when either Broadfoot or MacKenzie come back to partner McCarthy. This would make Waters a more-than-decent back-up rather than a slightly bombscare-ish first choice.

 

Edit: just heard the McCarthy interview; he said Jim Goodwin picked him up from the airport in person. He is some fucking man. 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Coventry Saint

[djchapsticks]

Not really fussed with this. I'd have been happier sending him back to Killie and looking elsewhere but I get that we need some level of consistency. Our two centre halves are already strangers so adding a left back in there too would be a bit iffy.

Suppose the good news is that we won't snap him up permanently though.  

[Arch Stanton]

2 hours ago, Silvio said:

I noticed Coulson playing against Spurs at the weekend.

Alfie Jones played for Gillingham v West Ham.

[Lola montez]

2 hours ago, Coventry Saint said:

Maybe the new guy can push out wide left if and when either Broadfoot or MacKenzie come back to partner McCarthy. This would make Waters a more-than-decent back-up rather than a slightly bombscare-ish first choice.

 

Edit: just heard the McCarthy interview; he said Jim Goodwin picked him up from the airport in person. He is some fucking man. 

Didn't even claim back the £2 for the pick up zone

[GAD]

10 hours ago, Stu said:

Highly rated defender who is captain of an EPL club's under-23 side? Hopefully he does better than Alfie Jones - although he's at least had a few first team games so it shouldn't be quite as big a culture shock. For what it's worth, the Football Manager database suggests he's left sided so that should help with the balance at the back.

That could well be us done for the transfer window, although the leftback situation maybe needs looked at and the Keatings rumour suggests we're in for another striker. Record also claiming we're in for Glenn Middleton on loan, although would be surprised at that.

Would guess departures are now more likely than arrivals. Djorkaeff has to be top of the list to go - couldn't get a game before the window and we've now signed another winger. We could also do with sending a few of the youngsters out on loan. Surprised that neither Glover or Nick McAllister seems to have been on the bench in recent weeks considering we're so short of defensive options.

Alfie Jones wasn't that bad to be fair. Of all the Stubbs signings he was certainly one of the better ones, though if I remember correctly he had a bit of a nightmare first game when Curtis Main kicked f**k out of him and he looked like he was going to cry. He soon toughened up after that, to his credit.

I think the reason we get a bit nervous about loans from English academy  teams, and players from Irish or lower English leagues is because a lot of the times we've done that we've tended to be shite with awful managers who signed the wrong ones!

[RandomGuy.]

Alfie Jones turns out quality on FM, fwiw

[Blaze]

Calum Waters will remain on loan at St Mirren until the end of the season but will be back at Killie this summer after agreeing a new contract until 2021.

The left back has made 18 appearances for the Buddies in the first half of the campaign.

And while he will stay with Jim Goodwin’s team for the rest of 2019/20, the 23-year-old has extended his contract at Rugby Park for a further season.

We wish Calum all the best for the rest of the season.

Cut 4nd p45t3 k1ng. Ch33r5 C4mmy.

[houston_bud]

Alfie Jones wasn't that bad to be fair. Of all the Stubbs signings he was certainly one of the better ones, though if I remember correctly he had a bit of a nightmare first game when Curtis Main kicked f**k out of him and he looked like he was going to cry. He soon toughened up after that, to his credit.
I think the reason we get a bit nervous about loans from English academy  teams, and players from Irish or lower English leagues is because a lot of the times we've done that we've tended to be shite with awful managers who signed the wrong ones!

There's a risk with any signing really. I think with signing young loan players from England often the problem is that these guys haven't played many, if any, first team games. They're probably all good players but to make your first team debut against the likes of Curtis Main who has probably 200 or 300 games under his belt will always be difficult.

The game is faster up here and a little more physical too and there have been a few players who did a job playing first team in England who haven't done well up here. Going from playing U23 and reserve games which are full of young players and the odd guy coming back from injury to all of a sudden being up against someone like Alan Power or Lyndon Dykes, who'd kick their own granny to win a game of football, is a different game altogether.

[btb]

1 hour ago, houston_bud said:

There's a risk with any signing really. I think with signing young loan players from England often the problem is that these guys haven't played many, if any, first team games. They're probably all good players but to make your first team debut against the likes of Curtis Main who has probably 200 or 300 games under his belt will always be difficult.

The game is faster up here and a little more physical too and there have been a few players who did a job playing first team in England who haven't done well up here. Going from playing U23 and reserve games which are full of young players and the odd guy coming back from injury to all of a sudden being up against someone like Alan Power or Lyndon Dykes, who'd kick their own granny to win a game of football, is a different game altogether.

At the time (The Summer of Stubbs) i felt it was the number of inexperienced players being used that was the problem - 2 inexperienced players as a maximum would be my rule of thumb. The situation was exacerbated with some of our more experienced players having not played (or played much) at top flight level.

Edited January 8, 2020 by btb