The St. Mirren FC 2023/24 thread

[buddie06smfc]

8 minutes ago, GAD said:

Do people really think MacPherson is going to Perth to do anything other than sit on the bench unless there are a few injuries? He isn't going to play ahead of Craig and Davidson.

I don't think it is a bad move for all parties involved, I wouldn't have Macpherson in ahead of any of our remaining central midfielders. He has been subject to the same elevated ability Magennis & Flynn suddenly had when they were out the team and we were struggling for form.  

[dezz]

As far as I know he is as wasn't extended at motherwell. Didn't see him play. He is fast, not sure on end product and if he can play RWB as that is what we fucking needed. Haha

Yeah he was binned after being injured for most of the second half of the season and largely being on the bench for the first half.
He is stupidly rapid which can be useful but he has virtually no end product to speak of. I wouldn’t trust him in any way, shape or form to play wing back.
He spent most of his time with us being screamed at by Stephen Robinson because his all round awareness, positional sense and defensive workfare weren’t up to scratch. This was kind of understandable because his time with us was his first experience of ‘real’ football but he got benched before long and in any of his cameo appearances didn’t really show that he had developed that side of his game at all.

[Bobby_F]

I admit I do tend to be a glass half full kinda guy, but I'm gobsmacked at the huge amount of negativity amongst most of our support on here last night and this morning.

Anyway, here's hoping Connor Ronan isn't reading this, and those at the club don't have the same attitude as our fans.

If they do, we're down already.

Thankfully, I'm sure they don't.

[Lex]

11 minutes ago, Ric said:

Just for clarity, the comment was made when we were rooted the bottom of the league, suffering numerous call offs due to covid and had to bring in Zlamal. We'd had a run of bad luck the type that's normally associated with a relegation season. What's more, it was a "fear of" more than a prediction, and once the situation improved I was happy to accept it wouldn't be the case.

These comments are all in this thread, feel free to double check, but please do not misrepresent a very contextual comment.

Here's one of your posts in this thread from the 25th January when we were in 9th. 

I should say I agree with the rest of your post, but I'd like to highlight this one assumption. I am just not that certain. I'm by no means a 'knicker wetter' and people should know that by now, but I've had the feeling (and I've used the phrase a few times already) that we could be facing a death by a thousand cuts this season. Not sure why I feel it, I certainly don't

fear relegation, hell I'm old enough to have seen a few and they don't overly phase me as they used to, but I have a niggling feeling that luck is going to conspire against us. The "best team in ages" tag doesn't help dispel that notion even though it's pretty much correct

11 minutes ago, Ric said:

 

You've not mentioned what you think of the MacPherson loan, or the late window hawking of McGrath.

 

MacPherson has had plenty of chances to establish himself in the team in recent years and he hasn't managed it.  He's had a few good games but more poor ones, he's just not consistent enough. At best he's a decent bottom six level squad player. Your post above actually came after one of those chances against St Johnstone in January. He started the game, player poorly, picked up two daft bookings and got sent off in the 55th minute and we lost 1-0. The largely negative reaction of St Johnstone fans to his signing is not surprising, i'd be underwhelmed too. Hawking of McGrath? As with every player in Scotland he's for sale at the right price. We rejected bids that weren't the right price so he stays for a few months and likely leaves for a cut price fee in January. Probably a good outcome. 

[Mainstand Sweary Mob]

Just my take on it. But last season was pretty good finish and we should really have looked to build attacking options on to it.

What we lost from last season and have found replacements for:
LWB - Mason = Tanser
CM Doyle-Hayes = Ronan
ST - Obika = Main

We also brought in Power. Not sure if that was to take the place of Sheron/Foley as that I feel is the position Jim wanted them in to play.

Kiltie might have been brought in as a back up if McGrath left, but hasn't.

Players we are yet to replace:
LM Durmas
RM/LM - Connolly
ST/RM - Quaner/Morias

We then needed maybe 3 more in to build on last season's form, but to either fit this system or to allow the ability to change it up.

Needs not met:
* Pace/Creativity - LWB/LM/LW
* Pace/Creativity - RWB/RM/RW
* either/or Tall/Strong/Fast Striker

Can these be met in the free agent market and with only Scottish, English, NI, Welsh or RoI players due to Brexit? Who knows.

[flyingscot]

I'm not particularly happy at our signing strategy particularly the lack of replacement for Durmas. We play avoiding midfield at the moment, hopefully the new guy helps. Keeping McGrath isn't a terrible move, even if it is only temporary.  

I'm not delighted at our business, but it's up to Jim to prove that he's built the right squad. 

[McG]

I actually think it would of been best for all parties had McGrath left and that deal went through late lastnight, McGrath has clearly been keen to leave lately but has been saying all the right things in the press about being happy here etc, he was down in Middlesbrough set to sign then the owner pulled the plug at last minute. 

His agent has obviously then been straight on the blower to the likes of hibs Aberdeen etc. 

Scott Allan was very keen by the sounds of it and is a class player, I would of been happy with him plus cash for McGrath and then we would of had extra cash to play with in free agent market for bringing in a bit of pace.

[flyingscot]

1 minute ago, McG said:

I actually think it would of been best for all parties had McGrath left and that deal went through late lastnight, McGrath has clearly been keen to leave lately but has been saying all the right things in the press about being happy here etc, he was down in Middlesbrough set to sign then the owner pulled the plug at last minute. 

His agent has obviously then been straight on the blower to the likes of hibs Aberdeen etc. 

Scott Allan was very keen by the sounds of it and is a class player, I would of been happy with him plus cash for McGrath and then we would of had extra cash to play with in free agent market for bringing in a bit of pace.

I'd have been happy if he went as well, although a bit galling if it was to Hibs again. Scott Allan would have been a good player to bring in. 

[Billy Jean King]

I really hope, when the shit hits the fan, and we're St Mirren so there is not a season where the fan 'remains unshitty', that Goodwin doesn't use the excuse of "if only he'd managed to get [xxxxxxxx] (insert some player here, probably Kennedy) then things would be better", because he's had a fucking long time to sort out this window, he was bumping his gums in April about how he had a masterplan and when we saw three players announced very early it looked like he did.
There is still the free transfer market, and Goodwin being Goodwin, I fully expect some "random Euro jobber"[emoji769] to rock up in Paisley at some point.

Brexit has put paid to any "random Euro jobber" rocking up at any club that can't afford current full internationals

[Ric]

"I have a niggling feeling that luck is going to conspire against us"

Does anyone other than Lex consider this a cast iron prediction that we are going to get relegated. I said this during the winter transfer window and after luck had very much been conspiring against us.

For some reason Lex has decided to take one of my comments, out of context, declined to post the part where I agreed things had improved when they had improved, and use it as some sort of pivot point.

 

Edit: Just to be clear, I have no issue with Lex or anyone else disagreeing with me, nor do I have an issue with my comments being used as an example of where I was wrong. What I have an issue with is not representing those comments in a fair context.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by Ric

[Doonhame Buddie]

Delighted we did not sell McGrath to another Scottish club. If he had been sold to a team in England it would have been a big step up for him and we would have been provided with handy cash to rebuild the side but we are a better team with him in it. . 
Has anyone seen Ronan play?  Thought not but from what I’ve read it sounds like he will at least provide an alternative to hoofball. 
Can’t say I’m sorry to see Cammy get an opportunity elsewhere.  He’s had plenty of chances here but wasn’t consistent enough to cement a place in the first team. I don’t see him being a regular starter in Perth either. 
Assuming Jim is going to persevere with his preferred style, I’m sure there will be free agents out there who can provide pace and crosses from the right. 
It’s a much tougher league than last season but I don’t see us finishing in the bottom three. 

[Ric]

12 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

Brexit has put paid to any "random Euro jobber" rocking up at any club that can't afford current full internationals

..and not just that. 

#dissolvetheunion

 

 

 

[sergie's no1 fan]

On the bright side at least we didn't sign a nonce. 

[Gareth_Glasgow]

I don't really rate MacPherson and I'm baffled by folk saying he's a better player than Erhahon, but I don't understand why we're loaning him to another Premiership team when nobody's played well in that position this season and we could do with options there.

The most annoying thing for me is the complete failure to replace Durmus who was our best player for a good chunk of last season.

[glenburn bud]

Opinions differ for everyone, I can’t see what the fuss about Erhahon is. Overhyped overrated. 

But on to more pressing issues, let’s hope Goodwin manages to get a couple of decent free agents who can make a similar impact as Durmus and Connoly did for us last season.

[AW saint]

I think Ethan is technically a good player. The problem is he thinks he is better than what he is. He needs to work at his game more and stop thinking he knows it all. 

[DumbartonBud]

We will only know whether McGrath staying is a good thing or not once we see him play in the next few games.
The whole pantomime will play out again in January, with the added power of him having the chance to sign a PCA and force through the move. 
I’m less than convinced that him staying in the circumstances that took place is the ideal outcome for us. 

[GAD]

10 minutes ago, DumbartonBud said:

We will only know whether McGrath staying is a good thing or not once we see him play in the next few games.
The whole pantomime will play out again in January, with the added power of him having the chance to sign a PCA and force through the move. 
I’m less than convinced that him staying in the circumstances that took place is the ideal outcome for us. 

I don't think McGrath will split the dummy. It doesn't seem to me like we were too obstructive or difficult to deal with. He was going to Middlesbrough and as far as I know it was them that pulled the plug, not us. We then tried to make the deal with Hibs, but it didn't work out. 

[ZingaliMan]

3 hours ago, McG said:

I actually think it would of been best for all parties had McGrath left and that deal went through late lastnight, McGrath has clearly been keen to leave lately but has been saying all the right things in the press about being happy here etc, he was down in Middlesbrough set to sign then the owner pulled the plug at last minute. 

His agent has obviously then been straight on the blower to the likes of hibs Aberdeen etc. 

Scott Allan was very keen by the sounds of it and is a class player, I would of been happy with him plus cash for McGrath and then we would of had extra cash to play with in free agent market for bringing in a bit of pace.

I'm wondering how McGrath was in Middlesbrough yesterday when he is preparing for tonight's International with the Ireland squad ? 

[Ric]

2 hours ago, DumbartonBud said:

I’m less than convinced that him staying in the circumstances that took place is the ideal outcome for us. 

 

Considering we could be sitting here with a useless Wright and an unfit Allan, I'm much happier with him staying. It's not ideal and we'll not get any money when he goes, but if Goodwin can't make a decent fist of a midfield from the players we have available to us, then McGrath going will not be our primary concern.