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The Bandstand Thread - Stranraer FC 2018-19


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Is he any good? 


Looked pre season as if he might have something to offer but, hardly played at all. Hard to judge. Can only assume he wasn’t doing it in training because we’re not spoilt for choice when it comes to players this season.
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  • 2 weeks later...

When we signed Joao I think there was almost no expectation at all of him amounting to anything at Airdrie. A bonafide lower league jobber that hadn't made the cut with bottom of the league Albion Rovers the year before, it seemed a really odd and out of place signing. Especially since we were signing players left, right and centre at that point. 

But he came off the bench against Hamilton Accies in the League Cup and scored an equaliser to take the game to penalties which kicked off a tremendous run of form for the first 2-3 months of the season. He was scoring goals (he's scored 8 in total), assisting, creating chances and just being a general menace to the opposing defence. An exciting, unpredictable flair player at this level? It was remarkable, especially since as mentioned above there was little to no expectation of him performing when we signed him. He was playing with a confidence and freedom that he never seemed to have before earlier in his career. 

But, as happens, teams became wise to him (and cynical) and his form dipped, although he still contributed. As when I say a form dip he was genuinely putting in man of the match performances every week so it would have been remarkable if he'd kept up that form. 

Things went really downhill for Joao though when Stevie Findlay left and Ian Murray took over. Murray's main task was to solidify us and make us harder to beat which saw Joao drop out the team for a more narrow midfield and wing backs. It was a fair enough call. As exciting as he was going forward he wasn't really cutting it when it came to defensive duties and indeed was probably a bit of a liability in that regard. But hey you still need your attacking players and, just like earlier in the season, maybe Joao could be an effective match winner coming off the bench? But it has been clear for a while that Murray does not fancy Joao at all. He's not the hardest worker which means he doesn't really fit into the system Murray wants to play. I don't get to every game because of work but I genuinely can't remember the last time Joao was on the park for any meaningful amount of time. Lately he's been lucky to get a cameo off the bench and a couple of times hasn't even made the bench at all. 

What sort of player will you get? It seems like Joao has reverted back to the mean (lower league jobber) based on his recent form but that is probably harsh based on the fact he hasn't been getting much game time. Get him confident and playing like he was at the start of the season and you'll have a genuine game changer on your hands. He'll have plenty of motivation to do well too. He's still contracted to us until the end of next season so if he does well at Stranraer he can stake a claim again for next season. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Very quiet down Stranraer way just now, what's been happening? Is there a worry that this freefall shows no sign of stopping? Has there been a drop in attendance's due to the current form? Has anything been said from the club recently?
I'm just curious as its extremely quiet the last couple weeks.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I quite liked Hawkshaw. He was one of the four or five loan signings (along with Dylan Dykes, Angus Beith, Cammy MacPherson and Ross Lyon) that came in for the second half of the season. He's good on the ball and creative, although from a physical standpoint he is a bit on the short side. Good, tidy player though and should do well at this level. I think he had a trial at Livi during the close season.

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5 hours ago, 1870ToonBlue said:

What I would like tho is 6 points this week, if not we are down. But over the piece we have had some dodgy decisions against us I love that excuse, its the same referee for both teams.

 

Hopefully Faz disappears soon

I hope we can persuade Faz to stay at the end of the season cause I don't know who else of any calibre would agree to manage a team on such a small budget in front of such a low attendance.

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15 hours ago, 1870ToonBlue said:

What I would like tho is 6 points this week, if not we are down. But over the piece we have had some dodgy decisions against us I love that excuse, its the same referee for both teams.

 

Hopefully Faz disappears soon

You seem obsessed by our Manager 1870.The man has the smallest budget in the League,in season 1 he saved us from relegation,season 2 after a good start he guided us to 5th with his budget slashed at Xmas losing a top striker who could have scored enough to get us into the playoffs plus his Captain went as well,this season once again on a slashed budget he has managed to get a few in with the help of dof Stuart Millar and in all honesty will probably keep us in League 1.I really don't know what you want,a bunch of superstars to play on just over a 100 quid a week with average crowds of 300,sadly we are where we are because of mainly finance to attract decent League 1 players you need decent cash we haven't got that and no disrespect to our squad as I think there very good players,young and naive at times but that goes with the territory.If the worst comes to the worst and I don't think it will a further budget cut will be needed next season.Mr Farrell stuck by us in December 2017 when he could easily have walked,let's stick by him please.

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8 hours ago, Car54wherareyou said:

You seem obsessed by our Manager 1870.The man has the smallest budget in the League,in season 1 he saved us from relegation,season 2 after a good start he guided us to 5th with his budget slashed at Xmas losing a top striker who could have scored enough to get us into the playoffs plus his Captain went as well,this season once again on a slashed budget he has managed to get a few in with the help of dof Stuart Millar and in all honesty will probably keep us in League 1.I really don't know what you want,a bunch of superstars to play on just over a 100 quid a week with average crowds of 300,sadly we are where we are because of mainly finance to attract decent League 1 players you need decent cash we haven't got that and no disrespect to our squad as I think there very good players,young and naive at times but that goes with the territory.If the worst comes to the worst and I don't think it will a further budget cut will be needed next season.Mr Farrell stuck by us in December 2017 when he could easily have walked,let's stick by him please.

Obsessed really?? what makes you think this?

Thanks for the insight as to what the players are on each week.  Sadly we are where we are because of our inability to see out games from winning or drawing positions. Young players or not we still have players with over 100+ games at senior level ie

Hamill, Anderson, Smith, Cummins, Turner, Lamont, McManus so we have plenty of experience in the ranks that's excluding Currie with over 50 games Brownlie over 60 games and Joao who has 99 games.   

So if we go into league 2 that is worst case scenario, you honestly don't think there will be further budget cuts?? And good on Mr Farrell for sicking by us in December 2017 but I have never known any man to walk away from the queens head.

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19 hours ago, 1870ToonBlue said:

Obsessed really?? what makes you think this?

Thanks for the insight as to what the players are on each week.  Sadly we are where we are because of our inability to see out games from winning or drawing positions. Young players or not we still have players with over 100+ games at senior level ie

Hamill, Anderson, Smith, Cummins, Turner, Lamont, McManus so we have plenty of experience in the ranks that's excluding Currie with over 50 games Brownlie over 60 games and Joao who has 99 games.   

So if we go into league 2 that is worst case scenario, you honestly don't think there will be further budget cuts?? And good on Mr Farrell for sicking by us in December 2017 but I have never known any man to walk away from the queens head.

To be fair, I think it is just the punctuation that is out in the last bit of Car's post. I think the comment is saying they don't think we will go down but if we do there will be a further budget cut for next season.

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