Sons Sorrow 2018/19

[O'Kelly Isley III]

Just another wee thing I noticed when reading the league table this morning. We’ve conceded the second highest number of goals in the division.

Defence was always Stevie’s thing. Alright we’ve taken a few hammerings under him, but for the most part we were defensively alright with our problems at the other end of the pitch. This season we can’t seem to defend or attack.

Had a further read into his stats too. We’ve won back-to-back league games under him four times in his three and a bit seasons - or 113 games if you prefer. He won his first two games, enjoyed a decent run later in that season and managed it twice last season (three against Brechin and one v Inverness in that run). That’s it.

He can make as many excuses as he wants: Being part-time, having a busy schedule, Bonnyrigg being a really tough place to come, being a scalp or having a lengthy injury list. Whatever. But the stats make for grim reading and the excuses are now tiresome.

In defence of SA, not one of us was anything but optimistic just a few weeks ago. Yes, it was a squad very limited in numbers but that was driven by a financial situation which almost took the club under during the close season. Seriously.

However, things on the park ARE grim, but before we ditch the manager we need to have an idea of a replacement, the finance and crucially the belief that they can turn things around with the same team.

Because I think the major issues lie with them, but SA may need to admit that he has got, or is still getting it wrong, with a number of them.

I honestly believe that the immediate removal of Adam, Hutton and Loy from the starting eleven has become a necessity. If, and it's a massive if, we can get the injury situation eased we can move Thomson into midfield and partner Russell with Aitchison.

Little at RB pending the return of Ballantyne, with McGowan in goal. Carswell returning but with new midfield partners.

It's certainly a punt, but desperate times and all that.

[DumbartonTheSons]

In defence of SA, not one of us was anything but optimistic just a few weeks ago. Yes, it was a squad very limited in numbers but that was driven by a financial situation which almost took the club under during the close season. Seriously.

However, things on the park ARE grim, but before we ditch the manager we need to have an idea of a replacement, the finance and crucially the belief that they can turn things around with the same team.

Because I think the major issues lie with them, but SA may need to admit that he has got, or is still getting it wrong, with a number of them.

I honestly believe that the immediate removal of Adam, Hutton and Loy from the starting eleven has become a necessity. If, and it's a massive if, we can get the injury situation eased we can move Thomson into midfield and partner Russell with Aitchison.

Little at RB pending the return of Ballantyne, with McGowan in goal. Carswell returning but with new midfield partners.

It's certainly a punt, but desperate times and all that.

While I'm not wholly against most of your suggestions, I think Loy is currently getting a raw deal both on and off the pitch.

He can't possibly produce anything like he's expected to with the frankly pathetic service offered up to him week in week out. And he did assist Bobby Barr for our goal today to be fair.

Your suggestions are though fair ones, but for me, what yesterday showed is that the personnel is actually just a secondary issue. The players don't appear to know what they're doing, there's no direction and they play as if they're all being told things which fly directly in the face of the qualities they possess.

Grant Adam looks as under-confident a goalkeeper as I've seen in many a year.

Andy Dowie is a shadow of his former self, even when partnered with Craig Barr, and the same can be said for him.

Kyle Hutton offers no protection to the back four despite appearing to be billed as a sitting midfielder, his tackling is poor and he's as pedestrian and lethargic as they come.

Iain Russell isn't a winger. Never has been and never will be. He works hard as he always has, but he's been shunted by Aitken as many are, because he doesn't know how to use his players to the best of his ability.

Rory Loy is a striker who's intelligence on the pitch is plain to see. He's also a hard worker and a promising link-up forward. But we insist on lumping balls high in the air for him to do something with, which is a talent he and many other strikers don't have. Again, to me this shows that Aitken doesn't actually know how to play a system that plays to his players strengths.

Nobody can tell me that all the above is coincidental and that's why for me, time is up for Aitken.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

While I'm not wholly against most of your suggestions, I think Loy is currently getting a raw deal both on and off the pitch.

He can't possibly produce anything like he's expected to with the frankly pathetic service offered up to him week in week out. And he did assist Bobby Barr for our goal today to be fair.

Your suggestions are though fair ones, but for me, what yesterday showed is that the personnel is actually just a secondary issue. The players don't appear to know what they're doing, there's no direction and they play as if they're all being told things which fly directly in the face of the qualities they possess.

Grant Adam looks as under-confident a goalkeeper as I've seen in many a year.

Andy Dowie is a shadow of his former self, even when partnered with Craig Barr, and the same can be said for him.

Kyle Hutton offers no protection to the back four despite appearing to be billed as a sitting midfielder, his tackling is poor and he's as pedestrian and lethargic as they come.

Iain Russell isn't a winger. Never has been and never will be. He works hard as he always has, but he's been shunted by Aitken as many are, because he doesn't know how to use his players to the best of his ability.

Rory Loy is a striker who's intelligence on the pitch is plain to see. He's also a hard worker and a promising link-up forward. But we insist on lumping balls high in the air for him to do something with, which is a talent he and many other strikers don't have. Again, to me this shows that Aitken doesn't actually know how to play a system that plays to his players strengths.

Nobody can tell me that all the above is coincidental and that's why for me, time is up for Aitken.

That's fair comment, and I didn't use the word ' desperate' for nothing.

[FifeSons]

Went to bed seething. Woke up seething.

Aitken, GTF.

[beaver1]

In defence of SA, not one of us was anything but optimistic just a few weeks ago. Yes, it was a squad very limited in numbers but that was driven by a financial situation which almost took the club under during the close season. Seriously.

Don’t know the veracity of that statement, but I do know that Stenhousemuir enquired about Aitchison at the start of the season. The money Celtic wanted would have made him our most expensive player. We couldn’t afford him.

Yet Dumbarton almost went out of business and they have just signed Aitchison, not to mention having a bench yesterday with players that I would imagine will be getting paid more than most of the Stenhousemuir team + half a dozen (?) players injured. Doesn’t seem to stack up, so how is it being done?

[Jan Vojáček]

1 minute ago, beaver1 said:

 

Don’t know the veracity of that statement, but I do know that Stenhousemuir enquired about Aitchison at the start of the season. The money Celtic wanted would have made him our most expensive player. We couldn’t afford him.

Yet Dumbarton almost went out of business and they have just signed Aitchison, not to mention having a bench yesterday with players that I would imagine will be getting paid more than most of the Stenhousemuir team + half a dozen (?) players injured. Doesn’t seem to stack up, so how is it being done?

 

Aitchison, Allardice and Brad Spencer's signings are being paid for by a sponsor.

[FifeSons]

1 hour ago, Ross Forbes said:

We've at least won one more game than we would've managed upstairs 

Part of me thinks if we’d stayed up, Aitken might have actually moved on, thinking he’d taken us as far as he could. 

If that had happened, plus the new sponsorship, who knows how we’d be doing... 

[FifeSons]

7 hours ago, pleslie99 said:

Interesting to see no support for Stevie now. Not even from the most loyal "give him a chance" that had their reasons after last week. He won't walk, we need to sack, do the board have the balls? It's time for Mr Steele to endear himself to us all even more and pull the trigger.

I think it’s more a question of do they have the cash.

[Silverton End]

2 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

I think it’s more a question of do they have the cash.

In a word - No

[Old Scrotum]

Aitken could walk out on his contract (but he won't) and not owe the club a penny. I can't see why they would have to pay him for the rest of his contract - or reach some of financial settlement - when he is clearly no good at, or up to, the job he is paying him to do.

I know it's the way of the football world but it's just absolute nonsense.

Stevie, do the honourable thing and walk.  The club has paid you well (presumably) - let them keep your remaining salary to enable them to bring in someone who'll turn this mess around.

[Old Scrotum]

All this talk of Jim Duffy. Would he be happy accepting a contract to the end of the season if the club has to use up funds just to get shot of Aitken?

I think he'd want until the end of next season at least, and he won't come cheap.

PS: Jimmy Calderwood.

[FifeSons]

14 minutes ago, Silverton End said:

In a word - No

Yep. Certainly not in the budget, anyway (unless we have this emergency fund some people have hoped for).

That leaves two options. Either, a director (or some generous sponsor) dips into his own pocket, or Aitken resigns. I can’t see any chance of the latter. Aitken’s stock is at it’s lowest ever; resign now, and his next job will be keeping Albion Rovers from dropping into the Lowland League (if he’s lucky).

The most frustrating thing is, we have a group of players that should easily be good enough for top 4 (if not, to push Raith/Arbroath). Yes, a few guys like Adam and Dyer aren’t that great, but the overall group is absolutely good enough to be challenging at the top end. No one can possibly say the squad isn’t up to it.

It’s now plain to everyone who isn’t up to it. When the only defence now is “who can we get that’s any better?”, you know the situation is critical.

 

 

[Old Scrotum]

Over to you, Mr. McBookie:

 

[Boghead ranter]

20 minutes ago, Old Scrotum said:

 

PS: Jimmy Calderwood.

Hasn't he got a serious illness?

[Best Team in Angus]

Come on guys with the players you have things will improve and I think you will finish top 3. Getting beat from Brechin & Stenny ain't the end of the world ( its up there but not quite !! )

[Boghead ranter]

2 minutes ago, Best Team in Angus said:

Come on guys with the players you have things will improve and I think you will finish top 3. Getting beat from Brechin & Stenny ain't the end of the world ( its up there but not quite !! )

For a lot of people, I don't think it's so much the defeats, but the manner of the defeats.

[Best Team in Angus]

1 minute ago, Boghead ranter said:

For a lot of people, I don't think it's so much the defeats, but the manner of the defeats.

Yep know that feeling

[BallochSonsFan]

A lot of what you've said is very fair OK3.

The financial position of the club over the summer was difficult. The new board of directors havent had their problems to seek. It's been a huge task just to keep the club going.

Aitken was backed to the best of the board's ability. He's chosen to spend the money on a smaller squad with more perceived quality. Clearly a gamble given our injury situation but the alternative would have been gambling on another horse in the race - building a big squad and hoping that effort makes up for lack of quality. In this league it may well do but if we'd signed jobbers and juniors and struggled then we'd have the same complaints about the squad.

Injuries are a factor. We're without our first choice right back, centre half and midfielder. Take those 3 out of the team and we're under pressure. We're also without our first choice back-up in defence. The creative midfield maestro who was supposed to make things happen isnt fit and we've got guys playing with injuries. We're unable to fill a bench but the guys we can put there are fit enough for maybe 20 or 30 minutes at a push. Again it comes down to Aitken's choice when building the squad but I do have sympathy with him.

Clearly it isnt working for Aitken right now. He isnt getting the best out of the players. I don't buy the arguments others have made about not knowing how to set us up. The past 2 games we've taken the lead. At Brechin we were 2-0 up with 30 minutes to play. Yesterday we started with 2 strikers and 2 attacking wide men. I'm not sure how he can set us up differently or the setting us up is the problem. Keeping our players going for the full 90 minutes is a bigger issue for me. The obvious thing would be to drop underperforming players. It's easy for guys to switch off if there's no threat to their jersey. Unfortunately we just can't do that right now.

There are guys in that squad who are short changing the fans and their manager. Grant Adam looks no more a goalkeeper than I do. Andy Dowie has been woeful at the back. He isn't talking to his team during the game unless he's shouting blame at them and he's had a few defensive howlers himself (including last week at Brechin). Bobby Barr looks great when he's interested but unfortunately seems more interested in arguing with officials or winding up opposition fans. Kyle Hutton hasn't always deserved the level of criticism directed at him but yesterday was woeful. Ross Forbes looks as much an athlete as I do. Rory Loy is just all kinds of wrong.

Are they genuinely playing for the manager? Are they genuinely up for the fight in a division where every other team looks to have grafters? We're being beaten because teams are working harder than we are for the whole of a 90 minute game of football. It isnt down to quality. It isnt down to the way we set ourselves up at the start of a game. It's our complete inability to finish a game. It's a worry when the best players on the park yesterday were 2 of our new signings (Allardyce was ropey) and where we're asking a guy who came back from retirement to do most of the grafting up front. Something isnt right with this group of players and whilst Aitken carries the can for that because he signed them, there must be something else going on. To take the lead in the past 2 games and end up losing, having been outworked by the opposition after going ahead, points to players who aren't up for the fight. Yesterday should have been a reaction after the Brechin game but instead we saw a group of players show almost no dig from about the 15th minute of the game until the last 10 minutes were we actually threw things forward with urgency.

It's easier to punt the manager than the underperforming players (although punting Aitken would cost money the club just doesn't have).  Perhaps that's the solution given how little he's getting from this group of players right now. He certainly deserves a fair bit of the blame but for me there are a number of guys in that squad who aren't delivering for 90 minutes. They're short changing their manager, short changing the fans and letting themselves down. People talk about Aitken having enough pride to know that it isnt working - how many of our players are showing their own professional pride right now?

There's no quick and easy fix to this. A new manager, whoever we would eventually convince to sign, would still be dealing with the same players who have so far shown all the heart of sugar mice.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

A lot of what you've said is very fair OK3.
The financial position of the club over the summer was difficult. The new board of directors havent had their problems to seek. It's been a huge task just to keep the club going.
Aitken was backed to the best of the board's ability. He's chosen to spend the money on a smaller squad with more perceived quality. Clearly a gamble given our injury situation but the alternative would have been gambling on another horse in the race - building a big squad and hoping that effort makes up for lack of quality. In this league it may well do but if we'd signed jobbers and juniors and struggled then we'd have the same complaints about the squad.
Injuries are a factor. We're without our first choice right back, centre half and midfielder. Take those 3 out of the team and we're under pressure. We're also without our first choice back-up in defence. The creative midfield maestro who was supposed to make things happen isnt fit and we've got guys playing with injuries. We're unable to fill a bench but the guys we can put there are fit enough for maybe 20 or 30 minutes at a push. Again it comes down to Aitken's choice when building the squad but I do have sympathy with him.
Clearly it isnt working for Aitken right now. He isnt getting the best out of the players. I don't buy the arguments others have made about not knowing how to set us up. The past 2 games we've taken the lead. At Brechin we were 2-0 up with 30 minutes to play. Yesterday we started with 2 strikers and 2 attacking wide men. I'm not sure how he can set us up differently or the setting us up is the problem. Keeping our players going for the full 90 minutes is a bigger issue for me. The obvious thing would be to drop underperforming players. It's easy for guys to switch off if there's no threat to their jersey. Unfortunately we just can't do that right now.
There are guys in that squad who are short changing the fans and their manager. Grant Adam looks no more a goalkeeper than I do. Andy Dowie has been woeful at the back. He isn't talking to his team during the game unless he's shouting blame at them and he's had a few defensive howlers himself (including last week at Brechin). Bobby Barr looks great when he's interested but unfortunately seems more interested in arguing with officials or winding up opposition fans. Kyle Hutton hasn't always deserved the level of criticism directed at him but yesterday was woeful. Ross Forbes looks as much an athlete as I do. Rory Loy is just all kinds of wrong.
Are they genuinely playing for the manager? Are they genuinely up for the fight in a division where every other team looks to have grafters? We're being beaten because teams are working harder than we are for the whole of a 90 minute game of football. It isnt down to quality. It isnt down to the way we set ourselves up at the start of a game. It's our complete inability to finish a game. It's a worry when the best players on the park yesterday were 2 of our new signings (Allardyce was ropey) and where we're asking a guy who came back from retirement to do most of the grafting up front. Something isnt right with this group of players and whilst Aitken carries the can for that because he signed them, there must be something else going on. To take the lead in the past 2 games and end up losing, having been outworked by the opposition after going ahead, points to players who aren't up for the fight. Yesterday should have been a reaction after the Brechin game but instead we saw a group of players show almost no dig from about the 15th minute of the game until the last 10 minutes were we actually threw things forward with urgency.
It's easier to punt the manager than the underperforming players (although punting Aitken would cost money the club just doesn't have).  Perhaps that's the solution given how little he's getting from this group of players right now. He certainly deserves a fair bit of the blame but for me there are a number of guys in that squad who aren't delivering for 90 minutes. They're short changing their manager, short changing the fans and letting themselves down. People talk about Aitken having enough pride to know that it isnt working - how many of our players are showing their own professional pride right now?
There's no quick and easy fix to this. A new manager, whoever we would eventually convince to sign, would still be dealing with the same players who have so far shown all the heart of sugar mice.

Ross Forbes is fit.

[BallochSonsFan]

Just now, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

3 minutes ago, BallochSonsFan said:

A lot of what you've said is very fair OK3.
The financial position of the club over the summer was difficult. The new board of directors havent had their problems to seek. It's been a huge task just to keep the club going.
Aitken was backed to the best of the board's ability. He's chosen to spend the money on a smaller squad with more perceived quality. Clearly a gamble given our injury situation but the alternative would have been gambling on another horse in the race - building a big squad and hoping that effort makes up for lack of quality. In this league it may well do but if we'd signed jobbers and juniors and struggled then we'd have the same complaints about the squad.
Injuries are a factor. We're without our first choice right back, centre half and midfielder. Take those 3 out of the team and we're under pressure. We're also without our first choice back-up in defence. The creative midfield maestro who was supposed to make things happen isnt fit and we've got guys playing with injuries. We're unable to fill a bench but the guys we can put there are fit enough for maybe 20 or 30 minutes at a push. Again it comes down to Aitken's choice when building the squad but I do have sympathy with him.
Clearly it isnt working for Aitken right now. He isnt getting the best out of the players. I don't buy the arguments others have made about not knowing how to set us up. The past 2 games we've taken the lead. At Brechin we were 2-0 up with 30 minutes to play. Yesterday we started with 2 strikers and 2 attacking wide men. I'm not sure how he can set us up differently or the setting us up is the problem. Keeping our players going for the full 90 minutes is a bigger issue for me. The obvious thing would be to drop underperforming players. It's easy for guys to switch off if there's no threat to their jersey. Unfortunately we just can't do that right now.
There are guys in that squad who are short changing the fans and their manager. Grant Adam looks no more a goalkeeper than I do. Andy Dowie has been woeful at the back. He isn't talking to his team during the game unless he's shouting blame at them and he's had a few defensive howlers himself (including last week at Brechin). Bobby Barr looks great when he's interested but unfortunately seems more interested in arguing with officials or winding up opposition fans. Kyle Hutton hasn't always deserved the level of criticism directed at him but yesterday was woeful. Ross Forbes looks as much an athlete as I do. Rory Loy is just all kinds of wrong.
Are they genuinely playing for the manager? Are they genuinely up for the fight in a division where every other team looks to have grafters? We're being beaten because teams are working harder than we are for the whole of a 90 minute game of football. It isnt down to quality. It isnt down to the way we set ourselves up at the start of a game. It's our complete inability to finish a game. It's a worry when the best players on the park yesterday were 2 of our new signings (Allardyce was ropey) and where we're asking a guy who came back from retirement to do most of the grafting up front. Something isnt right with this group of players and whilst Aitken carries the can for that because he signed them, there must be something else going on. To take the lead in the past 2 games and end up losing, having been outworked by the opposition after going ahead, points to players who aren't up for the fight. Yesterday should have been a reaction after the Brechin game but instead we saw a group of players show almost no dig from about the 15th minute of the game until the last 10 minutes were we actually threw things forward with urgency.
It's easier to punt the manager than the underperforming players (although punting Aitken would cost money the club just doesn't have).  Perhaps that's the solution given how little he's getting from this group of players right now. He certainly deserves a fair bit of the blame but for me there are a number of guys in that squad who aren't delivering for 90 minutes. They're short changing their manager, short changing the fans and letting themselves down. People talk about Aitken having enough pride to know that it isnt working - how many of our players are showing their own professional pride right now?
There's no quick and easy fix to this. A new manager, whoever we would eventually convince to sign, would still be dealing with the same players who have so far shown all the heart of sugar mice.

Ross Forbes is fit.

Forbes might be free from injury.

He isnt fit.

Plodding about the midfield in a game where opponents are working harder than you are isnt fitness.