Clyde FC; Season 2022-23

[Jaggy Snake]

42 minutes ago, BrigtonClyde said:

Compared to last year, Grant is obviously a huge loss.  But McStay wasn't a regular, on his day terrific, but that's exactly why he wasn't a regular. 

Grant had 38 appearances last year, McStay had 31. That's an awful lot of games for someone who "wasn't a regular".

Edited November 8, 2020 by Jaggy Snake

[BrigtonClyde]

4 minutes ago, Jaggy Snake said:

Grant had 38 appearances last year, McStay had 31. That's an awful lot of games for someone who "wasn't a regular".

Yes, but how many of those did he start & finish ?  On his game no doubting he had real quality, but by comparison Grant was the mainstay.  I'm not doubting that ideally we could get a specific type of player in, but on the assumption that the squad we have now is all we can fund, it's an idea to look for a solution with what we have.  But it certainly disproves the theory that the entire squad is to be written off somehow.  Football's like that, one or two changes can make all the difference. 

[Bully Wee Clyde FC]

1 hour ago, BrigtonClyde said:

Don't buy into this being a L2 squad at all... don't see the need to write the entire squad off when most have done well enough in the recent past.

 

Like the upbeat tone of your post BC. For me that's part of the frustration; we have real quality players in key positions, GK, CH and CF but we don't know how to build on this. If we gave gave options for Lang and support to DGW we play to our strengths : standing back and admiring them is no use.

I think some of the support's high expectation was fed by players and management only a few weeks ago but Broadwood is in denial about some obvious gaps like LB and a ball winning MF player.

Not sure I agree with your analysis of turning the corner preceding Ranks return, rather than his return to the squad being pivotal to our corner turning.

We don't know Thistle and Cove but we should know P /Heid, Dumbarton and Airdrie but sadly they know us and our fallibility better then we know theirs.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Bully Wee Clyde FC

[BullyWeeStonehouse]

Anyone saying we have a league 2 squad is deluded. The majority of this squad competed well in league 1 last year and had a bright start this season. But after 3 poor games all of a sudden we have a league 2 squad? Turn it in.

I've got every confidence that Danny will turn it around. He's never let us down yet.

Edited November 8, 2020 by BullyWeeStonehouse

[shawfield shed boy]

We look a shadow of last seasons team..Its not even close..

 

Maybe just maybe. Palmer and Cunnigham to return may help..

 

Would even consider asking Rankin to come back to help young lads which i admit is clutching at straws however league survival is paramount & anything needs tried to fix this slide

 

 

[David W]

We only won one match in nine against the three teams below us last season. We only won two matches away from home the whole campaign. We had a run of two wins in 14 league games at one point. We averaged less than a goal a game against the non-Stranraer sides. We Where is this idea that we weren't a poor side last season coming from?

[Jack Burton]

We only won one match in nine against the three teams below us last season. We only won two matches away from home the whole campaign. We had a run of two wins in 14 league games at one point. We averaged less than a goal a game against the non-Stranraer sides. We Where is this idea that we weren't a poor side last season coming from?

Was going to the same. We were having the exact conversation at this point last season having just lost 5-2 to Raith and 3-1 at Airdrie.

We had a decent run in Sep and Oct last season and won 3 in a row before Covid other than that we were garbage last season too.

We really need to find a way to take points off teams that will likely be down the bottom with us. I can't see Falkirk being as generous this season.

[Jaggy Snake]

2 hours ago, BrigtonClyde said:

Yes, but how many of those did he start & finish ?  On his game no doubting he had real quality, but by comparison Grant was the mainstay.  I'm not doubting that ideally we could get a specific type of player in, but on the assumption that the squad we have now is all we can fund, it's an idea to look for a solution with what we have.  But it certainly disproves the theory that the entire squad is to be written off somehow.  Football's like that, one or two changes can make all the difference. 

McStay started 27 of his 31 games. I'm not going through individually to check how many times he was subbed off but he was undeniably a first team regular. I'm not picking fault with the rest of your argument particularly, just that statement.

I don't think most people are claiming our whole squad is League 2 standard (I know a couple of posts went that way), but I think it's fair comment to say our central midfield is simply not good enough.

[AndyDD]

18 hours ago, SLClyde said:

If anyone casts a man of the match vote for this game they want their head checking. 
 

Couldn’t give a toss what happens in these cup games, ideally we’d have to forfeit them as 2 3-0s is better than what we’ll get playing the games. 

Come on now, that's unfair... Your keeper made a few good saves. 

[TheBigGuy]

I am saying it is a league 2 squad with exception of Goodwillie, Lang and Mitchell. 
 

Want to be proven wrong though!

Edited November 8, 2020 by TheBigGuy

[BullyWeeStonehouse]

2 hours ago, David W said:

We only won one match in nine against the three teams below us last season. We only won two matches away from home the whole campaign. We had a run of two wins in 14 league games at one point. We averaged less than a goal a game against the non-Stranraer sides. We Where is this idea that we weren't a poor side last season coming from?

Finishing 7th comfortably in our first season in league 1 after 10 years in league 2 doesnt make us a poor side.

You've also missed out certain stats like beating Falkirk 3 times, beating Airdrie and drawing with Raith after being 2-0 down.

What are you expecting from a newly promoted side with the modest budget we have making the jump to a far superior league?

Edited November 8, 2020 by BullyWeeStonehouse

[BrigtonClyde]

5 hours ago, David W said:

We only won one match in nine against the three teams below us last season. We only won two matches away from home the whole campaign. We had a run of two wins in 14 league games at one point. We averaged less than a goal a game against the non-Stranraer sides. We Where is this idea that we weren't a poor side last season coming from?

With the disclaimer that up until the turn of the year we had a horrendous injury list, regularly without around 7 - 8 players available.

With the return of Lang and injuries clearing up from January there was a clear upturn in performances and results. Context is everything

 

[BrigtonClyde]

5 hours ago, Jaggy Snake said:

McStay started 27 of his 31 games. I'm not going through individually to check how many times he was subbed off but he was undeniably a first team regular. I'm not picking fault with the rest of your argument particularly, just that statement.

I don't think most people are claiming our whole squad is League 2 standard (I know a couple of posts went that way), but I think it's fair comment to say our central midfield is simply not good enough.

There's no doubt the midfield needs addressing, think everyone's agreed.  Seems like there was high hopes for the lad Cammy but he's injured.  From what  I've seen I'd say we have more pace in there now but need someone who'll put his foot on the ball, direct the play as Grant did.  The fact people understandably think persuading Rankin to come back....ie one player....could make a big difference, kind of makes my point

We also beat Dumbarton just a few weeks ago so not sure about this idea about not being able to beat 'the likes of them' when, well, we have

[Jack Burton]

With the disclaimer that up until the turn of the year we had a horrendous injury list, regularly without around 7 - 8 players available.
With the return of Lang and injuries clearing up from January there was a clear upturn in performances and results. Context is everything
 

Before the Falkirk game on the 29th Feb, we had won one, drew one and lost four league games in 2020.

There was plenty of Clyde fans on here predicting we were going down right up until the end of Feb.

[BrigtonClyde]

8 hours ago, Jack Burton said:

Before the Falkirk game on the 29th Feb, we had won one, drew one and lost four league games in 2020.

There was plenty of Clyde fans on here predicting we were going down right up until the end of Feb.

True Jack, and a lot of Clyde fans say a lot of things.  Many at the start of last season said they'd bite your hand off for 8th.  Quite a few are are saying the same now

While I don't think we're at the standard we should be at, again it's context.  In a relatively short period Danny's produced a side that's at least watchable compared to the best part of the previous decade. But the fundamental reasons for that decade haven't changed much, so I can appreciate the comparative huge improvement taking that into account

I don't think many understand how easily we could slip back down to those depths again. So while we may need to sort out some aspects of the midfield, a stark reality check's needed here.  In many ways we're punching way above our weight which in itself is tragic. So would be an idea for some to bear that in mind before just casually writing off the majority of this squad.  Much much worse could happen very quickly.  

[FREDDYFRY]

The difference in the upturn in performance last year was bringing in a proper LB and an attacking player with pace to support Goodie, or at least give us an option other than a constantly heavily marked Goodie. This also balanced the side which had reasonable CM ie Grant and McStay.

We now seem to don’t have a decent enough fullback (again) and of course a midfield other than being obviously light weight is attack minded young boys, we are simply overran in the middle of the park! 

Our only CM is Cuddihy who will of course be the scapegoat. Not his fault, he was not good enough to hold down his position in midfield  before in L2, so why did the management think he could do it in L1? what I would say though is that he is a better full back than Bain on recent showing!

Worrying times as it looks like the experiment (or is it financial necessity) of bringing in young loans is failing. I can only hope Danny can develop these boys very very quickly or we are in deep trouble!

 

[CM.]

Going back to our up turn in form before last season was curtailed, something that hasn't been mentioned yet was using inverted wingers (my football manager head reaaring here) i.e Love on the right and Cunningham on the left. Could be something worth trying again as I actually liked Love on the right hand side particularly. Seemed to suit him more coming inside to pick a pass or have a shot rather than trying to beat a man for pace/skill on the outside. 

Praying Lang's injury isn't anything serious. He has been nowhere near his best in these last few games but McNiff and Rumsby as a pairing (assuming Howie's still AWOL) is a complete no no. There was arguments earlier about whether we have a league 1 or 2 standard squad, certainly the defence would be the latter in that scenario

Edited November 9, 2020 by C. Muir

[SLClyde]

Howie got injured in one of the pre season games, I’m assuming his absence is because of that. 

[BrigtonClyde]

25 minutes ago, SLClyde said:

Howie got injured in one of the pre season games, I’m assuming his absence is because of that. 

Was he not playing against Falkirk? Maybe he did get injured but there's no mention of it in the match previews whereas the lad Cammy was mentioned as being out

Anyway, at some point him and Lang will be back and IMO the CB pairing should be any two from them and Rumsby

Freddy's correct, getting a LB in did help last season but it was a gradual process getting anything like the full squad available again.  It wasn't until around late Feb that with the exception of Norway we had that

Grant and McStay were good players for us but I could pull up plenty of posts from past two seasons questioning their ability to tackle. With the young lads we have now, especially with their pace, they should be able to press their opposite numbers all day long, but what does appear to be missing is the one who'll put his foot on the ball, make the play like Grant.  That can make all the difference.  I just don't know if he has that in his squad, whether that was the idea with the most recent lad who got injured or try either Cuddly or Lamont in the deeper role.  Howie himself is decent on the ball and it did look like they were trying him there

[FREDDYFRY]

Again it’s back to trying someone in the middle of the park who might help! Howie is a defender, Lang is a defender... unfortunately Cuddihy is not a good enough midfielder to do the job himself (might be ok if he had a decent central partner. Who knows?) 

What we need is an actual central midfield player who knows:

When to defend,

When you support attack,

When to make a pass either short or long

When to put his foot in etc etc etc.

As I say a midfield player, not a defender or any other player who is essentially out of position. I realise that given our financial situation it’s an almost impossible task but it’s what we need simple as that.