Controversial Statements About Your Club

[19QOS19]

Couple of controversial ones from me:

Mark Burchill was a better striker than Stevie Crawford. If we'd had Burchill rather than Crawford up front along with Brewster then we'd have been even better 03-04.

The Stephen Kenny saga is nowhere near as controversial as is ever made out. No players downed tools, the man was simply out his depth at the time. Very pleased to see him doing a superb job with Ireland under 21s.

We wouldn't have won league 1 in 15-16 had it not been for Faissals goals. Alan Johnstone got lucky.

The team which won division 1 in season 10-11 was bang average with an absolutely honking back line (Calum Woods aside).

We shouldn't have punted Myles Hippolyte in the summer. Again, very pleased to see he has went on to do well this season.

Callum Smith should be in our starting 11 nevermind on loan at airdrie.

Is the one about Faiss not technically accurate? I've no idea how much you won the league by but I remember El Bak scored a barrowload. If you took away his goals would you still have earned enough points to win the league?

[Juantwothree]

Jordon Forster isn't that bad

[Highland Capital]

Rory McAllister could've made it in the SPL.  What killed him at that level was the stupid three U21 players in the matchday rule at that time.  While he was scoring a barrowload in the reserve league, he couldn't make the step up to the SPL (though there were occasional flashes of a good player).  Had that rule not been there, he probably would've been loaned out to an SFL club and it could've done him a lot of good.  Certainly would've done him better than playing in the reserve league and then a couple of minutes at the end of the first team game every week.

[Rob1885]

Is the one about Faiss not technically accurate? I've no idea how much you won the league by but I remember El Bak scored a barrowload. If you took away his goals would you still have earned enough points to win the league?

So technically speaking yes. He got 22 goals in the league(30) in all competitions playing as the main striker. If he'd not played then there would have been somebody else to fill the void. Nobody else, however, would have scored the same amount (or type) of goals that he did. Goals completely out of nothing, outrageous bicycle kicks etc. Wee man was honestly a joy to behold that season.

[19QOS19]

Rory McAllister could've made it in the SPL.  What killed him at that level was the stupid three U21 players in the matchday rule at that time.  While he was scoring a barrowload in the reserve league, he couldn't make the step up to the SPL (though there were occasional flashes of a good player).  Had that rule not been there, he probably would've been loaned out to an SFL club and it could've done him a lot of good.  Certainly would've done him better than playing in the reserve league and then a couple of minutes at the end of the first team game every week.

I thought he was more interested in his career away from football that stopped him playing at a higher level?

[DA Baracus]

5 hours ago, Rob1885 said:

Couple of controversial ones from me:

Mark Burchill was a better striker than Stevie Crawford. If we'd had Burchill rather than Crawford up front along with Brewster then we'd have been even better 03-04.

The Stephen Kenny saga is nowhere near as controversial as is ever made out. No players downed tools, the man was simply out his depth at the time. Very pleased to see him doing a superb job with Ireland under 21s.

We wouldn't have won league 1 in 15-16 had it not been for Faissals goals. Alan Johnstone got lucky.

The team which won division 1 in season 10-11 was bang average with an absolutely honking back line (Calum Woods aside).

We shouldn't have punted Myles Hippolyte in the summer. Again, very pleased to see he has went on to do well this season.

Callum Smith should be in our starting 11 nevermind on loan at airdrie.

Crawford > Burchill.

Absolutely agree about Kenny. Guy just wasn't up to it.

Johnston was the one to give El Bak regular starts. Given he selected him I don't think he got lucky.

Hippoltye was gash and it was right to get rid of him.

Calum Smith isn't good enough and will be released at the end of the season. 

[Skyline Drifter]

20 hours ago, palmy_cammy said:

I completely disagree about Dykes, but your view is a widely shared one so I don't think it can be considered controversial.

Harkins was very good for us and I don't know of anyone that thinks otherwise, so again not really controversial.

SD is the only person that seems to rate McIntyre, everyone else sees him for the average joe that he was, so again no controversy!

I'm struggling to think of too many myself.  I thought the recent centenary strip was absolutely horrible and the fact I witnessed the two turgid defeats in which we wore it only added to this ill feeling.  That's about the best I've got just now.

 

20 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

The dominant view on here is that Dykes was excellent.

The dominant view on here is that Harkins was a lazy waste of space who we were well shot of.

I think most would not rate Skelton, Naysmith and Fowler well above McIntyre, but perhaps you're right and SD simply has loads of different accounts.

 

The centenary strip is lovely.

Dykes was outstandng for us. Like McShane before him, people only really realised how much he did when he was no longer here. And as a result of that there's been a fairly recent change to posters waxing lyrical over him. BUt as Cammy says, for most of the last two years, probably more on the Facebook groups than on here, it's probably been about 50/50 between those who thought he was terrific and those who thought he was vastly over-rated. As such then saying he was "poor" isn't exactly controversial.

Harkins did okay for us, no more, no less. He wasn't anywhere near as bad as a lot of revisionists would have it after he departed but he wasn't "very good" either. He started well, mostly against lower League sides in the Cups, and had a great game and goal v Ayr in the 5-0 but after that he contributed little. Still occasional flashes of genius but he got lazier as time passed and his showing in the away game at Firhill we lost 3-2 in September was horrific. I actually think MT's suggestion that Harkins was very good IS pretty controversial and against most views amongst our support.

Probably best not to rake over the McIntyre issue again. It's clearly me who has the controversial opinion on that one, not Monkey Tennis. I don't agree with a word of it though.

For what it's worth I'm not a massive fan of the recent sky blue 100th Anniversary strip either. It's ok, and I don't tend to get very worked up about strips either way. I preferred last year's away one in the claret and amber though. And the Centenary home one with the names in the fabric.

 

[Highland Capital]

I thought he was more interested in his career away from football that stopped him playing at a higher level?

That was after he’d left us. He’d be a professional, full time player with us and it was only after he’d gone into the lower leagues that he decided to stay at that level.

[19QOS19]

That was after he’d left us. He’d be a professional, full time player with us and it was only after he’d gone into the lower leagues that he decided to stay at that level.

Fair enough. I just always thought he never wanted to take the step up rather than him not being good enough.

[Rob1885]

Dick Campbell would have got us promoted and done at least as good a job as Jimmy Calderwood from 99-04.

[D.A.F.C]

Would much rather have Smith than McGill.

 

[Highland Capital]

2 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

3 hours ago, Highland Capital said:

That was after he’d left us. He’d be a professional, full time player with us and it was only after he’d gone into the lower leagues that he decided to stay at that level.

Fair enough. I just always thought he never wanted to take the step up rather than him not being good enough.

I think when he was at Brechin, he expressed an interest in trying full time football.  He must've started his trade towards the end of his time there as he signed for Peterhead despite interest from a few clubs (Aberdeen, Sheffield United and Charlton amongst others).

[invergowrie arab]

Jim McLean is an absolute dick

Eddie Thompson nearly killed the club and his son deserves credit for getting us out of the shit and keeping the club competitive at the same time. It was when he got bored the rot set in.

Edited September 29, 2019 by invergowrie arab

[itzdrk]

18 hours ago, Thumper said:

It's now September. The manager who turned things around is away, the general expectation is that the replacement will be whoever is cheapest, and the budget has been cut. What is this if not a lack of ambition?

My own controversial opinion: Brian Reid shouldn't have been sacked. And Anthony Marenghi was a massive missed opportunity, not dissimilar to what might have happened to Shankland if not for McCall.

Cheapest does not guarantee worse.  We could very easily get an expensive manager in who is terrible. 

[Guest Moomintroll]

Much as MJ was a parasite whose stench is still permeating the Club, he deserves credit for removing the last of the bank debt. That said he needs to gtf once and for all before the deadline passes.

[DA Baracus]

1 hour ago, Rob1885 said:

Dick Campbell would have got us promoted and done at least as good a job as Jimmy Calderwood from 99-04.

No he wouldn't.

[Ludo*1]

Former players sometimes get disgusting levels of abuse just because they ended up being a failed manager.

[Richey Edwards]

23 hours ago, Thumper said:

My own controversial opinion: Brian Reid shouldn't have been sacked. And Anthony Marenghi was a massive missed opportunity, not dissimilar to what might have happened to Shankland if not for McCall.

I thought that we offered Reid a new contract but he decided to move on.

Maybe it was the right time for him to go, but replacing him with Mark Roberts was the mistake.

[Poet of the Macabre]

On 29/09/2019 at 10:44, Rob1885 said:

Couple of controversial ones from me:

Mark Burchill was a better striker than Stevie Crawford. If we'd had Burchill rather than Crawford up front along with Brewster then we'd have been even better 03-04.

The Stephen Kenny saga is nowhere near as controversial as is ever made out. No players downed tools, the man was simply out his depth at the time. Very pleased to see him doing a superb job with Ireland under 21s.

We wouldn't have won league 1 in 15-16 had it not been for Faissals goals. Alan Johnstone got lucky.

The team which won division 1 in season 10-11 was bang average with an absolutely honking back line (Calum Woods aside).

We shouldn't have punted Myles Hippolyte in the summer. Again, very pleased to see he has went on to do well this season.

Callum Smith should be in our starting 11 nevermind on loan at airdrie.

1. No chance.
2. It wasn't controversial, he just didn't do a very good job. I hold no ill feeling towards the man but I also couldn't give a f**k about whether he's successful or not.
3. Nonsense. AJ didn't do anything magical to get us up but we won the title very, very easily. You can't say it's luck that you picked a player and he did really well.
4. This is true. It was a poor standard that season, which you can see by the meagre points total it took to win the title. Wee Team were brutal to watch and nearly won the league ffs.
5. Hippolyte is rubbish but if three goals in 12 games in non-league football is doing well then I guess he's ok.
6. He's scored a few goals for Airdrie but not sure I'd play him ahead of Nesbit or Ryan. Maybe would pop in instead of McGill.

 

[Poet of the Macabre]

Won't accept any criticism of EEP, other than the fact it's too big. It's a superb stadium and easily the best in the league IMO.

Non-controversial opinion; DA Baracus is a negative nelly who should have a pint and calm the f**k doon