The Queen of the South thread

[Kunter]

6 hours ago, Diamonds are Forever said:

 

Nothing to do with me whether you keep him or not, but I'm interested why you think you have 'got' to keep him? In effect you are saying 'he was the wrong appointment, so let's give him 2 years', which doesn't make much sense.

If it gets to the point where I think McCabe is the wrong man for the Airdrie job I'd want him out then, I don't see why you'd choose for them to stay once reaching that point.

 

 

I think a new manager there has to be some level of leniency. Mistakes are going to happen until they find their feet. 

I personally thought it was a heart over head appointment in the first place but that's the path the board wanted to go down. 

To expect a new manager to be ripping up the division in a few months was always a bit optimistic. Look at Falkirk - far bigger club and budget than us and been stuck down here a good few years. 

[Kunter]

6 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Surely there's a minimum standard that needs to be met, even when expectations may not be very high right now?

2 wins out of 10 at this level is atrocious for any side, never mind a full-time club.

 

I agree it's terrible but it's not surprising given he didn't exactly set the heather on fire during his caretaker spell and his lack of managerial experience. 

As I said elsewhere, his appointment was only based on morals and probably cheapness. 

 

[Rjc-1988]

The problem here is that we most definitely want him as a player but if a step down is put to him I suspect his pride will prevent him from staying on. Personally I would offer him Reserve Manager and a player role - take it or leave it. The sad reality is - what are his other managerial options? Can’t see too many decent offers based on what has been achieved here. No question there would be plenty of playing offers as he is an outstanding player at Champ/League 1 level. I feel sorry for him - this was a huge ask for his first try at management but in hindsight an experienced Manager with him as Player Asst Manager would have made a lot more sense. We are stuck with the same group until the transfer window which is a pretty depressing thought as the pattern of continual non-achievement is now well and truly embedded.

[Monkey Tennis]

I think the likelihood is that Gibson will remain in place unless/until we're in real and present danger of a further relegation.

Being so far out of even the promotion play-off picture this early, is obviously pretty disastrous, but I can't see it provoking another dismissal so soon after the last one.

I think there was a real desire for Gibson to do well, and it's not yet impossible for that to materialise. His record though, suggests it's not likely.  Remember that we lost six straight at the start of his tenure.  A slight recovery at the end of last season was insufficient.  

The other issue is that his selections are controversial every week, a situation people are obviously going to highlight when it's not accompanied by good results.  

For the first time in over two decades, we're becoming established now at this lowly level.  It's alarming, given that it took a long time to emerge from before.

[19QOS19]

Accepted it tonight with the jury out for a few weeks. That was absolutely honking, no shots on target and no urgency. 

Basically there myself now. I said I wouldn't really comment until after the first quarter and that's it done now. Overall it's been abysmal. We do have some players in there in an attacking sense that should be breezing it in this division yet we failed to have even 1 shot on target against Kelty. There really isn't an excuse for that.

Personally I reckon WG is safe unless we are dragged right into a relegation battle by Xmas; fail to win on Saturday and that's one step closer.

The saddest thing for me is that I'm now getting back to the point where visiting Palmerston is becoming a chore again. Our crowds are appalling the now as it is. With continued shite performance and winter almost here I'm dreading to hear how low our attendances get.

[Broony88]

34 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

Basically there myself now. I said I wouldn't really comment until after the first quarter and that's it done now. Overall it's been abysmal. We do have some players in there in an attacking sense that should be breezing it in this division yet we failed to have even 1 shot on target against Kelty. There really isn't an excuse for that.

Personally I reckon WG is safe unless we are dragged right into a relegation battle by Xmas; fail to win on Saturday and that's one step closer.

The saddest thing for me is that I'm now getting back to the point where visiting Palmerston is becoming a chore again. Our crowds are appalling the now as it is. With continued shite performance and winter almost here I'm dreading to hear how low our attendances get.

Anything other than 6 points out of our next two games which won’t be easy leaves us short of what I wanted out of these games as I thought we needed minimum 7 out of 9 from the three teams that were below us. 
 

I don’t want us to become a club that switches manager at the drop of a hat (I don’t think that will ever happen) but this simply can’t carry on much longer. The PPG currently is relegation material and while some keep blindly believing we will turn it round I don’t see it coming anytime soon.
 

FC Edinburgh were on a par with Broomhill sports club over the 180 minutes at Palmerston, Alloa were almost as bad and we still couldn’t beat them. Airdries defence were giving  as many gifts away as we do and in to the bargain played close to 20 minutes with 10 men but no win. Kelty last night offered very little and Fox didn’t have much to do but we have no backbone and nobody wants to the win the battle in these tight edgy games. Wilson had another off night and that’s when we really find out where we are as nobody else stands up and grabs it by the scruff of the neck. 

[Slipmat]

2 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

The saddest thing for me is that I'm now getting back to the point where visiting Palmerston is becoming a chore again. Our crowds are appalling the now as it is. With continued shite performance and winter almost here I'm dreading to hear how low our attendances get.

I think we'll do well to get over 800 at Saturday's game, in other words probably around the average pre-Norman Blount attendance.

To be fair to the board they appear to have given WG decent funding and he has assembled a large squad - despite him making an early statement that we would be running with a first team squad of no more than 20 we currently have 28 named first team players.  For some reason though he seems to be sticking by a hardcore of around 14 players and when things don't go to plan it's the formation that changes, not the faces.

When personnel IS changed via substitutions, it is tiresomely predictable.  As soon as the team is announced you can almost guarantee what players will be hooked and who their replacements will be.  McGrory and Connelly haven't played the full 90 minutes in a single league games this season.  If Cochrane starts, he will be subbed off after an hour if he even lasts that long.  For some inexplicable reason Murray will be the first go-to sub if he isn't in the starting XI.  Guys like Muir, McKechnie and McMahon are struggling to get a place on the bench when they are at the age where they should be getting the chance to develop by being on the pitch.

It's now getting all too predictable and I'm certainly being far more picky regarding which games I choose to attend.  I for one will be giving Saturday a miss.

Edited October 12, 2022 by Slipmat

[Nithsdale Wanderer]

Not saying anyone should lose their job at this point but I see parallels with the Ian Scott tenure.  Very popular figure that most people were in favour of being appointed. Sadly, it just didn't work out and we couldn't win a game and he had to go.

Is Stuart Lovell available ?

[Otis Blue]

13 hours ago, DoonhamerDon said:

[A bit too early for the wailing and gnashing of teeth ...]

Can it start now? We are in a relegation battle with this form.

No change yet from me.  However, these three games (Kelty, Peterhead, Clyde) are/were so important.  It was a huge opportunity to take 9 points and re-launch the season, although seven points wouldn't have been a bad return.  Having lost to Kelty I'd say its now essential we take 6 points from the next two games.  Still time to post a good Q2.  Mess these games up though and we're probably heading for yet another season of slogging it out in the basement.

One point to note though - whilst everyone will look at Kelty as some jumped up ex non-league side, just have a read through their team list - it's full of recognisable "names" loaded with higher league experience.  That was never going to be a walk-over.

Anyone know why wee McKechnie never gets a chance?

Edited October 12, 2022 by Otis Blue

[Manwithnoball]

I am with almost everyone else it is not time to change our manager at this time. As someone has previously said Falkirk have really struggled to get out of this division for a number of years when there has only been a couple of full time teams now half the division is full time. 

I think there is a core of good players within our squad that on their day can produce what WG is looking for from his team. 

I agree he has to play but obviously he is struggling a bit with niggles this year hence why he has not been playing regularly or he was looking to see if the players he signed could save him from playing.

Looking back to the summer when we were linked with Aaron Muirhead you can see exactly what WG was looking for with that, we so miss an aggressive CB who can talk and bark orders to the team. We do not have anyone like that in our team. Toddy is probably one of the nicest guys you could meet but he is not confrontational at all. Our defence is to nice every other team we have come up against has had an old head that knows how to play the game and drives others on.

My main issue is all the changing of formation every other week and every other game when things are not going for us. Would it not be better to have an identity and stick to it then players can get used to playing and players that come into the side can know what is expected of them.

From the start of the season in the league cup until now we must have played so many different formations. Unfortunately that is exactly what AJ done during games and I would hate to see WG going down the same route.

Obviously these are most all our own players apart from Fox and Bange so we have to get a team that clicks and works as we cannot just change lots of players in January. The league games against FC Edinburgh and Alloa we played some really good football and created a lot of chances. Then we play against Airdrie and there are changes and we should have pushed on and won that game in last 20 minutes after sending off but all we did was lump the ball forward in hope. Everyone keeps saying FCE were really poor side. But they are now top of the league after some victories after our game including beating Kelty, Montrose and Peterhead since. 

As a previous poster said the young boys most cant even get into the match day squad apart from Lewis usually and he looks like he could be very good player. The one that astounds me in Ryan Muir when WG is not available why are we not giving this young man a game he is aggressive great at supporting attacks and has pace to defend as well. WG may look at it could do more harm than good bringing young players into a side low in confidence. But the good old saying is if you are good enough you're old enough. 

I hope for a turn around this Saturday against Peterhead as if we cannot beat them then we are going to be up against it. I would imagine the crowd will be low on Saturday due to results of late. 

Rant over

 

[Cardle is Magic]

You guys are extremely patient, so fair play I guess.

Falkirk have failed massively for years so I'm not sure using them as some sort of measuring stick is entirely wise either.

Most full-time sides exit L1 fairly quickly. Even our last trip here would have been over after one season if not for the unfortunate timing of Rangers being in the division at the same time.

[palmy_cammy]

49 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

You guys are extremely patient, so fair play I guess.

Falkirk have failed massively for years so I'm not sure using them as some sort of measuring stick is entirely wise either.

Most full-time sides exit L1 fairly quickly. Even our last trip here would have been over after one season if not for the unfortunate timing of Rangers being in the division at the same time.

I'm not sure it is patience.  It is more that the fanbase have been conditioned to believe and accept that the club is a two bit operation with very low expectations so now that the prophecy is being fulfilled there is very little resistance against it.

[JK_Queens]

I’ve got a bit of sympathy for the change in formation the last two games, although last night and to a lesser extent on Saturday, I had absolutely no idea where players were playing with it seeming to change constantly. 
 

The 3 at the back worked well against FCE and Alloa but we didn’t have the personnel to play that in the last two games with Morrison, P. McKay and Gibson out injured. P.McKay looks to be close but with East out, we have the same issue. Take the point about maybe Ryan Muir playing at right wing back as he looked capable in the league cup. 
 

Agree entirely about finding an identify and formation and sticking to it. On paper the players should be capable of at least top 4, and we are a full time side. The points return in the first 10 games is verging on disastrous. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by JK_Queens

[NavyBlueArmy1876]

1 hour ago, Cardle is Magic said:

You guys are extremely patient, so fair play I guess.

Falkirk have failed massively for years so I'm not sure using them as some sort of measuring stick is entirely wise either.

Most full-time sides exit L1 fairly quickly. Even our last trip here would have been over after one season if not for the unfortunate timing of Rangers being in the division at the same time.

Tbf we would probably have gone back up in our first season if it wasn't for the leagues being canned by Covid. We then had Gary Holt come in as sporting director to utterly stink up the place for the next two seasons and are still suffering now because he gave out 2 and 3 year deals like confetti.

Worth noting that the whole 'it's better to limp along with the cheap (and therefore shit) option' arguement doesn't remotely stack up when compared with the financial benefits of promotion. 

[Greenacres]

No interview with Wullie after Saturday game or last night ?

On the manager he deserves till the end of the year if results are still as bad then it is time for a change 

[Slipmat]

In the not too distant past, based on league positions, we could legitimately call Queens the best part-time team in the country.

So... if Kelty leapfrog us in the table would that then make us the worst full-time team in the country?

[Manwithnoball]

Why no interviews with manager after Airdrie or Kelty?

[the_palmy_pie]

13 hours ago, Nithsdale Wanderer said:

Not saying anyone should lose their job at this point but I see parallels with the Ian Scott tenure.  Very popular figure that most people were in favour of being appointed. Sadly, it just didn't work out and we couldn't win a game and he had to go.

Is Stuart Lovell available ?

Gary Naysmith is …… 

[qos_75]

1 hour ago, Greenacres said:

On the manager he deserves till the end of the year if results are still as bad then it is time for a change 

The change is needed at the top. The board have proved to be incompetent over the last 5 or 6 seasons.

I genuinely wouldn’t trust them to choose the right clothes to wear on a rainy day,  never mind ask them to choose another manager. 

[Otis Blue]

8 minutes ago, the_palmy_pie said:

Gary Naysmith is …… 

Steady on now ...