Stenhousemuir -vs- Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic (Saturday 19 November 2022)

[Francesc Fabregas]

Two of the most out-of-form sides in League 2 come head to head at Ochilview as Stenhousemuir face Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic. Stenny have taken just three points from their last five matches, losing their previous encounter at Stranraer, while the Rose have failed to win in their last four. Given how badly both teams have been playing of late, I'm expecting a horrid game that somehow features six or seven goals. Strap yourself in, baby!

As mentioned on other threads, I'm pretty scunnered with Stephen Swift and don't think the team will reach its potential until he's moved on. Even so, I'm fully expecting a win on Saturday - Bonnyrigg are, by some distance, the worst side I've seen so far this season and there's no excuses if we don't get the victory. They're big lads who'll put themselves around and cause bother when they hurl the ball into the box, but they're one-dimensional and terribly unfit (I see they've recently employed a strength and conditioning coach but it feels six months too late). On our big pitch, we should have the quality and the legs to overcome them, even if we'll have to score at least three times to do so.

Again, as spoken about elsewhere, our defending has been terrible so far this season, with systematic mistakes and individual errors seeing us concede goals at an alarming rate. Even a team as limited as Bonnyrigg will fancy themselves to get a couple. Judging from the weekend's post-match interview, Swift doesn't have an answer for it either, so our forwards will have to do their bit for the time being.

Who knows how we'll line up? I'd fancy bringing Mikey Miller into the middle of the park to help shore things up and give us some of the energy we're missing. That does mean bringing Scott Walker in at right-back but that's probably a risk worth taking for the time being. Get Euan O'Reilly playing as an orthodox winger and not some daft left-sided striker, get him at their full-back and get him slinging balls into the area. And get Adam Brown starting, for Christ.

- Matty Yates -

- Adam Brown -

- Euan O'Reilly - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Miller - Ross Philp -

- Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Adam Corbett - Scott Walker -

- Conor Brennan -

Home win. Anything else and it's curtains for Swift.

[Moonglum25]

His time is up now, a win for him on Saturday is just papering over the cracks. The board need to act now.

Thinking he will drop Forbes will not happen. He seems to be Teflon.

[Neilly]

I couldn't be more apathetic for this.

Bonnyrigg are dreadful so a win will only be papering over the cracks and means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Out of the title race by November. YEE HA!

[Old Fashioned Stramash]

Hoping to f*** that we get a better performance, they know they need to turn their form soon. 

Getting nervous about Brennan handling any of their corners or long balls. Like most games, I'm expecting another howler. 

Think Orr will start and Forbes's passing could be crucial. 

[Vimto90]

Can't see us not winning this due to how poor they are. The fact we only 7pts off bottom the win is quite important in that respect, and the fact that's even in thought process is a joke.

2-1

[Hard Graft]

Just wondering how many we will concede.  "But the boys have been working hard on it all week" has now worn thin.  Would take a defeat if it meant the quicker departure of Swift.

[Dundee Hibernian]

13 hours ago, Vimto90 said:

only 7pts off bottom the win is quite important

I never realised this, worst form over the last five matches in the league too, surprised Swift hasn't made a swift exit yet. 

A defeat today would make it untenable for the management team.

[bravehearts dad]

So off to another new ground today for me , the expanse of Ochilview in Larbert. It was a well deserved point up at Forfar last Saturday, would be great if Hunter can score for 3 games in a row. My needle keeps getting stuck, just wish we could score the first goal. Thankfully its a plastic pitch for the match to be on after all the rain this week.

C’mon The Rose

[Old Fashioned Stramash]

2 hours ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

I never realised this, worst form over the last five matches in the league too, surprised Swift hasn't made a swift exit yet. 

A defeat today would make it untenable for the management team.

I've supported Swift but if we lose today, he should go. 

Liking the idea of Lennon and Moore coming in and seeing out the season. 

[warriors21]

The longer the board continue with Swift at the helm, the more I lose faith in them to ever deliver a squad and manager capable of winning a title.

 

Get Stephen Swift and his coaching team out of Stenhousemuir Football Club immediately.

[Moonglum25]

Well we managed to get a draw at home to the worst team in the league thanks to a penalty and were lucky not to lose it at the death.

That's it for me.  I will not be back until that charlatan is gone.  If the board cannot see the damage he is doing to the club then they should resign as well.  That today was truly abysmal we were utterly clueless against a really shite team. There should be no aftermatch interview because he should be sacked by then but if there is he will no doubt be disappointed and the lads will be gutted as per norm.

Some people were saying he should be given the cup game next week, seriously do you want us humiliated up there?

Will find better things to do now on a Saturday until he is replaced.

[Moonglum25]

Some of the crap that was uttered when he was appointed.

 

Stenhousemuir FC is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephen Swift as the club’s new first team manager.

He will join the club straight away and will link up with the squad within the next couple of days once all COVID testing protocols have been completed.

Stephen is highly regarded having played for a number of Scottish clubs before taking the reins at Scottish Lowland Football League side BSC Glasgow.  Most recently, he managed the 2020 side that won its way through to the Fifth Round of the Scottish Cup.

Stenhousemuir FC Chairman Iain McMenemy said, “Stephen has built himself a very positive reputation as a modern, progressive manager that can lead and inspire a team to success.  He has a strong focus on strategy and tactics, and we believe this will really enhance our ambitions as a club.

“We have spent the last couple of years building a modern, resourced football department at Stenhousemuir that is able to support the management team in terms of recruitment and play.  We see Stephen’s appointment as a crucial part of our efforts to take the club forward.

“I would like to thank BSC Glasgow, and George Fraser in particular, for their professionalism as we have worked through the recruitment process.

Stephen Swift said, “It’s with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to the staff, volunteers and players at BSC Glasgow.  The club has been a huge part of my life for the last 4 years and I’m grateful to have had the privilege to work with them.

“It’s time to look at the next opportunity, and I’m really excited to come on board at Stenhousemuir FC.  I believe this club has the potential to be one of the best part-time professional teams in the country.  It’s a great opportunity for both myself and my coaching staff and we can’t wait to get started.”

[Neilly]

"If we don't beat Bonnyrigg he has to go" "If we don't win the cup game he has to go".

See when that is the narrative going week to week I'm afraid that shows the manager should not be here any longer. It's not about the immediate result for me now, or a win saving him for another week, the fact is we are going nowhere long term under this management team. We should be competing for the league title not, yet again, floundering in mid table closer to the bottom of the league. It's unacceptable when there is not a Kelty, QP, Cove etc. in the league and the obvious output in putting this squad together.

It's not through the want of trying he has given it his best shot and worked tirelessly in his time here but ultimately has failed to show he can do the business at this level. There's no shame in that by the way but the decision has to be made soon so we can salvage the season and things don't turn more toxic for everyone involved.

Bonnyrigg are absolutely awful yet we never even forced their goalkeeper into a meaningful save. We never peppered the box at any point in the game. They probably should have nicked it at the end with a few glorious misses. What does that say about us? We are among the worst teams in the league at this moment in time with no direction or assurance in what we are doing week to week.

We need someone with a bit of life and personality that can come in and lift the place as the players don't look like they are enjoying being out there and the fans certainly aren't enjoying watching this garbage every week. Danny Lennon fits the bill for me at this time but whoever comes in surely can't do any worse than what is being served up currently.

 

[Neilly]

12 minutes ago, Moonglum25 said:

Some of the crap that was uttered when he was appointed.

 

Stenhousemuir FC is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephen Swift as the club’s new first team manager.

He will join the club straight away and will link up with the squad within the next couple of days once all COVID testing protocols have been completed.

Stephen is highly regarded having played for a number of Scottish clubs before taking the reins at Scottish Lowland Football League side BSC Glasgow.  Most recently, he managed the 2020 side that won its way through to the Fifth Round of the Scottish Cup.

Stenhousemuir FC Chairman Iain McMenemy said, “Stephen has built himself a very positive reputation as a modern, progressive manager that can lead and inspire a team to success.  He has a strong focus on strategy and tactics, and we believe this will really enhance our ambitions as a club.

“We have spent the last couple of years building a modern, resourced football department at Stenhousemuir that is able to support the management team in terms of recruitment and play.  We see Stephen’s appointment as a crucial part of our efforts to take the club forward.

“I would like to thank BSC Glasgow, and George Fraser in particular, for their professionalism as we have worked through the recruitment process.

Stephen Swift said, “It’s with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to the staff, volunteers and players at BSC Glasgow.  The club has been a huge part of my life for the last 4 years and I’m grateful to have had the privilege to work with them.

“It’s time to look at the next opportunity, and I’m really excited to come on board at Stenhousemuir FC.  I believe this club has the potential to be one of the best part-time professional teams in the country.  It’s a great opportunity for both myself and my coaching staff and we can’t wait to get started.”

He was a positive appointment at the time and the outstanding candidate among the majority of the  support I would say so let's not use hindsight for pettiness.

It's simply not worked out the way we had all hoped for.

[Francesc Fabregas]

That was probably the worst performance I've seen from Stenhousemuir so far this season. We created little and other than the penalty and a few speculative pot-shots that came very close, we didn't really trouble a very limited Bonnyrigg Rose side. They're still the poorest team we've faced but they looked a lot livelier than our previous meeting and could probably have won the match when Kieran Mitchell, perhaps, was put through on goal and dragged his shot horribly wide. Bradley Barrett's equaliser was genuinely jaw-dropping, a stunner of the highest calibre, and one of the best goals I've seen at Ochilview in a couple of years. George Hunter was probably the best player on the park and could be a very useful forward indeed if he lost the puppy fat.

I'm aghast at how bad some Stenny players were today. Callum Yeats, Ross Philp and Adam Corbett especially were wretched. They overcomplicated things, misread situations and either stifled promising breaks or presented the visitors with decent chances. Nat Wedderburn slowed everything down, Mikey Anderson and Mikey Miller didn't offer much, and Matty Yates started brightly before fading. Only Sean Crighton, Adam Brown and maybe Euan O'Reilly performed to their potential but on the whole, that was dreadful. After a good opening, where we looked to move the ball around on the deck, it descended into hoofing it forward, slinging it into the box, huffing, puffing, percentages, with no positive outcome. It was a rotten spectacle, the second half especially.

That has to be the end for Stephen Swift.  No wins in six matches and every display more dispiriting than the last. The longer today's game went on, the less likely we looked as though we could win it. The decision to remove Brown late on, immediately after he slipped in O'Reilly with a lovely reverse pass, was met with derision, and Swift was jeered off the pitch at the end. I can't think of any sound reason for keeping him on. I can understand he can't do much about some of the individual mistakes made today but ultimately he's the manager and the buck stops with him.

It's not working - I don't think it ever has worked - and it's in everyone's best interests that it stops now.

[Vimto90]

I just don't get why we are waiting. The performances are so abject it's criminal to let this continue. Ian has been a fantastic chairman, but this can not go on.

Is it because we can't afford to sack him? We did give a 3 year deal but I was led to believe the notice pay off was about 3 months.

Today was awful against a really poor team, some goal right enough. They should have won the game at the end and bar a couple long rangers we created f*ck all.

The manager and more so his clown assistant Wright looking up at the fans as if we are wrong for giving a piece of our mind was embarrassing. Fraser Wright looked like he was signalling for a fight & it's not the first time, utter clown.

There has been zero connection with this management team , Wright especially is a thoroughly unlikeable guy and I hope this is the last we see of them.

[Neilly]

3 minutes ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

That was probably the worst performance I've seen from Stenhousemuir so far this season. We created little and other than the penalty and a few speculative pot-shots that came very close, we didn't really trouble a very limited Bonnyrigg Rose side. They're still the poorest team we've faced but they looked a lot livelier than our previous meeting and could probably have won the match when Kieran Mitchell, perhaps, was put through on goal and dragged his shot horribly wide. Bradley Barrett's equaliser was genuinely jaw-dropping, a stunner of the highest calibre, and one of the best goals I've seen at Ochilview in a couple of years. George Hunter was probably the best player on the park and could be a very useful forward indeed if he lost the puppy fat.

I'm aghast at how bad some Stenny players were today. Callum Yeats, Ross Philp and Adam Corbett especially were wretched. They overcomplicated things, misread situations and either stifled promising breaks or presented the visitors with decent chances. Nat Wedderburn slowed everything down, Mikey Anderson and Mikey Miller didn't offer much, and Matty Yates started brightly before fading. Only Sean Crighton, Adam Brown and maybe Euan O'Reilly performed to their potential but on the whole, that was dreadful. After a good opening, where we looked to move the ball around on the deck, it descended into hoofing it forward, slinging it into the box, huffing, puffing, percentages, with no positive outcome. It was a rotten spectacle, the second half especially.

That has to be the end for Stephen Swift.  No wins in six matches and every display more dispiriting than the last. The longer today's game went on, the less likely we looked as though we could win it. The decision to remove Brown late on, immediately after he slipped in O'Reilly with a lovely reverse pass, was met with derision, and Swift was jeered off the pitch at the end. I can't think of any sound reason for keeping him on. I can understand he can't do much about some of the individual mistakes made today but ultimately he's the manager and the buck stops with him.

It's not working - I don't think it ever has worked - and it's in everyone's best interests that it stops now.

Aye as much as the manager will have to ultimately carry the can for this some of these players need to give themselves a shake. The back four, apart from Crighton, were absolutely abysmal. Too many pass the buck performances and players really not standing up for the cause.

Euan O'Reilly, whilst I didn't think had his best game, was busting a gut time and time again second half to cover for the hapless Yeats and do his defensive work for him. If players are emptying the tank ultimately we can live with that but who really left it all out there today?

[invergowrie arab]

As a gambler the first Stenny <2.5 since July. Swift oot 

[Pyramid Watcher]

Can anyone explain what Wedderburn offers on the pitch?

[Vimto90]

Can anyone explain what Wedderburn offers on the pitch?

It's a fair shout this season. A like the big man but he's having next to no impact on games. I'd throw in a defence that in the right set up etc he can get back to his POTY form but only with the change of management.