the_bully_wee
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Posts posted by the_bully_wee
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6 hours ago, charliewheelen said:
are there any questions you would like me to ask him or topics you would like me to cover with him during the interview?
How many points does he think Clyde will win the league by?
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Well, for Thistle, nothing but a win will be good enough regardless of what we do, so their approach to the game won't be affected by playing a day later. Motherwell similarly know that defeat is not an option for them in any scenario, as 8pts won't be enough. I really can't foresee that they will purposely weaken their team or risk playing for a draw when the opposition are able to progress, and probably eliminate them, with a victory. I'd only be concerned about the timing of that game if it were possible for both sides to benefit from knowing the state of play, but thankfully that's not the case. They'll both be playing to win and our potential qualification is almost guaranteed not to be impacted by the result.
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There would only be any real advantage if there was some kind of mutually agreeable outcome for Motherwell and Partick, but no such thing is likely to exist (I haven't looked at all the permutations myself, but 8pts is pretty much never enough to qualify). None of the four possible outcomes of their game would realistically result in both of them qualifying, regardless of our result on Saturday; the 'best' that can happen for them is finishing on 9 and 8 points respectively, in either order, with the team on 8 extremely likely to be goners. Thistle basically need to win; even a bonus point victory for them isn't going to be enough, and a defeat would see Motherwell out.
It would be lovely to qualify for the knockouts and we've got enough squad depth that adding another game to the calendar isn't any kind of a bother; the prize money would be very welcome too, of course. I wouldn't be at all dismayed if we don't get out of the group, though, and my primary concern is seeing us turn in another good performance against a side from a higher level.
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There's just so much to love about what we saw tonight. I will temper the rest of what's about to come by saying that Thistle are clearly set up to get a lot out of their full-backs, who were both missing and without proper back-up options tonight, but that's all the tempering I will be doing.
I came into this group stage with a complete lack of emotion; hopeful, and with a slight expectancy, of seeing a bunch that were physically in good shape and technically of a level that would stand us in good stead for the league season to come. These are early days, and it feels worrying to say this so soon, but they've already got me very excited. I feared the worst after a slick move and wonderful finish seemed to have Thistle on easy street tonight, but the reaction after the first quarter of an hour was terrific and I was struck by just how much joy we were having with second balls, a theme which continued until the end. I think the freak own goal definitely helped us, but Dunachie's wonderful goal (if he meant his initial flick to set himself, it's absolute genius) really established us within the game before the break.
Funnily enough, the equaliser came as a consequence of our best spell of play; Leitch (good tonight, over the piece) perhaps should've taken his early chance on his left foot and granted us some daylight, and then we were a touch naive in being so expansive in search of a third which led to their second. From there, Kinnear, whose substandard kicking to that point was a bit of a bugbear, stepped up and he made one outstanding save and a couple of good ones to keep Thistle at bay. It seems like just yesterday I watch watching Jack Leighfield conjure up new ways to sell goals every week.
I would say Doolan got it wrong in having his team go quite so gung-ho and our subs, particularly Rennie and Connelly, seemed to love the space that was afforded to them. The work done by the latter for the winner cannot be underestimated; I was no fan of Rennie from his signing to our relegation, but he's stepped it up massively in terms of fitness and output since then (particularly under McCall), and to the extent that he's now a personal favourite. It was a terrific moment in the Clyde end and, in my opinion, only enhanced by us being crammed in that corner of the stand like sardines.
These are early days, and despite my promise to myself, I think I'm officially getting a wee bit carried away. There's something in the water here.
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Thistle competed quite well against us at times tonight, so I reckon they'll go on to have a pretty good season.
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That's one of the best pieces of centre forward play I've seen from a Clyde player, absolutely unreal. McCall must be wishing he hadn't bothered pursuing Jordan Allan.
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Decent quality full-backs are notoriously challenging to sign at this level, which has been a contributing factor to us generally having had such poor ones over the past decade or so. You won't find a single Clyde fan, 'cult member' or not, who thinks Ross Lyon is a particularly good football player, but he can cover both flanks adequately (as he did in our excellent run of form at the end of last season, post-Bonnyrigg fiasco) and it's clear that McCall similarly believes he has something to offer as a back-up or rotational option. There are also other important factors to consider which are invisible to us; wages, personality, usefulness in training, temperament.
Writing Cuddihy and Grant off is absolute insanity when the two of them were excellent in the last Clyde team to win promotion from this division (and which should've won the title); McCall himself said at the end of the season that he believes the pair of them plus Ballantyne formed the best midfield in the league and singled out Cuddihy as a player who could play at a higher level, if he could improve his fitness. Both have enjoyed good starts to the season, while the sum total of Docherty's and D. Lyon's contributions thus far are impressing against a QotS youth/trialist medley in a friendly, and looking some way off it yesterday respectively.
I really don't understand why some in our 'support' expend so much time and effort being relentlessly (and often baselessly) negative, even in times of great positivity. Must be a thoroughly miserable existence.
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It does track that a fan of Billy Reid wouldn't be one of Barry Cuddihy or Ray Grant, admittedly.
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I wouldn't be criticising any player really given the level of opposition we were up against today. I'd say that so far the players retained from last season have impressed, with the benefit of the improved quality around them. Docherty and Darren Lyon both seem like neat and tidy midfielders but Cuddihy and Grant have started off well, so it's tough to see quite where they fit in to be honest. Ross Lyon did have a hard time of it today, but it's important to remember that he is now a squad player and, when he does see action, it'll be against significantly poorer teams.
What pleased me most today was the commitment to playing the ball on the ground and through the lines when we could, and you could see that Houston (and Robson) are crucial to that. We were a wee bit ragged in transition at times and gave up a touch more than I'd like at the back, but in both halves there were long spells where we were extremely comfortable within the game. Motherwell clearly aren't very good, but to compete with any Premiership side in such a manner is always encouraging.
Tuesday's will be a similarly tough game and the truest test of where we are will probably come next Saturday against Montrose, but I trust that we will give further good accounts of ourselves. Hopefully McCall finds the right mix in the midfield and forward areas between the pair of them so we are in the best possible shape heading into the real stuff.
Based on the little I've seen so far, I think our strongest XI currently looks something like this:
Kinnear
Houston - Howie - Hamilton - Robson
Grant
Cuddihy ------ ScullionRennie ---------------- Redfern
Allan
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21 hours ago, J_Stewart said:
Surprised there wasn’t any chat on Rebirth. Just finished playing it now, an absolutely fantastic game. Combat seemed an improvement on remake and the character development and main story were excellent. There are A LOT of side quests, but they never get too boring or imposing and the relationship building adds to the game. Queen’s Blood is also a great mini game, like triple triad from FF8. Massive game, but really, really enjoyed it.
Just make sure you resist the urge to ever platinum the game, as the brutal combat challenges are exactly what they say on the tin. I'm close to doing so with just two chapters remaining of my hard mode run; I've enjoyed the combat even more second time around, as a result of many boss fights proving much trickier and requiring you to approach them more deliberately.
The game blew me away to be honest and it's one of those things I really wish I could experience again for the first time. The music is the best bit for me, but all-round it is just a feat of game design. A lot of stuff that just kind of existed in the original has been expanded on superbly, and the whole journey does a good job of subverting your expectations.
I can understand why the ending has split opinion, but the proof will be in wherever they go with part 3. Given how much there is still left to cover, it scares me to think how big that game will be.
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Just about as expected there. Landed a good few blows and played some more decent football, so plenty to be encouraged about. Big fan of Jordan Houston based on what I've seen of him so far.
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We haven't disgraced ourselves, still in the game but Ross Lyon has been strugglin' oot there. Would've been very interesting if we had taken the lead through that Rennie flick.
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1 hour ago, Tenkay said:
1. Clyde, obviously chucking the cash around like confetti in an attempt to buy the league title.
I can only hope it goes better for us than it did for Edinburgh, for whom it took five years of doing so to scrape their way up via the playoffs, only for the club to promptly shart its pants and almost cease to exist.
Other than Clyde being the clear favourites, I think it's hard to call the closest challenger(s); I expect three of East Fife, Elgin, Peterhead and Spartans to round out the playoffs alongside the aforementioned, but it's hard to really tip any for the title. East Fife had a great Bunnet Bounce last season but tailed off thereafter, and haven't meaningfully strengthened; Gallagher will probably prove to be a big miss for Elgin but they have done some good business and improved enormously under Hale last season, to the extent that they are my dark horses; Peterhead have lost McKee and Ritchie, and the squad doesn't look any stronger than last season's; Spartans have lost Armstrong and at best look like being only as strong as last season, if not a touch weaker.
Stirling have some decent players and with some luck could maybe force their way into a tussle for fourth, but much of the recruitment has centred around off-cuts and gambles on young players, so their season could go either way. Forfar's form in the second half of last season was actually pretty decent, as disgusting a side as they were, and they'll probably be safely in the lower mid-table area again. Stranraer may well improve a bit what with having such a young squad but they've lost some key players and, despite having signed some decent replacements, it's hard to ignore just how bad their form was for the majority of last season and I expect that they'll struggle along again. Bonnyrigg will probably suffer the same fate; there's a bit less shite kicking about now, but I don't think Elliot's brand of football will stick on that pitch and their squad remains a very average one.
That leaves Edinburgh, who will be capable of the odd result here or there by dint of their youthful exuberance, but as the game progressed on Wednesday, the chasm between their squad and Clyde's was laid excruciatingly bare and The Citizens' paucity of talent was really tough to behold. I think it'll take a minor miracle, some serious investment, or perhaps both for them to avoid the bottom spot. Good riddance!
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Allan did far better for us last season than I had initially expected, so he's going to be superb with actual competition and surrounded by a much stronger squad. That he will presumably still train with Falkirk is a boon too, as the full-time sharpness clearly gave him a real edge when he was with us before. I think we can all safely say that's the final piece of the jigsaw, save for maybe a few young lads or loanees for filler in the slightly lean areas (left-back, centre-back).
It's never going to be easy getting out of this league unless you're a full-time team or massively sugar daddied, but our business over the past few months has given us a right good shot at it. It's not often at all that you see a squad with such breadth and depth of quality kicking about this league, and I cannot wait for it all to get going. The summer of 2018 has officially been blown out of the water.
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The boy will do well to get a game ahead of big Logan
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7 minutes ago, David W said:
We said at the game that every one of our subs (GK apart) would be in the Edinburgh team.
I wouldn't be so sure about that one. Penalty save aside, his role in Dunachie's goal was spectacular and he got extremely lucky when letting a Ray Grant effort go, only for it to go a few inches wide of the post.
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The difference between what was and what will be is illustrated perfectly by the fact that we made five strong substitutions, and still had Docherty, Hynes and Lyon left over. Finding the strongest team and the best system will take a bit of time, but once it happens then we will be a force.
Without either of them shining, you could see that Robson and Houston are comfortable 1v1 defenders, good athletes and no strangers to bombing forward. Having been unimpressed by McKay in the first half, it's a shame that he had absolutely nothing to do in the second, but I'm sure he will suffice as a back-up at the very worst even if that first half was reflective of his talents.
Edinburgh did do a good job of getting in our faces in the first half but the midfield trio of Cuddihy, Grant and Lyon just felt a wee bit stodgy without any of them having a poor game. The decision to withdraw Lyon of the trio at half time was the correct one, and Cuddihy and Grant absolutely ran the game thereafter. Scullion's resultant move into something of a free role behind Connell swung the game completely in our favour.
Scullion's fitness levels are immense, he's so aggressive in his play and he has a bit of quality to go with it; he's going to be massive for us this season and he'll only get better. The back 5 set-up of Edinburgh didn't really play into Redfern's hands, but after switching to the left he had a bit more joy and it's great to see that he is comfortable on either flank. Rennie was effective when he came on, while Connell had a bit of a lonely time of it in the first half but evidently has a bit of everything in his locker, including excellent corner deliveries. I wouldn't be hugely disappointed if we went into the season with him as our starting striker.
Robbie Leitch remains an immensely frustrating player who clearly has bags of talent, but can't quite seem to string it all together in any position. I really hope McCall can unlock some of his potential over the course of the season as there is plenty there. Dunachie up front is basically the second coming of Brian McQueen and perhaps even a wee bit better; he made a few lovely movements and any centre back he faces up there will do well to best him in the air. Intrigued to see how he goes against a better standard of opposition.
Early days of course, but it's impossible not to be encouraged by tonight, over the piece. I don't think I'll allow myself to get properly excited until we get going in the league, but nobody can deny that all the tools are there for a successful season. Happy days.
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Eh.... That took a turn after the subs. Hard to read much into it against a side like Edinburgh but we were purring from the get go and ran all over the top of them there. Could've scored even more in the end.
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Connell pinging the bar from 5000 yards and then hitting the most pitiful penalty you'll ever see is very good stuff.
Pretty underwhelming thus far, struggling to create much against a disciplined Edinburgh back five. Houston and Robson look like great threats running from deep, but that hasn't happened too often. Not sure about McKay at centre back. Cuddihy and Scullion look in terrific shape even this early.
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If it wasn't for having signed Connelly then I'd be disappointed about Kabia's departure, but at this point the wage is probably better saved for January or later on in this window if we sustain an injury to someone important. Just waiting on this mystery striker now!
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McCall must go!
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Time to get Ross Forbes back to feed McKay
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Dunachie shoved up top? We are so back.
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I'd been wondering what had happened to The Real Clyde, good to see they're still going!
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Clyde FC Season 24/25
in Scottish League 2 General Chatter
Posted
Could be that to match up with Montrose, but I suspect we will just have McKay in midfield. Intrigued to see which it is.