SpoonTon

In general terms, I agree, very much so. League One in England is also a better standard overall. Joining one of the OF is a completely different thing, though. Where second place means last place, success in Europe is difficult to achieve, the pressure is intense, and you need to create a great attacking team for the league but a far more balanced (or even defensive) team for Europe and OF matches. Those things don't exclude him from being a success, maybe he can translate his experience over quite well, but it's such a different thing managing over there.

Yes. There is a big difference. I don't think there needs to be a massive explanation of that. Take Paartalu, who I mentioned above. Who thrived in Asia, first of all under Ange, after struggling to a large extent at a lower level in Scotland. Everything about the culture and style in Asia suited him better. The fact of the matter is that football in Asia hasn't come in over the last 20 years in world terms. It's still well behind. In it's own vacuum it looks ok, but it's still light-years behind. Which isn't to say that Scottish football is any good or any better, it's really not, but it is very different. In Asia, very generally speaking, they play a very low level of more technical European football, but that really didn't translate well into the challenges of managing at the top of Scottish football.

Of course there are differences. Of course there will be major differences in the tactical challenges he will face. I know all about Ange as a manager. He's a bit of a character, and not exactly low profile in his role as Australia manager. He managed Erik Paartalu at Brisbane after he left Morton, so I was aware of him from then. His success in Asia is worth very little when translated over into what he will face over here. It's a massive risk because it's an incredibly different task he'll face. They play a very, very different type of football in Australia and Japan. Culturally, the dressing rooms are different. The pressure he would face would be nothing like what he's faced before. You can't take success as if it's in a vacuum, which can then be passed straight over. That's why these type of appointments nearly always fail.

Sounds like what what said when Rangers appointed Pedro Caixinha. The big problem with this type of appointment is that the cultural differences never exist only in the media or within the fan bases. More often than not these left field, success from far afield, appointments turn out to be complete disasters because they have to try to change far too much from within a club. I cringed this week when I read something that Stephen O'Donnell had said about Angelo Alessio, but it doesn't take away from the point of the gap that needs to be bridged and the difficultly in achieving that. There's a big difference between managing in Japan or Australia and managing in Glasgow. Bottom line is that the players will dismiss him as a nobody from the other side of the world if they don't like what he's doing. Like it or not, that's the most likely outcome of this type of appointment.

He resigned because he refused to cut the squad. It's no surprise they have respect for him.

Don't forget Blues. I'm awaiting the picture of him and Gus from Cappielow announcing the 'exciting news.'

Just to be clear, I still think Salkeld is your worst signing so far.

To be fair, the two of them started in a defence at the end of the season which only conceded 3 in 5, with one of those being deep into extra time against Motherwell (McGinty at left back). And our defensive record was one of the best in the league. McGinty does so many awful things, though, and Fjortoft has absolute nightmares on occasion as well. Hoppy will fancy turning them into consistently good defenders, they both actually have ability. But it's a really big risk - it could go disastrously wrong given how bad particularly McGinty can be (and there are still question marks over Fjortoft). I'm delighted McGinty will never play for us again, especially after what he did at Arbroath.

Enjoy McGinty.

I generally agree with what you're saying here, but McGinty and Fjortoft are both 27. You're technically right that Fjortoft is younger, but there's not really an age factor here. A very different career path, though. It could be argued that Fjortoft is lacking in the type of game experience that McGinty has - I agree there's more room for improvement for him in that respect.

McGinty started every league match for us last season, under three different managers. Hoppy signed him, then gave him a new contract. Whatever we see in him, Hoppy (as well as Gus and Anton) sees something different. Anton made him captain, and I think it's clear that both he and Hoppy really rate him. I wouldn't surprise me at all if McGinty is Hoppy's top defensive target, even moreso than Fjortoft.

Only ICT and Hearts conceded fewer goals than us last season. I'd be more concerned about the signing of Salkeld than McGinty or Fjortoft, if I'm being honest. Both make ridiculous errors, though. See Fjortoft below (note the initial error and then the horrible attempt to recover from it):

I'm going to give an honest and unpopular opinion. I think McGinty is ever so slightly better than Baird (who largely got off with being terrible because he came with a much more favourable reputation). Which isn't to say that I rate McGinty, he makes errors every single week, some of which are utterly ridiculous, some just so basic. He also made that idiotic challenge to get sent off in the final league game at Arbroath (which turned out to be a blessing for us in the playoffs). He could never have played for us again. Baird can't cope with pace, switches off constantly, and loses his bearings on a regular basis. McGinty does the same, with added hilarious errors, but probably has more basic ability than Baird. I didn't like either of them. I've already given my opinion on Fjortoft - he'll either be a hero or a calamity if he signs for Ayr. I'm still waiting on you to sign Cameron Blues as well. Another player Hoppy really likes.

Yes and no. I think we all (or, actually, mostly, maybe, reading some other posts) understand where the club is art the moment. We know we're not going to be the pick of clubs for managers or players this summer. Then again, Gus was on no-one's radar when we appointed him - certainly not at this level. And there are dozens of similar ex-managers who would take the opportunity to get back into football management. I doubt Gus particularly stands out in that crowd (in a good or bad way, to be clear). On the other hand, perhaps depending on the direction we want to go in, there's never a shortage of managers looking to make a step up into their first management job. We're not going to be the plum job, but there still has to be the proper assessment of whether Gus is the right fit for the job. There are similar risks either way. Getting it done quickly will help, but isn't make it break if those coming in to run the club don't think Gus is the right fit.

Fjortoft was very good on the whole, but he can be a bit unorthodox and that probably contributed to him having a couple of complete disasters. He almost cost is in the Montrose tie after losing all control over his legs and he had such a nightmare in a game against QotS that he had to be subbed before the half hour mark. He's one is those guys that's either going to go down as a cult hero or be seen as a liability, depending on how the ratio of calamities/heroics turns out.

Decent athlete, terrible footballer. Relief that he's left us, and pleased that it's for another club in our league. He wants to be a right mid. He'll run up and down all day long and challenge for everything, but he hasn't shown an ounce of actual ability.

In all seriousness, it mostly comes from a time when under 16 were allowed in for free or £1. So you'd get a bunch of random kids, some of them OF supporting (every town in Scotland is infested with them), coming along. No need to buy a ticket, just pop along and walk in.

McGuffie only does the sensational. Such a bland player until he decides he's Rivaldo for a moment.

Strapp's in and Orsi in for Colville. I won't complain too much about that. I understand why he's put a striker in, even if it's Orsi.

I think you'd need at least McGuffie to start in that scenario. I think Jacobs' role is redundant when we play the back 3, and that has been a problem with it since the QotS win - he's just too deep in front of the the central defenders. McGuffie in for Jacobs, and maybe even Colville in for McGinn. Not my preference, but that could work.

I agree. The first game against QotS apart, it hasn't worked. I do think for it to have a chance to work it has to have the balance that the lineup had that day, but the back 4 makes far more sense. I would maybe bring in Lyon, Strapp, and Orsi for McGinn, McGinty, and McGuffie in a 4-4-2 diamond. To be clear, I think Orsi is woeful on the ball but he'd at least be a presence up that end. Otherwise I'd be satisfied with just Strapp coming in, and maybe Lyon.

I feel like that team would just repeat the mistakes from when we played East Fife. We couldn't play out, we couldn't get possession further up the park, and our wing backs were squeezed out of the game. If we were to go to 3 at the back, it should be with Nesbitt and Oliver playing behind Orsi or Muirhead.

You don't see a lot of Muirhead, even when he's on the pitch.

As long as we're spending every last minute of our training sessions practising penalties, there's no reason why we can't survive. Undoubtedly very difficult games, but we have 6 draws and a win in our 7 cup ties this season (5 shootouts). 1 League Two club, 2 League One clubs, 2 Championship clubs, 2 Premiership clubs - tight matches, no matter the opponent.

Just to add to what Dunning says about him being an athlete rather than a player. I have no idea what position is meant to be his strongest. He came as a forward, maybe a winger, who can also play full back or wing back, and he's played in all those roles for us. He has the strength and running to play in all of those roles, but he doesn't have the footballing ability to play in any of them.