monkfish

I think that's true, it's just more galling because Killie are a bigger budget version of what we used to be, and the current team is so far away from that.

In that 'system' yesterday you have: 1. Considine - too old, can't run (not his fault) 2. Robinson - not good enough 3. Keltjens - soft. Might be OK in a decent team 4. Gallacher - not good enough, out of position 5. Max - not good enough 6. Clark - a penalty box striker playing out of position You can get by with a couple of weak links but when over half your outfield is either pish or out of position, it's no wonder we're rotten.

If we stay up, would people be happy with Keltjens as a starting RB/WB next season? I would say, ideally, no.

I've feared this for a while, with Levein's previous comments on loving him in training. Stinks of a cheap one-year 'prove-it' deal. Low cost / high seethe

We've ended up with a squad that isn't built for 5 at the back (no wing backs) or 442 (no width other than DJ). What a mess. Interesting to see what way we go in the summer. Still not sure where C Smith fits in either.

Fairly clear Macca was miles out of his depth as a manager, but does he get credit for signing a handful of good players? Or was someone else in the black box club structure responsible for Matt Smith, Robinson etc

MacLean saying we're not signing Krasniqi as he wants a box-to-box type. I'd have thought we'd have wanted another sitting midfielder. Not entirely sure what his preferred formation / midfield personnel is?

The players available yesterday should have been good enough to beat Stirling Albion. We just look a mess. Liam Parker looked absolutely miles off it yesterday. Either MacLean can't see that, or he's playing him to prove a point, and in doing so contributed to putting the team's confidence at rock bottom.

Yesterday was definitely a lot better. I still think we need 4 new starters: - CB (ideally 2 but that's unrealistic) - RB - CM - WM with pace That's based on: - a shuffling Considine needs sidelined - Jim Brown is not a starting RB - most of the yoof e.g. Max need loaned out - McGowan / Ballantyne / Philips / MacPherson isn't enough in CM, for a variety of reasons. Crawford doesn't count. I think we could also do with a backup wide midfielder. We only have Wright and Carey currently, so ideally we'd have 2 other options. Hopefully Carey isn't out for any length of time. So 5 more players, I'd guess at least 2 of which would be loans. That's probably not feasible. I think more realistic would be bringing in a CB, a RB, and a wide player. I'd worry about not signing a CM, but I think having Crawford still hanging around on a decent wage might scupper that.

I'd be more worried about Wright than Carey currently, he's offered very little since being moved up to midfield. I'm fed up of seeing May up front on his own. It doesn't work, it's never worked, and Macca has seen the evidence enough times. There's obviously an issue with the players available, but that was still enough of a mess to be concerning.

This is fantastic. Get a 2.5 year deal out of him that no one else in their right mind would have offered, then put the boot in as soon as he's out the door. Respect

Jim Brown is an absolutely fine utility / backup defender - the fact he played 30 times last season despite our XXL squad is quite something.

Knicker wetting over Parish going is quite something - very happy we've removed the spectre of him ever again playing in a football match for us. Replacing him with an older player who can coach and you can credibly rely on to do goalkeeping if required would be great.

It's weirdly unfair to fully put last season on Davidson. It was down to him yes, but he shouldn't have been in charge in the first place - that's on the club. Davidson did win us two cups, which would have made us enough money. The mistake was keeping him on for too long and allowing the damage to accumulate. Also you could say a lot of our previous managers when initially appointed wouldn't have been a 'draw' for players - would anyone really have been all that excited at getting the chance to work with Del, Lomas, Wright or Davidson initially? They all had to build their reputations. And as a club, we only got to be attractive after we'd built ourselves up. The last two seasons just mean we almost have to start again on that journey - not easy, but we've done it before, and the structural changes look to be setting us up well to try again.

Oh for next season I would say he's absolutely done, I was just meaning for last season.The 2 year deal was ludicrous at the time and still is. Ditto Carey. I'd forgotten the pens...yes.

Based only on last season and ignoring the two year deal, would you count Considine a good signing? Around Christmas time I would have said yes, but the two red cards and some shakiness since then makes it more difficult. Suppose it's hard to say how the defense / dressing room would have performed without him too. Edit: I'd take big Joe back if he's not on silly money, solid player at this level. Agree Deas would be a better option though, if we could get him.

That's really good news about Stan Harris coming back. In terms of the manager - if/when MacLean gets it, who's a likely assistant? If it's not Liam Craig I wonder if Considine would fancy it. Wants to go into management, good defensive balance to MacLean as a former striker, and would shift an expensive wage for a declining player off the squad budget.

Hope that minibus icon is deliberate.

First priority is for the Browns to clarify what is going on with the sale process, i.e. is there anything potentially imminent, or are we nowhere close. That informs everything else and whether we might have the possibility to kick on this summer of if we are in for yet another season of trying to tread water. While the latter is preferable to a quick sale to the wrong people, it would really not be good to try and 'make do' for another season - we are going to get caught out eventually.

Agree with Yellowbox here - I don't buy the idea that Maclean's comments really make any difference to the opposition. Killie are already fighting to stay in the league, any 'bulletin board material' isn't going to make them try 10% harder. And in terms of the impact on our own players - maybe he felt he needed to put a bit of pressure on them to get them to up their game. Not the approach I'd have taken, but going by that second half against Motherwell there's clearly a mentality issue that needed addressed. We'll see if it works. As others have said, I'll be glad to see the back of the majority of this shitebag squad.

I would agree Rudden is shite, but given May is our only fit decent striker, you need to play him which means playing two up top, which currently means playing Rudden. And that in turn means dropping McLennan or Spoony, which isn't much of a sacrifice currently.

I think that's fair. But without sticking the boot into MacLean after one game, the fact he put May up front by himself despite seeing the fruits of that last season and having played alongside him himself, is a concern. It's a case of hoping we have enough to either avoid the playoff, or win it. In terms of winning a playoff we are in a worse position than last year though, so really hope it doesn't come to that - but it's looking more likely than not we finish 11th. Also, well done to the FCU for the banner thanking Callum. As much as I've wanted a change for a long time, that's not to forget what he's done for the club.

Positives from yesterday but a couple of concerns - 1) playing Stevie May up front by himself which we all know doesn't work, 2) constantly putting in cross balls when against 10 men instead of keeping the ball and passing it round to tire them out - we belatedly started this with ten minutes to go. Overall can't really judge MacLean on one outing. I would imagine he will get the job till the end of the season - if you bring someone else in for five games who isn't really invested in the club / the future, how would that work? Davidson should have gone a long time ago and we are now left in this position. I'd like to see Murphy and Rudden start in the next game. Spoony looks well off the pace and McLennan offers very little.

The East Stand attendance seemed very sparse yesterday. Have to wonder if the below home record (nicked from Random on match thread) is starting to hit gates. If I didn't have a season ticket I certainly wouldn't be turning up for it. 20/21 - 19 games, 5 wins, 9 goals 21/22 - 19 games, 5 wins, 15 goals 22/23 - 14 games, 3 wins, 14 goals Davidson is the main reason for that record, but there is also the general malaise / drift from the club in general - the pitch, Rangers ticketing, and a host of other recent half arsed efforts. And that isn't going to change until we get new / engaged owners - and if we get bad new owners, it could even get worse. So the club not being sold and limping into another season of this for 23/24 isn't even the worst case scenario....exciting times.

Reminiscing about the glory days of Brian Graham...St Johnstone Football Club 2023.