MOFOREVER

Just a few comments on our last couple of games. Pleasing to see an unchanged team for the Dumbarton match except of course for the goalie because Seagull had 4 stitches in a knee gash at Brechin. Putting Jordan Millar in though doesn't weaken the team. A word about Ryan Harrington; I though he played really well and 'touch wood' he looks to be settling into the team now. He's not a Cammy Ballantyne type of wing back, but Cammy himself wasn't on Saturday either - thank goodness. Harrington can also play centre back which is useful. Matty Allan just gets better and better and deservedly got MOTM - just shows how we missed him while he was sidelined. Terry Masson was strangely off his game on Saturday, nothing went for him so only a one-off I hope as his presence is vital IMO. Same goes for Jamie Redman, I also think we are better balanced and with a better threat up front when he's on the pitch. Whilst I think of it, the only query I have about our line up on Satutrday was why SP left Martin Rennie on when we put the shutters up and stood on our one goal lead. Sure Dumbarton were crap going forward but why move Rennie into a defensive role? OK to pull CJ and let Euan H run about on his own up top but if we are to put the shutters up surely bringing on Paul Watson for Rennie would have been a decent move. Bringing Bolo on was fair enough but I just think it was unfair on Rennie to move to an unfamiliar role in which he could quite easily have made a crucial error - sorry Martin, but your first touch ain't always good and in a defensive role that could be fatal. Back to the bright side and I've always had time for Webby. At Brechin he made a helluva difference and again against Dumbarton he was the lad who came up trumps with the sort of goal few others would have got. Always worth having in the squad IMO. Dillo was solid, Steeves was solid, Cregg is getting into his stride now, CJ is becoming an auto pick and Antoniazzi is up to pace now as well despite having a re-arranged nose on Saturday. Still a bit nervy about this Saturday coming but if we approach it with the right attitude and determination we should make a game of it and there will be no flag unveiling etc.to distract us this time.

I've been a bit critical of our starting line up recently, but only in an effort to be positive as we simply had to do more to score goals. Really pleased for Rennie getting two last Saturday and I just hope it gives him confidence to get stuck in and use his body size to greater effect. Same too for CJ - how often does he get 20 yard shots in - well I reckon the one at Brechin was the first time but if he has a go more often, I'd not moan if a few more go in. Same starting line up this Saturday I hope with Redman again starting. Thought both Watson and Webster were outstanding when they came on as subs at Brechin.

All the above few comments are merited. I don't doubt that SP tried hard to get a seasoned striker in both before the season and before the window closed but the bottom line is that we didn't get one. There are strikers around in both Highland League and SPFL 2 and everybody else in L1 has some threat up front so we can only guess why we haven't. Has to be finance or geographical position. We can't accept the present position without trying something different. We've tried a myriad of permutations of players up front and none have solved the problem. Even giving an extended run to a couple of them I don't think is the answer. I honestly don't mean to be over critical but Martin Rennie is struggling at L1 level although he might have made it in L2 given pitch time. Craig Johnston I certainly don't want to criticise because he gives 100% but he isn't a goal poacher though might do more if playing alongside a more experienced striker. Danny Cavanagh has improved greatly but isn't the answer yet. That leaves on loan Euan Henderson who no doubt has talent but is yet to prove it consistently - again needs experience alongside him. So what's the answer now we are a long way off the next transfer window (and with no guarantee we will solve it then)? There are two possibilities. Firstly and probably the best one is to find an experienced striker at another club who is near the end of his career, in and out of his team and whose club would be prepared to terminate his contract to make him a free agent. We would need to buy him out so he was not out of pocket - not easy. I doubt there are any goodies already still out there unattached however. The second possibility is from within our own ranks i.e. move a defender into a striking role. OK, a daft idea, or is it? Think back to Brian Third in the 1970's. He was a left back but in an emergency played centre forward and never looked back. I know of another left back who turned centre forward in an emergency, scored a hat-trick of headers in his first game and never looked back. How many of you have heard of Glenn Murray who plays in the English Premiership and is up there as a top striker. Well, he started off at a Fourth Division club in their youth set-up - as a left back. Now he is a top class striker. Bolo or Andy Steeves - fancy a go? If nowt else either of them would stir things up and make the opposition work more and Bolo would occupy at least two defenders as a target man like Sanny used to. That means the opposition is pushed back meaning less pressure on us at the back and you never know we might even score a goal. So, we do nothing and hope for the best OR we try something else which might not work, but equally it might. Thoughts? PS: I agree Redman needs to be in. He is an attacking midfielder who can pop up with a goal. He and Masson are musts in the present set up.

Agreed. It needed to be 100% as well because last week demonstrated that anything less in L1 will be punished even by a poor side. I thought SP got it just about right yesterday and the best move of all was moving Harrington to the back three alongside Dillon and Campbell. The young lad is not an attacking full back as Cammy was but he acquitted himself well alongside Dillon and could concentrate on what he does best i.e. defending. In came Webby to fill the right hand side wing back role with Steeves on the other side and both had good games pushing Raith back. Midfield were better as well and that's another sign of having good support from wing backs. The substitutions made were spot on as well with Watson, Redman and Campbell coming on at a time we needed to shore things up with experience. Up front CJ has scored 3 games in a row as he did last season but this season he needs to carry that on unlike last season when he faded out. Rennie still has a lot to learn about 'putting himself about' on the pitch but looking beyond that he did occupy defenders yesterday so still played his part. I do wish he would stop being out-muscled by wee fellas though. Need to focus 100% on Forfar now. They murdered us in the Betfred but were aided by two howling defensive mistakes by us. SP will know all about Dylon Easton, Jonny Baird etc. so we need to be well up for it as 3 points next week will make a helluva difference - just as not getting the 3 points last week did!

Hope you're right about the forward as we need experience there. Somebody like Tosher, remember him? Not very mobile (neither was Sanny) but could handle himself against big defenders and allow space alongside and behind him by keeping defenders otherwise occupied. IMO we don't need more youngsters, we need experience to compete in L1 and consolidate whilst some of the younger players already on the books mature into it. OK you might say they won't mature into it if they don't play but the priority right now is consolidation and survival in L1. I've not missed any game home or away this season but without wishing to be negative I'm staring at a relegation battle unless things change soon. For instance we have Raith away this Saturday probably with Bolo suspended and Matty Allan out injured therefore no height in a defence which has already given arial goals away - Stranraer and Dumbarton to name just two places. Watson might have to come into the back line for his height alone but I'm thinking the last time that happened was Clyde away last season and we know what happened then. Watson needs to be in midfield - he had a cracking game the first time at Dumbarton. Masson and Redman both had off days at Dumbarton last Saturday but if they can get back to form and support the front two we can look a threat. That didn't happen last time at Dumbarton. I don't think we need another midfielder unless he's an experienced midfield general of the attacking type. We need to bear in mind the size of our squad as well. Good that a couple have gone out on loan but a few more could do with that too to get pitch time as SP isn't going to keep them all happy unless he keeps chopping and changing and I for one would like to see a more settled side. Lastly I'd go with Jordan Millar in goal but Raith away with a makeshift back line is gonna be a big test - whoever is in our starting eleven needs to be at 100% concentration this Saturday - no moments of madness like there were at Dumbarton last Saturday when we saw 5 minutes of it which changed the game completely and cost us all 3 points. See you at Starks Park and I'll leave myself a sarnie so I've got something to look forward to on the way home - just in case.

True, but those of us who go to every game home and away can see the trend and where the problems lie. We'll continue to support the Mo everywhere but the defence will crack at times (and give away soft goals) so if we don't look a threat up the top end then we will always be under pressure in L1. The disappointing thing is that apart from the Smokies game every game has been winnable - but we didn't. The loan players are struggling as well and we have to deal with that but no disrespect to SP, he can only do his best with what he can get through the door. Five minutes of madness cost us the game yesterday and four key things happened in that time and all were avoidable. A routine corner - goal. A silly push in the area - goal. Bolo smashing the lad - red card. SP getting sent to the stands - not a good example to set. Having said that, we are in League 1 and we might continue to struggle but with our lack of transfer activity in the Summer we all surely expected a bit of a struggle. To be fair I still think we would have been challenging in L2 if we were still there even with our current squad but L1 is without doubt a higher standard where you get punished more for lapses in focus and concentration. Must get more clean sheets whilst the attacking options remain - and yesterday should have been a clean sheet as should have been Stranraer a couple of weeks ago.

Got to get something out of the next few games the next 3 of which are away but I include the cup game this Saturday because we need a solid concentrated performance whatever the competition. I might be over critical at times but only have the best interests of MFC at heart. The thing is I know can do better than the last couple of games but in each one a bit of sloppiness has crept in and you just can't get away with that in League 1. Duck's arse watertightness is necessary then see what happens up front.

Very disappointed with the Mo performance yesterday at Stranraer. Don't like being critical but we have to look at that performance and ensure it doesn't happen again because we will not get away with it in this division. Ok we got away with it second half against Brechin but we won't against better teams. No disrespect to Stranny but we'll play better teams - they did all that was required for the 3 points in the face of a Mo side who with that line up would not have scored if we'd played all day and night. Not good enough. Stranny have a big experienced back line. We had no height either at the back (Allan dropped and Bolo injured) and no height at the front. Stranny were going to undo us at set pieces - watch the highlights for the two goals. Cregg appears to play well but is too deep and simply doing what the back four should be doing. In midfield we need holding players BUT we also need attacking midfielders who get up into the holes (inside forward positions) to support the front two. Up front we had young inexperienced Henderson (who tried hard) and Johnston who runs his socks off but doesn't score goals. We had no Masson or Redman backing them up until Masson came on late with the game already lost. We have to back up and latch on to the second balls up front but never did that for the whole game and as a result Stranny had a much easier afternoon than they would have expected. Sorry to be so blunt SP as you usually get it right but yesterday ?????? Still will be a Mo whatever but no point in 'beating around the bush.'

Presumably we'll return to the three at the back plus two wing backs, three across the middle and two up front. And a goalie of course just in case needed. Looking forward to a trip to Stranny as it's been a while since. Assume the A75 is as tedious as ever though it gets better after passing the old stomping grounds of Gretna, Annan and Dumfries.

Yep, Ryan Harrington is the name I've heard. I would imagine St Johnstone will be wanting Comrie to play in the Championship for a while. Whoever it is if he's even half as good as Cammy Ballantyne he'll do.

Hope somebody tells old Ian (can't remember his second name) and a couple of other old lads who can't get to away games if no bus. Ian was bemoaning the fact he couldna get there. Hamish as well, or is he allowed on the bus? Car load of us Anglos going as well.

Well done so far Lichties. Long way to go yet but Angus needs and deserves a Championship team and you lot look best equipped to do it. Hope the rest of us all survive in L1 whilst we re-build. The Mo had a lot of re-building to do after losing key players but hopefully we'll give you a harder game next time. Meantime no probs with you keeping winning.

Hopefully Bolo back for the Airdrie game. Much under-rated and his absence in the last two games was telling.

Any Mo fan who was at Forfar last night will no doubt agree that the better side won. Forfar had class up front, three of them with Dylan Easton being the pick of them. They were also solid at the back. We just didn't get going and were always playing catch up. No great pattern to our attacking play. That has to be a wake up call for us if we are to consolidate this season. True we gave away the first two goals but both were just stupid goals to give away - we just can't do that. Sure in SP we trust but in reality we haven't strengthened since the end of last season. I'm sure loads of work has gone into it, but .......... Hope there''s rabbit or two' to pull out of the hat yet if we are to make a mark on L1 if Forfar are a decent benchmark. Don't like moaning and I'll support the Mo come what may but just a tad disappointed we haven't made more progress since last April. Sorry to be a killjoy and hopefully I'll snap out of it.

Was nowhere near was I!!

Think he'll go back to his Saturday starting eleven if Rennie is fit, which he should be. I reckon it will be Fleming, Allan, Dillon, Bolo, Iain Campbell, Steeves, Masson, Redman (if fit), Cregg or Watson, with Rennie and Cavanagh up front, 5-3-2. On the bench Millar, plus a selection of Johnston, Callaghan, MacFarlane, Ferguson, Skelly, Foxy, Ross Campbell. Unless there's a last minute loanee we don't yet know about.

And it will be a very competitive midfield. Masson, Redman, Callaghan, Cregg. Paul Watson also did a shift when he came on - he'll realise he's a squad player now but will try like hell when he gets the chance. Webster is another who might be in and out but still can do a job and there's Foxy too so although we're still short up top we have options further down in support. Was impressed by young Cavanagh in the Cove, Falkirk and East Fife games. If he keeps on with that sort of input into a game he'll be very useful.

Not sure why Cregg hasn't figured in the last two squads and can only think he was suspended. Callaghan has a sore calf muscle he got courtesy of Cove Rangers and has been rested. Rennie same reason - got a 'dead leg' right at the end of the Falkirk game. Both should be OK for this Saturday if needed. One potential signing watching on Tuesday night from the main stand - not sure who he was but in a Mo track suit and looked a mature lad with a non local accent age around late twenties I'd say. Pointless guessing more as all will be revealed when it needs to be.

Good question. Might find out more this Tuesday at the East Fife game.

Noticed Cammy Ballantyne wasn't in the Dumbarton starting eleven yesterday and didn't look to be on the bench either. Will be a bummer for him if he doesn't get regular starts. Hope he doesn't play against us.

I think you are both right. He does have the potential but will take time to step up to the mark. Question is will he be given the time. Needs to learn how to use his body weight more and wise up to L2 level. 50/50, up to him and the Manager to coach him right. Already has two goals in pre-season.

Agreeing that fee but not the wages - amazing. Anyway I hope you lot at Elgin make a good fist of it this season. Your Manager had your team watch our presentation after our game. I spoke to him in the Tunnel and he said he wanted his lads to see it so it motivated them to be in that situation come next May.

Agreed. The £20k price tag is a non starter for most Scottish clubs these days but he presumably could depart for nowt at the end of his contract. £300 - 350 wages not out of the way for some clubs though. Not gonna go into detail but that's happened in both L1 and L2 in recent times as you probably know. Shane has had an injury though and not long back on the pitch so always a risk until he proves his fitness. Was impressive against Mo in the last game last season so good luck to the lad with his fitness. Elgin are in dreamland if it's right they put a £20k price tag on him though. On the Mo front Rennie took his goals well against Cove and is well capable of being a 20 goals a season lad and he'll be on nowhere near £300 a week. Just needs to use his body weight and size a bit more i.e. put himself about a bit more - get a bit more streetwise. I'll be rooting for him.

Nothing I heard. Looks like it'll be loan signings but you never know, there's still players out there not yet fixed up and will be panicking soon. Some are full timers who maybe have to drop to part time. Also I see on the L2 thread (yes, I can't help still looking through that) that Shane Sutherland wants to leave Elgin. He'd fit in nicely for us up front. Wonder if SP is aware?

Mo were frankly woeful in the first half with key players not playing and one or two simply not fussed - not good enough in my opinion even for pitch time in a friendly. SP without doubt will have read the riot act at half time and rightly so. Could have been 0-4 down at half time. Second half we were a different team even with only at first a couple of subs on. Quickly scored 3 times and would have had more but for the referee who failed to play advantage twice when we were clean through. Cavanagh was good today - best I've seen of him. He played his own game with a gutsy second half [performance. Still much to do but if he carries on like that he might be OK but still needs an experienced striker alongside. Rennie took his goals well but again, he is still raw and we need experience a guile up top. Rennie will improve as the season goes on but we need to hit the ground running before that. Still work to do.