O'Kelly Isley III

If proof were ever needed that a lot of hard decisions need to be made at DFC regarding next season - both on and off the park - then today at Alloa (again) provided grimly graphic proof. A team seemingly devoid of organisation, physical presence and motivation is limping out of this season, and we've got to hope that changes lie ahead this summer.

Over to the DFC Board to rattle his cage on this one.....as far as I know full price is still be charged at the gate, never mind disrespecting the tournament and it's sponsors.

It's got little to do with confidence, and much more to do with the wrong formations, the wrong game plans and a distinct lack of balance in the team. If confidence is an issue I would suggest it has more to do with the guys on the park at times simply not knowing quite what their role is. If people are happy at their work and have a clearly defined understanding of their job it tends to be productive all round.

Sorry Wilf, I simply don’t recall the Jim George thing… For me, comparisons with last season only serve to highlight how we’ve struggled to consolidate those achievements. Sure, we’ve had the ‘Big Three’ with us this term but too many key managerial decisions have been contributors in that struggle; certain players were retained who should have been let go; we failed to build a balanced squad with cover in key positions; we’ve seldom played the same line-up twice; the tactical obsessions, ie three centre-backs, the mini-man midfields, the late, late substitutions. All of that would be excusable if we were now at last heading in a positive direction, but on recent form we are decidedly not. Yet here we go again, entering hopeful ‘if we take seven points, etc.,’ territory with absolutely no evidence to suggest that we will. Unless, that is, we field a team capable of at least competing – if we can do that then we may have the beginnings of a basis with which to see out the season. From where I’m sitting only one guy can seriously influence that.

Let me tell everyone a little story. Before the Falkirk home fixture late last year, a dismal defeat for what it's worth, I was contacted by BBC Alba who covered the game live on telly. They wanted an interview, and for seven or eight minutes I took part in one in the home dressing room on the Thursday evening ahead of the match. This was subsequently edited down to around a 12-15 second broadcast - seriously. That was of no concern to me, but what DID bother me was that the entire interview was conducted around one subject, or rather one man, Ian Murray. It was pretty obvious that for BBC Alba anyway, the Manager had become the shining star in the Dumbarton FC firmament, and perhaps my growing irritation with that was eventually picked up. And my point ? Of all the Dumbarton managers in my lifetime, and by God there have been a few, no-one has quite inspired such a cult of personality as Ian Murray. That is tolerable when things are going well but when they are not then we can all have sense of disappointment and dashed expectations. For two years here Ian Murray appeared a savvy young guy in a hurry, destined to ascend the managerial ladder. The last three months however have blown away a lot of the froth and doubts have crept in. I share those doubts, but that's a long way from abuse and hounding anyone. The team is currently in some disarray and his ability to steady the ship will be crucial, that's in the here and now and that's what he'll be judged on. It's football.

Quite a while since we had a 'Meet The Manager' session, anyone else think that might be a decent shout ?

I stand suitably corrected on the year, and how appropriate would it have been for 'The Spaniard' himself to have supped from the Lloret de Mar Trophy ? And we owe a debt of gratitude to Waspy and his faither for momentarily taking our minds off the glaring lack of a striker, always assuming that Shay didn't pick one up at Screwfix yesterday. Glad to see they had the biggest tool in the constituency there too http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=1725 The guy on the left - I thought Jaws was deid, no ?

Your old dad is not wrong. I'm pretty sure the year was 1975 when Sons defeated a 'local side' to lift 'The Lloret De Mar Trophy', and a damned impressive thing it was too. I must check if it is one of the showcases in the foyer and if it is you can both see it on March 7th !!

Really no point in adding anything to this, it has pretty much all now been said. Maybe the emperor has misplaced his breeks.

We are all agreed, Mark Wilson is an excellent acquisition. Now all we need to do is persuade his namesake Kenny to come out of retirement.

There is a converse to your argument Wilf, in that our league current status and a wage structure considerably improved from the days of Stevie Mallan could arguably make playing for Dumbarton a much more attractive proposition these days. But we'll never know, just as we'll never know of players whom we have approached in recent times and who have knocked us back. I happen to believe there are not many, and that gets back to my original point of building a squad - some managers are more suited or better-connected than others. Are we 'selling' ourselves out there ? But back to wider point; when folk like me and BBPF raise concerns this should not be interpreted as being anti-Ian Murray, although there are a few on here who seem to view the guy as a plaster saint FFS. We are simply highlighting the (perceived in this case) risk of entering a crucial stage in the season without an obvious goal threat. That is all, there is no campaign or hidden agenda going on here, Murray has done a wonderful job and none of us want it to stop. If that means occasionally putting a flea in his ear then happy to oblige. Finally (for now) Wilf, I have it on good authority that funding is in place for the right acquisition should he appear Now let's get on with it !

No panic button Jordo, but no complacency either. My definition of a minimum standard ? A first-team squad with a balance in defence, midfield and attack. A squad with no position overloaded. A squad with a minimum of jersey-fillers. A team where players play in position. A reasonably settled first eleven. A squad maintained at a sensible numerical level, and never allowed to drop to bare minimum. Achieve that and you have built the platform for any division - that is the challenge for the team manager and the Board. As for nominating strikers, since when was that the responsibility of supporters ?

I totally agree with this, and some Sons fans on here seem to regard any sort of robust discussion concerning Ian Murray as a heresy. Remember this folks, he is on a decent wage at DFC, indeed it was (and may still be) based on his role as Player/Manager, so I think we have a right to expect some sort of minimum standard. Somewhat ironically, most of his less illustrious predecessors were at least able to fill the bench ! But that's not the point. Kane's waygoing was known for long enough and irrespective of Nish's departure we had a crying need for a striker; the fact that there has been little obvious news suggests that for all Murray's attributes, wheeling and dealing and having a fat contacts book are not two of them. Like BBPF I'd rather a rabbit was pulled from the hat before Saturday but we may just have to get on with it - hardly ideal, despite three goals at Falkirk.

That will be Five Apprentice Boys I take it ??

Really sorry to hear that Casey, he was a one-off, the big man. And possibly and perhaps probably the only Sons fan in attendance when we played a friendly years ago in Coleraine in Northern Ireland.

I see some changes on the Youth set-up have appeared on the OS. I was fine until I got to the word 'pathway'...

You mean 'Last Orders At The Burgh Bar' ? That is a magnificent painting, so much so that Brabco made it a condition of the takeover, and I have it on good authority that it will adorn the showhouse on the new Portcullis Estate at the base of The Rock.

Lots of words have already been put in BBPF, and to be honest if the decision was local management's alone then we might have had a more positive response by now. It isn't however, and the reason given is that DFC falls below the profile at which the company seeks corporate sponsorship involvement. Aggreko did advertise in the past at the Turnberry end of Boghead (check my avatar) so there has been previous involvement. Bet Butler's evaporation could though be a game changer inasmuch as any company or organisation is currently shooting at an open goal, so rest assured if there is further approach I'll be assisting in any way I can. For the record, many employees are slightly puzzled as there is a lot of local kudos to be had at a fairly modest cost.

Thye word on the fish counter is that the designation of the land WILL be altered from green belt. However, that stops way short of any bricks being laid as there are plenty of other considerations in play, and to be honest I feel that this project remains very much up in the air. As fans we should obviously keep a keen eye on this, but we should also be prepared for other scenarios like what would Brabco do vis-a-vis DFC should their plans come to nought, still very much a possibility.

Not trying to be cheeky like, but as the iceberg moves another day closer would The Dumbarton Terrace not be better trying to find out just what the f*** is going on concerning team affairs at DFC ? Or rather what is not going on ?

Wilf, I actually agree on the Livvy game; I was in hospitality with 25 workmates and they were dumbfounded at the last half-hour. After half-time you would have bet more on an equaliser than a 1-5 final scoreline. But the point is, those who don't learn from their mistakes will surely repeat them, and after it went 2-0 there was a horrible inevitability about it all. The world and his mother can see that three centre-backs doesn't work for us so why is Ian Murray hellbent on trying to defy gravity here ? And how we are now reduced to a rump of a playing staff at a crucial point of the season surely needs to be questioned. Everyone at DFC has worked incerdibly hard to try and establish us at a higher level, and it seems to be unravelling at breakneck speed - as I said previously it's painful to watch.

I don't know about anyone else, but that particular passage in time wasn't uppermost in my thoughts as the tenth home goal conceded in the last two home fixtures bulged the net on Saturday. I'd really like us to maintain that current league position, and for that we need to assess the current state of affairs, not trawl thro the archives to a set of statistics dating from a time when the club was run, operated and financed in a very different manner from today. And at least then we could fill a subs bench.....

So why are they heading to Helensburgh ?

Can't say I'm dismayed at this as we definitely need to stop leaking goals, and let's hope there's more folk to come. There was a rumour concerning Joe Thompson of Celtic but that may have come to nought. I see the lad was on loan at Morton last season, somebody please tell me he didn't feature in their last league fixture Shit, just noticed he scored Accies 9th with an OG Welcome aboard Big Man !

He certainly played in a 0-6 mauling from Coventry in a pre-season friendly.