Fifelawd

No complaints here. The manager has seen both players in the friendlies and every day in training, they've not been hitting the net and perhaps he's concerned that wouldn't change. The option to bring in better quality players has arisen and the club are right to take it.

Still early days but I'm feeling a lot better about the team having watched them play a few times. We seem to have an overall team quality rather than some individual quality like previous seasons. Big credit to the manager on that front.

Very well. Strong, composed and excellent in the air.

Impressed with us tonight. Very happy with what I saw.

I suppose in the players defence it would be easy for it to look like you weren't giving your all if you're losing most weeks, poorly managed, poorly trained, or even just playing at too high a level for your ability. But if others weren't trying then what about the "local lads", McBride, Campbell, even Durie?

With all due respect being a "local lad" means nothing, there are hundreds of locals that would give 100% for East Fife FC, and I hardly think a professional footballer like Malone wouldn't try as hard because he wasn't from the local area. That's just silly.

I'd have to disagree massively with your last comment, we were beaten time and time again last season by wide players roasting our full backs (these full backs) and getting crosses in/cutting it back where our central defenders would then usually go into panic mode and f**k up. Not questioning the commitment of Durie/Johnstone, but they are probably the weakest full back pairing in the Division in my opinion. Perhaps they will improve a great deal under the new boss, I'd love to think so. But at the moment we can only judge players based on how they've previously performed. As for the trialists, they certainly sound like they'd be good players at this level, but until they sign I'll not be getting too excited. There have been many names branded about since the takeover, and not a lot to back it up.

I don't know why anyone would sign up to a mixed football forum in order to tell people to keep their opinions to themselves. Seems like a few of my fellow Fifers are a bit touchy at the moment.

So Smith and Brown are liars? Did Christian Nade tell him he'd already signed too? Because he still hasn't.

I must admit to being totally underwhelmed, if not worried, at our squad so far. However, if these guys are what we can afford and we're living within our means then that's fine. The players and manager will get my full support and I live in hope that they'll surprise me. One thing I am pretty unhappy with though is all the nonsense about Nacho Novo, Utogan internationals, and Christian Nade signing (which he hasn't). The new people in charge need to learn that they can't increase their popularity by pretending to be linked with players, they can only do that by bringing success and stability. I don't think fans appreciate being lied to and it was clear to most that a lot of this was pie in the sky from the start. If we're going to be fighting a relegation battle what was the point in it all?

Being the best of a bad bunch is no reason to keep them and both Smith and Muir performed much bette than any of these guys. Unless we sign Novo and five Utogan legends I'd be happy to take your bet at any price.

Half of these boys have kicked a ball for us many times, and nearly got us relegated. The other half kicked a ball for other teams and obviously did it so well that they were released. Forgive me for not sharing your blind optimism.

Now we've signed Paul Willis as a full time player. The likes of Willis, Durie, Johnstone & McBride almost got us relegated last season, the new signings are beyond underwhelming too. I am very worried. This squad would struggle in the juniors so far.

It's not uncommon to judge a player based on things he's already done in his football career. Don't get me wrong, I'd love Thom to be a great player for us, but I find it a bit funny when fans are happy to say that some of our current players weren't good enough (and they might well be right) but find it acceptable that we're bringing in players that seemingly aren't good enough for clubs around and below us.

If these guys weren't good enough for us then I'm a bit confused as to how someone who wasn't good enough for Third Division Stirling will be. As for the Novo thing it seems like another far fetched rumour, the reality is we're signing players released for the Second and Third Divisions.