Shadwell Dog

The fact he was on trial and yet we still signed him was ridiculous. If it had been a rushed, panic signing then thats one thing but to actually give someone that pish a trial and then still sign them is criminal.

Yes I do go to development games and yes there's is a decent gap between that and the first team but that doesnt stop other first teamers looking mediocre when their playing in those games whilst shepherd at least stands out. He then plays for the first team and rarely does anything. I'd have to think long and hard before I'd give him a new deal but Houston has offered him one so if noone else comes in (which is doubtful as they'll have to pay cash for him now) he'll be back with us next season.

I hope you guys are right as hes an important player. I can't see Shepherd getting punted. Houston seems to rate him and said at the agm he would be getting offered a new deal along with Sibbs. He needs to start transferring some of his Development league form into the first team . I know its a different level but its not as big a difference as he makes it look.

My main worry is hippo. He'd be a big loss. Surely we've offered him a new deal.

Still no idea why he brought o'hara back just after he'd settled into a game for east Fife. He'd be far better playing for them instead of our u20's.

Thankfully Houston has stopped pissing about with the defence and gone back to the back 4 that were the best in the league till Grant got crocked last season. As I've said Watson never been a favourite of mine as when he's playing with anyone apart from Grant he seems to struggle. The two of them together though are solid. Shame about baird as he's been scoring for fun recently but with Austin fit again we have options.

Barr works as a coach at the forth Valley academy.

I really don't see the point of trial periods these days. Most of the players we've signed after a trial have been utter mince Taylor Morgan and Rory boulding for example. You never really know what a players going to be like till they start playing first team games.

Sibbald isn't really a central midfielder. He's a number 10 playing in a team that don't play with a number 10. Rankin on the other hand was just shit.

He wasn't released by Morton he was out of contract and got offered a better contract at Carlisle so he knocked back the new contract Morton were offering him..

To be honest I'm just shocked that we've signed anybody. I do wonder whether he was the best option available but we have signed players before with questionable previous records who have turned out pretty good and others with great records that have proven to be mince. Our centre midfields been a problem. Hopefully this may fix it or it may not only time will tell.

He's a totally different player than Taiwo though. McKee is an attacking mid. At the moment we're playing Kerr whose a sitting mid whose struggling with the likes of sibbald alongside. Sibbald is also playing in a position that doesn't really suit him as he ends up playing too deep when he should be causing problems at the edge of their box. We've been crying out for someone with a bit of drive in the middle and hopefully he can add that.

Lets face it he's bound to be a better option than Craigen.

Kerr shouldn't be getting forward. He should be sitting in front of the back 4 breaking up play and making the simple pass. He did that well last season when he had Vaulks doing all the running but has struggled with either Rankin or Sibbald playing as neither have the legs to compliment Kerr. If you play Sibbald and Mckenna then I'd worry about the cover for an already shaky defence.

Hopefully he's got the ability to go box to box as we badly need a player like that. Can't help feeling there may have been some better options out there though.

Can't say I'm overly impressed at signing a player who broke one of ours legs the season before with an awful tackle. Disagree that we don't need another central midfielder though. We badly need a proper attacking midfielder . One that can support the strikers. Will be interesting to see who gets dropped for him though. Kerr is your sitting mid so it really should be Sibbald that makes way .

Was he not playing at our place last night? You'd have thought that something would've been done then if we were looking at him.

I can't see hippo going anywhere till the summer. We can't afford to lose him.

I just remember him being excellent the few times he played in the middle for us in his first spell.

Yeah I think your right.We didn't play him enough at centre half.

Twaddle was excellent the first time but awful when he returned. Remember him having a fantastic game in a win over Rangers playing centre half.

I thought he did okay on the ball. Hibs looked like a side that play together every week where as we looked more like a side flung together. Wouldve thought we couldve had someone like Craigen in the middle of the park instead of two defenders.

Development squad beat 4-1 last night. Christ it was like old times at TFS. Eddie May in the dugout and Falkirk getting pumped. Can't say anyone really pushed for a first team shot although Gallacher played well as usual. Defence was a shambles with Gasparotto struggling. Kidd played in midfield and did hee haw too.

Did we not supposedly poach him from under the noses of West ham or something like that. Aye right! Pressley had some real shockers. I remember us signing Andy Haworth, Chris Smith and Johnny Flynn one year. That's right up there with last Summer in terms of shit close seasons. Other crackers I recall were Pele, Touthik zerara, Ross Perry, Jordan White and Iain Flannigan.

Quite a few of the duffers mentioned either played with us in the top flight or probably still turned out for us more than I reckon Craigen and Kidd ever will. Most of our previous managers also managed to have at least one decent signing in a closed season compared to Houstons zilch last Summer. Of course every signing cant be brilliant but these days managers live or die by their recruitment. The managers who tend to sign the better players tend to end up nearer the top of the table whilst those that sign pish tend to struggle . Its as simple as that. The poorer standard of the league this season gave us a real chance to push for promotion if we'd spent the budget correctly. Unfortunately we havent and thats let Hibs off the hook and may still let DU off the hook if we cant get a run going with the players we're left with.