DumbartonTheSons

I wouldn't grudge him a full-time gig in the slightest, providing it was a step up. Barring the first half of this season he's done tremendously well for us and the cherry on the cake being keeping us in this league for another season. I would however be very disappointed if it were to be someone like Ayr, as has been suggested. Or even Airdrie. Both are full time, but in a period of transition off the field and as I understand it, not 100% decided on how their playing squads are going to be made up next year. Ayr have a huge rebuild on over the summer, requiring a mass clearout given how awful they were this year (it still sits uneasily with me that we dropped so many points to them this year), and I'm not sure they'd be a more attractive proposition at the moment.

My preference too would be to retain what we have, I was just putting it out there as I have a sneaking suspicion that either one of Buchanan or Barr won't re-sign with us for next season. That's based on absolutely nothing, I just get a feeling both won't, so Ben Gordon would be a decent option if that were to prove to be the case.

I hear that Ben Gordon has been released by St. Mirren. I wouldn't be that adverse to him pitching up with us tbh, albeit I don't know what is wage demands would be like and how much game time he's had over the last 18 months.

It would be good to hear of even a wee bit of squad movement tonight, sets the ball rolling I suppose. That said, I'd be surprised if many of the integral members of the team signed up before the gaffer's future is even sorted... Although it'd be great if today was a Tremendous Tuesday.

It certainly adds to what is already a very important and dare I say uncertain time for the club, off the field at least...

I don't disagree with any of what you've said. I just feel that in the small amount of game time he's had he's looked accomplished beyond his level of experience and years and is a good tackler and makes good judgements on when and how to tackle. He definitely does have a lot to learn, as anyone at that age and limited game experience does, but as far as I'm concerned, given he'd likely be on a modest/low wage he'd be a decent backup to have should one of Buchanan and Barr be injured or suspended.

I'd keep Martin, Barr, Lang, Buchanan, Smith, Carswell, Nade and Fleming. I'd love to see any of our loanees return (not seen enough of Nutall though so don't really know what he's like) but I doubt it'll be us that is in the position of deciding. Of the rest I'd either like us to be looking for better, or wouldn't be fussed at all if they left.

Exactly. Imagine how boring it'd be if we all agreed? Ayr fans wouldn't have anyone to argue with.[emoji23] Definitely not. I think he already looks very accomplished and I'd be very happy if he had a chance to continue to develop with us next season.

A great article and compelling read, very well done, So08. Strangely I differ on two points as well. Granted I didn't see 'the' game where Tom Walsh impressed, but I thought he was invisible for most of his time with us and he didn't impress me. And as much as SeaGal's effort can't be faulted, and he's not been a bad player, he's been very similar, in his less game time, to Josh Todd. Very 'meh', little end product and when we're looking to add quality in the close season, I just don't feel he's what we should be looking for. I'm in total agreement on Tom Lang though. He's really impressed me in the few chances he's had, he's a very good judge of a tackle as well, don't know if he's had a mistimed challenge yet. If Barr and Buchanan stay, he'd be a back-up, but if not, I'd be pretty content if he were challenging for a starting spot next season.

Yeah today was very end of season-like but at least barring an utter catastrophe our safety was assured, which it now is. It's now essential we start the planning for next season first thing on Monday, hit the ground running so to speak. We'll be the wee, tiny fish in a big pond again next year, so the better preparation we can get the better for us. As you say, hopefully something soon regarding Stevie, one way or the other, it's the starting point for us pushing on from here. I wonder what the wee woman at the fish counter in Morrison's has to say about it all...

That's really... quite something.[emoji15]

Now you're just being silly.

I'm not sure a club like Hamilton would take the risk on someone like Aitken. I know they did I suppose with Martin Canning and ICT did with Foran, but I think the two major differences are that they came from 'in house' and had, relatively distinguished playing careers. I'm not sure a club like say Hamilton would look at Aitken just now and be able to justify the risk that it went pear-shaped. I think the clubs that Aitken would be seen by as an attractive proposition would be the likes of Raith, Dunfermline, QOS. I think he'd still be largely regarded as a rookie at this level and genuinely, with the tinted glasses off if possible, another year or two with us could see his stock rise to being on the radar of someone like Hamilton, even Partick Thistle or the likes.

I'd imagine Aitken may want a shot higher up at some stage, how high he'd want, I don't know. I don't know how 'good' his good job outside of football is. Such is the fickle nature of football management it might be too big a risk for him to go full-time although he strikes me as pretty ambitious so I'd suspect he may well want to give it a bash at some point. I think the battle at the bottom is a realistic level for us. Of course I'd love us to be mid-table or the dream world of even higher but the truth is we're dwarfed hugely by most other clubs in the division. The fact that we're usually one of two part-time clubs out of ten is a big thing, and our budget is continually the lowest in the league. I don't think it's massively realistic to expect much more based on that. Aim for more, of course, but for me, for the foreseeable, the way it is just now, staying up should be our sole aim for the season. The fact that over the last couple of years we've been in a division with, and more so competed with, the likes of Hearts, Hibernian, St. Mirren too, Dundee United and half of the ugly sister duo gives me great pride in our club. We've come a long way in a short period of time and no doubt it'll come to an end at some point, but taking points off the teams noted above is something I daresay not many of us would've thought possible a couple of years ago, so long may it continue.

If true, that's unbelievable. Surely someone, even if Drysdale didn't, could have foreseen the potential risk in loaning Vaughan out to us. I understand the financial aspect of the deal, but surely someone could have stepped in and halted this absolutely barmy arrangement before it was rubber-stamped?

Yeah, he's done nothing wrong here. From what I can see he's acted nothing short of model professional during this whole scenario. He's been a great addition to our squad and as he's said, he's in an awkward situation through no fault of his own. I highly doubt it was put across like that to your BOD, but at the end of the day, that's what it was. However it was 'sold' to the board by Locke, its flabbergasting and utterly unbelievable that nobody vetoed it, being able to easily see that there was at the very least, a risk that Vaughan could aid a relegation rival. The fact he's been excellent for us, scoring goals, and performed in such an exemplary manner both on and off the pitch for us just makes the decision to loan him to us even more shameful. I'd hope the Raith players don't hold any grudges regarding it, seeing it as the purely professional arrangement it was.

Absolutely fantastic.

Huge well done to the players and management to get us to where we are just now, and that includes the likes of Ian Murray and Stevie Farrell. They've had an input in us being where we are too. But for the turnaround since the Bonnyrigg game, huge credit needs to go to Stevie and the players. It's like watching a different side in the second half of the season and the improvement in so many players in the squad is testament to Aitken's and the players themselves, dedication and hard work. Barring a monumental disaster, here's to another year in this division.

What's the story with that? Who's the coach? I know some very good coaches haven't been decent players but if true that would certainly seem strange at the very least.

Undoubtedly there's twists and turns left in it and it could be any two from four and might still be that way come the last game. But as was said, its in our own hands. If we'd been given this at the start of the season, and more so just after the Bonnyrigg fiasco, I think all of us would have grabbed it. That's all we can ask for and we shouldn't have anything to fear for our trip to Tannadice.

Big win for us in the game at Easter Road tonight. As has been said, it's not over by a long shot, but it's another game chalked off where the team(s) below us haven't made any ground on us or inroads into our advantage over them. Now for us to do our bit and take something from Tannadice on Saturday.

Raith equaliser as Easter Road. Doesn't change a huge amount, but it'd be a point we could do without them getting. I wonder if Aitken and the players keep an eye on the score in their hooses on nights like this.

Yes, that's what I'm hoping for too. First team players with nothing to prove and who may be tired, whereas I'm hopeful that the youngsters playing will be eager to impress. It wouldn't do their contract chances any good if they didn't put in a decent performance. I don't know much of Hibs' squad outside their strongest eleven, anyone any idea of the players likely to be lining up for them this evening?

As folk have already said, this summer will be no different in that we'll have our better players cherry-picked by bigger, full-time clubs. That's just the way of it, we just need to prepare accordingly, which I'd be reasonably confident we'll do, if it's Aitken in charge. Of our squad, I'd be offering new deals to Martin, Smith, Barr, Buchanan, Lang, Carswell, Nade and Fleming. Of the rest I'd either not be too bothered if we were to lose them, they're going already, or it'd be a definite they wouldn't be staying anyway. As has been said, hopefully we can secure our place in this division for another season in the next week, closely followed by securing our manager too.

Nail. Head. The away section at Cappielow has impacted on supporter enjoyment of a game for years, so credit to them for rectifying the issue and giving away supporters a better experience watching their team. This move should be commended not mocked.