Biblemaster

To sum up my thoughts : "I'm assuming the experienced player who let him down by trying to step out of defence and play a risky ball was Efe Ambrose? The thing is, Efe Ambrose has been doing this for years, he used to do it playing against Lionel Messi, to ask him now not to take any risks in case it gives Ally Roy a chance is just ridiculous!" If anyone would like to read my fuller thoughts, I've put them Here... http://www.qosfan.co.uk/report.php?Date=2023-11-11 15:00:00

I've said before, I don't think the players are that bad. I am now sadly coming to the conclusion that Bartley is another Ian Scott, a great coach, but not a manager. I think the players look scared to take a risk and do something not in "The Game Plan" in case they get "out of position at a throw in", the statement that for me was the beginning of the end for Bartley.

I don't agree that we have "bad" players. A 4-4-2 of Botterill, Logan, Brydon, McClelland, Church, Gibson, Cochrane, Todd, Walker, Connelly, Reilly - to me, looks good on paper and still leaves some good players on the bench. That would be a very attacking line up which could be changed by replacing the wide midfielders with full backs, but I think we should be letting the opposition worry about stopping us rather than us worry about stopping them.

What happened to the Dykes money? We got a financial boost from that would probably be 2 or 3 seasons income for most clubs at this level. I don't really see why we should have a smaller budget than Hamilton, although they have been good at producing players through the years and may have had a similar windfall?

We were stuck in the lower leagues for years as a Part Time club and only managed to establish ourselves in the 2nd tier when we went full time. Part time players from the central belt just won't sign for a Dumfries based side, even if we do train in the central belt.

Sorry to be taking over this forum, I haven't slept well after a bout of Man Flu saw me miss yesterday's game. I've just listened to Marvin's interview and I'm afraid it reinforces my feeling that he's over complicating things at Scottish League One level. At least 4 times he mentions someone was out of position for a throw in. He also says they went over it right at the end of training yesterday. To me, at the end of training yesterday we should have been looking at how we were going to score goals against a team we'd have been breezing past even a couple of seasons ago and to hell with how we're going to make it difficult for them to take a throw in! I do worry that Marvin seems to want us to play football like a game of chess but the young players are always going to have a lapse in concentration at some point during the game. I say take the reigns off them and just let them play!

I remember how frustrated I used to get playing early versions of Football Manager that no matter how good a team you put out, if your confidence levels were low, you usually lost. Turns out those early game developers had it spot on!

Although results haven't been good for years, for much of that time we had Dobbie (and Dykes for a while, and may I please be forgiven, even Gary Harkins for half a season), so it was reasonably entertaining to watch. That hasn't been the case for the last 2 1/2 seasons though, although I do think a fit Lewis Gibson is as exciting to watch as any of them, just a shame he hasn't looked near fit this season after missing most of the pre-season.

Should really have said he stood out whenever I seen him, which would have been twice at most!

They were signed to play in the league above the one we are playing in now. We have Ambrose, Todd, Reilly. I think that should be enough of a blend at tier 3 level.

I stopped going to Palmerston for about 10 years when Davie Wilson dismantled one of the best Queens sides I had seen and brought in a lot of his "journeyman-pro" mates after one bad season. I NEVER want to go back to this model. I'd much rather see us letting young players learn their trade than let a bunch of 30-somethings top up their retirement funds. Surely we should be able to give young players a chance in the 3rd tier of Scottish football? We may have to be patient, but I do think we'll get there eventually. Jack Brydon almost single-handedly turned our season around last year, Daniel Church was a stand-out at Alloa, it's not that long ago that Harry Cochrane was the hottest property in Scottish football and Lewis Gibson is possibly the best teenager I have ever seen Queens bring through. They do need experience beside them to help them out, but we have Ambrose, Todd and Reilly for that. All in all, I don't think we are all that far away from being a decent side, we still have a lot to learn, and that may mean we don't go up this season, but I think if we are patient, it won't be too long before we're challenging at the top end of The Championship again.

The Logan thing does seem strange. Gibson for Logan seemed the obvious change on Saturday but Marvin went for Houston instead, who I thought had been playing well. I'm not sure who's fault it was but Hamilton were almost immediately able to work a short free kick down that side to score.

Until yesterday, I'd have agreed, but you didn't see yesterday's match and I can assure you that the gap between the sides was much wider than the scoreline suggests. Having said that, our only decent defender has been out all season, our only creative player has struggled all season and only managed 10 minutes yesterday and our only goal threat was out yesterday as well, so hopefully things will get better, but 10 points is a hell of a start to give two teams who won't loose often this season.

I'm glad I've not seen anyone say they walked out at half time yet! All 3 league games at Palmerston this season have been really entertaining. Sure, I prefer it when Queens win, but I can still enjoy a game when we loose. Apart from a total inability to defend, I think we've actually played well so far. I've said it before, there are plenty of options not far away if all you want to do is watch your team win every week. If you're going to watch Queens, you have to accept we're going to loose occasionally!

My only worry is, I make it we now have a first team squad of 25. I'm sure Marvin knows exactly what he's doing but I think that's too many for this level and is one of the things WIllie Gibson was criticized for. Does look a good squad on paper though, but so did Willie's this time last season.

The sign is one of those "so easy to fix" things, it makes you wonder how actual important things are being dealt with? Same with the clock, I don't know how easy it is to keep going, but it's worked in almost all my time going to Palmerston so I assume it's not all that difficult (of course, it could have given up the ghost totally). We have a running joke that every year it's mentioned at the AGM that the lock in the women's toilet is broken and every year The Chairman asks how he's meant to know these things! All pretty small things, but if we can't get these right, how are we dealing with things that really do matter?

And now seen a clip of McClelland's 2nd yellow. He didn't even run into the crowd, there was a running track between him and the fans! He's been booked because some idiots ran to him!

Just seen a clip of Verane's celebration after scoring for Manchester United last night Then checked the Sky Sports App, and don't see a Yellow Card against his name. One rule for some?

Without having been there, it seems there's a lot of people saying that we "almost" cost ourselves a goal 5 times by passing the ball out of defence? As far as I can tell, none of the goals actually came as a direct result of this though? This was probably the best forward line we'll face this season and it didn't cost us a goal. I think a lot of our fans are going to have to learn to be patient this season!

Confused from Dumfries who couldn't make it tonight! Who did win the shot out? Sky Scores app originally said Queens but now saying Motherwell!

Falkirk finished 2nd last season with a top scorer with 12 goals. The top scorer in the Division played for a side outside the top 4. While I'd love to see us sign a 20 goal striker, they're pretty rare at this level and it may be better to have a target man up front with two or three of the "midfielders" getting into double figures? I get the feeling this is the set up Marvin is looking for.

How does tomorrow night work? Is there a charge to get in? Will the whole ground be open? Is it open to everyone?

Seems to me we're going on about what John Connolly did 20 odd years ago and conveniently forgetting what Alan Johnston did the last time we earned promotion. He didn't go out signing loads of journeymen. I remember in my season preview saying Nicky Clark was a midfielder and he turned out to be a not too bad striker! I personally think there are far too many players allowed on the bench now and everyone thinks they need to be of a certain quality. Personally, I'd like to see a "first team squad" of around 15 and give more local youngsters the chance to at least sit on the bench.

It would really annoy me to keep hearing that there are "no fans on the board" (and not just on P&B). There are at least 2 (I suspect 3) fans on the board. They may be open to criticism for other things, but not for "not being fans".

If I was on the board, I think I'd be tempted to walk away with comments like this! As I've said before, I don't know Billy Hewitson, but Craig and Mark are two of the most diehard Queens fans I know. They are also sensible, experienced business men!