Hank von Hell
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Posts posted by Hank von Hell
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11 hours ago, Donathan said:
I’d be looking for managers with a track record of getting the best out of a decent set of players in the Scottish lower leagues. It’s not rocket science and frankly a think a lot of our current issues have been caused by trying to play 5d chess when a simpler approach would have yielded better results (Particularly thinking about summer 2018 when Hartley ripped up a squad that had performed very well from January onwards and replaced them with unknown gambles who failed spectacularly)
Hartley still getting ALL of the blame for this despite it being a club decision to go for young upcoming unknown players in the hope of selling them on for big money.
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10 hours ago, JulioBairn said:
I tend to agree with this, getting rid of the manager but keeping this squad is pointless. However I’d also say that getting rid of the players but keeping the manager is also pointless. The whole lot need to go.
How we finance that I have no idea. I know the patrons had said they would welcome further investment, do we know if there is anything in the pipeline or are we solely dependent on FSS subscriptions for further cash injections?
I don't think investment is the right word, give us some money so we can pay some right duffers to piss off is more accurate .
What Is an Investment?
An investment is an asset or item acquired with the goal of generating income or appreciation. Appreciation refers to an increase in the value of an asset over time. When an individual purchases a good as an investment, the intent is not to consume the good but rather to use it in the future to create wealth.
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4 hours ago, JulioBairn said:
I think you are missing the point. Nobody is asking him to work for us 24/7 but its seems to be another example of someone taking the piss. Not travelling with the team to an away game cos he’s on the radio talking about Rangers? Sitting in our stadium at 9:45am on a Monday talking about Rangers? We’re not talking about a random Thursday night here.
As Rome burned, Nero went on the telly to talk about Rangurs
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4 hours ago, champions said:
Would it be possible to obtain a loan for such an expenditure?
For many years we could not obtain a loan which was probably a good thing as we'd be in bigger trouble now.
Wonder who ,considering the current noise coming out of the club re finances, would be willing to give us that kind of credit, other than the Provvie.
I just remembered the concerts used to bring in a heap of cash and we've been denied that money in the last few years due to Covid. Hopefully now that regular cash stream kicks back in and helps towards things like a new pitch.
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11 hours ago, Hampden Diehard said:
We had four players pick up long term injuries on the park when we were tenants there last season and not one of them involved a tackle or a foul by an opponent.
Folks say ah well other sides manage okay on it but they will play there twice a season. Falkirk play on it and train on it , it has to me causing injuries to our players.
It has to go but we are potless after years of paying off crap managers and signing on fees for hunners of jobber players, so it's here to stay for years yet
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12 hours ago, Ross B said:
It was informal with not a huge amount of supporters there. I spoke with Keith Gourley, Nigel Serafini and someone else from FSS who's name escapes me. There wasn't an agenda and i was asked "what do you want to know"
I felt they were fairly candid. Spoke about large amount of playing staff committed to next season on very decent wages for our level and the challenge it will be to move them on. Spoke about the likely even bigger challenge getting out of this league next season will hold with potential teams coming down and Queens Park planning to spend big.
I was advised no decision made on MR for next season either by him or by board but my feeling was if MR wants it he'll stay on. I put across my views about how poor we have been since he came in with no upturn at all and that would concern a large amount of support.
The issue re getting players from abroad is all but resolved. The pitch needs replaced probably with a new astro pitch due to revenue from ground sharing you cant get with a grass pitch.
Recognise the need for players with more physical stature who can tackle.
Club will stay full time next year, mainly due to large amount of full time players we gave contracted fir next season. All in all a pretty grim picture if im being honest.
Thanks, confirms a couple of things I have been saying over the last few months.
1. It will be difficult & expensive to move on all the under contract unwanted players, despite someone on here telling me it will be relatively cheap & easy - based on I suspect no knowledge of the situation.
2. We won't be going part time next season based on the above, despite someone else on here continually listing it as an option.
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I very rarely watch Falkirk these days which is why I never comment on the players , I just comment on the BOD and their many many mistakes over the years.
I did watch the last 2 games on stream and have to say I can't believe the massive drop in quality even since a couple of seasons ago.
Losing to Montrose 0-3 at home with a whimper seems to me an insult to the club and the many great players over the years, I would never have thought we'd sink so low. No disrespect to Montrose but before I left the UK to come to Oz I watched us in a Scottish Cup Semi Final boss Hibs (at least for the first half).
How has this happened.
Oh yeah....I hate Craig Campbell, Margaret Lang & Gary Deans. They are why we are where we are, not down to anyone on the current BOD.
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7 hours ago, Blame Me said:
As I posted earlier the BOD can be in no doubt that Rennie *and* Miller can't be the guys to take us forward and should be dispensed with immediately.
They only need to ask how the players can train so well during the week - according to the head coach - and yet that translates to worsening performances when it matters.
Something doesn't add up and we also need to get to the root of why we always struggle AT HOME!
Why does every other team enjoy our surface except us it seems.
I'm glad you said "and Miller".
All i read when they were appointed was "Rennie & Miller" this and "R&M" that , I had to check they weren't co-managers.
Now it's all going pear shaped it's only Rennie that is getting pelters - which he should be, but why is Miller absolved of all blame?
He never fronts the press or media unless it is to talk about Rangers. I'm pretty sure he's been awful in every coaching role he's had since stopping playing (I haven't checked this, it's just my perception).
If you are part of the solution in the beginning you must also be part of the problem when it goes wrong.
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8 hours ago, HopeStreetWalker said:
What the timeline should be.
Already decided - Finance, budget, squad Full time-Hybrid-Part time
This week - Rennie and Miller know their fate
Option 1 Stay. Sort the squad out who gets offered new contracts who gets an offer to buy out their contracts and target signings for next season.
Option 2 Gone at end of season. Advert out now looking for applications or approach target now. Looking to get new manager in place in first 2 weeks of closed season latest earlier if possible.
We need to take action as early in the closed season so we avoid the usual last 3 week signing spree of the unwanted dross that is left
See if they come out with the patronising 'We will take our time to make sure we make the right choice' crap. It will be the last straw for many.
Surely part time next season is not an option.
In reality you'd have to pay off every contracted player before signing an entire team of part time players on top of that with signing on fees.
Hybrid first then part time the season after or the season after if they decide to go that way.
Hope not though
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10 hours ago, Duncan Freemason said:
I am sure Rennie said there were two names on a sheet of paper, and that was it.
Credit where credit is due, at least he went and got a sheet of paper.
#Garyworks12hourdays
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4 hours ago, Duncan Freemason said:
Maybe the Falkirk Player Curse applies to Managers too. They come to us with a decent(ish) CV, and slowly but surely, we crush whatever talent they had (before they move on to succeed or at least regain their credibility elsewhere.
Is TFS perhaps built on an ancient Pictish burial ground? We need answers.
They wouldn't build an ancient Pictish burial ground in the blast zone.
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1 hour ago, Caractacus Potts said:
Was listening to Super Scoreboard earlier and a Kilmarnock fan was talking about the impact of McInnes. Said he’s basically taken Wright’s players and brought some consistent performances with players such as Alston and Stephen McGinn now looking like new signings.
Now, we all know the mess Gary Deans and Holt left the club in but then we knew the mess his predecessors left the club in too and so on. Is it too much to ask for us just to find someone capable of dealing with the card they’ve been dealt and bringing some leadership and positivity back? I don’t look at other squads and think they’re night and day above us. I don’t think many other teams in this league are that good but they play as a unit. Rennie lamented the team when he joined and now he’s been found wanting the excuses are being trundled out on here about Dixon downing tools etc.
Just fed up hearing the same excuses time and again to try and cover for mistakes. Rennie isn’t the man for the job. There has to an acceptance of that and accountability of that decision as well as others like spending a fortune on Griffiths. If we can’t admit these errors then we can never learn and will find it hard to move forward as a club.
Different level but Marcelo Bielsa took Leeds from 16th in the Championship to 9th in the EPL with basically the same squad. Guys like Phillips and Klich were on their way out when he arrived but are now established internationalists.
A good head coach/manager can work with the players he's got and make them and the team better. It's just we have had a succession of terrible coaches and the answer is always bin all the players and get a whole new load in. The most important person at any club is always the manager/head coach.
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2 hours ago, Duncan Freemason said:
We could do it if we put the club into administration. It’s been used as a business tool twice by both Dundee and Livingston.
That is unthinkable though.
And at Motherwell under the despicable John Boyle
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3 hours ago, Big Wur said:
I was the Policeman that played in goals that day, at the time I was the community Policeman for Camelon. Sure it was Brian McGinlay that refereed us that day and I remember he kept penalising me for bouncing the ball. Did you guys not all have dyed hair that day. A few months later Simon turned up at the Police Burns Supper in full Highland dress. It was held in Grangemouth town hall. Managed a chat with God that night and he signed my program with “To Big Al, the best player I have ever played with”. As you say a great guy and one of my highlights too.
Awrite Al, yes we spray painted our hair orange as we were all in the Houstie Hardcore, we left the can in the dressing room and these 2 kids got a hold of it and copied us. Turned out they were the Jeffries & Brown's kids !
We set up a mock interview with Simon where I was Hazel Irvine and I asked him "Simon, you've played for Sheffield Utd, Aston Villa ,QPR, Strasbourg, Rouen , Falkirk and now the Houstie Hardcore, whose the best in your experience". Simon replied "That's a lot of good clubs you mentioned there Hazel, but for me player for player it has to be the Houstie Hardcore!"
I think @MrDust still has it on video somewhere.
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I played at a supporters club sixes tournament at Brockville many years back in the Elliots 3 team. Each team was assigned a Falkirk player and a policeman - it was a joint venture between the club and the Police promoting community stuff.
Well we were given Simon Stainrod, which still remains one of the highlights of my life. He wasn't arrogant or aloof , he was sound and hung about with us all day between matches. We put the copper in goals and played a 4 man defence with Simon up front. Every one of our misplaced or overhit passes he got to and controlled in a flash, it was a complete education.
I also remember we were going to play a team with Stephen Cody in the next game and Simon advised us not to hold on to the ball as Cody is an absolute maniac and will break your legs even in this.
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5 hours ago, The Laddie Gastineau said:
Jeezo, can't remember that one. Unfortunately, he did have a rather torrid time with us.
I used to play 5s with Myles.
He'd go in goals and you just couldn't score in the small goals then he'd get bored and play outfield and run rings round us all.
Really nice guy.
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11 hours ago, Shadwell Dog said:
Hughes decided for some crazy reason to completely move from the policy that had worked so well of signing young players from down south to signing old farts on ridiculous wages plus Bob. We'd only missed out on top 6 by about ten mins the season before. A tweak was all that was needed. He's replaced by Eddie may when the club must've had its best ever options of a new manager in my lifetime. He's finally released from his agony and who do we replace him with another complete rookie who promises us that we'd stay up but in fact we go down without as much as a whimper despite Killie hardly winning a game for about two months. After pressleys miserable failure what do we do?We reward him with a new bloody contract. We then have a few years of never looking like going up as pressleys recruitment us in the main utter dross apart from the odd complete diamond. We then get a break as someone incredibly wants to pay money to take him off our hands. That bit of luck is then thrown out the door by replacing him again with another guy with zero experience who immediately loses a 3 0 halftime lead In a cup semi final . He's given a bigger budget but chooses not to bother spending it all and a piss poor Dundee side win the league whilst we lose out to Hamilton in the playoffs. Holt runs back to Norwich and finally we appoint an experienced head in Houston fresh from winning the Scottish cup with United. We have a disappointing first league season but we somehow manage to get to the cup final which we throw away. Next we have a fantastic season.with Houston's tactical nuance getting us second in an extremely tough league . The play off final proves a step too far though and we're muscled out of it completely. Houston says we need to sign some more physical players. Next season Houston doesn't sign any more physical players. We have a decent league campaign but have a disappointing exit to a mediocre United side in the playoffs. Poor recruitment is already beginning to tell on the ability of the squad. Next season Houston signs Alex Harris and Rory Loy who both turn out pish. He also announces he's retiring in the summer and the team down tools after a good pre season. With the club heading for relegation we sack Houston and appointment Hartley who signs some decent players in January and steers us away from the drop zone. The next season there is a great deal of optimism at the club despite the decision to suddenly dump the academy in order to sign players from clubs down south. Hartley stupidly goes along with this and takes the blame for it being a pile of shite and is sacked . He's then replaced by McKinnon who ends up costing us a fortune despite having no real successful track record as a manager. We are again relegated without much fight. The board couldn't make the same mistake again surely oh yes they could and he's kept on before being sacked when 3 points off the top of the league. We then return to our old ways of giving it to people with no experience and a hairdresser and fitness fanatic takeover. They do ok with McKinnon's players but a few poor results and more dreadful Jan recruitment mean we lose out to Raith by a point when the league is shutdown. Next season they start off well before the board appoints Holt again this time as dof. Team loses one game and collapses. Recruitment in January is 3 kids . M and M sacked holt takes over and we get somehow even worse and end up out the playoffs completely. A new manager is appointed. Aberdeens kids coach takes over and we have a super new recruitment system which basically is as shit as the old one. After a decent first few games we lose one and again collapse. Sheerin is sacked and replaced by Rennie who has absolutely no experience of the Scottish game. He signs 6 players but we are no better than we were before really. Queen's parks terrible form keeps us in sniffing distance of a spot in playoffs we all know we have zero chance of winning. Next year who knows.
I'd say that about sums it up.
George Craig, Craig Campbell and Gary Deans - the architects of our downfall.
No one will ever convince me otherwise, we are where we are because of that unholy trinity.
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1 hour ago, Barga Bairn said:
I agree with a lot of what you say but I think there are some important things to consider. Here's my take on it
Hughes found himself facing a transition with the loss of Latapy and the academy being 2 years short of producing enough players. So he signed quality but experienced players to see him through. It didnae work particular well, but he didn't take us down and we should have won the cup.
Presley was also full of bluster, but he made some very good signings on a low budget. He brought in El Alagoui, McGovern, Higginbotham, Taylor, and Marc Millar for example.
He also signed great youngsters like Murray Wallace, Will Vaulks and Luke Leahey, and played them.
He had possibly the youngest ever team in Scotland when he brought in Sibbald, Kingsley, Murdoch, Alston, Jay Fulton, Connor McGrandles.
Credit where credits due, these were all great players for us. The young team were a team worth supporting.
Holt was a disaster, both times.
Things were far from perfect, but I think Houston was unlucky, as Rangers and Hearts were dumped on us. That held back our promotion efforts.
I contend that it was from then it all went seriously, calamitously wrong. We made a bad mistake when we sacked Houston. His team looked tired and shorn of its best players after 2 decent efforts. He would possibly have turned it round and rebuilt. The guy had shown he was a decent manager in a business where few can be called that.
There were plenty of fans who wanted him out. There were also a hell of a lot of fans supporting the Hartley signings, the so called Brentford model. Plenty of idiots wanted rid of the academy. The utterly stupid board said the club couldn't support the academy financially, sidestepping the money we had made and the obvious fact that our best players on the park for a number of years were actually academy graduates.
The unfathomable mess started with Hartley and the sub moronic board, pushed even further towards oblivion by the Deans board.
I'm shattered by the last 4 seasons. I've no idea where we go from here as even starting all over again looks impossible.
Excellent summary and exactly how I feel, and have been banging on about for years.
To go from that wonderful team of young players that made you so proud to a conveyor belt of absolute jobbers is heartbreaking, and there will be no return on any player for the foreseeable future.
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10 hours ago, Duncan Freemason said:
For me, the most important milestone now is what happens when we mathematically cannot be promoted or relegated. I would think that point may well reached with two or three games to go.
At that point, we should see one of two things……either R&M call it quits, or there’s some very clear messaging in terms of playing staff………be they contracted or not.
From the meeting on Monday, one of the big omissions seems to have been the bond not having been paid for overseas player signings. It was financially a very small cost, and for whatever reason, the old Board/company secretary chose not to do it. No surprise there then.It may well have been central to R&Ms plans, which then forced them to look closer to home once it became apparent that yet another simple piece of paperwork hadn’t been completed.
The elephant in the room is still not having managed to improve things in any meaningful way, and in terms of stats, we have now fallen below Sheerin’s numbers. Sheerin started well and then fell away. Can managers start badly and then improve massively? Of course they can……it has happened many times.
Thing is, it’s damn near impossible to predict which way things will go.
I find it odd that we went for a head coach who has spent all his coaching time overseas when we knew we could not sign any players that he either worked with or knew.
From what I've read it seems it was a surprise to Rennie too and he was banking on signing overseas players.
A bit of a stuff up?
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1 hour ago, Springfield said:
So what’s for us ? Is it get rid of Rennie, and get new manager (number 6 in the past three years ? ) and get rid of the shite and build a new squad ?
The BOD ( Serafini latest news release) has already set the seed. Difficult challenges ahead, Hybrid/PT etc.I'm sure I have read that every transfer window since Campbell & Lang destroyed the club.
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6 hours ago, Shadwell Dog said:
Bielsa however sits on his bucket but then gets up gives his orders and sits back down again he certainly doesn't start the game on the sideline and then vanish into the dugout as soon as the team starts getting pumped.
Bielsa actually sat on the bucket very rarely in recent seasons at Leeds , he does his iconic low squat, which is impressive for a 66 yr old man, yelling "MOVE, MOVE" & "RUN" and his OCD inspired 13 steps back & forth across the technical area - the very definition of prowling.
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9 hours ago, HopeStreetWalker said:
That would be my choice as well if we can get Liam Craig in as his assistant all the better. The decisions regarding next season should be being made now.
Who the manager will be.
What they call the shots on.
Budget.
What out of contract players we try to retain.
What contracted players we buy out of their contracts
Squad structure - full time - part time - hybrid.
So as a club come the end of season we hit the ground running to get so many wrongs put right for our last shot as a football club.
Because if we get this wrong this time its over and we should no kid ourselves otherwise.
I'm interested how we can become a part time club next season with so many players on full time contracts (plus your proposed new full time assistant).
Surely paying them all off would negate most of the savings of going part time?
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8 hours ago, Ecosse83 said:
Calm down it’s a football forum for crying out loud
Apologies for my howling mad hysterical question.
I will indeed try to be more calm in the future.
Thanks heaps.
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53 minutes ago, Donathan said:
You don’t typically have to pay 100% of a player’s remaining contract to get him out early.
What usually happens is the player will agree to a fixed buyout, allowing him to pocket the buyout and then go sign with another club.
That buyout could be anything from peanuts to 80% of the remaining contract. The exact amount a player is willing to take depends on his view of his ability to get signed elsewhere for similar wages. Those who back themselves would agree to a comparatively smaller buyout.
Yes I agree but It's still a buy out and it's rarely peanuts. Most of our players are on the downward spiral IMO so unlikely to get better elsewhere.
Too many fans think we can just kick under contract players out with no consequence.
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The Falkirk FC Thread
in Scottish League 1 General Chatter
Posted
So why has he not done anything remotely similar before Falkirk or since Falkirk if it was all his idea.
It was Craig Campbell idea and was part of his Project Premiership presentation.