LatapyBairn

Also, I think this spiel about the academy turning out hundreds of superstars is wide of the mark. McGrandles, Fulton and Kingsley were the only players who came through and established themselves in our first team before being sold on over a 10 year period. Biabi, Gallagher and Blair weren’t good enough to play for us when sold for buttons and I’d be astounded if any have a future at any decent level. The idea that we’ve shut something that was consistently producing first team players being promoted by the likes of Tam McManus and John Hughes or even that it contributed to our relegation is utter rubbish.

If he goes for around £8 million, we’ll get £2 mil of that, which is more than all the academy sales we’ve had. Yes, a sale that big is an exception to the rule but there’s no reason we couldn’t get lots of smaller sales if we have the right scouting network in place(ie not Hartley and Mitchell). The way we recruited McKenna is an example. There are lots of players coming out of the American college system and the money saved from the academy could allow us to offer longer term contracts to get a return on them.

The club are taking their time issuing the release list. But I don’t think a fifth complete rebuild in two years .would do us any good. I’d be looking to realistically keep Dixon, McKenna, Edge, McGhee, Kidd, Paton, McShane and Petra.

To be fair to the lad he was playing in a team that eventually finished second bottom. He was also being played out of position. I can see him getting another years contract in the hope that playing in League 1 might help his development He’s scored 3 goals in 78 appearances mostly in league 1. No thank you.

We’d have Mutch in goal, Scobbie at left back, Paton and Waddington at centre mid, Robson at left wing and Todorov and O’Hara up front if the fans picked the team next season. Bonkers.

We’re about to get more for Will Vaulks than all the academy sales in total

The decision to scrap the academy was still the right one IMO. Yes, everyone can point to 4 or 5 players who’ve gone on to do well over a 10 year period but there was very little at all that came through beyond that. There was nothing at all that came through in the run up to the closure. The fact that Hartley signed a load of shite doesn’t make the strategy itself wrong. The money spent on the academy would be far spent better paying higher wages(and even small transfer fees) to young guys with potential.

Nope, money will be extremely tight next season and every penny of it should be focused on getting us promoted at the first attempt. The last thing we need is to be leaking money on an organisation that has brought through 7 first team players in 10 years.

We’d be as well going part time and preparing for a long stay in league 1 now if that’s the standard of player we’re going to have.

Utter nonsense. Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Ross County, Inverness, Patrick Thistle and St Johnstone have all been in the top 6 in recent years and all have crowds smaller than or similar to Falkirk. The idea that we were getting ideas above our station is rubbish.