The Falkirk FC Thread

[Senor Bairn]

Good to see everyone's taking the result well. 

[18BAIRN76]

The way I see it - a disappointing performance where we didn’t reach anywhere near the heights we’ve reached in previous weeks, but nowhere as terrible as some are saying. It would be nice to win these games and solidify ourselves as title contenders, but given last year where we consistently folded in games like this, taking a point from a tough venue where we didn’t play very well is a pretty okay result. The league campaign is long and if we draw these games away and manage to beat them at home, we won’t be too far away at the end of it. We move on to Tuesday. 

[AGPar]

15 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

Why are folk hanging up on the fact that it's Montrose? They are a side who have been equal to or better than us for basically all of our time in this league.

That is exactly the reason that some do not view this result in a particularly favourable light. Because the argument here is not "We should be swatting aside part-time Montrose no questions asked". Anyone advancing that theory has been living under a rock for the past few seasons. It's actually the exact opposite. Montrose have been a very decent side at this level for several seasons and, if not perhaps viewed as a direct rival, would certainly be expected to put in a strong challenge for the top-four. In other words, the type of game we have struggled so badly in since relegation. That's the context in which some will view a draw and fairly mundane performance as nothing to get massively excited about. Yet another missed opportunity. Not that a draw at Links Park is, by itself, a disastrous result or anything close to it. But an acknowledgement that assuming the role of flat track bully against the likes of Clyde and Peterhead is not going to be sufficient to gain promotion. There still needs to be more evidence - much more - that we are capable of regularly beating the other teams likely to be challenging at the top.

[Guest Back Post Misses]

2 hours ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

I get your point but I think he was referring to Airdrie and Montrose ie. The more regular top 4 teams.

Airdrie have won one in 6. 

[Springfield]

22 minutes ago, 18BAIRN76 said:

The way I see it - a disappointing performance where we didn’t reach anywhere near the heights we’ve reached in previous weeks, but nowhere as terrible as some are saying. It would be nice to win these games and solidify ourselves as title contenders, but given last year where we consistently folded in games like this, taking a point from a tough venue where we didn’t play very well is a pretty okay result. The league campaign is long and if we draw these games away and manage to beat them at home, we won’t be too far away at the end of it. We move on to Tuesday. 

Common sense prevails, thanks 

[ebobsboy]

1 hour ago, PedroMoutinho said:

Edinburgh will not be a top 4 side come the end of the season Imo

They will either be one of those sides who your waiting on for the bubble to burst and it doesn't or like you say injuries n suspensions take their toll and they fall away. If they do manage to stay in the top four that will be some achievement, but you can be victims of your own success, look at Arbroath this season. 

[gav-ffc]

39 minutes ago, 18BAIRN76 said:

The way I see it - a disappointing performance where we didn’t reach anywhere near the heights we’ve reached in previous weeks, but nowhere as terrible as some are saying. It would be nice to win these games and solidify ourselves as title contenders, but given last year where we consistently folded in games like this, taking a point from a tough venue where we didn’t play very well is a pretty okay result. The league campaign is long and if we draw these games away and manage to beat them at home, we won’t be too far away at the end of it. We move on to Tuesday. 

Far too sensible.

[The Toun Clock]

2 hours ago, PedroMoutinho said:

Edinburgh will not be a top 4 side come the end of the season Imo

Agreed. Whilst I don't think they'll be relegation candidates I don't think they'll be in the top 4. They offered nothing yesterday, parked the bus and were rewarded handsomely for their time wasting. They've scored more away goals than we have goals in total, yet you wouldn't think that.

I said before a ball was kicked that Airdrie, Dunfermline, Falkirk and Kelty H would all make the top 4. Kelty had a poor start but have started picking up wins, Airdrie have gone right off the boil, but I'd still expect it to be the same come the end of the season. I don't think Queens are consistent enough to keep up and I don't know if Montrose have enough to win more games than they draw (they'll beat us on Saturday no doubt).

[Shodwall cat]

5 hours ago, The Toun Clock said:

Agreed. Whilst I don't think they'll be relegation candidates I don't think they'll be in the top 4. They offered nothing yesterday, parked the bus and were rewarded handsomely for their time wasting. They've scored more away goals than we have goals in total, yet you wouldn't think that.

I said before a ball was kicked that Airdrie, Dunfermline, Falkirk and Kelty H would all make the top 4. Kelty had a poor start but have started picking up wins, Airdrie have gone right off the boil, but I'd still expect it to be the same come the end of the season. I don't think Queens are consistent enough to keep up and I don't know if Montrose have enough to win more games than they draw (they'll beat us on Saturday no doubt).

Kelties home form has been decent but their away results have been horrific. They will need to sort that out pronto to get near the top 4.

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Montrose are a far better side than Kelty and will finish above them.

[Guest]

Of course, the league table at the end of the season will tell us all we need to know. What is objectively true is that after 10 games, we are 4 points better off than last season, so no doubt, an improvement.

Equally true though is that in two games against Montrose, one against Airdrie and one against DA, we have won none, and taken 3 points from a possible 12. That is way too similar to last season, and the season before that. There’s lots of games to put it right though, and we really need to. I don’t think we’ll get anywhere near the title if we don’t start winning those head to heads.

[RuncornBairn]

At last, midweek game when I’m up from Runcorn. COYB.
Just watched highlights, Morrison getting stick for the “Kennedy chance”,? If he’d  passed and Kennedy missed Morrison would have got slaughtered, or did I miss another chance?

Edited October 17, 2022 by RuncornBairn

[Reggie Perrin]

14 hours ago, Duncan Freemason said:

Of course, the league table at the end of the season will tell us all we need to know. What is objectively true is that after 10 games, we are 4 points better off than last season, so no doubt, an improvement.

Equally true though is that in two games against Montrose, one against Airdrie and one against DA, we have won none, and taken 3 points from a possible 12. That is way too similar to last season, and the season before that. There’s lots of games to put it right though, and we really need to. I don’t think we’ll get anywhere near the title if we don’t start winning those head to heads. of those games away from home.

Three of those games away from home.

First Montrose and Airdrie games came before we had anything like a settled team and we only drew away to THEM because of a really stupid penalty after a wonderful first half display.

Saturday not one of our better performances but were still worth at least a draw away to a difficult opponent.

Taking the glass half full viewpoint but we are clearly a vastly improved team this season.

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Reggie Perrin

[Guest Caractacus Potts]

6 minutes ago, Reggie Perrin said:

Three of those games away from home.

First Montrose and Airdrie games came before we had anything like a settled team and we only drew away to THEM because of a really stupid penalty after a wonderful first half display.

Saturday not one of our better performances but were still worth at least a draw away to a difficult opponent.

Taking the glass half full viewpoint but we are clearly a vastly improved team this season.

 

Think DF has a point though. The 2 wins in our last 5 games came against teams that have been abysmal and are propping up the bottom of the table. If we want to win the league then we really do need to find a way of getting victories against the teams likely to win the title whilst continuing to see out matches against the rest. 

Hopefully Tuesday can get us back on track. Alloa have better form with 10 points out the last 5 compare to our 8 so will be another good test to see if we have what it takes to string the sort of results we need to win the title. 

[gav-ffc]

4 of the next 5 at home ( Alloa, Kelty, Fc Edinburgh and Dunfermline) 12 points needed imo.

 

[Reggie Perrin]

32 minutes ago, Caractacus Potts said:

Think DF has a point though. The 2 wins in our last 5 games came against teams that have been abysmal and are propping up the bottom of the table. If we want to win the league then we really do need to find a way of getting victories against the teams likely to win the title whilst continuing to see out matches against the rest. 

Hopefully Tuesday can get us back on track. Alloa have better form with 10 points out the last 5 compare to our 8 so will be another good test to see if we have what it takes to string the sort of results we need to win the title. 

Basically my point is that it is too early to get worried about those results.

If we have failed to get a win against any of these teams by the new year then that would be a different matter.

[NavyBlueArmy1876]

I do think it's pretty harsh to include the first two games against Montrose and Airdrie. Since then we've made 5/6 changes to the starting line-up. Alegria had only been in the door for about 5 minutes and we hadn't even signed Burrell

After those 2 games we were 5 points behind Dunfermline, and had closed it to 2 points before playing one of our trickiest matches of this quarter. Now in the next block of fixtures we've got Edinburgh at home along with Dunfermline and Airdrie. Still early days but from what I've seen so far we've finally assembled a side capable of improving on our usual string of draws and defeats in these types of games.

My main concern is simply how (un)clinical we have been so far. Dunfermline went to Alloa on Saturday and scored 3 goals from 3 shots on target. There are a lot of tough matches in this league and that is exactly the kind of ruthlessness you need to show to win promotion.

Edited October 17, 2022 by NavyBlueArmy1876

[Dawson Park Boy]

14 minutes ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

I do think it's pretty harsh to include the first two games against Montrose and Airdrie. Since then we've made 5/6 changes to the starting line-up. Alegria had only been in the door for about 5 minutes and we hadn't even signed Burrell

After those 2 games we were 5 points behind Dunfermline, and had closed it to 2 points before playing one of our trickiest matches of this quarter. Now in the next block of fixtures we've got Edinburgh at home along with Dunfermline and Airdrie. Still early days but from what I've seen so far we've finally assembled a side capable of improving on our usual string of draws and defeats in these types of games.

My main concern is simply how (un)clinical we have been so far. Dunfermline went to Alloa on Saturday and scored 3 goals from 3 shots on target. There are a lot of tough matches in this league and that is exactly the kind of ruthlessness you need to show to win promotion.

Dunfermline played Edinburgh and Alloa were at home to Airdrie on Saturday?

[Reggie Perrin]

29 minutes ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

I do think it's pretty harsh to include the first two games against Montrose and Airdrie. Since then we've made 5/6 changes to the starting line-up. Alegria had only been in the door for about 5 minutes and we hadn't even signed Burrell

After those 2 games we were 5 points behind Dunfermline, and had closed it to 2 points before playing one of our trickiest matches of this quarter. Now in the next block of fixtures we've got Edinburgh at home along with Dunfermline and Airdrie. Still early days but from what I've seen so far we've finally assembled a side capable of improving on our usual string of draws and defeats in these types of games.

My main concern is simply how (un)clinical we have been so far. Dunfermline went to Alloa on Saturday and scored 3 goals from 3 shots on target. There are a lot of tough matches in this league and that is exactly the kind of ruthlessness you need to show to win promotion.

Exactly.

If we have one failing this season it is our wastefulness in front of goal.

[ShaggerG]

1 hour ago, RuncornBairn said:

At last, midweek game when I’m up from Runcorn. COYB.
Just watched highlights, Morrison getting stick for the “Kennedy chance”,? If he’d  passed and Kennedy missed Morrison would have got slaughtered, or did I miss another chance?

Morrison wouldn't or certainly shouldn't have been slaughtered if he'd passed the ball. Kennedy possibly would have been because he was in a very good position to score however. I think Morrison was caught in two minds as there was a defender in close proximity and he may have felt that a pass would have been intercepted. Remember he's only got a second or two to think about it.

Despite the fact that he's clearly a greedy player, I'm sure if there was simple pass on for a Kennedy tap-in he would have squared it.