The Falkirk FC Thread

[ShaggerG]

43 minutes ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

There's a difference between having people who can fill in at CB and having someone whose actually good at it.   Mackie, Hendo, Adams, MacIvor at CB and we'll leak goals (maybe harsh on Hendo but would still like better).  I'd like us to sign a first choice CB to properly compete with Lang and Donaldson. 

Same up front, Shanley or Allan are poor substitutes for MacIvor.  We need someone properly decent to offer competition.  

Been covered before but had we not resigned Shanley, Oliver and (arguably) Mackie then we'd have the funds for at least 1.  

Extremely harsh on Mackie, who was excellent at the tail end of the season. The fact that he can cover two positions means that his extension was completely justified IMO.

[Springfield]

12 minutes ago, ShaggerG said:

Extremely harsh on Mackie, who was excellent at the tail end of the season. The fact that he can cover two positions means that his extension was completely justified IMO.

Mackie was in terrific form when he  got the gig when our defence was weakened. 

[NavyBlueArmy1876]

The only player I wouldn't have resigned is Gary Oliver, especially with McKenna coming in. Even with him being a cheap option and almost certainly having limited involvement from the bench, his wage could've been better spent elsewhere imo 

I think most thought we were a bit short on numbers at the back and the injuries to Donaldson, Lang and McCann have brought that into sharp focus.

Looks like Jordan Allan is off back to Clyde on loan which was always on the cards 

Reckon we'll bring in a defender and a striker now, maybe both on loan but probably not before the League Cup games 

[grumpyoldman]

2 hours ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Tennents is the drink of the Daily Record Hotline caller.

[Shodwall cat]

Not seen nearly enough of shanley to say whether he's a good replacement or not for MacIver. Very difficult to get any form going when you are only playing now and again and  it's often only 10 to 15 mins at max.  Mcglynn must have seen enough in training to know there's more to get from him.

[HopeStreetWalker]

1 hour ago, ShaggerG said:

Extremely harsh on Mackie, who was excellent at the tail end of the season. The fact that he can cover two positions means that his extension was completely justified IMO.

Not the first time over the years I have seen a player thrown into a new position due to injuries and its a revelation and career changing for the player, Tiger McLaughlin was orginally a midfielder. Did not see it but was told by my dad Alex Parker was a decent midfield player at Falkirk and due to injuries played a Right back and the rest is history. Another example was Willie Miller a middling right-winger and nothing special and played central defender in a bounce game and that was from an ex player that played in the match

So you never know, with Adams it could be the making of his football career.

[Ranaldo Bairn]

John Hughes the most obvious example we've had in "recent" times.

[Bairnardo]

Just now, Ranaldo Bairn said:

John Hughes the most obvious example we've had in "recent" times.

Apart from the imperious Finn Yeats?

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Just now, Bairnardo said:

Apart from the imperious Finn Yeats?

Quite right. Have yourself a Punk IPA.

[Bairnardo]

Just now, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Quite right. Have yourself a Punk IPA.

You're a monster

[PedroMoutinho]

1 hour ago, Shodwall cat said:

Not seen nearly enough of shanley to say whether he's a good replacement or not for MacIver. Very difficult to get any form going when you are only playing now and again and  it's often only 10 to 15 mins at max.  Mcglynn must have seen enough in training to know there's more to get from him.

Agreed but equally he has been at the club since January and has not really challenged Maciver at all. Hope I’m wrong but I haven’t seen much to suggest he will offer much a league up.

[HopeStreetWalker]

58 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Apart from the imperious Finn Yeats?

Then there was Will Vaulks from defender to midfield. Housty played a blinder with that one.

 

[Bairnardo]

Just now, HopeStreetWalker said:

Then there was Will Vaulks from defender to midfield. Housty played a blinder with that one.

 

Didnt Housty oversee a change for Luke Leahy aswell? Dunno if that was already there from ealier in his career but man did I enjoy him at left back

[Bainsfordbairn]

2 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

Didnt Housty oversee a change for Luke Leahy aswell? Dunno if that was already there from ealier in his career but man did I enjoy him at left back

Yep. Pressley signed him as a midfielder at the start of the 12/13 season and for the two years of his initial contract he made only ten competitive starts. I'm a saddo who keeps records of all FFC stats, along with my opinions on players on a season-by-season basis. 

And in my opinion Leahy did nothing in his first two years to earn a contract extension. So of course Gary Holt offered him one. It was announced on 1st May 2014. Holt then left of the 2nd of June, leaving the incoming Peter Houston with a player who appeared to be nothing more than a jersey filler. 

Steven Kingsley left that summer and Houston initially tried Liam Dick at left back. He was alright, but then Leahy got a shot at the start of September and as we all know he turned out to be a revelation. Really nice guy too. One of the friendliest players I've ever come across. 

[HopeStreetWalker]

1 hour ago, Bairnardo said:

Didnt Housty oversee a change for Luke Leahy aswell? Dunno if that was already there from ealier in his career but man did I enjoy him at left back

Wasn't Leahy a winger? just shows you how many there are when you think about it. Would it no be great to have uncovered a young Center Back in Adams it would solve a lot of problems. Stranger things have happened

[Ranaldo Bairn]

1 minute ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Wasn't Leahy a winger? just shows you how many there are when you think about it. Would it no be great to have uncovered a young Center Back in Adams it would solve a lot of problems. Stranger things have happened

I thought he was an unimpressive #10.

Loved him at LB, obvs.

[HopeStreetWalker]

Just now, Ranaldo Bairn said:

I thought he was an unimpressive #10.

Loved him at LB, obvs.

Yep was nothing special

[ShaggerG]

1 hour ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Then there was Will Vaulks from defender to midfield. Housty played a blinder with that one.

 

Houstie himself played midfield, RB and striker for us at different times.

[Claudia Gentile]

32 minutes ago, ShaggerG said:

Houstie himself played midfield, RB and striker for us at different times.

Crawford Baptie used to play at the back or as a centre forward, sometimes in the same game.

[Super Simon]

6 hours ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

Been covered before but had we not resigned Shanley, Oliver and (arguably) Mackie then we'd have the funds for at least 1.  

Whilst releasing some of those players on the back of last season would not have been an easy call, these are the kind of hard, unsentimental decisions that a manager is (well) remunerated to make. Especially given that we (a) are moving up a level and (b) have a comparatively  limited budget with which to strengthen the squad. The retention of Oliver, in light of McKenna being signed, just feels like overkill. Shanley was signed on a 6-month deal with a year's option, so it may well be that say he reached a pre-agreed appearance threshold to trigger that option but there was precious little on show from him to suggest he is capable of making any sort of impact at Championship level. Hopefully a full preseason will have elicited some improvement, time will tell.

That we're perhaps now having to rely on a Clyde to take Allan to possibly afford us the opportunity to bring in one player is a pretty brutal situation to be in. Extremely underwhelming transfer window to date.