The Falkirk FC Thread

[Bainsfordbairn]

1 minute ago, Shadwell Dog said:

That was only our 2nd win in the last 8 matches. Taking him far too long to rectify his mistakes.  He hasn't managed to get rid of Craigen or Kidd yet for starters.

I never understand why people think it's easy to get rid of players who're under contract. You can only manage that if another club wants them and is willing to pay a bigger salary / give a longer contract than what they get at Falkirk.

Unless you want to pay them off, which in which case you're just throwing good money after bad? Surely it's better to keep them and see if they'll come good eventually. We've had a few  players at the club who were rotten in their first season and came good in the second. Miller, Higginbotham,

[Believe The Hype]

15 hours ago, Shadwell Dog said:

That was during the game when I posted that.  It's a much needed 3 points but you would expect to beat a team 7 points adrift at the bottom of the league. Next week will tell us if we really have got things sorted outWe need to start going on a run as DU are their for the taking.

I never expected us to win yesterday to be honest. Aye they are adrift at the bottom but this result was on the back of their biggest win of the season with a host of new players and some confidence about them going into the game. Fantastic result for us in my opinion.

[Shadwell Dog]

15 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I never understand why people think it's easy to get rid of players who're under contract. You can only manage that if another club wants them and is willing to pay a bigger salary / give a longer contract than what they get at Falkirk.

Unless you want to pay them off, which in which case you're just throwing good money after bad? Surely it's better to keep them and see if they'll come good eventually. We've had a few  players at the club who were rotten in their first season and came good in the second. Miller, Higginbotham,

Surely its better not to make a mess of things by signing them in the first place. Craigen has had a number of chances so far and has been brutal. We should be at least telling him that he is free to find another club if possible as he wont be part of our plans and alerting other clubs to his availability.  Same with Kidd if he can't get into the team ahead of muirhead at right back then you've gotr to question why he was signed in the first place especially if we actually paid cash for him.

[Believe The Hype]

I think Shadwell Dog walks about with face like he's just missed a penalty all day.

[Marshmallo]

A 2-1 win over a team with 13 points is not "a fantastic result" by any stretch of the imagination. It's an important three points and by all accounts an improved performance, which is obviously good news, but look at who we were playing fs.

[Shadwell Dog]

4 minutes ago, Believe The Hype said:

I think Shadwell Dog walks about with face like he's just missed a penalty all day.

I was a happy man last season when we were a decent side playing some good football. This season though has been a  mess from start to finish. We've gone backwards on the pitch due to some awful signings and have gone out of both cups without as much as a whimper. At the moment its very difficult to get yourself up for games when we should be doing a whole lot better. 

[Believe The Hype]

Totally missing the point here. We hadn't won a game in the last 7, we had just been pumped out the cup with a shocker of a display, we were away from home to a revitalised team brimming with confidence after putting in, by what I have read, their best performance of the season and looked to have turned a corner. So aye, it was fantastic to get the win. Don't act like we were owed the win yesterday because of table positions.

[Shadwell Dog]

Christ St Mirren turned Dundee over in the cup. Stirling Albion did the same to us but their still pish.

[Gaz FFC]

2 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Christ St Mirren turned Dundee over in the cup. Stirling Albion did the same to us but their still pish.

So what you're saying is Stirling would smash Dundee?

I agree.

f**k the old firm.

[Bainsfordbairn]

15 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Surely its better not to make a mess of things by signing them in the first place. Same with Kidd if he can't get into the team ahead of muirhead at right back then you've gotr to question why he was signed in the first place especially if we actually paid cash for him.

That's a different argument altogether though.

17 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Craigen has had a number of chances so far and has been brutal. We should be at least telling him that he is free to find another club if possible as he wont be part of our plans and alerting other clubs to his availability.  

If the manager wants rid of him then aye, fair enough, that's perfectly reasonable. The problem is that telling a player he can go and actually GETTING him to leave are two different things. Would you give up a salary and a secure contract knowing that IF you get something else it's unlikely to be as good?

Basically, I agree with you that this years signings could have been better. Only an idiot would dispute that. But your point that the manager should be blamed for not getting them out the door is silly IMO.

 

[Ira Gaines]

Shadwell Dog taking "proud to be a bairn" the wrong way yet again.

[Shadwell Dog]

8 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

That's a different argument altogether though.

If the manager wants rid of him then aye, fair enough, that's perfectly reasonable. The problem is that telling a player he can go and actually GETTING him to leave are two different things. Would you give up a salary and a secure contract knowing that IF you get something else it's unlikely to be as good?

Basically, I agree with you that this years signings could have been better. Only an idiot would dispute that. But your point that the manager should be blamed for not getting them out the door is silly IMO.

 

No your right to a certain extent he's not going to just say cheerio but have we actually done anything to get him out the door? HAs he been told to look elsewhere? Have other clubs been told of his availability? Probably not after he was given a start in the Morton debacle. In Rankins case that seemed to work quite well . No guarantee the same will happen with Craigen but we should be at least be actively pursuing that and if we aren't then questions have to be asked as Houston has been told he will be able to bring in players if others move on.

[Anthony Fitzgerald]

A 2-1 win over a team with 13 points is not "a fantastic result" by any stretch of the imagination. It's an important three points and by all accounts an improved performance, which is obviously good news, but look at who we were playing fs.

Hypothetical as it sounds but if they'd had that squad that they've currently got now, at the start of the season, I don't believe they'd be 13 points adrift at the bottom.

[Guest]

I have been critical as most have been. However fair play Houston and the players we were much much improved yesterday.

The key is now to do it again next week, and the week after and the week after. 7 points from the last 9 is actually decent but it has been against the three poorest teams in the league.

Houston went back to basics yesterday and it worked. Aird gives us a real balance at last. Was really pleased for Leahy who IMO was extremely unlucky to be dropped.

To the cynics on here. Let's just not sit behind our keyboards and wait to say I told you so when results don't go our way.

Bring on the trash next week

[Guest]

The signings Houston had made have come in for a lot of criticism but if you look at the team yesterday it tells another story

Rogers - Houston signed hit, not as good as last season
Muirhead - Houston signed been ok at this level, not as good as last seaso
Watson - Houston sign been ok at he level , not as good as last season
Grant and Leahy - Developed well under Houston

Aird - Houston signed looks promising
Kerr - Houston signed not as good as last season
Sibbald - finally got his chance in CM under Houston
Hyppo - Houston signed been decent this season

Baird - Houston signed not as good as first 12 months
Miller - Houston signed been decent

Maybe not as bad a it looks. Problem has been the summer signings

[Shadwell Dog]

7 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

The signings Houston had made have come in for a lot of criticism but if you look at the team yesterday it tells another story

Rogers - Houston signed hit, not as good as last season
Muirhead - Houston signed been ok at this level, not as good as last seaso
Watson - Houston sign been ok at he level , not as good as last season
Grant and Leahy - Developed well under Houston

Aird - Houston signed looks promising
Kerr - Houston signed not as good as last season
Sibbald - finally got his chance in CM under Houston
Hyppo - Houston signed been decent this season

Baird - Houston signed not as good as first 12 months
Miller - Houston signed been decent

Maybe not as bad a it looks. Problem has been the summer signings

His Summer signings in his first and third close season have been very poor.  At a time when it should be easier to pick up decent players Houston seems to make a total james hunt of it whilst his signings during the season when it should prove more difficult have been a bit  better apart from the likes of Boulding Morgan and Craigen obviously.. He also seems to compound losing good players by signing absolute donkeys to replace them. 

[Guest]

His Summer signings in his first and third close season have been very poor.  At a time when it should be easier to pick up decent players Houston seems to make a total james hunt of it whilst his signings during the season when it should prove more difficult have been a bit  better apart from the likes of Boulding Morgan and Craigen obviously.. He also seems to compound losing good players by signing absolute donkeys to replace them. 

Everyone knows that but he signed the guts of that team that played yesterday. So his signing record is not as completely shite as some point out.

[ANEWHOPE]

Much improved performance & an important result that hopefully sparks the team into life. Can see why Gallagher was 'rested' but hope to see him play more often than not. I'm not a fan of Leahy but he was good yesterday. Still think a midfield role would suit him more. Muirhead for me is an awful player to watch, struggles to do the most basic things and looks a nervous wreck from start to finish. Feel for him a little as he playing out of position but I struggle to see what he offers as a right back? One result not enough to convince me Houston is the man to take the club forward but I'am very fickle & pumping the Fifers next week would help his case. [emoji106][emoji106]

[RichieBairn]

The next two home games against Dunfermline and Dundee Utd are crucial to see if our win yesterday was a turning point with a more settled team or a false dawn. Interesting to see if the Tinker Man will be at it again or he sticks with a winning team all be it one win!! Not sure a manager should still be in the dug out who thought it productive to purchase Tudor Jones, Boulding and Taylor Morgan. Three of the biggest flops I've seen at TFS in over a decade and there are been some belters!!

[Shadwell Dog]

3 hours ago, Back Post Misses said:

 

Everyone knows that but he signed the guts of that team that played yesterday. So his signing record is not as completely shite as some point out.

 

It's the worst record since Eddie may I'd say. Not one of his summer signings have improved the side. He's taken far too long to replace Alston with at least a half decent player and his replacement for Vaulks has already moved on. We're 14 points behind a poorer Hibs side than the one we beat in the playoffs last season and 3 points and a game behind a morton side we finished 27 pts ahead of last season even though we've got a bigger budget this season than last. Second place and 400k are there for the taking if Houston gets his finger out.  he should be doing everything he can to get the likes of craigen moved on so that we can bring in another centre mid who can go box to box as that might just make the difference in the run in but I won't hold my breath.

Edited January 29, 2017 by Shadwell Dog