The Falkirk FC Thread

[MrDust]

We are not alone in the way of exciting signings, no offence to Dumbarton but they are the only team who will get excited about their signings or Qos with Dobbie. 

The Owen Coyle's, Hagi, Kevin James, yogi, Allan Ferguson, Stevie Tosh, John Henry and Stuart Taylor likes are not circulating like they were back in the day. 

The top league is no better with either unknown foreigners, failures in lower English leagues or failures who did well in Scotland, who revisit again.

The normal trend now is get players from lower leagues or promote your own.

The best signing last season in our league was probably Dobbie which helped queens to 6th, 2nd best signing - fuk knows.

There are players out there but finding them isn't as easy as it once was as proven by the repeat loan signings and swappable loan signings around the club's in the league.

 

[Shadwell Dog]

12 minutes ago, MrDust said:

We are not alone in the way of exciting signings, no offence to Dumbarton but they are the only team who will get excited about their signings or Qos with Dobbie. 

The Owen Coyle's, Hagi, Kevin James, yogi, Allan Ferguson, Stevie Tosh, John Henry and Stuart Taylor likes are not circulating like they were back in the day. 

The top league is no better with either unknown foreigners, failures in lower English leagues or failures who did well in Scotland, who revisit again.

The normal trend now is get players from lower leagues or promote your own.

The best signing last season in our league was probably Dobbie which helped queens to 6th, 2nd best signing - fuk knows.

There are players out there but finding them isn't as easy as it once was as proven by the repeat loan signings and swappable loan signings around the club's in the league.st 

 

Wouldn't take too much to at least get people interested in next season. A signing like loy would be a statement of intent and raise the spirits. We should also be looking at some decent loan deals to get better quality in. I still can't understand why in all these deals we've done with Swansea getting some young players on Loan from them was never factored into any of these deals. 

Edited May 28, 2017 by Shadwell Dog

[Marshmallo]

There is a difference between having a small budget and using a budget to sign dross.

[wullie robb]

Shadwell 

I think you would be surprised at the standard of some of the English premier league under 23s, in all honesty it's not that great. 

They all have one or two really good player's but the majority would end up playing in the bottom leagues in Scotland. 

England have a shortage of quality at youth level mainly because the leagues were flooded with foreign player's for year's and to an extent still are.

Good player's still exist in Scotland but sadly the scouting system of the eighties and nineties has long gone due to cuts and budgets, also the old reserve leagues gave the chance for player's that matured a little slower than some to come through.

Some fantastic player's from year's ago would never have made the grade if all of the above was not in place, some of the best player's in Scotland only started to play first team football in their twenties, sadly nowadays money is more important to clubs hence why so many are ditched at Nineteen and Twenty years old.

Football is not about entertainment any more sadly it's about money. 

[Marshmallo]

Good player's still exist in Scotland but sadly the scouting system of the eighties and nineties has long gone due to cuts and budgets, also the old reserve leagues gave the chance for player's that matured a little slower than some to come through

The management team need to be getting in their cars every night to go and watch games at all levels in that case. Sitting on a gantry commentating on yet another bottom six Premiership game doesn't cut it.

[Shadwell Dog]

40 minutes ago, wullie robb said:

Shadwell 

I think you would be surprised at the standard of some of the English premier league under 23s, in all honesty it's not that great. 

They all have one or two really good player's but the majority would end up playing in the bottom leagues in Scotland. 

England have a shortage of quality at youth level mainly because the leagues were flooded with foreign player's for year's and to an extent still are.

Good player's still exist in Scotland but sadly the scouting system of the eighties and nineties has long gone due to cuts and budgets, also the old reserve leagues gave the chance for player's that matured a little slower than some to come through.

Some fantastic player's from year's ago would never have made the grade if all of the above was not in place, some of the best player's in Scotland only started to play first team football in their twenties, sadly nowadays money is more important to clubs hence why so many are ditched at Nineteen and Twenty years old.

Football is not about entertainment any more sadly it's about money. 

Watched the FA youth cup final a few weeks back. Standard was absolutely fantastic and 18 out of the 22 starters were eligible for england.  Standard of football on show was superb. Whilst the likes of Swansea are not at that level I still saw two or three players in their squad when they faced us that could've been decent on loan additions for us. Guys with a bit of pace which is something we badly miss. I'd even take Ryan Blair back on loan. Would be a certain starter in our midfield now in my opinion.

[wullie robb]

2 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Watched the FA youth cup final a few weeks back. Standard was absolutely fantastic and 18 out of the 22 starters were eligible for england.  Standard of football on show was superb. Whilst the likes of Swansea are not at that level I still saw two or three players in their squad when they faced us that could've been decent on loan additions for us. Guys with a bit of pace which is something we badly miss. I'd even take Ryan Blair back on loan. Would be a certain starter in our midfield now in my opinion.

Shadwell 

I'm not disputing the fact teams have some decent player's but the better team's in England will want to keep them and as you say 18 were eligible for England, why can't we concentrate on Scottish player's a quick fix from England that inevitably moves back south isn't going to help the club in the long run. 

Falkirk had a network of scouting in the Eighties that scoured the country at all levels of football, nowadays scouts sit with computers typing in Height, Weight, speed, ect, and press a button to pass it on. 

The guy with the notebook that stood at the side of the park in the pissing rain and noticed Kevin Mcallister was a huge talent is dead in the water nowadays IMO. 

 

 

[Shadwell Dog]

1 minute ago, wullie robb said:

Shadwell 

I'm not disputing the fact teams have some decent player's but the better team's in England will want to keep them and as you say 18 were eligible for England, why can't we concentrate on Scottish player's a quick fix from England that inevitably moves back south isn't going to help the club in the long run. 

Falkirk had a network of scouting in the Eighties that scoured the country at all levels of football, nowadays scouts sit with computers typing in Height, Weight, speed, ect, and press a button to pass it on. 

The guy with the notebook that stood at the side of the park in the pissing rain and noticed Kevin Mcallister was a huge talent is dead in the water nowadays IMO. 

 

 

I couldn't give a flying feck where a player comes from and whether hes here for more than one season at a time if he helps get us out this hellhole of a league. Once we're in the top flight we can then worry about the fact thet they've headed back down south .. Yes teams will want to keep hold of their better players but I was talking about factoring loan deals for Swansea players into the deals we are agreeing with them to sign our best young players. Tell them yes they can have Stephen Kingsley but we want money and so and so on loan for a season. I'm sure they'll cope with us having one of their best young players for a season if their getting a future Scottish international in return.

[wullie robb]

2 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

I couldn't give a flying feck where a player comes from and whether hes here for more than one season at a time if he helps get us out this hellhole of a league. Once we're in the top flight we can then worry about the fact thet they've headed back down south .. Yes teams will want to keep hold of their better players but I was talking about factoring loan deals for Swansea players into the deals we are agreeing with them to sign our best young players. Tell them yes they can have Stephen Kingsley but we want money and so and so on loan for a season. I'm sure they'll cope with us having one of their best young players for a season if their getting a future Scottish international in return.

BOD probably get a better deal just selling the player to the team down south without to many clauses in the contract.

I know it's frustrating that every season seems to repeat itself, but until Falkirk stop trying to get in via the back door and show supporters that the club has every intention to actually win the championship it's play offs at best again.

[Shadwell Dog]

Just now, wullie robb said:

BOD probably get a better deal just selling the player to the team down south without to many clauses in the contract.

I know it's frustrating that every season seems to repeat itself, but until Falkirk stop trying to get in via the back door and show supporters that the club has every intention to actually win the championship it's play offs at best again.

I agree with you their mate but we need to be a bit harder to deal with when it comes to selling players. We need to loosen our wage cap and we need to use the loan market more to give us access to a better player whether they come from England or Scotland. Every other side in the league uses the loan market extensively apart from us.

[lanky_ffc]

18 minutes ago, wullie robb said:

Falkirk had a network of scouting in the Eighties that scoured the country at all levels of football, nowadays scouts sit with computers typing in Height, Weight, speed, ect, and press a button to pass it on.

Modern scouting is a lot more advanced than that, but I'd be amazed if a club at our level had even considered utilising analytics.

Do we still have any sort of relationship with Ross Wilson? Southampton are generally considered the best in the Premier League at identifying and cultivating talent. Whilst we don't have the same resources, we could surely learn a thing or two from them. All it would cost is a plane ticket initially.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/11953368/Why-the-rest-of-the-Premier-League-have-a-lot-to-learn-from-Southampton.html

[MrDust]

9 hours ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Wouldn't take too much to at least get people interested in next season. A signing like loy would be a statement of intent and raise the spirits. We should also be looking at some decent loan deals to get better quality in. I still can't understand why in all these deals we've done with Swansea getting some young players on Loan from them was never factored into any of these deals. 

Loy has another year at Dundee on a wage we couldn't get near according to Houstie and was on a wage more than he ever had at Utd.

Unless Loy gets a pay off, I doubt he will be in the championship this season.

The rumours I'd heard, is that Swansea weren't keen loaning players because we play on plastic, I don't know if this has scuppered other deals also as we have had zero loan deals bar a Rangers youth player and a third/fourth choice Aberdeen goalie.

It's definitely not as easy as it once was getting players in, that's not just our league

Edited May 29, 2017 by MrDust

[wullie robb]

4 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

I agree with you their mate but we need to be a bit harder to deal with when it comes to selling players. We need to loosen our wage cap and we need to use the loan market more to give us access to a better player whether they come from England or Scotland. Every other side in the league uses the loan market extensively apart from us.

Shadwell, I am all for the loan market but it has to be a player that starts or someone with a bit quality, not someone who's filling a bench.

The club still need the basic core of player's for the future.

Regarding the other post I agree scouting is more than typing in facts and figures but you would be surprised at some of the most successful scouting systems in England, they are infact from lower league clubs like Crewe ect, larger clubs then pick up the players from them.

[wullie robb]

Actually the proof that modern day scouting is not what it seems.

Falkirk...... Morgan Taylor 

Hamilton..... Bingham 

Really.

[Guest]

The only think I have heard from the MSM last week was that the commercial manager has been appointed a full exec director. He works hard the lad so good luck to him. Anyone else heard anything?

[Shadwell Dog]

31 minutes ago, wullie robb said:

Shadwell, I am all for the loan market but it has to be a player that starts or someone with a bit quality, not someone who's filling a bench.

The club still need the basic core of player's for the future.

Regarding the other post I agree scouting is more than typing in facts and figures but you would be surprised at some of the most successful scouting systems in England, they are infact from lower league clubs like Crewe ect, larger clubs then pick up the players from them.

Who says its someone to fill a  bench. St Mirren got Loy in last season. He's wasn't  filling a bench. Morton got players in from Celtic who didn't simply fill a bench. United got Andreu in he wasn't filling a bench. The loan market if used correctly allows you to get players in that you normally cant afford whatever level your at. Celtic got Roberts in for instance too, I dont see them worrying about how that will effect the future of their youth players. 

Mr Dust your right about Loy. My main complaint would be if we lost out on him to the likes of St Mirren next season. But  is the reason we cant get near his wage due to some ludicrous wage cap or is it simply because Houston would rather have 3 or 4 medicocre players in his squad instead ?  If its the latter then our squad needs thinned out and we need to start replacing medicocre quantity with quality. If its the former then we need to get rid of this wage cap asap, The manager should have a budget which he is allowed to spend in which ever way he sees fit. If that means having a player on 1500 quid a week instead of 3 on 500 quid then so be it.

 

Ross Wilson is a good shout too. Surely he should be able to help us out in one way or another. Southampton must get a number of players on trial etc who arent good enough for them but would do a job for us. Could also be a decent avenue for loan deals. 

Can't believe the plastic pitch rumour. They were quite happy to play against us on the same surface and most of these youngsters will be training on plastic at least during the winter months.

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by Shadwell Dog

[Gaz FFC]

2 hours ago, MrDust said:

The rumours I'd heard, is that Swansea weren't keen loaning players because we play on plastic, 

And yet McGrandles got a serious injury on 1 of the best grass pitches in Scotland 

[Newbornbairn]

4 minutes ago, Gaz FFC said:

And yet McGrandles got a serious injury on 1 of the best grass pitches in Scotland 

Now we have the cause of that injury and a plastic pitch at TFS

[MrDust]

1 minute ago, Gaz FFC said:

And yet McGrandles got a serious injury on 1 of the best grass pitches in Scotland 

Grant got injured on the grass at Livvy......

Im sure there are surveys in the US that prove that artificial surfaces are no more of a risk than grass.

The plastic is always going to have a bad name with some till its used more worldwide at the top end

[ANEWHOPE]

I know he not Mr Popular on here with some but heard Mr Brown Shoes on the radio making the point that many of the young players are reluctant to go on loan as they are way too comfortable where they are. This was a point that I've heard others make and one that has some merit. Why would a English Premiership or Championship player earning a very good salary want to take the risk of going on loan when they can sit on their 3/4 year deal and then work their way down the divisions. The Academy is a nice wee merry go round that many are happy to keep turning for as long as they can. Therefore chances of someone coming to us is less likely.