The Falkirk FC Thread

[EdiBairn]

5 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

 

It wasn't removing the old guard that was Hartley's problem. It was the players he brought in to replace them this summer.

 

The problem is that it's very rare to successfully replace 17 new players in a single window. We'd have been far better keeping some of the 'journeymen' and augmenting them with a few players of higher quality instead of trying to scout and bring in an entire new team.

[ATB1961]

1 minute ago, Gaz said:

This is the point I'm trying to make made far more eloquently, thank you.

I am fucking raging, in case anyone can't tell.

Let's face it any club should try and move on players not performing to the standard to take the club forward and replace them with players who can.

Unfortunately, Hartley decided to throw the baby out with the bath water and then unmitigatedly  failed to bring in anyone better. We lost the heart of our club through his arrogance and lack of football management ability.

 

[Guest]

Now how’s this for a wee conspiracy theory.

Paul Hartley actually didn’t get to sign all of this season’s new players. He did the deals on the Scottish ones, but the English based ones were effectively presented to him as fait accompli by our CEO and “Mitch”. His job was to knit them into a team, and not go and find them. That led to much frostiness behind the scenes with Hartley resigned to the inevitable clusterfuck that he knew was heading our way like a runaway train.

His silence since his departure is down to a NDA he signed as part of his package.

Now, as I say, it’s pure conspiracy theory stuff, and not something I had heard before. The chap who was telling me this doesn’t have any ITK credibility that I am aware of, so probability of being true is P10, and P90 for it being nonsense.

[Bainsfordbairn]

5 minutes ago, EdiBairn said:

The problem is that it's very rare to successfully replace 17 new players in a single window. We'd have been far better keeping some of the 'journeymen' and augmenting them with a few players of higher quality instead of trying to scout and bring in an entire new team.

I'm obviously speculating here, but I don't think he ever intended to bring in that many.

He had eleven signings made when the players returned for preseason. He might have always planned on a Dylan Mackin type, given that we didn't have a target man, but I suspect the following five signings were panic buys after he looked at the quality of the players he'd initially brought in.

Bear in mind that he also tried to keep some of the "journeymen" but Walsh & Longridge knocked him back and Sibbald made it clear he wanted to leave.

[jagfox]

Thanks for the loan of the trebuchet guys x

[EdiBairn]

This idea beinh floated on the COYB that the BoD are 'clinging to power' is utterly ludicrous. Think about it from their point of view, you're doing an unpaid job while being expected to throw your own money down the drain and facing constant abuse and criticism from fans. 

If the BoD 'f**k off' like most fans seem to want, the club will cease to exist. I don't see billionaires queuing up to buy Scottish championship football clubs(or fans seeking to either).

[Gaz]

4 minutes ago, Duncan Freemason said:

Now how’s this for a wee conspiracy theory.

Paul Hartley actually didn’t get to sign all of this season’s new players. He did the deals on the Scottish ones, but the English based ones were effectively presented to him as fait accompli by our CEO and “Mitch”. His job was to knit them into a team, and not go and find them. That led to much frostiness behind the scenes with Hartley resigned to the inevitable clusterfuck that he knew was heading our way like a runaway train.

His silence since his departure is down to a NDA he signed as part of his package.

Now, as I say, it’s pure conspiracy theory stuff, and not something I had heard before. The chap who was telling me this doesn’t have any ITK credibility that I am aware of, so probability of being true is P10, and P90 for it being nonsense.

Nah, I'm not buying it.

His career as a manager is effectively over. He's not going to stick by a NDA for the sake of a £60k pay-off if what you say is correct.

[Bainsfordbairn]

2 minutes ago, Duncan Freemason said:

Now how’s this for a wee conspiracy theory.

Paul Hartley actually didn’t get to sign all of this season’s new players. He did the deals on the Scottish ones, but the English based ones were effectively presented to him as fait accompli by our CEO and “Mitch”. His job was to knit them into a team, and not go and find them. That led to much frostiness behind the scenes with Hartley resigned to the inevitable clusterfuck that he knew was heading our way like a runaway train.

His silence since his departure is down to a NDA he signed as part of his package.

Now, as I say, it’s pure conspiracy theory stuff, and not something I had heard before. The chap who was telling me this doesn’t have any ITK credibility that I am aware of, so probability of being true is P10, and P90 for it being nonsense.

I don't know how many of the English signings were watched by Hartley, but I know that several WERE seen (and approved) by him before being offered a package. I'm not going to name them for obvious reasons but one of them left this week.

I'd suggest that blows a hole in the conspiracy.

[Hughsie]

9 minutes ago, EdiBairn said:

This idea beinh floated on the COYB that the BoD are 'clinging to power' is utterly ludicrous. Think about it from their point of view, you're doing an unpaid job while being expected to throw your own money down the drain and facing constant abuse and criticism from fans. 

If the BoD 'f**k off' like most fans seem to want, the club will cease to exist. I don't see billionaires queuing up to buy Scottish championship football clubs(or fans seeking to either).

The fans have every right to be upset with the board you boring, trolling p***k.

[ATB1961]

11 minutes ago, EdiBairn said:

This idea beinh floated on the COYB that the BoD are 'clinging to power' is utterly ludicrous. Think about it from their point of view, you're doing an unpaid job while being expected to throw your own money down the drain and facing constant abuse and criticism from fans. 

If the BoD 'f**k off' like most fans seem to want, the club will cease to exist. I don't see billionaires queuing up to buy Scottish championship football clubs(or fans seeking to either).

Is the COE unpaid? He is on the BoD

[EdiBairn]

Just now, ATB1961 said:

Is the COE unpaid? He is on the BoD

The CEO is a staff member so he's paid for that role. He's not paid for being a director.

[drs]

33 minutes ago, EdiBairn said:

Our "abysmal squad" that finished 2nd two years in a row and every single member of which now plays for a team above us?

Apart from John Baird, obviously, and of course that useless tit Shepherd.

And that's just off the top of my head without looking at the full squads of those 2 seasons - surely you cant be as stupid as you are making yourself look?

[ATB1961]

Just now, EdiBairn said:

The CEO is a staff member so he's paid for that role. He's not paid for being a director.

That's what you call an executive director

 

[EdiBairn]

3 minutes ago, drs said:

Apart from John Baird, obviously, and of course that useless tit Shepherd.

And that's just off the top of my head without looking at the full squads of those 2 seasons - surely you cant be as stupid as you are making yourself look?

From the squad that finished 2nd in 16/17, we only lost Baird and Leahy from the first team. Yes, failing to replace Leahy was an issue but certainly not bad enough to make us go from 2nd to 9th.

Edited October 6, 2018 by EdiBairn

[drs]

Just now, EdiBairn said:

From the squad that finished 2nd in 16/17, we only lost Baird and Leahy from the first team. Yes, failing to replace Leahy was an issue but certainly not bad enough to make us go from 2nd to 9th.

You said and I'll quote you here "every single member of which now plays for a team above us" which they don't - you've now ignored that you've made a tit of yourself and have tried to change the narrative.

Come on, step up to the plate and admit you made a mistake (again)

[EdiBairn]

3 minutes ago, drs said:

You said and I'll quote you here "every single member of which now plays for a team above us" which they don't - you've now ignored that you've made a tit of yourself and have tried to change the narrative.

Come on, step up to the plate and admit you made a mistake (again)

Which first team players who were at the club at the start of last season now play for clubs which aren't above us?

[ATB1961]

2 minutes ago, EdiBairn said:

Which first team players who were at the club at the start of last season now play for clubs which aren't above us?

Scott Shepard; Robbie Thomson: Kevin O'Hara to name three

[Senator Frimpton]

Rory Loy

[EdiBairn]

Robbie Thomson and Rory Loy( although I believe he turned down offers from teams above us)ok, but those 2 are very much exceptions to the rule.

[Senator Frimpton]

I got the impression last years horror show start had something to do with Houston announcing his intention to step down at the end of the season thereby undermining his own authority from the start. Loss of Baird, Leahy and McCracken also meant fewer on field leaders and the subsequent clusterfuck which couldn't be turned around.

Hartley's recruitment up til this summer had been generally at least effective at all his clubs, making this season's clownshow a bit of a headscratcher