The Falkirk FC Thread

[RC55 FFC]

2 hours ago, Back Post Misses said:

Be an upgrade on Williamson, but hey so would I be and am in my 50’s, carrying too many pounds and left footed 

Bring back the PE Teacher

[Grangemouth Bairn]

8 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

There's not a single way you could argue that he wouldn't be a net improvement to our squag

Andy Nicol at right back would improve our squad and he’s in his 60’s.

[Guest Ecosse83]

1 hour ago, Back Post Misses said:

You can slaughter the manager all you want but McCabe, outside the lad who went to Raith, by and large had the same core of players from last season who finished way way ahead of our gang. 
McGlynn inherited 14 of that squad, and had he had the finance, I am sure would have cleared more out and more quickly than he did. He turned that around to finishing comfortably above Airdrie. Those slaughtering him seem to forget that. I just don’t get this McCabe is a master coach narrative.

Now the excuses are gone. The team that starts this season will be McGlynn’s. He has a core of better players than he inherited and he will have to supplement them with the right types in the right areas. Goalkeeper, RB, CH, CM and striker.  Anything else other than promotion will be failure and catastrophic for the club unless there is serious investment. 
 

That’s a fair assessment, definitely no excuses for the management next season. Probably the weakest League since we have been back down as well (certainly weaker than the last few seasons anyway). If we improve on last season then we will be there or thereabouts! 
 

 

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

Lots of chat about having the biggest budget in the league, but does that really count for so much if we’re recruiting in the lower end of the full-time market? Agyeman signing has already weakened one team for next season, maybe more from the same league?

 

Perhaps we’re going to reshape our transfer policy now.

[Springfield]

A shrewd manager would/should have identified key players from all our rivals. We have no divine right to sign anyone, but I’d expect at the minimum we’ve sounded these players out. As said I personally would sacrifice the first team squad numbers and pay the going rate for a better class of player, if this involves part time players albeit. For the past few seasons let face it you only get what you pay for…………..

[Otis Blue]

6 minutes ago, Numbers_One_To_Eleven said:

Lots of chat about having the biggest budget in the league, but does that really count for so much if we’re recruiting in the lower end of the full-time market? ...

Well, yes, it does ... you will unquestionably have the biggest budget in the league and so when competing for the signing of FT players against your FT rivals in L1, you will be offering better terms than they will and so you should be attracting the best of the "lower end full-time market".  So you should have the best squad in the league.  Next season will be a big season for Falkirk, now is the time to win it against relatively poor opposition.  If you don't ... teeth will be gnashed, I think.

[HopeStreetWalker]

1 minute ago, Springfield said:

A shrewd manager would/should have identified key players from all our rivals. We have no divine right to sign anyone, but I’d expect at the minimum we’ve sounded these players out. As said I personally would sacrifice the first team squad numbers and pay the going rate for a better class of player, if this involves part time players albeit. For the past few seasons let face it you only get what you pay for…………..

It is a big sell to get the quality required to sign for Falkirk.

Players will be reluctant to drop down a league and join a club with manager and player churn and impatient support that will turn on the team. Any signing will be a last resort and a player on the way down.

Where the club should go to is the division below and get the best young part-time players ready to make the next step in their career and go full time.

 

[NUMBER 7]

11 hours ago, Shodwall cat said:

Hamilton and Airdrie are probably about the same for a normal run of the mill league match.

Stirling will be better than Peterhead.

[Grangemouth Bairn]

55 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Exactly, I have seen no MCGlynn hero worship. 

I don’t see any hero worship either but I do see more trust in McGlynn from our fans than I’ve seen in a manager for a while.

The reality is he got the same points average (1.86 per game) as McKinnon and M&M got in 2019/20 without challenging for the title like we did that season. All 3 of them are regularly slated on here, quite rightly, for being poor managers.

I personally don’t think he’s good enough. His style of play is dated and he doesn’t appear motivational in the slightest however what I or any other fan thinks does not matter a jot.

The board employ him, and clearly think he’s doing well enough so he’ll be in charge next season.

I don’t think it’s the right decision however with our 2 biggest rivals and best teams in the league being promoted and replaced by 2 clubs in turmoil we won’t have a better chance of getting out this league.

Personally, I think young, hungry Marvin Bartley has got a fantastic tune out of QoS during Q4 (much like young, hungry Rhys McCabe got out of Airdrie during Q4) and I expect they’ll come roaring out of the blocks.

[NUMBER 7]

The two things that must change next season, whoever plays, whoever is signed, is Tempo and Aggression 

Having seen our two recent matches v Airdrie and their two v Hamilton, they were played at a step up from any pace we play at. Also they clear their lines when required and worry about getting possession back further up the pitch or later.

Similarly watching these Championship Friday night games on tv most of these teams would beat us playing the way we play, although there has been a lot of hoof ball in that league too

[Grangemouth Bairn]

2 minutes ago, NUMBER 7 said:

The two things that must change next season, whoever plays, whoever is signed, is Tempo and Aggression 

Having seen our two recent matches v Airdrie and their two v Hamilton, they were played at a step up from any pace we play at. Also they clear their lines when required and worry about getting possession back further up the pitch or later.

Similarly watching these Championship Friday night games on tv most of these teams would beat us playing the way we play, although there has been a lot of hoof ball in that league too

Agree, but having Nesbitt and McGinn as likely regulars in our midfield next season means we are unlikely to be implementing a high temp, aggressive style.

[Guest Ecosse83]

3 minutes ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

Agree, but having Nesbitt and McGinn as likely regulars in our midfield next season means we are unlikely to be implementing a high temp, aggressive style.

To be fair to Nesbitt when he doesn’t play the tempo is even slower, he hasn’t got an aggressive bone in his body though so you can have that one

[Guest Ecosse83]

I just wonder with the players we have on the books right now they might try a different system. With Kennedy gone and Morrison possibly going we have no wingers (Agyeman can play there tbf). 
 

If Henderson is being considered for centre half against I’d prefer to see him in a 3. Get McCann right up the pitch with a new right full back on the other side. Would probably be easier to get Allan in the team as well with that system. I don’t think for a second Mcglynn will make a change so drastic but it would suit what we have just now with new signings made for that system! 

[FFC 1876]

Tempo will come if we make the right signings, we need more pace and power in the team. Agyeman's a good start but we need more throughout the team.

Starts from the keeper getting the ball out quickly, then whatever centre back we bring in to play with Donaldson needs to be able to play as otherwise we'll have them passing back and forth between eachother like last season, Mckay & Mackie were bad for trying to play a long ball that they didn't have in them. 

McGinn's not got the legs anymore so if he's here next season hopefully he's used more sparingly. Given we know McGlynn's going to end up playing 4-2-3-1 we'll need a couple of options out wide, just having Kennedy & Morrison last season hamstrung us. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by FFC 1876

[Grangemouth Bairn]

12 minutes ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

Agree, but having Nesbitt and McGinn as likely regulars in our midfield next season means we are unlikely to be implementing a high temp, aggressive style.

Yip, I think he’s extended Nesbitt as he will be the one to bring the energy/tempo. Be interesting to see young Finn, with his energy and enthusiasm get a run in there, but I won’t be surprised if we get more plodders.

[Harry Kinnear]

2 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

It's not exciting for you at all in terms of enticing fixtures with lots of noisy rival supports.

However, surely as you all keep going on about getting "out of this shithole", it's extremely exciting in that regard. No?

There won't be a side in there with gates even a third of yours, with several averaging much less than even that.

If you can't escape that league, then there really and truly must be something fundamentally and structurally amiss at the club.

I see some real nonsense on here: in the last few pages, there's been mention of the need for 'investment ' calls for fans to put money into the club rather than spend it on away games, and even lamenting of the loss of gate revenue from Dunfermline.

It's all quite ludicrous.  Even before we chuck in this season's Cup run, Falkirk will have way, way more wealth than anyone they face in the league next season.

Stop pining for more.  That is not the issue.

We’ve probably had the biggest budget,  or near to it every season we have been here and yet still managed to make an arse of it. I’ve no reason to believe next season will be any different. At least if we are going to be here, I would like some fixtures that I can look forward to with decent numbers of away fans. That list doesn’t fill me full of excitement for the season ahead.

Edited May 21, 2023 by Harry Kinnear

[Bainsfordbairn]

47 minutes ago, Springfield said:

. As said I personally would sacrifice the first team squad numbers 

Last year we finished the season with thirty signed players, albeit the three young lads were on amateur contracts and we had one apprentice. Six were out on loan and unwanted as five were released at the end of the year. 

I think it's a given that the squad size will be smaller next year. Probably around 20 not including the apprentices. 

 

[Big chungus]

13 minutes ago, Ecosse83 said:

I just wonder with the players we have on the books right now they might try a different system. With Kennedy gone and Morrison possibly going we have no wingers (Agyeman can play there tbf). 
 

If Henderson is being considered for centre half against I’d prefer to see him in a 3. Get McCann right up the pitch with a new right full back on the other side. Would probably be easier to get Allan in the team as well with that system. I don’t think for a second Mcglynn will make a change so drastic but it would suit what we have just now with new signings made for that system! 

I was thinking this the other day as well. An extra CB playing would surely shore up the defence. Dunfermline won the league last season playing a 3-5-2 and Cove won it the year before also playing a 3-5-2. Maybe at this level it can be a really effective system. I am aware we played it under Rennie for a few games but I wouldn’t read anything into that.

[Monkey Tennis]

48 minutes ago, Harry Kinnear said:

We’ve probably had the biggest budget,  or near to it every season we have been here and yet still managed to make an arse of it. I’ve no reason to believe next season will be any different.

Ok, then.  Budget clearly has no bearing on a team's chances.

Have you been introduced to my good friend, Wastecoatwilly?

Edited May 21, 2023 by Monkey Tennis

[PedroMoutinho]

4 hours ago, Bairn in Exile said:

I’m always banging on here about how loyal and passionate our fans are but are we really?

Loyal, yes, absolutely. We have been loyal in the extreme, backing the club and team in numbers through thick and thin over the last 5 seasons.

But are we really passionate? Adjective. having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling; fervid.

I’m starting to think that apathy has kicked in for far too many of our fans. Apathy: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

There is way too much acceptance of where we are at and McGlynn’s “achievements”. Are there really so many of you on here that are close to the board and don’t want to upset your friends with negative posts? Has the FSS and fan representation on the board become a bit of a double edged sword with nobody prepared to criticize anymore? Yes, the board are fans too and I am sure want the very best for the club. I am certain that Margaret Lang wanted the very best for the club. I am positive that Doug Henderson wanted the very best for the club. But when they made mistakes they were hounded for it.  I think that the current board are given far too much of an easy ride, as if they are not capable of making errors of judgement.

Do the majority of Falkirk posters on here, genuinely, in your heart of hearts, believe that McGlynn is the right man to get us promotion and take us forward? I don’t. I think the only reason he is getting another season “to put things right” is because the board thinks that it would cost the club too much money to get rid. We should use some of the funds from our jammy cup run to give him his jotters and start the new season with somebody else in charge.

I am going to resurrect a word that used to be bandied about regularly on here but I just don’t see anymore.

I am scunnered.

For me, there is a culture of low standards at the club (not started by the current board tbf) that has seeped into some of the support.

We’ve just been trounced by Airdrie in the third tier playoffs and yet there has been no communication from the club over a week later. 

In my view management teams and boards should be praised when deserved and criticised when appropriate. Previous boards would have been slated (rightly or wrongly) for the retired number issue for example.