Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[Shandon Par]

I know f**k all about football but fitness is one thing I know a wee bit about and Grant’s team just don’t look in great condition. Maybe the players are just cruising in training if they’re not buying into what is being coached? A couple of The Germans need to get down to training and put a rocket up Grant and the players. 

[CallumPar]

I feel like a lot of our fans (and our board) are too happy to accept mediocrity. A manager needing to make 2 subs at half time, because his starting 11 was a disaster isn’t something he should be praised for.

He came in and both he and the chairman stated he was here to win the league/get promotion. 7 games in, 4 goals scored (none in 4 home games) and 4 points, sitting at the bottom of the league. But people think that getting dominated for the first 45, then battered in the last 10 - with a wonder save from OFW to thank for keeping it level, is enough to justify keeping the guy.

He signed 3 centre halves this summer and yesterday had to bring in an older player as a 4th, so that he wasn’t forced to play any of the young guys. He brought in Mehmet, who’s ended up being awful, and OFW’s save is the reason some people want him to stay. He’s constantly getting his tactics wrong, but apparently we should give him time. Why? So that the new manager takes over a team in an even worse league position, where player morale is rock bottom?

He’s going against the idea of signing decent young players and helping them progress. He won’t look at the younger players at the club. We’re going backwards in every sense of the club. We were told that we had a new philosophy of having a young squad and looking to progress players and sell them on. But the manager seems to actively avoid playing any younger players now. So surely, results become more important, no?

[Shandon Par]

Kenny era mk2. Totally insane to sanction a first team squad of about 27 players. 

[mac.i]

1 hour ago, Chubbychops said:

 

Sounds like Paul Watson won't be seen again. He initially makes it sound like Paul was injured and then the guy interviewing him doesn't let it go. He then states he won't be available at the moment and can't talk about it., in a way that didn't sound injury related. Connolly is a replacement for Watson IMO. Watson has seen right through the cunto from the start.

There could be a multitude of reasons that Grant couldn't expand on including all sorts of Covid issues; waiting for test results, showing symptoms, family member showing symptoms etc... Other family illness and so on. 

Don't think Grant's answer helps as it does make it sound like there's something to hide when it's not necessarily the case. When a club is on a poor run all sorts of theories will come out. 

[The Toun Clock]

10 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

Taken on its own, a draw at Starks isn't a terrible result. However, when taken in the context of our season, as it should be, it's a poor result. Are we going to keep 'building' on draws and draw our way to the title* or a playoff place? Is this another 'encouraging' performance, despite yet again not winning?

Only some poor finishing by Rovers in the first half kept us in the game for the second. They should have been at least two or three up by the end of the first 45. They passed it around and through us with ease, always having a man available and always having space to exploit. Comrie got absolutely roasted first half. It's almost as if a manager did some scouting on an opposing team, recognised a weakness and exploited it, rather than arrogantly not apparently bothering to find out about the opposition and just assume all will be well. Rovers clearly targeted attacking down our right, and got their reward with the goal. Comrie got far too easily turned/beaten for that too and struggled all half against Zanatta and Dick. Rovers also got a lot of success putting in crosses from our left. It might be that they again recognised that they would get the opportunities to do this (rather than the cutting in of Zanatta and the low driven crosses from the right). The unmarked header should have been a goal. We've been done with that far too often this season and it's crazy that it hasn't been sorted. 

We had almost nothing going forward and struggled to put passes together. Think we had maybe 2 attempts at goal, neither of which produced a save from Macdonald.

Second half we were much improved and got the equaliser. I was very disappointed to see us sit back immediately after that though, rather than press for a winner. What 'encouraging' signs were there to take from that? Terrible management.

Dow looks still not up to pace, so he has to not be playing Thomas out of spite. I struggle to think of another reason. Only having three wide players could be an issue in general. Macdonald could possibly play wide, but I doubt we'll see him again under Grant unless circumstances (injuries and suspensions) force him. Kennedy can f**k off with that shitebag diving. No heart, and I fear a lack of final product in general, although his cross for the goal was great. 

 

Connolly had an alright game tonight. He had a part in their goal however, as well as the glaring chances they had in the first half. His signing though still baffles me. I still think it's a really poor one. I've seen people fall over themselves to defend Grant by reasoning that he is an improvement on what we already have. He might be, but why then was Grant allowed to sign a load of other centre backs if they weren't good enough? Why was he allowed to sign a load of players not up to standard? What sort of message does this send to a younger player like Jones? The message here is that he WON'T get a chance. Instead, Grant will just bring in someone he thinks is better. The message is that younger players won't get a chance to play and develop. Jones is only on a 1 year contract. If he isn't getting the chance now, when will he get one? Might younger players think twice about signing for us if they think they won't get an opportunity? Going back to Macdonald, he can play wide, but even with an unfit Dow and out of favour Thomas he won't get a look in. 

Is he making signings for the short term to save his job, rather than to build a team longer term? Is part of his remit not to try and help bring through younger players? If not, why not? 

 

Anyway, get Grant so far to f**k. Fire him immediately. Four goals and four points from seven matches, with zero wins, is abysmal. He showed, yet again, that he is awful when the team shat it after equalising and did not go for the winner. He was the dog who caught the car.

As I said, are we to expect a load of cautious draw now, and be expected to buy that it is 'encouraging' and 'something to build on'? Nah, bin this jester.

 

Incidentally, I got a good chuckle out of the two commentators and the presenter and pundit all wondering why our league record is so bad, yet not one of them even hinted at the correct answer, with Loy even saying that Grant is "a very good coach".

 

*Title has long gone. Best we can maybe hope for is a playoff place, but Grant needs to be punted for any chance of that.

Can't argue with much of that. I did feel Connolly was good and is better than Watson. Like you I don't really understand the signing as we've got a lot of central defenders but IMO he will improve us over time. With regards to Kennedy I've been very disappointed, he has flashes of brilliance but no end product. He also didn't get the assist for the goal, he passed it down the line to Edwards who's cross for O'Hara was great.

[Cardle is Magic]

Agreed that Grant talking about Watson seemed odd but could easily be COVID-related and didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

[Stoo61]

31 minutes ago, The Toun Clock said:

With regards to Kennedy I've been very disappointed, he has flashes of brilliance but no end product.

Ive watched Kennedy take the piss out of teams in the centre of the park. Looked less of a threat out wide last night, thought that was a weird decision, if it wasn't that Grant made it.

If he had the end product, at this point in time, he wouldn't be playing with us.
He will create chances in a settled team that understands whats going on. First half last night it was heedless chickens. 

[parsforlife]

I suspect Watson has decided to give grant his opinion and has been frozen out as a result.

On Dow not tracking back,  I think this is as a result of him being quite high and also moving centrally alot.  I think the instructions first half were for him, kennady and cole to try and get up to todorov,  something they failed miserably at and also left the fullbacks too exposed.  

We know Dow and Comrie can be a successful pairing both attacking and defending,  I think we need to question why Grant doesn't have that working.

[Chubbychops]

1 hour ago, parsforlife said:

I think we need to question why Grant doesn't have that working.

Here's an answer too.............He's an incredibly shite football manager.

[Passionate]

Kerr McInroy how was he for the pars,  Airdrie have managed to get him on loan...  What type of player is he..   Thanks in advance

[Stellaboz]

Pretty mince and defensively unaware.

[Rob1885]

Kerr McInroy how was he for the pars,  Airdrie have managed to get him on loan...  What type of player is he..   Thanks in advance

Was good when we beat Hearts in November to top the table, never kicked a ball after that. Much like the rest of the team!

Sent from my SM-A202F using Tapatalk

[Cardle is Magic]

Aye, McInroy and Turner were both outstanding that night. False dawn or what?

[DeclanG]

3 hours ago, Passionate said:

Kerr McInroy how was he for the pars,  Airdrie have managed to get him on loan...  What type of player is he..   Thanks in advance

Completely irrelevant, if that helps.

[DAFC.]

9 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Aye, McInroy and Turner were both outstanding that night. False dawn or what?

They were really good that night. McInroy almost scored a belter. Mayo missed an absolute sitter as well. Total false dawn. 

[CallumPar]

Genuinely forgot McInroy ever played for us. As mentioned above, had one good game then completely disappeared.

[The Toun Clock]

Was quite happy when we signed him as someone had put together a nice package of him scoring for Celtic reserves, looked like a player who would get on the ball and have a bit of dig from the middle of the park, scoring a few goals in the process. Was disappointing apart from a few games, like the Hearts game mentioned above. For him to have been at Celtic there's obviously a player in there but we didn't see the best of him. He also didn't feature much post Christmas and didn't get a decent run in the team so I wouldn't completely rule him out and say he's no good. I'd say he'd be better in league 1. 

[Cardle is Magic]

Really good interview with Mark Connolly on the OS, comes across well. Hopefully he can have an impact like Rutkiewicz did a decade ago.

[Chubbychops]

3 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Really good interview with Mark Connolly on the OS, comes across well. Hopefully he can have an impact like Rutkiewicz did a decade ago.

He was very similar to Rutkiewicz now you mention that. Aggressive and vocal. I think Gaspuitis has been doing well the last few games too. They could become a solid partnership.

[Stellaboz]

So what about Watson? And Breen and the Hong Kong lad or whoever. Graham is sent back hopefully.