Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[Wacky]

20 minutes ago, Chubbychops said:

Nothing wrong with what you are saying but the obsession with youth is going too far. The owners need to wake up and invest in exerienced players in the summer.

They need to adjust their stategy. Not every signing has to be seen as a long term investment. We had enough young players going into January. We really didn't need another trio of 20 year olds.

The lack of leadership and experience was glaringly obvious today. Everybody can see it apart from our owners.

I agree, and these guys will know this too. I can’t speak for them but maybe they took a wee gamble and it’s bit them on the erse. 
I hope we can tread water and stay in this league, then have a fresh start in the summer. The board must be on that page too. 

[Wacky]

34 minutes ago, Rob1885 said:

A fair post. They've been here 3 and a half years and we've regressed on the park. The rumoured losses are putting the shitters up a lot of the fanbase. No normal fan asked for this so I don't see why it's been forced upon us. This isn't revisionism either.

Let us crack on with running as a normal football club in the Scottish championship not some pie in the sky European project.

 

30 minutes ago, Chubbychops said:

Nothing wrong with what you are saying but the obsession with youth is going too far. The owners need to wake up and invest in exerienced players in the summer.

They need to adjust their stategy. Not every signing has to be seen as a long term investment. We had enough young players going into January. We really didn't need another trio of 20 year olds.

The lack of leadership and experience was glaringly obvious today. Everybody can see it apart from our owners.

I meant to ask, do you guys think the board should walk? 

[parsforlife]

9 minutes ago, Wacky said:

Would this whole question of the board walking happen if we were winning? Definitely not IMO. 

Well no but the entire judgement call on how well the club are performing is how we are performing on the pitch.  If their strategy was working we’d be winning a lot more, the fact we aren’t rightly puts them up for questioning.

[Wacky]

Just now, parsforlife said:

Well no but the entire judgement call on how well the club are performing is how we are performing on the pitch.  If their strategy was working we’d be winning a lot more, the fact we aren’t rightly puts them up for questioning.

I agree, but I also think that with our full squad it wouldn’t be an issue 

[Thereisalight..]

1 hour ago, Chubbychops said:

Joe Chalmers should be sacked on Monday. That hideous performance today is the final straw. A lazy one paced  waste of a shirt.

Colour me shocked. We did try to warn you guys about Sleepy Joe

[Rob1885]

18 minutes ago, Wacky said:

 

I meant to ask, do you guys think the board should walk? 

Yes. I've never thought it to be a good fit.

[CallumPar]

I’m not saying McPake needs to be sacked right now. But he really needs to sort it out and stop being so stubborn with his awful system that everyone else in the league has worked out. It just doesn’t work.

It’s been happening for months now. But today just seems to show he’s really out his depth. At 0-0, it was clear our tactics were ineffective. Other than the enforced change (where he put Moffat up front and left our new striker on the bench), he didn’t make any changes until it was far too late and we were 3-0 down. Even then, he didn’t change the team’s shape or game plan and just expected some sort of miracle. You can’t defend that. If that’s not being enforced on him by the board, then he’s so far out of his depth it’s unreal. If it is enforced by the board, he needs to stand up to them and/or walk to make his point.

We changed shape/tactics a lot last season, when things were going well. Now that we’re struggling, he’s refusing to change anything, and basically failing to make any attempt to turn this form around. I can’t understand that and would love to know why. It genuinely makes no sense that we’ve been sticking with this failing shape/tactics for so long. Even Peter Grant abandoned his back 5 after about 4/5 league games. How’s McPake somehow ended up being more arrogant/stubborn than him?

That stubbornness/arrogance isn’t down to the injury issues. Thats just a convenient excuse. Anyone that thinks this run of form is all down to injuries needs to open their eyes. Everyone we come up against has a really similar plan. Put pressure on us trying to play it out from the back and we’ll give you the ball. Have attacking players occupy the space between the wing backs and the back 3 and you’ll have us all over the place defensively. Have a midfielder or full back run into our box and nobody will pick him up. Put every cross/set piece on top of Mehmet and he’ll panic/flap. Hit a shot at Mehmet and he’ll palm it back into the 6 yard box. It’s basic stuff that we’re getting undone with every week and we don’t seem to have changed anything or done anything to fix the issues that are constantly being exploited.

Some of that’s on the players, but we have a team of inexperienced boys, getting hung out to dry, because we can’t/won’t recruit experienced players to help them. There’s a reason experienced players demand more money and I can’t believe we don’t see the value they would add to the team.

Regarding recruitment, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… our chief scout can’t be doing his job properly, when he’s taking our first team warm-ups and sitting in our dugout every single match day. Surely he should be away scouting potential signings? I would have thought that was really obvious.

[DA Baracus]

1 hour ago, parsdaft said:

From what I’ve heard, a couple of patrons asked some very specific and valid questions about the long term business plan, the funding of the training ground, the poor financials from the last trading year and the current trading year and just had it all swept under the carpet with weak reassurances which were no more than words. 
 

The meeting was essentially pointless - there were no facts or figures - just smoke being blown by the Germans assuring everyone there’s nothing to worry about and that they were disappointed to be so heavily scrutinised. 

You’ve probably heard nothing about the outcome as there was nothing remotely beneficial to come out of it. 

We had someone else saying they heard the exact opposite.

Who are we to believe?

[Well over Par]

5 minutes ago, CallumPar said:

I’m not saying McPake needs to be sacked right now. But he really needs to sort it out and stop being so stubborn with his awful system that everyone else in the league has worked out. It just doesn’t work.

It’s been happening for months now. But today just seems to show he’s really out his depth. At 0-0, it was clear our tactics were ineffective. Other than the enforced change (where he put Moffat up front and left our new striker on the bench), he didn’t make any changes until it was far too late and we were 3-0 down. Even then, he didn’t change the team’s shape or game plan and just expected some sort of miracle. You can’t defend that. If that’s not being enforced on him by the board, then he’s so far out of his depth it’s unreal. If it is enforced by the board, he needs to stand up to them and/or walk to make his point.

We changed shape/tactics a lot last season, when things were going well. Now that we’re struggling, he’s refusing to change anything, and basically failing to make any attempt to turn this form around. I can’t understand that and would love to know why. It genuinely makes no sense that we’ve been sticking with this failing shape/tactics for so long. Even Peter Grant abandoned his back 5 after about 4/5 league games. How’s McPake somehow ended up being more arrogant/stubborn than him?

That stubbornness/arrogance isn’t down to the injury issues. Thats just a convenient excuse. Anyone that thinks this run of form is all down to injuries needs to open their eyes. Everyone we come up against has a really similar plan. Put pressure on us trying to play it out from the back and we’ll give you the ball. Have attacking players occupy the space between the wing backs and the back 3 and you’ll have us all over the place defensively. Have a midfielder or full back run into our box and nobody will pick him up. Put every cross/set piece on top of Mehmet and he’ll panic/flap. Hit a shot at Mehmet and he’ll palm it back into the 6 yard box. It’s basic stuff that we’re getting undone with every week and we don’t seem to have changed anything or done anything to fix the issues that are constantly being exploited.

Some of that’s on the players, but we have a team of inexperienced boys, getting hung out to dry, because we can’t/won’t recruit experienced players to help them. There’s a reason experienced players demand more money and I can’t believe we don’t see the value they would add to the team.

Regarding recruitment, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… our chief scout can’t be doing his job properly, when he’s taking our first team warm-ups and sitting in our dugout every single match day. Surely he should be away scouting potential signings? I would have thought that was really obvious.

Good post, mate 

[Well over Par]

3 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

We had someone else saying they heard the exact opposite.

Who are we to believe?

I heard the same as parsdaft 

[DA Baracus]

Just now, Well over Par said:

I heard the same as parsdaft 

And others are saying the opposite.

Who are we to believe?

[Shibuya]

1 hour ago, Chubbychops said:

Joe Chalmers should be sacked on Monday. That hideous performance today is the final straw. A lazy one paced  waste of a shirt.

This echoes every Ayr United supporter who ever watched the guy - a piece of shite footballer.

[Parscelona]

Have to agree regarding the board, we haven't improved under their stewardship, we've regressed.

Seven year plan? What a total nonsense. 

[parsboi]

a few things

 

- rot had set in before German investment took full charge, saw McArthurs name a few posts ago praising his running of the club.  Could be argued that his latter years in charge saw a start of the slide ending his last year as Chair with relegation. 

- who is the key decision maker on recruitment?  We’ve  been crying out for an experienced centre back all season.  To not get one in that window looks a potentially terminal decision 

- I don’t think the system is necessarily the problem, it’s the slow predictable style of play, and personnel we use! 
 

- McPake hasn’t gone from being superb in turning round a failed squad last year to being a clueless numpty this year, but the issues identified last year (and previous) still persist.  Lack of goal scoring, Wighton, Chalmers, Mehmet and McCann all found wanting at this level.  Hes the one sanctioning players staying at the club and extending deals.  Today he let the new lads sink.  Disgraceful management to allow that defensive combo to continue so long.  I don’t understand why he didn’t change it earlier, he did it previously and wasn’t scared to change, why not today?

How many games does McPake get before he has to go? No wins at home to QP and Arbroath must mean a change is necessary, surely?

 

 

Edited February 4 by parsboi

[Enigma]

Who would you appoint if you did get rid of McPake? Dick Campbell?

[Rob1885]

27 minutes ago, Enigma said:

Who would you appoint if you did get rid of McPake? Dick Campbell?

For me, the mess goes beyond the manager. I'm not convinced anybody would come in to make a difference between now and the end of the season tbh. 

[vikingTON]

2 hours ago, CallumPar said:

I’m not saying McPake needs to be sacked right now. But he really needs to sort it out and stop being so stubborn with his awful system that everyone else in the league has worked out. It just doesn’t work.

It’s been happening for months now. But today just seems to show he’s really out his depth. At 0-0, it was clear our tactics were ineffective. Other than the enforced change (where he put Moffat up front and left our new striker on the bench), he didn’t make any changes until it was far too late and we were 3-0 down. Even then, he didn’t change the team’s shape or game plan and just expected some sort of miracle. You can’t defend that. If that’s not being enforced on him by the board, then he’s so far out of his depth it’s unreal. If it is enforced by the board, he needs to stand up to them and/or walk to make his point.

We changed shape/tactics a lot last season, when things were going well. Now that we’re struggling, he’s refusing to change anything, and basically failing to make any attempt to turn this form around. I can’t understand that and would love to know why. It genuinely makes no sense that we’ve been sticking with this failing shape/tactics for so long. Even Peter Grant abandoned his back 5 after about 4/5 league games. How’s McPake somehow ended up being more arrogant/stubborn than him?

What changes should have been made to the team lineup to give you a realistic chance of getting a result today? Not being snide - I'm interested to know what alternatives you think were available.

The more obvious issue to me is the lack of any tactical alternatives, but your entire squad is currently hostage to that approach as well. 

[The Toun Clock]

35 minutes ago, parsboi said:

How many games does McPake get before he has to go? No wins at home to QP and Arbroath must mean a change is necessary, surely?

I don’t think we’re at sacking the manager stage yet, some way off it actually. Today’s result is a sore one because we were fucking dreadful and got smashed by a team who we’ve beaten fairly comfortably twice this season. If we’d lost 1-2 in a spirited performance there wouldn’t be half the noise.

However, it can’t be denied that things aren’t going well at the moment. I say we have to, absolutely have to take six points from the next fortnight. We’re playing the two teams below us at home, they’re must win. If we lost any of them then I think the crowd noise could reach boiling point. The only concern is we’re then back to sacking a manager, paying him off for another two years and I have little faith in the board appointing the right man.

FWIW I think McPake will lead us to safety this year, in fact I think we’ll get key players back and finish mid table. As I said above, it feels raw and sore tonight but we have the beating of most teams in this division on our day.

32 minutes ago, Enigma said:

Who would you appoint if you did get rid of McPake? Dick Campbell?

Think Ian Murray might be out a job soon so maybe him.

 

[pawpar]

We need to get rid of the board the sooner the better. Since they have arrived we were relegated with two terrible managers that they appointed then blamed the fans with that horrific letter that looking back they must have forced Ross Mcarthur to sign. McPake got us promoted back to where we are and the board have been tight when it has came to money. Wotherspoon being the obvious example. For a club like us that can have big attendances when playing Raith, Dundee United and Falkirk last season we should not be in this position. How anyone can blame McPake for trying in impossible circumstances when his hands are tied because of this board disgusts me. The problem is with the board not the manager. You can have the best manager in the world but if your board doesnt support you then you will not succeed.  Sack the board not the manager.

[Stellaboz]

Crawford and Bullen