Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[The Toun Clock]

On 21/07/2024 at 09:38, Shooter McGavin said:

What’s the deal with Kane then?

Apologies if this has undoubtedly been covered previously.

Reoccurring injuries mate.

We had 14 games during his time at the club last season, he was unavailable for 4 and played 10. This surprises me as it felt like he was missing a lot more.

He did manage to score 5 goals in 10 appearances so I can see why the club wanted to get him in, try and get a good pre-season in him and hopefully go on to have a good season both with fitness and performance. However, early on we were told he was on a separate programme with Ewan Otoo as both had niggles/injuries at the tail end of last season. Otoo has been playing back for weeks.

He didn't feature in any of our pre-season games. Got 45 minutes in the first league cup game and now has been missing for the Forfar and Livi games with an "ankle niggle". It's frustrating as when he plays, we tend to play well. Without him we're a complete shambles up front.

As a club, we've still failed to address the lack of goals our strikers score, even from the League 1 winning season. Wighton had a decent return in that division but is no where near as prolific a division up, also comes with his fair share of injuries. McCann has all the attributes to be a striker, but just doesn't have the brain to put them all together, many fans fed up with him. Built like an ox and gets bulled constantly, in my opinion he has the heart of a pea. O'Hara didn't do it enough and Todorov didn't get the game time. Out of them all I'd only have kept Todorov, a true striker which you probably got the chance to see last season. 

Last season Wighton was injured for 99% of it, McCann done his usual and Alex Jakubiak for all that he was a good footballer was anonymous in the box apart from a double down at Ayr. In his defence I don't think he's an out and out striker either. Coupled in with Todd and Richie-Hosler missing the most of the season we lacked the creativity and goals they provide.

I'd like to think our early group stage exit from the League Cup and lets be honest, gash performances will have alerted the owners that the manager needs reinforcements. Our goalie is a liability, every one of our defenders apart from the new left back has had long term injuries last season so they all look miles off it, midfielders are okay but feeling the pressure of everyone else being dogs*it and the strikers are p*sh.

I'd love to see a new goalie who's actually got a chance at being #1 coming in. This kid we've signed on an emergency loan is a bench filler to make sure we've got a goalie registered. I can't see him making a single appearance unless Mehmet gets injured. We could realistically do with another centre half, central midfielder and centre forward but I know these things are unlikely. 

F*ck I must be absolutely beeling about the club just now.  One question about Chris Kane and I've went on a mammoth rant! 

Edited July 22 by The Toun Clock

[DA Baracus]

42 minutes ago, The Toun Clock said:

Last season Wighton was injured for 99% of it,

He played 20 games in the league.

Didn't do enough mind and we need better, even though he was our top scorer in the league (a massive 6).

Edited July 22 by DA Baracus

[Salvo Montalbano]

Aye, I think Kane being fit is obviously key for us but I think the real elephant in the room is centre half. We play with a three mainly because it would appear that our centre halves have one brain between them all, and that belongs in Benedictus' head. But he's too slow to play in a back four, so we're stuck with a back three. Sadly that means that our wing backs are ineffective as the new LB is nowhere near as competent going forward as Edwards and Comrie is better at RB, while Ritchie-Hosler is wasted out there. That then means we have 2 defensive midfield screeners, leaving only three forward thinking players. Kane and two others might work, but without him the other two (Wotherspoon in particular) has to do too much. If people are expecting much better if and when Kane is back then I think they are in for a shock.

[Nat Weederburn]

First thing for me is to move away from the wing backs, it clearly doesn't suit Comrie or Ngwenya or any other player currently at the club. Edwards was clearly up to it given his goal contributions last season but he's gone and McPake should've adapted accordingly. 

Benedictus if paired with a mobile defensive partner would be absolutely fine I think (Fagan-Walcott please come back). Stop forcing Mehmet and the defence try to play out from the back when they clearly can't do it at this level.

I really think we are another starting Goalkeeper, defender, central midfielder (a better deep playmaker than Chalmers.) and Left Winger away from having something resembling a capable squad to compete at this level.

It requires the board to give more backing and McPake to adapt and move away from what is clearly a failing system with the personnel at his disposal. I am concerned neither of those will come to fruition and it will be another tough season of blaming injuries for our woes rather than failing to prepare adequately. 

 

[da_no_1]

If he persists with a system that suits wing backs when we don't have any then he's a maniac and he can GTF. If he has the sense to change to suit the personnel we have then he buys some time in my book.

He won't tho.

[parsboi]

1 hour ago, DA Baracus said:

He played 20 games in the league.

Didn't do enough mind and we need better, even though he was our top scorer in the league (a massive 6).

My issue with Wighton is that even when he is available he’s not 100% fit, such is the knee issue we’re “managing”.  

[The Toun Clock]

1 hour ago, DA Baracus said:

He played 20 games in the league.

Didn't do enough mind and we need better, even though he was our top scorer in the league (a massive 6).

Did he! Wow I stand corrected then. Genuinely felt like he was hardly there, although that's worrying that in 20 games I can't really remember much impact. 

46 minutes ago, Nat Weederburn said:

I am concerned neither of those will come to fruition and it will be another tough season of blaming injuries for our woes rather than failing to prepare adequately. 

 I agree. The worry the board should have this season is the fans won't just give them the benefit of the doubt. Last season a sentence used quite frequently was "McPake has credit in the bank" after the fairly dominant L1 season. He got the benefit of the doubt due to the injuries. A few weeks in and folk are already p*ssed off, including McPake by the sounds of it.

We need to see some positivity ideally before the league opener at Livi and 100% before home game against Falkirk. Get that one wrong and that's where the fans will really let them know. IMO, Livi have a better squad than us, they've kept players I didn't think they'd keep and have already beaten us this season. I think we'll take a big crowd and have no doubt this team could rock up and win, but I also know fine well they might not turn up and the full 90 minutes will pass them by.

If that happens, then we go into the first home game of the season, derby etc. and lose that, then I genuinely reckon we could have people losing their mind. Calls for change at management and board level. Sounds a bit early for all that but last season was poor, really poor to be honest and this season already stinks of that.

This weekends game will be a friendly, a nothing game for both teams, a chance to give minutes to those who need it. I'm not going to say a chance to give players a rest because they're professional footballers, they shouldn't need a rest. I hope we had a new face or two however I really don't expect it. Surely he gives the young keeper a chance, if Deniz moans about it then let him and fingers crossed Chris Kane can get some minutes.

Edited July 22 by The Toun Clock

[CallumPar]

7 minutes ago, da_no_1 said:

If he persists with a system that suits wing backs when we don't have any then he's a maniac and he can GTF. If he has the sense to change to suit the personnel we have then he buys some time in my book.

He won't tho.

I honestly think he’s had long enough to do that. In my opinion, Edwards was the only player that the wing back shape suited. It still wasn’t great, but it possibly got the best out of him, even if it didn’t suit the majority of the squad. I’ve not been impressed by Ngwenya so far, but it could just be that the system doesn’t suit him.

The system is also a horrible choice, when we have Otoo and Hamilton in midfield. Those 2 protecting a back 4 sounds good, but we’re playing a back 5 with 2 defensive midfielders protecting them. It’s a huge ask for the remaining 3 players to provide all attacking threat/creativity.

If we can’t trust the defence/goalkeeper enough to play as a back 4, with Hamilton and Otoo protecting them, then they’re not good enough to merit their contracts/place in the squad.

Edited July 22 by CallumPar

[DA Baracus]

McPake has his favourites and will stick with them until he loses his job over it.

Mehmet is his clear number 1 and that won't change. He loves his preferred formation and won't budge on it.

[Stellaboz]

It's been said numerous times but he was flexible enough in League One. What's changed? There's clearly something that has trenched him into this failed system. 

 

Just fucking go 442, bring in Cardle.

[Passionate]

On 18/07/2024 at 08:40, keyser_soze said:

Fucking hell, that's rich coming from you.

 

[Passionate]

42 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

McPake has his favourites and will stick with them until he loses his job over it.

Mehmet is his clear number 1 and that won't change. He loves his preferred formation and won't budge on it.

Chris Mochrie what's his best position,  he is clearly not fit,  but seems to have bulked up since his pars days. .

[HoBNob]

1 hour ago, da_no_1 said:

If he persists with a system that suits wing backs when we don't have any then he's a maniac and he can GTF. If he has the sense to change to suit the personnel we have then he buys some time in my book.

He won't tho.

Yep, agreed. 

51 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

McPake has his favourites and will stick with them until he loses his job over it.

Mehmet is his clear number 1 and that won't change. He loves his preferred formation and won't budge on it.

I'm not even sure Mehmet is his favourite, think it's more the case that he's on a sizeable enough contract, that parking his arse on the bench when we've got a limited budget would be considered a waste. 

45 minutes ago, Stellaboz said:

It's been said numerous times but he was flexible enough in League One. What's changed? There's clearly something that has trenched him into this failed system. 

 

Just fucking go 442, bring in Cardle.

I said it last year but that injury list seemed to hit him hard, much like when a player loses confidence they start second guessing themselves, taking the safer option the same seemed to happen to McPake. 

Think that's permeated through the squad, Saturday was grim in loads of ways but there was a real lack of team spirit imo. It is not a happy camp. 

[HoBNob]

7 minutes ago, Passionate said:

Chris Mochrie what's his best position,  he is clearly not fit,  but seems to have bulked up since his pars days. .

If you find out then give McPake a shout. 

I really wasn't keen for us to bring Mochrie back, not because he lacks talent, but purely because McPake has already shown that he's incapable of getting the best out of him. 

We played him behind the striker quite central allot of the time, but in our system it's a hellishly difficult position with Mochrie and then Summers last season both starting off well, before tailing away badly. 

IMO he's a winger, his worst attributes is his off the ball movement and intelligence, playing him as a ten in that regard seemed silly because he'd often go missing for tens of minutes at a time. He needs a more clearly defined role where he just gets on the ball and runs past players, in that regard I'd have him on the left. Once he gets more game time and experiance he could well become a 10, but he's not there now. 

[AuldReekie]

4 hours ago, CallumPar said:

I honestly think he’s had long enough to do that. In my opinion, Edwards was the only player that the wing back shape suited. It still wasn’t great, but it possibly got the best out of him, even if it didn’t suit the majority of the squad. I’ve not been impressed by Ngwenya so far, but it could just be that the system doesn’t suit him.

He certainly looked a little lost at the weekend, whether it was the role he was being asked to play or the overall lack of confidence through the squad that made him nervous, or both. I'm not ready to write him off until I see the wider squad play better and he's a clear weak spot.

4 hours ago, CallumPar said:

The system is also a horrible choice, when we have Otoo and Hamilton in midfield. Those 2 protecting a back 4 sounds good, but we’re playing a back 5 with 2 defensive midfielders protecting them. It’s a huge ask for the remaining 3 players to provide all attacking threat/creativity.

I don't always buy that it's a defensive five - for a good bit of Saturday they were setting up as a 3-4-3 but even then, most of them looked uncomfortable. Fisher, Breen, Ngwenya, McCann all looked a little lost, KRH failed to impose himself on the game, Bene doesn't look mobile, Mehmet lacks and drains confidence, etc, etc. I don't overly care what the formation is as long as the players look like they are energised, confident and can string a coherent passage of play together. 

4 hours ago, CallumPar said:

If we can’t trust the defence/goalkeeper enough to play as a back 4, with Hamilton and Otoo protecting them, then they’re not good enough to merit their contracts/place in the squad.

And this is essentially the problem that needs to be fixed first. We can't go anywhere with the GK and defence the way it is. Comrie and Ngwenya would be better tucking back into full backs - Comrie we know can do a decent job and Ngwenya has pace. Get an experienced centre half in with pace to support Bene and get a decent GK in as a matter of urgency. The leaking of goals has to stop. 

[Well over Par]

We have many, many problems off and on the park. I won't go into them now as we all know what they are. 

biggest worry for me is our captain. the injuries last season have seen him lose a yard or two. when that happens you have less time on the ball and therefore you get rushed more and end up making more mistakes. he has been our rock and if he struggles then the whole defence will. i think we will ship a lot of goals this season

[parsforlife]

49 minutes ago, Well over Par said:

We have many, many problems off and on the park. I won't go into them now as we all know what they are. 

biggest worry for me is our captain. the injuries last season have seen him lose a yard or two. when that happens you have less time on the ball and therefore you get rushed more and end up making more mistakes. he has been our rock and if he struggles then the whole defence will. i think we will ship a lot of goals this season

I wouldn't say he was our biggest worry but he was absolutely bullied by yengi on Saturday.  He's meant to be our brick wall at the back and if that's a sign of things to come we are in major trouble.

[Reggie Perrin]

10 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

McPake has his favourites and will stick with them until he loses his job over it.

Mehmet is his clear number 1 and that won't change. He loves his preferred formation and won't budge on it.

Denis Mehmet is an atrocious goalkeeper who at best should be playing for the likes of Cowdenbeath or the Shire.

Quite remarkable that he has had game time at us, Dundee Utd and you lot.

[Broken Algorithms]

6 hours ago, Well over Par said:

We have many, many problems off and on the park. I won't go into them now as we all know what they are. 

biggest worry for me is our captain. the injuries last season have seen him lose a yard or two. when that happens you have less time on the ball and therefore you get rushed more and end up making more mistakes. he has been our rock and if he struggles then the whole defence will. i think we will ship a lot of goals this season

This is exactly why our fans weren't too bothered when he joined you. There was a marked decline in the last 6 months of his time with us. 

Add in extra injuries and it's not particularly surprising to read. 

[Heaton]

If Bene can't get his sharpness back then tbh it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. When he signed, it was well know he was nearing the end of his career and to get a season and a bit out him at the level we did was decent. It was never going to be a long term thing. A 3rd season may just be one too many I'm afraid, especially after his injuries.

I'm more concerned that the club don't seem to realise this and we have Fisher and Breen as CBs with a declining Bene along side them in a back 3, and midfielders as cover.

Wonderful!

I get more pissed off at the state we are in every day. I can see me being chucked out and banned at the Falkirk game...might not be a bad thing.