Sons' sorrow

[BallochSonsFan]

46 minutes ago, Thommo90 said:

Why is the fan of the year blaming the budget for our performance on the pitch?

We have a smaller budget than a lot of teams in the division. Annan last night had a striker. We had Declan Byrne trying to chase lost causes and Russell McLean practicing for this summer's hide and seek championship. And even then we only signed Rusty with the help of the manager's fund.

A better budget and Greg Wylde isn't a Dumbarton player. A better budget and we have an actual striker.

That doesnt mean that Farrell is getting the best he can from the players available. He isnt. But equally, the playing squad has some pretty big holes in it.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

1 minute ago, BallochSonsFan said:

We have a smaller budget than a lot of teams in the division. Annan last night had a striker. We had Declan Byrne trying to chase lost causes and Russell McLean practicing for this summer's hide and seek championship. And even then we only signed Rusty with the help of the manager's fund.

A better budget and Greg Wylde isn't a Dumbarton player. A better budget and we have an actual striker.

That doesnt mean that Farrell is getting the best he can from the players available. He isnt. But equally, the playing squad has some pretty big holes in it.

I’d be shocked if Russell McLean is one of the top earning strikers in the division. Managers fund or no managers fund. I know for a fact he had a very decent offer from a team higher up the chain than ourselves but didn’t fancy the travelling. He wont be the only one in our squad on a decent wedge for this division.

Farrell has also chosen to play Wylde in most games this season despite having the likes of Ross MacLean available to play there - another who I’d imagine wont be costing pennies. 

If you look at the players in our squad it’s obvious it’s not been assembled with one of the worst budgets in the division.

[BallochSonsFan]

1 minute ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

I’d be shocked if Russell McLean is one of the top earning strikers in the division. Managers fund or no managers fund. I know for a fact he had a very decent offer from a team higher up the chain than ourselves but didn’t fancy the travelling. He wont be the only one in our squad on a decent wedge for this division.

Farrell has also chosen to play Wylde in most games this season despite having the likes of Ross MacLean available to play there - another who I’d imagine wont be costing pennies. 

If you look at the players in our squad it’s obvious it’s not been assembled with one of the worst budgets in the division.

Farrell will tell you that it's amongst the 2 or 3 worst. Fans assume that it's amongst the 2 or 3 highest. Clearly we've got a higher budget than the likes of Albion Rovers.

But clubs with money don't need the fans to help sign Russell McLean in the January window. I suspect we're paying over the odds for 3 or 4 players and that it's screwing us for quality and depth elsewhere.

[THE CHOSEN SON]

34 minutes ago, BallochSonsFan said:

We have a smaller budget than a lot of teams in the division. Annan last night had a striker. We had Declan Byrne trying to chase lost causes and Russell McLean practicing for this summer's hide and seek championship. And even then we only signed Rusty with the help of the manager's fund.

A better budget and Greg Wylde isn't a Dumbarton player. A better budget and we have an actual striker.

That doesnt mean that Farrell is getting the best he can from the players available. He isnt. But equally, the playing squad has some pretty big holes in it.

I’d be surprised if we had a smaller budget than most of the teams in the division. Where has that info came from?

[BallochSonsFan]

3 minutes ago, THE CHOSEN SON said:

I’d be surprised if we had a smaller budget than most of the teams in the division. Where has that info came from?

Farrell at the last "meet the manager" session.

[The Moonster]

There's not a chance in hell we have the 3rd worst budget in this division. We had half this team in League 1. 

[BallochSonsFan]

7 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

There's not a chance in hell we have the 3rd worst budget in this division. We had half this team in League 1. 

I don't believe we have either. Its almost certainly Farrell making it sound like he;s being hard done by.

Equally I don't believe we're one of the league's big spenders. I suspect we're mid division.

[FifeSons]

27 minutes ago, BallochSonsFan said:

Farrell at the last "meet the manager" session.

It’s in his interests to say that.

[cameron2000]

Also not sure how Farrell would know exactly what every other teams budget is.

[BallochSonsFan]

1 hour ago, cameron2000 said:

Also not sure how Farrell would know exactly what every other teams budget is.

 

Presumably from knock backs for players he wants to sign who end up at other clubs in the division?

[O'Kelly Isley III]

It's going to be quite interesting to see how things pan out after this Saturday. Even a 1-0 aggregate knock-out to Annan would have provoked considerable reaction to the extended contract awarded to Stevie Farrell, so when we could not unreasonably be looking down the barrel of a 10-0 aggregate bleaching the Board, such as it is, might be advised to hire a PR company to deal with the reaction.

And if he stays, never mind supporter numbers dropping off, just how difficult will it be to assemble a squad to play on a pitch that is now notorious ?

[Sweet Pete]

Anyone else going to the business networking event at the stadium tonight?

[Silverton End]

FARRELL MUST GO 

 

[FifeSons]

22 minutes ago, Silverton End said:

FARRELL MUST GO 

 

I like to think this was posted after a lunchtime pint.

[Frank Quitely]

1 hour ago, Sweet Pete said:

Anyone else going to the business networking event at the stadium tonight?

No, I'm going to the Rusty McLean Netfinding Event at the SECC.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

How do manager contracts work? Are they the same as players in terms of anything signed/agreed before the season ends wont actually be registered until registration for next season commences?

I’m getting my hopes up that we can potentially bin off Farrell and any new gaffer can take deals off the table for shite like Wylde before any registration goes through.

Give me some good news @Skyline Drifter

[FifeSons]

I've always believed we could sack Farrell if we really wanted to. I don't believe for a second that we'd have to pay up anything near the two years remaining on his contract. The board either just don't want to do it, or don't have the guts to do it.

Edited May 11, 2023 by FifeSons

[PWL]

Having made the 200+ mile round trip on Tuesday to watch that capitulation (6-0 flattered us), I'll be doing the previously unthinkable and not going on Saturday to watch us in a play off. 

I was willing to give Farrell a chance this season but we were so shambolic on Tuesday it's clear a wholesale change is needed. 

[BallochSonsFan]

12 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

I've always believed we could sack Farrell if we really wanted to. I don't believe for a second that we'd have to pay up anything near the two years remaining on his contract. The board either just don't want to do it, or don't have the guts to do it.

Unfortunately if we want to terminate his contract then unless it's for gross misconduct then we need to abide by the terms of his contract. If there's no termination clause then he's entitled to have his contract paid in full. You can't just sack somebody and not pay them what they're owed under their contract of employment. We can't do it with Farrell in particular because, as a senior union rep, he's almost certainly made sure that his contract is bullet proof.

[FifeSons]

7 minutes ago, BallochSonsFan said:

Unfortunately if we want to terminate his contract then unless it's for gross misconduct then we need to abide by the terms of his contract. If there's no termination clause then he's entitled to have his contract paid in full. You can't just sack somebody and not pay them what they're owed under their contract of employment. We can't do it with Farrell in particular because, as a senior union rep, he's almost certainly made sure that his contract is bullet proof.

I don't buy that an agreement couldn't be reached. Farrell is arrogant and proud. If the board made it clear he wasn't wanted, he wouldn't stick around.