Sons' sorrow

[FifeSons]

8 minutes ago, George Parr said:

A top 4 finish remains eminently achievable but the ship swam on the title challenge today. 10 points behind and a chronic inability to win crunch fixtures...something remarkable would have to happen.

This squad has underachieved, what a pity. 

 

Knowing what he’s like, I’d imagine Farrell will be fairly happy with how the season’s going. I agree we’ll make the playoffs, but given his record in crunch games, won’t be expecting much.

[microdave]

Farrell's aim at the start of the season was to win promotion. I wonder what he'll do if we stay down.

[FifeSons]

26 minutes ago, microdave said:

Farrell's aim at the start of the season was to win promotion. I wonder what he'll do if we stay down.

I think just now he’d say we’re on course to achieve that. If we stay down, it’ll just be more of the same as last season. Gas lighting the fans that it was another great season. He’s probably due another new deal soon…

Edited December 23, 2023 by FifeSons

[Silverton End]

No chance we are winning this League, unless Stenny collapse like we did last season.

I posted this already, but we've clearly regressed this season, we're in a worse position than this time last year, we play some really good football at times but fall short repeatedly.

2 goals up with 5 minutes to go today & some of our players thought it was game over, but we were up against a side at the bottom, fighting hard to prove themselves & with a new, thoroughly experienced Manager in the dugout.

Very frustrating 

 

 

[FifeSons]

I still don’t understand why we didn’t widen the pitch in the summer. We’re a much, much better side when we can play on a big, good quality pitch. Another masterstroke from the manager.

[squeezebox-son]

21 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

I still don’t understand why we didn’t widen the pitch in the summer. We’re a much, much better side when we can play on a big, good quality pitch. Another masterstroke from the manager.

It was interesting to read the Jinky interview from Jan after last week. He mentioned the pitch at Forfar allowing us to play etc. Shame we have handicapped ourselves in half of our matches, in that case 

[Jan Vojáček]

Carlo should be back next week. Wasn't risked today.

Durnan played 60 minutes in a bounce game midweek and should be back for next week too assuming everything goes fine in training this week.

[Silverton End]

As we approached the ground today there was a queue of about 40-50 folk waiting in pishing rain & howling wind, the other turnstile (cash) was straight in, no queue.

So much for the effortlessness & convenience of buying in advance online, lol

Luddites rule 

 

 

[Neilly]

#FazIn for me lads. 

 

[squeezebox-son]

1 hour ago, Neilly said:

#FazIn for me lads. 

 

If you guys blow the league now then you will have suffered a Faz style implosion, I reckon. Enjoy it  Merry Christmas!

Edited December 24, 2023 by squeezebox-son

[O'Kelly Isley III]

Looking at the league table the remainder of the season could now become a slow grind. 

Stenny could well motor further away, and fair play to them, and that would leave only the play-off places to contest.  Spartans have surprised most people and I don't expect them to collapse.  Peterhead and ourselves have been blighted by injury and inconsistency but unless Bonnyrigg go on a run, and they would need even more penalties for that, we should both have enough to secure a top four finish.

And then the lottery of play-offs.  Edinburgh City are pretty nailed on to come straight down and it looks like our old pals Annan will be in the mix.  None of it is very enticing and I expect the attendances and interest to now reflect that.

Edited December 24, 2023 by O'Kelly Isley III

[microdave]

I hope the groundsman gets some white paint for Christmas so he can give the lines a once over. I've been finding it difficult to see the penalty box markings.

[Silverton End]

We've introduced a new saying to Scottish fitba' - "Farrelled It" akin to "Hibs'd It" up in the big League

"How did Dumbarton get on today?"

"Farrelled It, unfortunately pal"

Happy Christmas to all Sons everywhere

[Frank Quitely]

Just to remind everyone heading to Stranraer that the trains aren't currently running.

[Jan Vojáček]

Was looking back on old papers to write up the review of the year for the paper today, and got me wondering how our league points compare to last year. 30 points after 16 games is the same as Stirling Albion managed (we had 34 after 16, and 37 after 17 - so three less than Stenny have after 17 games right now).

In a lot of other seasons we'd be far closer to the top of the table than we are just now. Aye we've chucked away silly points (yesterday, late goals against Spartans, Bonnyrigg, Peterhead and Stenny all quickly spring to mind) but we're still doing pretty well. It's just that Stenhousemuir have been exceptional. One defeat in half a season is outstanding. As much as you can point to our own issues, that actually does Stenhousemuir a slight disservice. Because they have been magnificent. Eight wins on the spin, 10 clean sheets in 17 games. One defeat in 17. That's not just title winning form, that's runaway league winners by March form. They are having a Kelty or Cove-esque season, without the major backing and 'great to see so much ambition' fanfare.

I know where OKI is coming from about a season of repetition. But this season, to me at least, feels very different to last year on the park, if not in the tables. We've dropped more silly points at this stage, we don't keep as many clean sheets. But we are also scoring goals, playing genuinely entertaining football and have a team with offensive players I get excited about watching; Ryan Wallace, Jinky Hilton, Kalvin Orsi, Michael Ruth, Tony Wallace, Finlay Gray, Matty Shiels, Carlo Pignatiello et al.

Do I think we'll win the league? No, I don't. Firstly because I don't think we're as good defensively as Stenhousemuir and secondly, because I think Stenny are just too good to drop the required number of points unless they have a major injury crisis. But the facts are that we're the joint top scorers in the league and have the second highest number of clean sheets (albeit we don't keep anywhere near enough). Things could (look at Clyde, my pre-season title tips Forfar, as well as last season's playoff charges East Fife) be a lot worse.

That's me doing my bit to spread Christmas cheer in the greater G82 area. We've not had a genuinely major attacking threat in our side since the glorious Dom Thomas x Ross Forbes x Calum Gallagher triangle. But this season it feels like we do.

Who knows too. Maybe Santa will bring a magic sponge to stop all our players breaking. Or some sort of potion that makes them concentrate for a full 90 minutes, and not just the 80 we currently manage.

[The Moonster]

9 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

Was looking back on old papers to write up the review of the year for the paper today, and got me wondering how our league points compare to last year. 30 points after 16 games is the same as Stirling Albion managed (we had 34 after 16, and 37 after 17 - so three less than Stenny have after 17 games right now).

In a lot of other seasons we'd be far closer to the top of the table than we are just now. Aye we've chucked away silly points (yesterday, late goals against Spartans, Bonnyrigg, Peterhead and Stenny all quickly spring to mind) but we're still doing pretty well. It's just that Stenhousemuir have been exceptional. One defeat in half a season is outstanding. As much as you can point to our own issues, that actually does Stenhousemuir a slight disservice. Because they have been magnificent. Eight wins on the spin, 10 clean sheets in 17 games. One defeat in 17. That's not just title winning form, that's runaway league winners by March form. They are having a Kelty or Cove-esque season, without the major backing and 'great to see so much ambition' fanfare.

I know where OKI is coming from about a season of repetition. But this season, to me at least, feels very different to last year on the park, if not in the tables. We've dropped more silly points at this stage, we don't keep as many clean sheets. But we are also scoring goals, playing genuinely entertaining football and have a team with offensive players I get excited about watching; Ryan Wallace, Jinky Hilton, Kalvin Orsi, Michael Ruth, Tony Wallace, Finlay Gray, Matty Shiels, Carlo Pignatiello et al.

Do I think we'll win the league? No, I don't. Firstly because I don't think we're as good defensively as Stenhousemuir and secondly, because I think Stenny are just too good to drop the required number of points unless they have a major injury crisis. But the facts are that we're the joint top scorers in the league and have the second highest number of clean sheets (albeit we don't keep anywhere near enough). Things could (look at Clyde, my pre-season title tips Forfar, as well as last season's playoff charges East Fife) be a lot worse.

That's me doing my bit to spread Christmas cheer in the greater G82 area. We've not had a genuinely major attacking threat in our side since the glorious Dom Thomas x Ross Forbes x Calum Gallagher triangle. But this season it feels like we do.

Who knows too. Maybe Santa will bring a magic sponge to stop all our players breaking. Or some sort of potion that makes them concentrate for a full 90 minutes, and not just the 80 we currently manage.

Do you think we'll win the play offs?

And there's no magic potion required to make a team concentrate for 90 minutes, it's simply a manager capable of preparing a team for a game, physically and mentally. On the evidence of the last 3 years Farrell falls well short in this department.  

[Jan Vojáček]

2 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Do you think we'll win the play offs?

And there's no magic potion required to make a team concentrate for 90 minutes, it's simply a manager capable of preparing a team for a game, physically and mentally. On the evidence of the last 3 years Farrell falls well short in this department.  

History would suggest no. But the playoffs are a law unto themselves. In the last two seasons we've gone into them in horrendous form. When we won them in 2011/12 we weren't as good a side as Arbroath, but were in good form and that momentum carried us. Ask me in April and I'll give you a better answer. If we're flying and the battle to see which one of Tony Wallace or Mikey Ruth hits 20 goals first then I'll be confident. If Ruth is in the stand with a broken foot and Wallace hasn't scored in four months then I won't be.

You can blame Faz for plenty of things. But some of the late goals are beyond his control and fall on the players imo. Heading a corner straight to Spartans' best player, unmarked, in injury time. The ball skelping a Stenny player on the arse and going in. Failing to notice a Clyde player who must be about 6'5 unmarked 12 yards out. There's only so much he can do on the touchline to prevent that.

[FifeSons]

18 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

In a lot of other seasons we'd be far closer to the top of the table than we are just now. Aye we've chucked away silly points (yesterday, late goals against Spartans, Bonnyrigg, Peterhead and Stenny all quickly spring to mind) but we're still doing pretty well. It's just that Stenhousemuir have been exceptional. One defeat in half a season is outstanding.

This is what I fully expect Farrell to come out with. They are on for a crazy points total tbf, but the standard of this league is very poor, and we’ve dropped far too many silly points that this squad should not be dropping.

[FifeSons]

We’ve been dreadful in the second half of Farrell’s last two seasons. I think the squad is good enough, and the rest of the league poor enough, to carry us into the playoffs in spite of the manager, but I do not see us winning them under him.

Think it’s just going to be more of the same for the foreseeable future. He’ll probably get a new contract to boot. Two and a half seasons has been far, far too long for me. He should’ve been gone after we lost to East Fife away in his first season. Yet somehow, almost two years later on, he’s still here. Grim.

Edited December 24, 2023 by FifeSons

[The Moonster]

3 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

History would suggest no. But the playoffs are a law unto themselves. In the last two seasons we've gone into them in horrendous form. When we won them in 2011/12 we weren't as good a side as Arbroath, but were in good form and that momentum carried us. Ask me in April and I'll give you a better answer. If we're flying and the battle to see which one of Tony Wallace or Mikey Ruth hits 20 goals first then I'll be confident. If Ruth is in the stand with a broken foot and Wallace hasn't scored in four months then I won't be.

You can blame Faz for plenty of things. But some of the late goals are beyond his control and fall on the players imo. Heading a corner straight to Spartans' best player, unmarked, in injury time. The ball skelping a Stenny player on the arse and going in. Failing to notice a Clyde player who must be about 6'5 unmarked 12 yards out. There's only so much he can do on the touchline to prevent that.

Some things you can't balme him for but when things continue to repeat themselves like late goals or switching off then for me it falls at the managers door. We had problems conceding early goals previously and I believe a scout had said it was down to our organisation. 

Also, he could've signed more than 2 centre backs for an apparent title push. He didn't, we have injuries and are struggling to plug gaps. I'm afraid whichever way you slice our poor form it falls at Farrells door.