Sons' sorrow

[Frank Quitely]

8 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

I wasn't expecting anything else in regards the pitch. A groundsman absolutely phoning it in every week and a board that don't seem to care as long as someone is renting it from them. But sadly there's f**k all me or you can do about it. I actually feel for Faz and the players here, must be soul destroying turning up for your first game to a beach. 

I heard a figure of 150 grand over 5 seasons.  Somebody making a call that potentially risking promotion for 30 grand is a risk worth taking.

[DFCTTFM]

14 minutes ago, Victor mcdade said:

Are you serious?  The trialist had a nightmare.  

Hilton looks a player.

Everyone around me agreed he played well. Guess he didnt convince everyone else. 

[DFCTTFM]

38 minutes ago, microdave said:

That's my concern too. And the width of the pitch if anyone who was there could answer? I did see a pic and certainly looked as though it's the same as last season.

Same as last season

[The Moonster]

6 minutes ago, Frank Quitely said:

I heard a figure of 150 grand over 5 seasons.  Somebody making a call that potentially risking promotion for 30 grand is a risk worth taking.

What if it costs us promotion for 5 years and we're still stuck in this league (or lower) with a shitheap of a pitch?

Getting out of this league and into League 1 at the earliest opportunity should be our priority. Unless the board can present to me the plan that gets us out this league and improves our facilities using this apparent 150k then I'm afraid the jury remains out. 

[Boghead ranter]

22 minutes ago, Frank Quitely said:

I heard a figure of 150 grand over 5 seasons.  Somebody making a call that potentially risking promotion for 30 grand is a risk worth taking.

...if they pay up.

[Victor mcdade]

30 minutes ago, DFCTTFM said:

Everyone around me agreed he played well. Guess he didnt convince everyone else. 

Didn't beat his man all day or complete a cross.

[Jan Vojáček]

The pitch was my major concern from today. We shipped some woeful goals, but that's pre-season. I don't doubt the wind played a part too. So it's not bothering me too much. The pitch was absolutely horrendous though, and players were struggling to run with the ball on it, control it. The lot. A total shambles.

In terms of positives, we've had a radical change of shape and you can see that we're trying (at this stage at least) to play a lot more possession based football. Which was nice on the eye at times.

Carlo Pignatiello offers us so much threat from right-back. We really missed him when he was hooked because of how comfortable he is in the final third.

But the main positive to me was Jinky Hilton. He was absolutely superb. Popping up all over the park. Scored a good goal, should've had another couple. Isn't afraid to shoot, played some lovely clever passes and always looked so positive and determined to create something out of nothing. He played some superb balls though the heart of their defence too. I thoroughly enjoyed pretty much every aspect of his performance.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Jan Vojáček

[microdave]

57 minutes ago, Frank Quitely said:

I heard a figure of 150 grand over 5 seasons.  Somebody making a call that potentially risking promotion for 30 grand is a risk worth taking.

It'll never last five years. 

[The Moonster]

Where did Hilton play? The team seemed a bit difficult to make out from the line up.

[Sons fan 1872]

12 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

The pitch was my major concern from today. We shipped some woeful goals, but that's pre-season. I don't doubt the wind played a part too. So it's not bothering me too much. The pitch was absolutely horrendous though, and players were struggling to run with the ball on it, control it. The lot. A total shambles.

In terms of positives, we've had a radical change of shape and you can see that we're trying (at this stage at least) to play a lot more possession based football. Which was nice on the eye at times.

Carlo Pignatiello offers us so much threat from right-back. We really missed him when he was hooked because of how comfortable he is in the final third.

But the main positive to me was Jinky Hilton. He was absolutely superb. Popping up all over the park. Scored a good goal, should've had another couple. Isn't afraid to shoot, played some lovely clever passes and always looked so positive and determined to create something out of nothing. He played some superb balls though the heart of their defence too. I thoroughly enjoyed pretty much every aspect of his performance.

A different formation? How did Ruth get on today? 

[TamCarson]

Split on the Lynas v Carlo.... people say Carlo gives us more threat but his first pass is always safe. Lynas always tries to play his first pass forward. And has the pace to support the forward pass. Carlo on today's evidence didn't do himself any favours in my opinion.

[cameron2000]

Well, back again!

The pitch was hugely concerning to see today. Usually no matter how bad the pitch gets during the season it’s always spotless in July and August but today it looked bobbly and sandy. 
 

The pitch appeared to still be as narrow as last season.

 

The shape was still 4-3-3/4-5-1, although we did try to play a lot more football than usual. I’m not holding out hope that this will continue though because that‘s exactly how we played in low-pressure games last season (ie Clyde in the cup etc).

 

It was clear to see that many of the players are very far from match sharpness. Lynas, Tony Wallace, Bryne, Gray and Long all looked particularly sluggish. 
 

I’m shocked to hear the trialist getting rave reviews on here and social media. Maybe people are falling for a few neat touches but he was miles off the level required and should be avoided. 
 

Ross McLean and Ryan Wallace both look sharper than they did at any point before October last season.

 

I was impressed with Hilton, Young and Ruth. Ruth in particular looks like he could lead the line very well. He is able to run hard to press and showed some great off the ball movement.

 

Malcolm look exactly how I expected - technically very average but fairly strong physically and worked hard. Will be a good utility option but I can’t see him taking Blair’s place.

 

Assuming we’re sticking with the 4-3-3 I think our strongest team will look something like: -

 

Long

Pignatiello, Crichton, Durnan, Young

D Wilson, Blair, Hilton

Orsi, Ruth, MacLean 

[DFCTTFM]

Anyone know why orsi wasnt in the squad? I hope not due to injury

[Victor mcdade]

33 minutes ago, TamCarson said:

Split on the Lynas v Carlo.... people say Carlo gives us more threat but his first pass is always safe. Lynas always tries to play his first pass forward. And has the pace to support the forward pass. Carlo on today's evidence didn't do himself any favours in my opinion.

Set up the first goal = no favours?

[TamCarson]

But we shipped 2 from his side of the pitch 

[Jan Vojáček]

29 minutes ago, DFCTTFM said:

Anyone know why orsi wasnt in the squad? I hope not due to injury

Just illness, so hopefully he's sorted for Tuesday. Ryan Blair was at a wedding.

19 minutes ago, Victor mcdade said:

Set up the first goal = no favours?

Aye I agree. I also think, if our style is about more possession based football, then we need to be keeping possession. And that means more safer passes to work an opening (see the first goal) rather than playing longer passes and trying to burst up and down.

[Doctor Jobby]

2 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I'm more concerned about the reports on the pitch.  Have we retained last season's groundsman ?

Unless the wage has gone up from £120 pw, then yes.

[Clarko_son]

1 hour ago, The Moonster said:

Where did Hilton play? The team seemed a bit difficult to make out from the line up.

Hilton was one of the midfield 3, though he did tend to drift out to the wings at points as well. Overall, I liked what I seen from him.

Today was just disjointed overall I think, the first half just felt like it was passes going behind players when they'd moved forwards, not knowing what the others were doing defensively etc. Just the type of thing that should hopefully be ironed out with some games together. 

Byrne out on the wing is an experiment I don't want to see again. It was only 30 minutes and just to get some time on the pitch but it was very obvious that's not his game.

[TxRover]

I take it from comments that Grieg Young looked OK for you lot? Hope the lad does well, I still think letting him go was a mistake.

[Victor mcdade]

1 hour ago, TamCarson said:

But we shipped 2 from his side of the pitch 

Aye you are right, sell him immediately for a bag of mitre balls.

Three of the goals went in past long, he isn't doing himself any favours either