Stenhousemuir FC - The Warriors - The 2023/24 Thread

[Francesc Fabregas]

51 minutes ago, Old Fashioned Stramash said:

Why don't we ever seem to develop our youth players and push the youth team development to get them higher up their league? Would certainly help with squad depth. 

Time to bring in changes and I think Naysmith will do that in the summer.

Corbett I'd keep, I'd try to get Yeats back in and keep Jamieson. Anderson is just too ineffective with the ball and I'm not expecting him to be Toni Kroos or anything but his decision making and distribution is really poor. We can do better there.

Rest can go.

What youth players?  Do we even have a youth set-up with a pathway into the first team? I don't think we've had one in about eight years.

[BB_Bino]

1 hour ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

Do we even have a youth set-up with a pathway into the first team? I don't think we've had one in about eight years.

You don’t, no. You have an excellent community set up with strong grassroots teams but no Pro-Youth set up or Development Squad.

[Old Fashioned Stramash]

2 hours ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

What youth players?  Do we even have a youth set-up with a pathway into the first team? I don't think we've had one in about eight years.

You're right, that was what I was getting at.

A lot of smaller teams manage to field development, reserve and youth teams. Cumbernauld, Broomhilll and even Camelon/ Half of Syngenta manage to do it. Surely we have the infrastructure to expand and promote our existing community teams to a higher level? 

 

 

[Francesc Fabregas]

It's a nice sentiment but I don't think it's worth or time and effort to spend thousands of pounds in re-establishing a youth set-up in the hope that one or two players make it into the first team. Prior to dismantling our previous infrastructure and joining the doomed Forth Valley Youth Academy, how many youngsters actually established themselves at the club? Robert Love and Gary Thom are the only two I can think of off the top of my head. We're better off using our money to bring in quality players from elsewhere.

[Old Fashioned Stramash]

David Templeton? Think he was in our youth set-up. No doubt, there will be some others. It wasn't that fruitful, I'll agree. 

There's faults in every set-up, you could argue. Our current philosophy hasn't worked that well either. Even for our level, player recruitment has been varied over the years with limited squads.

[Nigel Blackwell]

Templeton came from Aberdeen 

[Old Fashioned Stramash]

9 hours ago, Nigel Blackwell said:

Templeton came from Aberdeen 

Thought he was in the under 16/17 year old set-up before being promoted into the first team? Doesn't really matter anyway. 

[Vimto90]

8 hours ago, Old Fashioned Stramash said:

Thought he was in the under 16/17 year old set-up before being promoted into the first team? Doesn't really matter anyway. 

He came into our youth team from Aberdeens so we didn't really develop him persay. 

[Elric]

Though our stewards should have been in the away end before kick off yesterday. They were obviously aware that flares were going to be thrown by having buckets ready but a couple of stewards in beside these wee fannies and they could have thrown them, out as soon as the flares were lit.

[Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach]

2 minutes ago, Elric said:

Though our stewards should have been in the away end before kick off yesterday. They were obviously aware that flares were going to be thrown by having buckets ready but a couple of stewards in beside these wee fannies and they could have thrown them, out as soon as the flares were lit.

These things are not 'flares', they're smoke bombs/flares. Chucking anything over the boundary wall is poor form though.

Much like when commentators claim that 'these are things no one wants to see' when there's a skirmish/flares lit/ a pitch invader, these are exactly the things I want to see. 

[BB_Bino]

2 hours ago, Elric said:

Though our stewards should have been in the away end before kick off yesterday. They were obviously aware that flares were going to be thrown by having buckets ready but a couple of stewards in beside these wee fannies and they could have thrown them, out as soon as the flares were lit.

There was stewards in amongst the group at the time and they did nothing. There were 2 police officers also over there not long after and they did nothing either. The female steward was becoming more and more agitated as the game wore on, although I’m not sure why as after the smoke bombs there was nothing for them to get excited about really.  

[Cosmic Joe]

On 14/04/2023 at 07:31, Francesc Fabregas said:

It's a nice sentiment but I don't think it's worth or time and effort to spend thousands of pounds in re-establishing a youth set-up in the hope that one or two players make it into the first team. Prior to dismantling our previous infrastructure and joining the doomed Forth Valley Youth Academy, how many youngsters actually established themselves at the club? Robert Love and Gary Thom are the only two I can think of off the top of my head. We're better off using our money to bring in quality players from elsewhere.

East Fife had Liam Newton, Brogan Walls and Jack Healy in the side that won 8-0 yesterday. All graduates from our Under 20s. It can be done

[WC Boggs]

I thought the stewards at Stenny did a fine job and always do.  Presence well felt  without being aggressive.  A credit to their club, unlike  the moron who threw a smoke bomb. 

[Raving On]

1 hour ago, WC Boggs said:

I thought the stewards at Stenny did a fine job and always do.  Presence well felt  without being aggressive.  A credit to their club, unlike  the moron who threw a smoke bomb. 

Would echo this. Thought they got the level of involvement spot on. 

That said, Dale Carrick did everyone a favour by running to the crowd after his goal, otherwise I'm pretty sure they were heading on the pitch.

[BB_Bino]

28 minutes ago, Raving On said:

Would echo this. Thought they got the level of involvement spot on.

Like wise

[Cosmic Joe]

4 hours ago, BB_Bino said:

There was stewards in amongst the group at the time and they did nothing. There were 2 police officers also over there not long after and they did nothing either. The female steward was becoming more and more agitated as the game wore on, although I’m not sure why as after the smoke bombs there was nothing for them to get excited about really.  

Basically you use your community facilities and bring in a coaching team who want to progress. Recruit local kids on amateur terms also with the prospect of progression. Those showing potential get to train with the first team squad, maybe inclusion on match days. 

It's then a case of deciding whether to farm out on loan to a Lowland League side to progress or continue to provide game time at Under 20s level. It isn't a huge financial burden. You do need a committed coaching structure from top to bottom all working together. 

*Apologies, I replied to the wrong post

Edited April 16, 2023 by Cosmic Joe

[Old Fashioned Stramash]

Well.... Least said the better? Can still make the playoff's but I can't see it happening. Not optimistic about beating Stranraer or Annan. 

[Francesc Fabregas]

Another week, another missed opportunity. With East Fife and Forfar Athletic losing today, a game against the team at the foot of the table should have provided the chance to make a real statement and put pressure on the sides above us. Instead, we faltered badly. Other than a brief spell following Sean Crighton's equalising goal, Albion Rovers were better throughout and merited their victory. They were more aggressive than us, winning the majority of the first and second balls, but somehow didn't have to work too hard for it. We didn't create much and didn't force Jack Leighfield into doing anything meaningful - it was just poor stuff all round.

The football we're playing just now is brutal to watch. What's the point in having players in the team like Nat Wedderburn and Euan O'Reilly in the team when the ball is ceaselessly launched up the park? Your heart sinks when you watch Crighton stroll out from the back and then melt the ball out of play with a gigantic punt, like it's some cursed artefact. I'm not sure if the players are being instructed to boot it long but it's not working and no-one can be having fun doing it.

We've played the three worst teams in the division in recent weeks and taken just two points from them - that's unacceptable. On current form, you'd be hard pushed to see us beating Stranraer and Annan Athletic in our final matches (and hoping results elsewhere continue to go in our favour). It feels like we're repeating last season by passing up chance after chance to get into the top four before simply running out of time. Gary Naysmith has, on the whole, done a decent job since he's come in but he'll have to take a fair share of responsibility if the team fails to make the play-offs. He's being given the benefit of the doubt by "not being Stephen Swift" but he's had ample time to implement his ideas and get a tune out of this group of players and we're still coming up short (although I do appreciate he's working with an unbalanced squad). Also, other than Gavin Reilly, his signings have ranged between "mediocre" and "rubbish", which is a little worrying when he'll no doubt be embarking on building a new team in a couple of weeks.

Let's hope to see some improvement between now and the end of the campaign. Give me something good, please!

Edited April 23, 2023 by Francesc Fabregas

[BinoBalls]

20 minutes ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

Your heart sinks when you watch Sean Crighton stroll out from the back and then melt the ball out of play with a gigantic punt, like the ball's some cursed artefact.

Greenied just for this poetic description that perfectly encapsulates the frequent frustration and misery of being a lower league football fan. 

[Nigel Blackwell]

Everything FF says is correct but perhaps with one exception. Has Reilly been better than “mediocre”. The last few games he has been invisible, and it was the same again yesterday. He is obviously a good player and maybe it is the tactics, but something isn’t right. Compare him to Joe Bevan yesterday? I’m sure Albion signed him at the same time as Reilly came to us. In terms of value for money it is pretty clear who got the best deal.

Since the game at Dumbarton our performances have been ridiculously bad. We’ve barely threatened the opposition goalkeeper and it was the same again yesterday. Our challengers for this top 4 spot couldn’t be any more generous and still we can’t make inroads. There isn’t really any joy following this team at the moment and it isn’t a recent phenomenon. I, for one, am totally scunnered.