Kapowzer Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 6 hours ago, capt_oats said: Kind of disagree with that in so much as both Mandron and Obika are pretty key to making the current shape/system work. The problem is that the other key part is having a KVV or similar that they facilitate. The premise was we have a history of keeping guys around because of associations and them being sound rather than merit and a Devil's advocate approach to their continued employment. As has been covered before Obika was injured before he got to us, got injured shortly after arriving and is a year older than Kev. He offers zero resale. His con's outweigh his pro's by quite a bit. I mean there's been a swathe of posts this season about not repeating the Aarons/Moult thing. Obika record reeks of it. Mandron is in the middle of his footballing prime age wise, I haven't seen much to suggest he's much more than a mediocre jobber and came here because he was not part of the plan by a new manager at Gillingham. Nice guy and all that and if SK thinks he can get a tune out them then I'll happily defer, he's got a pretty successful record getting positive reactions and performances out his players. However, he is not the high water mark of what we should expect as a main striker nor foil for one. I feel certain going to the market when the dust settles this summer is a better use of our limited resources. If a major part of our business plan is we're a selling club then it kinda suggests we need to pursue and retain assets that have a chance or being sold. So as @wellboy1991 said, we can't keep them both and I agree with that. I'd go further and thank them both for their limited contributions since January with a hearty handshake. As @crazylegsjoe_mfc suggested, start buying quality than filling the squad with mediocre players to pad out the club photo. Yeah you run a risk that a few injuries mean you're digging into your U21 team but we were loading our bench with that from October to January anyway after securing a bumper squad anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurrayWell Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Just watched Kevin van Veen's pre-match presser, absolute box office. Love the guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadStar Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 FWIW I might be a bit tongue in cheek calling Aitchison a football terrorist, but I still think don't think he's an upgrade on Shields in any way. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eliphas Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 1 hour ago, DeadStar said: FWIW I might be a bit tongue in cheek calling Aitchison a football terrorist, but I still think don't think he's an upgrade on Shields in any way. Agree with this. In the whole striker dept it should really be, at most, in an ideal world: One of Obika/Mandron One of Efford/Shields/Aitchison Two of Big Kev 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoF Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Have we ever had the pleasure of relegating a team? I can’t recall. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) 17 minutes ago, CoF said: Have we ever had the pleasure of relegating a team? I can’t recall. Falkirk in a nerve shredder. Dougie to the rescue as ever. ETA - we actually relegated 2 teams that day by winning - Airdrie went down as a lovely bonus Edited May 23, 2023 by Swello 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Kirk Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 1 hour ago, DeadStar said: FWIW I might be a bit tongue in cheek calling Aitchison a football terrorist, but I still think don't think he's an upgrade on Shields in any way. I think he has looked decent in what little game time he has. He shows for the ball , can turn a defender and has a bit of guile. I wouldn’t mind seeing him start up top with Kev tomorrow night to see what he can do . However I I am certain he is better than Shields who was utterly anonymous over two legs against Partick Thistle’s 78 year old centre backs in the play offs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) When KVV leaves we keep no one. They are all dugshite I don't think Aitchison is a striker tbh. I think he's better in behind but Spittal has that role. Mandron is decent fodder for KVV but he's prbably the worst fitba player we've had. He moves like one of those wacky inflatable waving men things. Edited May 23, 2023 by Busta Nut 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 FWIW Don't think he'll chip in with a lot of goals, but he might help create them. WyScout positions are weird (AMF can also be a winger, its just stupid and annoying) so I dunno if its right that Forest Green got more out him central in a "10" role as it would suggest, whereas he struggled more being punted "all across the front 3" at Barnsley. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 3 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said: FWIW Don't think he'll chip in with a lot of goals, but he might help create them. WyScout positions are weird (AMF can also be a winger, its just stupid and annoying) so I dunno if its right that Forest Green got more out him central in a "10" role as it would suggest, whereas he struggled more being punted "all across the front 3" at Barnsley. Looks to me like he just can't cut it at a higher level. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 2 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said: Looks to me like he just can't cut it at a higher level. TBF its not a bad chart at Barnsley, it just looks a bit shit as he was exceptional at things with Forest Green. Orange is just slightly below a 5yr average for that division, red is the only thing you really right off as something they just don't do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 1 hour ago, Busta Nut said: Mandron is decent fodder for KVV but he's prbably the worst fitba player we've had. He moves like one of those wack inflatable waving men things. I think Mandron gets away with turning his man etc because nobody, including himself, has a clue what any of his limbs are about to do. It's good fun if nothing else. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kapowzer Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Isn't that guy who produces the annual PDF of potential targets for us and fancy graphics and tables due a surface? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Depends if he bought last years FM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegsjoe_mfc Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 3 hours ago, DeadStar said: FWIW I might be a bit tongue in cheek calling Aitchison a football terrorist, but I still think don't think he's an upgrade on Shields in any way. I can't understand why anyone would have much beef with him... He's looked fine to me when he's come on for brief stints. For starters, he seems to be able to run with the ball at his feet, which Shields couldn't do. I think Shields got a lot of heat before he went out on loan because he was starting most games and we were doing badly. I find it hard to get worked up about a guy only getting the odd 10 mins cause Van Veen has been sensational. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welldaft Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) I may be wrong but I am sure Shields played a run of around 25+ games without scoring. Maybe not all as starter. But either way you cook it that is an awful statistic. Hence why most inc myself hope he finds an alternative to coming back to Motherwell. But is that likely ? Efford was coming onto a game and then of course got injured. And so we don’t really have much to go on and any long term injury worries me that it may be followed by another and so on. Mandron is getting quite a bit of stick on here. Not sure it is entirely justified. He is slow as a week in jail but holds the ball up well, is a handful and can actually score unlike Shields. That said not sure I would be upset were he to move on. Obika again came in and made and instant impact before yup…getting injured. I like Obika. But his injury record is not good and unlikely to get better unfortunately. Aitchison has not had much of a chance to shine and tends to come on late into games so hard to make an impact. Hard to say whether he would be worth keeping and that is the problem I guess. I suspect Ketts will look to keep a couple of the above mentioned. Efford if we believe his injury was a freak and unlikely to happen again and maybe one of Mandron or Obika. Shields clearly if there are no takers. Funny how we are debating about which of the 6 forward players currently on our books we will retain / release. Meanwhile Dundee United fans would like to be in a position to talk about having more than 1 striker at all . Edited May 23, 2023 by welldaft 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 If we had to stick with what we had, who could come closest to replacing KVV? Would it be Aitchison working off one of the big guys? Or is it if Kevin goes we rip it up and start again? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 15 minutes ago, ropy said: If we had to stick with what we had, who could come closest to replacing KVV? Would it be Aitchison working off one of the big guys? Or is it if Kevin goes we rip it up and start again? Deploy Operation: Orange Juice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 7 hours ago, Kapowzer said: Isn't that guy who produces the annual PDF of potential targets for us and fancy graphics and tables due a surface? He works, successfully considering their promotion, as the Head of Recruitment for Stirling Albion, last time i noticed, so not sure he'd have the time now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil86 Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 fwiw, Hamilton beat us 3-2 last night to clinch the league and Uefa Youth league spot. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.