Dumbarton v Inverness - WEDNESDAY Night

[Stephen Malkmus]

Merely another small step on our run to playoff victory. How did Dumbarton get on at the weekend?

[TheScarf]

i have a good feeling about this.  1-1 Dumbarton.

[smpar]

Dumbarton win would be lovely here.

Unfortunately, there’s not a fucking chance of that happening.

[BallochSonsFan]

I'm working until 6:30 on Tuesday night. I'd make the ground before the game no problem but, depending on what kind of day I have in work, I may not make it to the game.

[Poet of the Macabre]

2 minutes ago, smpar said:

Dumbarton win would be lovely here.

Unfortunately, there’s not a fucking chance of that happening.

Even a draw would be superb. Takes most of the pressure off of Saturday.

[Jan Vojáček]

For the love of God Stevie, start Liam Burt, Dimitris Froxylias and Mark Stewart and leave Grant Gallagher, Kevin Nisbet and Danny Handling out. We're finishing ninth, so lets try and put out a side that might give us a chance in the playoffs.

Scott Gallacher

Andy Dowie Craig Barr Dougie Hill Chris McLaughlin

Kyle Hutton David Wilson

Andy Stirling Dimitris Froxylias Liam Burt

Mark Stewart

Is about as strong as we can go - unless the injury situation improves. We probably won't win, but putting in a good performance and doing a bit of attacking will be enough for me given what happened on Saturday.

Fully expect Burt to continue to be stuck on the bench, Handling to continue to be handed a start, and Stewart to continue to only appear after an hour.

[cedrick1]

So8 referring to my previous comments.

save burt ,the rest of that team have had numerous chances since xmas and produced the same form.

what will you do if that team goes out and come Wednesday were in the same position.

could it be the squad just ain't good enough ??

 

[Jan Vojáček]

48 minutes ago, cedrick1 said:

So8 referring to my previous comments.

save burt ,the rest of that team have had numerous chances since xmas and produced the same form.

what will you do if that team goes out and come Wednesday were in the same position.

could it be the squad just ain't good enough ??

Ninth is probably where the squad deserve to be. Although failure to beat ICT on Tuesday with my starting XI would be no major slight on the players mentioned given how little football they've played together. 

The night we played Morton, and lost 1-0 at home, with Froxy/Burt and Stirling behind Stewart provided the best attacking linkup we've seen this season. Since that day those four haven't started a game together - and for the life of me I can't understand why. We might not have scored, but we looked dangerous going forward and created bucketloads. 

[Shandon Par]

In Frozy we trust. Make it happen our young Cypriot prince.

 

[Boghead ranter]

11 hours ago, smpar said:

Unfortunately, there’s not a fucking chance of that happening.

OK, which Sons fan has hacked @smpar's account then?

[George Parr]

10 hours ago, cedrick1 said:

So8 referring to my previous comments.

save burt ,the rest of that team have had numerous chances since xmas and produced the same form.

what will you do if that team goes out and come Wednesday were in the same position.

could it be the squad just ain't good enough ??

 

It may well not work but surely it makes sense to freshen up the starting 11 after Saturday's hounding? 

As it happens, I think we'll offer more going forward if we start with the more creative players. But nothing is guaranteed.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

11 hours ago, cedrick1 said:

So8 referring to my previous comments.

save burt ,the rest of that team have had numerous chances since xmas and produced the same form.

what will you do if that team goes out and come Wednesday were in the same position.

could it be the squad just ain't good enough ??

 

Results may not have been great all season, but rarely have we played all these players together. I agree the squad clearly isn't good enough but if you compare the individual players it's clear to see we're leaving our better ones on the bench and/or weakening the team by playing players in the wrong position.

 

C Gallagher v Mark Stewart - no contest

 

Nesbit v Burt/Froxy/Stewart - again no contest

 

Walsh out wide vs Walsh through the middle - seems bizarre to me that we've never deployed him there considering our run of form coincided with him playing there.

 

Handling v Walsh/Froxy - again no contest

 

Grant Gallagher at Rb - clearly he's not a right back and we have a perfectly adequate centre half on the bench who could come in to allow Dowie to move there.

 

Liam Burt - as you have said he hasn't had a chance and looks lively when he does come on. Odd that he's overlooked every week. 

[optimistic]

Could Liam Burt’s lack of game time, be down to recent injuries, and rangers instructions?

[The Moonster]

I'm of the opinion that the situation is not as simple as being made out.  I can't accept that Stevie has just lost his mind and deems Nisbet a better option than Stewart/Burt or Froxylias.  I also can't accept that Stevie is to blame for Walsh going from one of our most used and influential players to being mysteriously injured and barely getting a look in since January. Stevie is of course not entirely blameless - he built this squad hastily and has paid the price, but I'm of the opinion some of our squad either (a) actually injured, (b) don't fancy the fight or (c) simply aren't good enough.

All we can do is get down and support the team and hope that we can pull through the play-offs. There's been a few calls for Stevie to go in the last couple of weeks but I think fans need to accept that Stevie isn't going anywhere. His stock was probably as high as it's been last summer and he was overlooked for full-time work, I can't see full-time clubs taking a punt this summer (although stranger things have happened).  The club doesn't have a bean and it's well documented the problems with stadium maintenance/repairs that we have facing us off the field. With our stadium relocation going tits up we will now need to deal with these repairs or face fines from the SPFL.  We cannot pay up his contract and even if we could scramble that money together we'd be sitting trying to find a gaffer willing to work for the price of a recycled bottle of ginger. So that leaves us with 2 options in my view - 1. Get down and get behind the team or 2. Stay away.  People are entitled to spend their money as they wish but I think we can all foresee how important these next couple of years could be for the club. The football is shite, I get that and I understand why people are frustrated, but being honest I've never watched Dumbarton for the quality of football. 

 

 

[Jan Vojáček]

If we do go down I wouldn't be totally shocked to see Stevie leave. He could walk with his reputation relatively intact (albeit not as strong as it was last summer) whereas by staying he could risk being involved with a club (potentially) struggling financially, and looking uncompetitive in League 1.

As much as I've been critical of him recently, I'd be really disappointed if that did happen. Say what you want about him, but he's almost always put a team on the pitch that will work itself into the ground for him. In L1 that would count for more than in the Championship.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

2 hours ago, The Moonster said:

I'm of the opinion that the situation is not as simple as being made out.  I can't accept that Stevie has just lost his mind and deems Nisbet a better option than Stewart/Burt or Froxylias.  I also can't accept that Stevie is to blame for Walsh going from one of our most used and influential players to being mysteriously injured and barely getting a look in since January. Stevie is of course not entirely blameless - he built this squad hastily and has paid the price, but I'm of the opinion some of our squad either (a) actually injured, (b) don't fancy the fight or (c) simply aren't good enough.

All we can do is get down and support the team and hope that we can pull through the play-offs. There's been a few calls for Stevie to go in the last couple of weeks but I think fans need to accept that Stevie isn't going anywhere. His stock was probably as high as it's been last summer and he was overlooked for full-time work, I can't see full-time clubs taking a punt this summer (although stranger things have happened).  The club doesn't have a bean and it's well documented the problems with stadium maintenance/repairs that we have facing us off the field. With our stadium relocation going tits up we will now need to deal with these repairs or face fines from the SPFL.  We cannot pay up his contract and even if we could scramble that money together we'd be sitting trying to find a gaffer willing to work for the price of a recycled bottle of ginger. So that leaves us with 2 options in my view - 1. Get down and get behind the team or 2. Stay away.  People are entitled to spend their money as they wish but I think we can all foresee how important these next couple of years could be for the club. The football is shite, I get that and I understand why people are frustrated, but being honest I've never watched Dumbarton for the quality of football. 

 

 

Interesting post Moonster, but there some strange paradoxes here.  Whilst not wishing relegation on the club, I honestly believe that you may stand a better chance of rallying the locals when the team is playing in a division more suited to their capabilities.  For me, one of the main reasons we are now down to the extreme hardcore of the support base is the week-on-week grim rearguard action which the team is forced to employ - other than zealots like us folk get simply fed up of watching that stuff, and to further piss them off it costs a pretty penny in The Championship to do just that.

Secondly, you would imagine that down a division there may be less pressure from the football authorities in terms of stadium compliance and as a result maybe less cash to be found in the short term.  I'm picking up vibes that DFC is not in the rudest of health right now, and maybe what is needed is a couple of seasons of 'convalescence' to restore the patient - if that would be the result of exiting the Championship then it may not be the disaster everyone assumes, before anyone starts comparing us with Cowdenbeath.

We will have a new Board in place and the very fact that it looks like an end to the days of autocratic, reactive and secretive management at the club should be welcomed by us all.  Accountability and financial rigour may not be the panacea but they will undoubtedly assist in steadying the ship.  And whatever Manager is in place, there must be a playing budget  which is adhered to.

[The Moonster]

3 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

Interesting post Moonster, but there some strange paradoxes here.  Whilst not wishing relegation on the club, I honestly believe that you may stand a better chance of rallying the locals when the team is playing in a division more suited to their capabilities.  For me, one of the main reasons we are now down to the extreme hardcore of the support base is the week-on-week grim rearguard action which the team is forced to employ - other than zealots like us folk get simply fed up of watching that stuff, and to further piss them off it costs a pretty penny in The Championship to do just that.

Secondly, you would imagine that down a division there may be less pressure from the football authorities in terms of stadium compliance and as a result maybe less cash to be found in the short term.  I'm picking up vibes that DFC is not in the rudest of health right now, and maybe what is needed is a couple of seasons of 'convalescence' to restore the patient - if that would be the result of exiting the Championship then it may not be the disaster everyone assumes, before anyone starts comparing us with Cowdenbeath.

We will have a new Board in place and the very fact that it looks like an end to the days of autocratic, reactive and secretive management at the club should be welcomed by us all.  Accountability and financial rigour may not be the panacea but they will undoubtedly assist in steadying the ship.  And whatever Manager is in place, there must be a playing budget  which is adhered to.

I don't particularly disagree with any of that. All I'd say is that down a division you'll be recieving about half the prize money we get now. "A couple of years convalescence" could very well have us in Cowdenbeath or Clyde's situation, as much as you don't like the comparison.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

36 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

I don't particularly disagree with any of that. All I'd say is that down a division you'll be recieving about half the prize money we get now. "A couple of years convalescence" could very well have us in Cowdenbeath or Clyde's situation, as much as you don't like the comparison.

The prize money isn't as beneficial as it may appear if you outlay a good percentage of it on players' wages, and we've been pretty good at doing that

[The Moonster]

3 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

The prize money isn't as beneficial as it may appear if you outlay a good percentage of it on players' wages, and we've been pretty good at doing that

Agreed. But this is a changed, forward thinking Dumbarton board we'll hopefully have next season where planning our outlay may well be a bit more thought out than it has been. Working with more money will always be easier than working with less.

[Menzel]

18 hours ago, Sonsteam of 08 said:

 

Is about as strong as we can go - unless the injury situation improves.

Do Dumbarton ever have a full-strength squad to choose from? Admittedly I just lurk in this forum but every time I see a Sons report it seems like there's people out.