Cove Thread

[covefan97]

5 minutes ago, Watson Nimrod said:

I’m still of the opinion that our players got us promoted up the leagues rather than the standard of management. 

You're not wrong as the players who have been here since the Highland league days get older and unfortunately get a bit worse or they get too big of a step up (the championship) hartley couldn't do anything signed a bunch of players to try and fix it but they were all rotten. Couldn't keep relying on those players for much longer and starting to get  exposed for it a lot more this season.

[CoveRangers1922]

5 hours ago, covefan97 said:

Unfortunately for every good signing Hartley gets us like a Burrell we'll end up with some dross like Bangala, Weston, Naismith, toure..... Not expecting us to have perfect recruitment but needs to be a lot better. Definitely his fault for the relegation were sitting decently in 8th and he let a terrible Arbroath and Accies team catch up with us and overtake us. Got beaten by 3+ goals far too often under Hartley conceded goals for fun and couldn't score. After Hartley came in Mitch's form has been much poorer unfortunately and it seems to have knocked a lot of confidence out of him.

I'm a huge fan of Mitch but the last 18 months have been well below his previous standards. He thrived with Rory in L1 in a truly outstanding patnership but since then its been downhill and the Championship was a step too far.

For me, he's now struggling in L1. Barely gets a shot away. 5 in 25 league games, he'll have missed a few games granted with injury and suspension but still not great ratio.

32 in July and I'd hazard a guess his PT wage will be equal to or higher than a few of our full time guys. Is it time to let him go and join Jordan and Ryan at Peterhead? Maybe 1 more year at Balmoral in his deeper lying role linking play. 

I don't really see him rekindling the goal scoring form as much as I would love to see it. 

 

Edited March 1 by CoveRangers1922

[covefan97]

5 minutes ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

I'm a huge fan of Mitch but the last 18 months have been well below his previous standards. He thrived with Rory in L1 in a truly outstanding patnership but since then its been downhill and the Championship was a step too far.

For me, he's now struggling in L1. Barely gets a shot away. 5 in 25 league games, he'll have missed a few games granted with injury and suspension but still not great ratio.

32 in July and I'd hazard a guess his PT wage will be equal to or higher than a few of our full time guys. Is it time to let him go and join Jordan and Ryan at Peterhead?

 

I'm still 50/50 leaning towards letting him go. still has something to give even if it's not at the same level as before but don't want his decline to potentially get even worse and he struggles to score at all. We'll see if getting a good run of games without injuries, Illness and suspension can help him find his form again. If it doesn't time to let him go. Some of the chances he missed last week were shockers and the Mitch Megginson of 2 seasons ago would've had a hat trick easily there.

[CoveRangers1922]

18 minutes ago, covefan97 said:

I'm still 50/50 leaning towards letting him go. still has something to give even if it's not at the same level as before but don't want his decline to potentially get even worse and he struggles to score at all. We'll see if getting a good run of games without injuries, Illness and suspension can help him find his form again. If it doesn't time to let him go. Some of the chances he missed last week were shockers and the Mitch Megginson of 2 seasons ago would've had a hat trick easily there.

I'm with you on that too. Likely would keep him for one more season but if he went so be it.

Exactly, 3 guilt edge chances. Could have really haunted us, and Hartley,  with Annan blazing one over the bar therafter when it would have been easier to score.

Transfermarkt says he's out of contract this summer. IF that's true he could have already PCA'd up the road. He and Jordan are great pals

Edited March 1 by CoveRangers1922

[Watson Nimrod]

27 minutes ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

Exactly, 3 guilt edge chances. Could have really haunted us

Fine margins. If we had lost a game we really didn’t deserve to win we would have been sucked into a play off battle. 

[covefan97]

Alloa and Montrose playing against each other tomorrow which is good for us as long as we win. if alloa win and we win can go above Montrose into 4th and give us some more confidence for when we play them on the 9th. Interested to see if Hartley rotated the squad due to the midweek game.

[Jo9]

Letting go of Mitch is another step towards fully becoming a SPFL and not a highland league side.  
 

he will always be fondly remembered but now it’s getting in nostalgia that’s outstayed its welcome. 

[Watson Nimrod]

No thread I see today but it was a bit more of the same stuff we saw last week, 3 moments of quality were the difference and a highly deserved victory. Great opening goal by Scully and the victory was never really in doubt. I worry if we play like that 3 games in a row what will happen to us on Tuesday night v Falkirk. 

[covefan97]

Happy with that result had the potential to be a bit of a banana skin. Maybe could've scored 1 or 2 more but Edinburgh will be feeling the same. Nice to finally keep a clean sheet been far too long since our last one. Fantastic goal from Scully and a great header from Mitch so 2 very good goals which we should be happy with. Not expecting much midweek but hopefully can be pleasantly surprised and get a result.

[tamthebam]

I thought it was interesting today that Cove showed little or no dissent when the ref's decision went against them and just got on with it. A cynic might say that as they were winning they didn't need to but it was refreshing to see in a League of whingers and prima donnas. 

[Moorie]

On 01/03/2024 at 18:05, CoveRangers1922 said:

Temporary stands down already

 

Club shown more stupidity in my view removing these already. Not sure why they didn’t just stick with them to the end of the season as you can’t start building until the close season. Were ideal area for families instead of kids trying see over the top of Mannies standing in front of them. Of course life outside the jobber corporate doesn’t matter.

 

[covefan97]

Still think we should've kept Dajon Golding after his loan finished with Banks O'Dee. Works hard and would give us more than 1 attacking option off the bench. What's the point in signing players just to put them on loan for the entire season? and see them leave in the summer without being given a chance

[Watson Nimrod]

46 minutes ago, covefan97 said:

Still think we should've kept Dajon Golding after his loan finished with Banks O'Dee. Works hard and would give us more than 1 attacking option off the bench. What's the point in signing players just to put them on loan for the entire season? and see them leave in the summer without being given a chance

I’ve no real solid basis for my theory but I suspect Golding is a victim of a collateral damage exercise after the unmitigated shambles of the summer transfer window.

He did more than enough to merit a recall to the side as his attitude at BOD was positive and at Elgin it’s been the same but he is still out in the cold ….. is someone trying to prove a point? It seems that way. 

Footballers sometimes need to be handled in such a way that you get the best out of them. Im not sure the negativity that engulfs our ‘coaching team’ might be the best place to get the best from a player like Golding anyway. 

[Watson Nimrod]

On 03/03/2024 at 16:59, Moorie said:

Club shown more stupidity in my view removing these already. Not sure why they didn’t just stick with them to the end of the season as you can’t start building until the close season. Were ideal area for families instead of kids trying see over the top of Mannies standing in front of them. Of course life outside the jobber corporate doesn’t matter.

 

Yeah I wouldn’t disagree but from a selfish chunt point of view it was good to get back behind the goals again last night!

I suspect the clubs hand was forced when the company who owned the kit wanted it back. Not that I’m defending them mind you. 

[CoveRangers1922]

29 minutes ago, Watson Nimrod said:

Yeah I wouldn’t disagree but from a selfish chunt point of view it was good to get back behind the goals again last night!

I suspect the clubs hand was forced when the company who owned the kit wanted it back. Not that I’m defending them mind you. 

From what rumours I've heard about the stands going back they tie in with what you said.

[Kircer bairn]

As a visiting supporter who has now been twice to your ground this season I’m interested in finding out more about your progress as a community club so here’s a few questions for Cove Fans.

How do you perceive your current status as a club in the SPFL?
Where do you think you will be in 10 years if your significant investors decide to withdraw?
Why do you not have any kids from your community deployed as ball boys/girls on match days?
What do you feel about a strategy focused on experienced pros rather than youth development?
What do you think about your manager’s persistence with long ball tactics?

 

[CoveRangers1922]

3 hours ago, Kircer bairn said:

As a visiting supporter who has now been twice to your ground this season I’m interested in finding out more about your progress as a community club so here’s a few questions for Cove Fans.

How do you perceive your current status as a club in the SPFL?
Where do you think you will be in 10 years if your significant investors decide to withdraw?
Why do you not have any kids from your community deployed as ball boys/girls on match days?
What do you feel about a strategy focused on experienced pros rather than youth development?
What do you think about your manager’s persistence with long ball tactics?

 

How do you perceive your current status as a club in the SPFL?

- Still a new club to the SPFL. Less than 5 years ago we were Highland League and nomadic as Balmoral was getting built. A lot has happened in that time, entering the SPFL, L2 promotion first time of asking, L1 promotion in our 2nd year at that level and obviously a failed season in the Championship. We've gone hybrid/FT and now are away to build 2 new stands by the goals (granted they are small)

Right now I feel we are in transition. Switching from PT to FT was never going to be easy. It will take more investment and/or investors or it will take a manager who can recruit and get the best out of what he brings in. 

I wouldn't trust Hartley getting something alcoholic with £20 down the local off-licence let alone giving him a budget to build a squad.

We have a huge amount of work left to do both off the field (clearly) and on the field. In 5 years you can't do it all. Even 10 years down the line we'll barely be established in many aspects we want to be.

 

Where do you think you will be in 10 years if your significant investors decide to withdraw?

- If our current level of investment drops off so will our league position. Clearly we aren't sustainable yet, far from it, and if we relied solely on the revenue we generate we'd be back in the HL pretty quick.

We're not alone on this front. To a lesser extent all of the promoted sides from tier 5 are reliant on financial backers, maybe BRR are slight exception to this rule. It's obviously not just tier 5 promoted sides that rely on investors to steady themselves in their current division.

Why do you not have any kids from your community deployed as ball boys/girls on match days?

-Agreed we should do.

We should have much more focus on elevating the matchday experience. We should have a mascot and a stand/area/converted shipping convert for the "ultras" etc.

Our players and PR/media need to reach the local community, a la Arbroath. We need a strategic partnership with the Dons somehow as there is a market for their fans to come and watch us. Not saying it will be easy or they will come in their masses but is possible.

We've expanded our hospitality and do have our supporters bar open to both sets of fans.

What do you feel about a strategy focused on experienced pros rather than youth development?

-One day I hope we can have a youth setup although it will take time and if we spread ourselves too thin it could be to the detirment of the first team.

This season we took in a few youngsters, mostly on the youth apprenticeship scheme, but some out-with this. Milo Ochmanski,  Miles Gaffney, Jack Robertson and Mikey Milnes. Also Mark Gallagher and Tyler Mykyta, both had time at Aberdeen. They are relatively young still and could be considered for thr future. Majority of them loaned out to HL. I'd imagine we'll take in a few more year on year but how many we'll see coming through the ranks compared to how many get loaned out until they contracts end is hard to gauge.

We're moving away from a senior, 30+ year old, squad.

What do you think about your manager’s persistence with long ball tactics?

-It's eye bleeding to watch and frustrating as hell. Under the first spell with Hartley we played short, sharp, passing football with good movement. If we went long occasionally, we could as Rory would win his fair share against opposition defenders and generally bring others into play. Rumarn, even if he could use both hands, fails to hold it up significantly. He wants it into channels or gaps between CB's not pumped up into the air. Mitch doesn't even bother jumping.

I'd take a change of manager not just a change of tactics.

 

 

Edited March 7 by CoveRangers1922

[Kircer bairn]

3 hours ago, CoveRangers1922 said:

How do you perceive your current status as a club in the SPFL?

- Still a new club to the SPFL. Less than 5 years ago we were Highland League and nomadic as Balmoral was getting built. A lot has happened in that time, entering the SPFL, L2 promotion first time of asking, L1 promotion in our 2nd year at that level and obviously a failed season in the Championship. We've gone hybrid/FT and now are away to build 2 new stands by the goals (granted they are small)

Right now I feel we are in transition. Switching from PT to FT was never going to be easy. It will take more investment and/or investors or it will take a manager who can recruit and get the best out of what he brings in. 

I wouldn't trust Hartley getting something alcoholic with £20 down the local off-licence let alone giving him a budget to build a squad.

We have a huge amount of work left to do both off the field (clearly) and on the field. In 5 years you can't do it all. Even 10 years down the line we'll barely be established in many aspects we want to be.

 

Where do you think you will be in 10 years if your significant investors decide to withdraw?

- If our current level of investment drops off so will our league position. Clearly we aren't sustainable yet, far from it, and if we relied solely on the revenue we generate we'd be back in the HL pretty quick.

We're not alone on this front. To a lesser extent all of the promoted sides from tier 5 are reliant on financial backers, maybe BRR are slight exception to this rule. It's obviously not just tier 5 promoted sides that rely on investors to steady themselves in their current division.

Why do you not have any kids from your community deployed as ball boys/girls on match days?

-Agreed we should do.

We should have much more focus on elevating the matchday experience. We should have a mascot and a stand/area/converted shipping convert for the "ultras" etc.

Our players and PR/media need to reach the local community, a la Arbroath. We need a strategic partnership with the Dons somehow as there is a market for their fans to come and watch us. Not saying it will be easy or they will come in their masses but is possible.

We've expanded our hospitality and do have our supporters bar open to both sets of fans.

What do you feel about a strategy focused on experienced pros rather than youth development?

-One day I hope we can have a youth setup although it will take time and if we spread ourselves too thin it could be to the detirment of the first team.

This season we took in a few youngsters, mostly on the youth apprenticeship scheme, but some out-with this. Milo Ochmanski,  Miles Gaffney, Jack Robertson and Mikey Milnes. Also Mark Gallagher and Tyler Mykyta, both had time at Aberdeen. They are relatively young still and could be considered for thr future. Majority of them loaned out to HL. I'd imagine we'll take in a few more year on year but how many we'll see coming through the ranks compared to how many get loaned out until they contracts end is hard to gauge.

We're moving away from a senior, 30+ year old, squad.

What do you think about your manager’s persistence with long ball tactics?

-It's eye bleeding to watch and frustrating as hell. Under the first spell with Hartley we played short, sharp, passing football with good movement. If we went long occasionally, we could as Rory would win his fair share against opposition defenders and generally bring others into play. Rumarn, even if he could use both hands, fails to hold it up significantly. He wants it into channels or gaps between CB's not pumped up into the air. Mitch doesn't even bother jumping.

I'd take a change of manager not just a change of tactics.

 

 

[Watson Nimrod]

10 hours ago, Kircer bairn said:

As a visiting supporter who has now been twice to your ground this season I’m interested in finding out more about your progress as a community club so here’s a few questions for Cove Fans.

How do you perceive your current status as a club in the SPFL?
Where do you think you will be in 10 years if your significant investors decide to withdraw?
Why do you not have any kids from your community deployed as ball boys/girls on match days?
What do you feel about a strategy focused on experienced pros rather than youth development?
What do you think about your manager’s persistence with long ball tactics?

 

I think your intentions are genuine rather than disingenuous like a good few of your brethren so here is my response … 

Yes, it’s disappointing with the lack of community engagement, particularly around match day involvement. There has been a little bit but it’s nowhere near good enough and there are a group of us who are constantly calling the club out about that ….. they have taken some of the critique on board but it’s not enough. I generally copy and paste my posts on here in my own name on the clubs social media channels as do others. It’s important to keep it positive. 

This trope about investors pulling out etc is kind of old hat. Our directors and our patrons are in this for the long haul and there are others in the wings who are quietly putting their money in. Yes it’s a boys club for jobber oil industry types on a Saturday afternoon, but these contracts between some of them are still often 7 figures and our significant benefactors are still heavily involved in the North Sea. Some kind of sustainability will eventually have to be achieved but that takes time too. In my ideal world we would create a product that is attractive to corporates and families alike. This season has seen stagnation and with stagnation you have to look at new ideas. 

What’s often forgotten that 600+ very often turned up to Allan Park on a Saturday and that hasn’t really changed. There are a new generation coming through and we have to embrace them and give them something to encourage their pals to come along too. We can grow the product but we have to be clever and exploit opportunities other than corporate. 

Now, you know the football under Hartley is shit so that is a bit disingenuous but I can let that go! He does have a knack of grinding out results but his style is not what we want, nor is his presence long term. Him and his ‘coaching team’ have a horrendous air of negativity around them and I would ship them all out. The management team at our local rivals were the in the ‘directors box’ on Tuesday. I would take them in a heartbeat. 

A youth set up is coming but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Falkirk have had money pumped in from a variety of benefactors so that is a bit of glasshouses. I’ve already said several times that the FFC team this season I’m fairly sure would challenge in the Championship easily. 

We are in no different a situation than 4/5 clubs in this division, it’s about the future decisions of those in charge that will influence where we are in 10 years. Personally I think that will be between L1 and the Championship. 

Edited March 7 by Watson Nimrod

[Moorie]

On 06/03/2024 at 09:49, Watson Nimrod said:

Yeah I wouldn’t disagree but from a selfish chunt point of view it was good to get back behind the goals again last night!

I suspect the clubs hand was forced when the company who owned the kit wanted it back. Not that I’m defending them mind you. 

Yes was speaking to a boy at work who’s loons team trains on the pitch. Someone on the ground staff was saying they god rid of them due to no having value/making money off them.

 

that case who’s covering the bill for the two stands and will the ticket prices go up even if still in league 1?