TxRover Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 2 hours ago, virginton said: I don't think there's a structural explanation for the decline in standard, but it is clear enough. The Morton team that won promotion to this level in 2006-07 and scraped survival the following season on goals scored (Jim McAlister, Chris Millar, Paul McGowan from Celtic replaced by Allan Jenkins and other Gretna refugees) would stomp all over the rabble that went into a play-off on goal difference this season and it wouldn't even close. I have absolutely zero nostalgia for a side assembled by that odious serial loser and bottle merchant Jim McInally but that is the reality of the situation. Some clubs have better squads now than then but the overall standard of division was much, much tougher. And yet there's still a gap to the level below given the outcome of the play-offs. The pyramid is becoming a more broadly based exercise in mediocrity. But there are structural aspects of the changes over the past 60-80 years that help explain the migration of talent toward a conglomerate of teams/entities whose vacuuming up of talent makes the OF antics look quaint. Certainly, the influx of money into the upper levels of the system, especially In England, has effectively hamstrung the development of players at lower competitive levels versus captive “Under-X” teams in England and adjacent markets. To a certain extent, this explains some of the siphoning off of talent in the Scottish game. The other hurdle that presents itself is the failure of the SFL/SPFL to distribute the largess in a manner that allows teams below the top level to offer competitive wages for players that will otherwise look to teams down south or overseas for positions. Your own recent objections to two-year deals (because of COVID related uncertainties) focuses on the fiscal weakness of the Scottish game below the top level. While we can argue about the hows and whys of this weakness, it is clear that the weakness is a more recent phenomena rather than one that has been around since WWII. As an aside, I would argue that it Is more of a result of inconsistencies in quality of play than a general decline in the quality of play that is most frustrating in fitba now. With better conditioned and trained players across the board, an error can now be punished more easily than before, and this has resulted in a more compact and defensive game strategy often ruling the roost. The wide open, free wheeling play approach that many older fans remember fondly was never as prevalent as we would recall, but certainly makes the modern game seem a bit boring by comparison. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Blue Posted May 27, 2021 Author Share Posted May 27, 2021 6 hours ago, Alert Mongoose said: What’s the record attendance at QoS? Why the interest, relevance .....? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardle is Magic Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 (edited) 47 minutes ago, TONTROOPER said: So where's the big surprise?.......win your home games and pick up the odd win or draw away from home and you are always going to end up mid table (or slightly better in Pars case).Thats why you won a play-off place (not that you did much with it right enough). We were helped greatly by the fact there were so many teams even worse than us. A more porous defence and we’d have been fighting relegation with the other jobbers like Arbroath, Ayr and Morton. Edited May 27, 2021 by Cardle is Magic 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONTROOPER Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 3 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said: We were helped greatly by the fact there were so many teams even worse than us. A more porous defence and we’d have been fighting relegation with the other jobbers like Arbroath, Ayr and Morton. Ah well...not to worry....I'm hearing you've re-signed Falkingham...'the future's bright!'... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eez-eh Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 19 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said: We were helped greatly by the fact there were so many teams even worse than us. A more porous defence and we’d have been fighting relegation with the other jobbers like Arbroath, Ayr and Morton. This is the sort of insight I come to this board for. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardle is Magic Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 23 minutes ago, eez-eh said: This is the sort of insight I come to this board for. Glad to have an appreciate audience. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardle is Magic Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 41 minutes ago, TONTROOPER said: Ah well...not to worry....I'm hearing you've re-signed Falkingham...'the future's bright!'... By “hearing” do you mean you read a rumour on Twitter and just took it on board as fact? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 4 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said: By “hearing” do you mean you read a rumour on Twitter and just took it on board as fact? No, he means the voices in his toaster told him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONTROOPER Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 5 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said: By “hearing” do you mean you read a rumour on Twitter and just took it on board as fact? Nope........I invented it.......I fibbed. But it worked didnt it.....how many Pars pals have you text to confirm it was total pish? Soiled underwear?.....M&S are doing a promotion on under 10's pants...... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardle is Magic Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 9 minutes ago, TONTROOPER said: Nope........I invented it.......I fibbed. But it worked didnt it.....how many Pars pals have you text to confirm it was total pish? Soiled underwear?.....M&S are doing a promotion on under 10's pants...... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardle is Magic Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Anyone else *really* creeped out that TONTROOPER has been away checking out kids’ pants in M&S? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONTROOPER Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said: No luck mate.......Josh is ex-directory. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONTROOPER Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 1 minute ago, Cardle is Magic said: Anyone else *really* creeped out that TONTROOPER has been away checking out kids’ pants in M&S? Tontrooper was in M&S with nephew........ he got new boots and stuff. Thats a pretty tawdry insinuation if you dont mind me saying so. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baba douche Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 44 minutes ago, TONTROOPER said: Tontrooper was in M&S with nephew........ he got new boots and stuff. Thats a pretty tawdry insinuation if you dont mind me saying so. Deserved tho after your shite 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Blue Posted May 27, 2021 Author Share Posted May 27, 2021 So ..... back to the 2021/2022 Championship...... Peter Grant then ..... enhances the Pars prospects or not .....? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxRover Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 4 minutes ago, Otis Blue said: So ..... back to the 2021/2022 Championship...... Peter Grant then ..... enhances the Pars prospects or not .....? I have a nasty feeling he might. Plenty of experience, and those slating his record aren’t looking at the handicaps. At both Norwich and Alloa he was hamstrung by budgetary issues, something that seems less likely at the Pars. Certainly will have a large variety of contacts inside Scottish and English football, added to the possible links to German/Eastern European football from the new overlords investors. Alloa played a tidy game but lacked the quality (and quantity, for that matter) needed to succeed with that game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320Lichtie Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 He’ll be better than Stevie Crawford anyway and if he punts that goalie Dunfermline are already twice as good 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Blue Posted May 27, 2021 Author Share Posted May 27, 2021 18 minutes ago, TxRover said: .......... added to the possible links to German/Eastern European football from the new overlords investors ...... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardle is Magic Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 2 hours ago, TxRover said: I have a nasty feeling he might. Plenty of experience, and those slating his record aren’t looking at the handicaps. At both Norwich and Alloa he was hamstrung by budgetary issues, something that seems less likely at the Pars. Certainly will have a large variety of contacts inside Scottish and English football, added to the possible links to German/Eastern European football from the new overlords investors. Alloa played a tidy game but lacked the quality (and quantity, for that matter) needed to succeed with that game. Sticking to a style of play that’s failing is not the sign of a good manager. It’s the sign of someone that doesn’t have a Plan B or is too arrogant to come up with one. The only reason I’m not predicting a relegation battle is because we have a decent core of players already signed up and most of the league will be total shite. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 10 hours ago, TxRover said: I have a nasty feeling he might. Plenty of experience, and those slating his record aren’t looking at the handicaps. At both Norwich and Alloa he was hamstrung by budgetary issues, something that seems less likely at the Pars. Certainly will have a large variety of contacts inside Scottish and English football, added to the possible links to German/Eastern European football from the new overlords investors. Alloa played a tidy game but lacked the quality (and quantity, for that matter) needed to succeed with that game. What 'budgetary issue' was in place at Alloa that didn't apply to Arbroath, who were streets ahead of them in both seasons Grant was there? Any manager whose club ended up comfortably cut adrift at the bottom of this rancid league just finished did not do his job properly. When push came to shove, Grant's side was a soft touch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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