The Big Queen's Park FC Thread

[Kevin Finnerty]

51 minutes ago, Derry Alli said:

What happens now?

Is there going to be yet more money chucked at it or will the budgets be scaled back?

I think that finishing in the top three of the Championship two seasons after being in League Two is probably much better than the club anticipated at the outset of the project, to be honest. I don't think the idea was ever to treat the whole venture as a failure if the team didn't make it to the top division in the quickest possible timeframe (although obviously it's been disappointing to blow a golden opportunity to do so).

Don't really know about "more money being chucked at it" but I would imagine that the club is still pretty solvent from the Hampden sale and I would hope that the next season will be an opportunity to really grow the support as an established Championship side with an actual home ground in the heart of the south side where it should be.

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Kevin Finnerty

[Bring Your Own Socks]

I don’t know why, but the human brain has a way of recycling good memories and burying the bad ones. No one remembers what they had for school dinners, but they remember the pals they sat with. This pain will go away. What I’m more concerned about is this pain is as good as it ever gets. 

Despite tacit remarks of things “in writing” we’ll never really know what will happen if Haughey has an early exit until it happens. His wife, Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire no less, has her own interests and I’ve never seen her at a game. His son lives in Geneva and his main interest is music and productions. So the Mileson scenario isn’t completely impossible. The Foundation and Lochinch are all big commitments and offer stability, but still need to be paid for over years to come. For balance, Haughey has intimated his ten-year limit (echoes of his old pal Fergus McCann) but what if he doesn’t make it that fa, physically or mentally? What do we have “in writing” to cover that scenario? 

By all accounts, including senior officers at the club, the whole Premiership/Europe chatter began when Haughey was pressing people to think bigger and reach for the stars. Intimidated by his stature, they quickly got into line. Whilst most fans thought this was just aspirational nonsense, the CEO seemed to think it was now her business plan. The original aspirations expressed to Members before the vote was fired in the bin. Evolution, or were we duped?

So I hope that while the coaching staff and the Director of Football have a reset about just exactly what are the first team’s objectives are for next season - because if you don’t have that clear, everything else you do will be fruitless - and then establish their plan for growth from that and, critically, make sure it sits within the clubs plan. A real one, not the fairy tale Dempster version, built on hope and dreams at the behest of the benefactor.The collapse this season is because we have run the first team in exactly the opposite direction of that. We started with survival and got swept away on a raft when dazzled by the sun. 

So, we’ve already been given a very stark message at Lesser that regardless of what the missives say, Haughey sees it as part of his fiefdom. He’s deciding what gets built and when. If Coyle isn’t allowed to continue his work and someone with a strong Celtic connection replaces him I’ll find it hard not to believe that the Queen’s Park I was a part of for more than 50 years has finally gone. I’m fully on board with Beukerball. I’ll never be on board with Haugheyball. Time for the committee to strap a pair on. 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Bring Your Own Socks

[Derry Alli]

Speak for yourself, my pals were arseholes and I miss the primary school butter flapjacks.

[Spider1975]

29 minutes ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

So I hope that while the coaching staff and the Director of Football have a reset about just exactly the first team’s objectives are for next season - because if you don’t have that clear, everything else you do will be fruitless - and then establish their plan for growth from that and, critically, make sure it sits within the clubs plan. A real one, not the fairy tale Dempster version,

That, there, as far as I'm concerned is the rub.  

What level of establishment is the aim of Moneybag/Beukerball?  We've seen real progress with the Elite coaching status and youth set up, but the notion I think, of establishing ourselves as a PL club is fanciful.  I think you're correct, the comings and goings during the summer will be a litmus test of whether we see ourselves as L1/Championship perennials or really are aiming to achieve, at a consistent level, higher.

[Spider1975]

48 minutes ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

We started with survival and got swept away on a raft when dazzled by the sun. 

Still at a bit of a loss to describe/explain the drop off over the last eight weeks.

Simon Murray went and despite his goal tally, I'm wondering how his loss manifested itself with us not only stopping scoring, but also seemingly stopping creating chances along with losing the plot in defence.

OC came as close has he has all season in last nights post-match interview to criticising the players and can't quite dismiss both CB's being hooked at half-time either as just giving the subs a run out.

Has he 'lost' some of the team, or have they just switched off for whatever reason, (long season, youth, mental fatigue etc), either way I'd be surprised to see any of that back line remaining for next year 

[QPSpider1867]

1 hour ago, Derry Alli said:

What happens now?

Is there going to be yet more money chucked at it or will the budgets be scaled back?

You’ve spent an awful lot more on your squad than we have, you thick clown

[QPSpider1867]

1 hour ago, Kevin Finnerty said:

I think that finishing in the top three of the Championship two seasons after being in League Two is probably much better than the club anticipated at the outset of the project, to be honest. I don't think the idea was ever to treat the whole venture as a failure if the team didn't make it to the top division in the quickest possible timeframe (although obviously it's been disappointing to blow a golden opportunity to do so).

Don't really know about "more money being chucked at it" but I would imagine that the club is still pretty solvent from the Hampden sale and I would hope that the next season will be an opportunity to really grow the support as an established Championship side with an actual home ground in the heart of the south side where it should be.

 

A sensible and patient response. Dundee fans are so thick I just call them clowns these days. Glad to see other QP fans with the calmness to give decent replies. 

We’ve came from L2, had a crack in our first year in the champ and had a really good season doing so. Life goes on, plenty of things to cheer about and a lot more room for growth on and off the pitch. 

Also, wtf was the boos at half time? some people need to chill out, those boys don’t deserve that haha leave the boos for the hu ns.

[qpfc]

Season done and wildly it’s only a short 8 weeks until the new season kicks off. Incredibly curious to see what the recruitment will be like this summer. Beuker and Coyle will hopefully have gained a strong idea on what’s needed to do well in this league. Coyle hinted strength in depth being an issue last night in his interview. Totally agree with that if I’m being honest. I’m going to assume he’s hinting about the likes of Thomas and Savoury being off the boil and having nobody adequate to replace them. I think there’s going to be a fair few departures, more than I probably anticipated a few months back

I think I can see the following leaving. Including the loans also 

Shields 

Henderson 

Boateng (sigh) 

Mcpake 

Oakley 

Kilday (injuries seem to be returning again and at 31, I would rather not risk that) 

Brown

Longridge 

Moore 

Fox (head seems in another place based on performances the last few months)

Biggar 

 

Thats not even including the potential sale of Savoury and it would not surprise me to see Eze away aswell. Massively down the pecking order in what was a horrendous defence 

Edited May 13, 2023 by qpfc

[an86]

Win rate before January 31 - 55%. 
Win rate after January 31- 31%.
 

Two season defining off-field mistakes have tinged a very good first season in the Championship with “what if?” 

[Derry Alli]

41 minutes ago, QPSpider1867 said:

You’ve spent an awful lot more on your squad than we have, you thick clown

We also have nearly four thousand more folk through the turnstiles - and no doubt we will be losing money again this year but that's more tied to being hamstrung to a stupid tenancy deal.

It wasn't meant as a dig, btw.

[Arachnophile]

34 minutes ago, an86 said:

Win rate before January 31 - 55%. 
Win rate after January 31- 31%.
 

Two season defining off-field mistakes have tinged a very good first season in the Championship with “what if?” 

I don't think its as simple as that. In the 7 games after Murray left, we won 4 , drew 2 & only lost one. That spell included taking 4 points off Ayr and Morton which we had been unable to do with Murray in the team. 

In that spell we went from top of the table by one points (Dundee 2 points behind with a game in hand) to 4 points clear (all teams played the same number of games.)

It was the last 7  games with its disastrous 7  points out of 21 that did for us.

If this was all because we let Murray go, why did it take the best part of 2 months for that to have an effect?

I have no easy answer as to why this happened but it was clear to anyone with eyes that too many players just lost any sort of form in the last couple of months.

 

 

 

[an86]

4 hours ago, Arachnophile said:

I don't think its as simple as that. In the 7 games after Murray left, we won 4 , drew 2 & only lost one. That spell included taking 4 points off Ayr and Morton which we had been unable to do with Murray in the team. 

In that spell we went from top of the table by one points (Dundee 2 points behind with a game in hand) to 4 points clear (all teams played the same number of games.)

It was the last 7  games with its disastrous 7  points out of 21 that did for us.

If this was all because we let Murray go, why did it take the best part of 2 months for that to have an effect?

I have no easy answer as to why this happened but it was clear to anyone with eyes that too many players just lost any sort of form in the last couple of months.

 

 

 

The Murray thing wasn’t just the goals. It was leadership as well. When we did hit the skids, there was nobody on the pitch to drag us through it. We need a minimum of two b*****ds in the team next season. Guys who will demand that standards are set on the pitch. You can play good football and still have a nasty streak. It’s almost imperative to possess both qualities in this league. 

[Arachnophile]

27 minutes ago, an86 said:

The Murray thing wasn’t just the goals. It was leadership as well. When we did hit the skids, there was nobody on the pitch to drag us through it. We need a minimum of two b*****ds in the team next season. Guys who will demand that standards are set on the pitch. You can play good football and still have a nasty streak. It’s almost imperative to possess both qualities in this league. 

Every team in this league had good runs & bad runs. we had a pretty ropey spell in October/November when Murray was in the team where we took 5 points from 6 games. 

I don't doubt that Murray was a big influence - he finished 2nd top scorer in the league after all. And it was clear that his influence extended to more than just scoring goals. I'm just not convinced him leaving is THE reason we didn't win the league and the truth is we will never know., If we had insisted on holding on to him, against his will, would he have been the same player? Who knows? 

I generally take the view that if a player wants to leave, he should be allowed to leave and if we can get a few bob in at the same time, all the better.

One thing is for sure, we need to find 2 or 3 players to replace him. We have been woefully short of striking options this season, Our loan strikers have been poor and Williamson really would have benefitted from being loaned out to a first division side but we needed him on the bench.

 

 

[an86]

7 minutes ago, Arachnophile said:

Every team in this league had good runs & bad runs. we had a pretty ropey spell in October/November when Murray was in the team where we took 5 points from 6 games. 

I don't doubt that Murray was a big influence - he finished 2nd top scorer in the league after all. And it was clear that his influence extended to more than just scoring goals. I'm just not convinced him leaving is THE reason we didn't win the league and the truth is we will never know., If we had insisted on holding on to him, against his will, would he have been the same player? Who knows? 

I generally take the view that if a player wants to leave, he should be allowed to leave and if we can get a few bob in at the same time, all the better.

One thing is for sure, we need to find 2 or 3 players to replace him. We have been woefully short of striking options this season, Our loan strikers have been poor and Williamson really would have benefitted from being loaned out to a first division side but we needed him on the bench.

 

 

Whether Murray forced the move in January is open to interpretation. He says he didn’t. The people who’ve told us lots of things that haven’t necessarily correlated with reality have told us that us that he did. 

Ross County’s statement read ”I would like to thank Queen’s Park and specifically Lord Haughey and Leeann Dempster for working with us to make Simon’s move North happen and wish them every success in their push for promotion.” Now, obviously, nobody forced the pen into Murray’s hand, but it certainly reads like we were more keen to force the move in January than he was.  

[Bring Your Own Socks]

15 minutes ago, an86 said:

Whether Murray forced the move in January is open to interpretation. He says he didn’t. The people who’ve told us lots of things that haven’t necessarily correlated with reality have told us that us that he did. 

Ross County’s statement read ”I would like to thank Queen’s Park and specifically Lord Haughey and Leeann Dempster for working with us to make Simon’s move North happen and wish them every success in their push for promotion.” Now, obviously, nobody forced the pen into Murray’s hand, but it certainly reads like we were more keen to force the move in January than he was.  

At the age of 31 he was given a 2+1 contract with reportedly more wages whereas he was facing end of contract with us. It was at least as good a deal for him as it was for the club. I listened to the podcast but never actually heard the words “I didn’t want to go” or “was pushed” or similar. It was framed along the lines of the two clubs agreeing on a deal and the suggestion he didn’t have a say in it. That’s pretty much how it is when two professional clubs decide to do business, although he or his agent would most definitely have had a say on the contract terms.

The debate about his value could go on and on but this shouldn’t be represented as some hard luck story where he was forced against his will. For what it’s worth, it looked like a guilt trip to me. By the time he did the podcast the term “Simon who?” was being used on here and other platforms. Probably not what he was expecting. We also don’t know what happened between him and his mates when he got off the bus that day. Maybe an hour before he got off he had been saying, “we’re off on a good cup run lads.”Maybe some of them took it badly. Badly enough to believe the club did him wrong and they themselves were negatively affected by it. He took the new contract and should just have moved on. And let Queen’s Park and it’s staff to do their jobs.

[SirJimmyofNic]

6 hours ago, an86 said:

Win rate before January 31 - 55%. 
Win rate after January 31- 31%.
 

Two season defining off-field mistakes have tinged a very good first season in the Championship with “what if?” 

That stat is eerily familiar 

Edited May 13, 2023 by SirJimmyofNic

[Stuntiethumper]

2 hours ago, an86 said:

The Murray thing wasn’t just the goals. It was leadership as well. When we did hit the skids, there was nobody on the pitch to drag us through it. We need a minimum of two b*****ds in the team next season. Guys who will demand that standards are set on the pitch. You can play good football and still have a nasty streak. It’s almost imperative to possess both qualities in this league. 

Sign Roy, the b@stard we need!

[ExiledLichtie]

Are you actually going to have a stadium next year?  Because if you can't guarantee Saturday football in a ground where you are either primary or second tenants, you should be demoted.

[Arachnophile]

9 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

Are you actually going to have a stadium next year?  Because if you can't guarantee Saturday football in a ground where you are either primary or second tenants, you should be demoted.

God only knows.

[Zanetti]

20 minutes ago, ExiledLichtie said:

Are you actually going to have a stadium next year?  Because if you can't guarantee Saturday football in a ground where you are either primary or second tenants, you should be demoted.

We'll have a stadium, whether the capacity is anywhere near suitable for this level of football is a totally different issue.