The Queen of the South thread

[Alan grey]

Playing Danny Carmichael in midfield. Putting Duran on the bench, dropping Holt to play an out of touch Diwie, moving away from 2 tricky wingers to a system the players struggled with.

Being honest McIntyre spoiled our chances that season of a real good go at finishing higher that 4th. He had the easiest footballing job in the UK and decided to tinker. Those first 10 weeks we so painfull. When he decided to go back to type it was like flicking a switch.

I for one will never understand that first 1/3 of that season.

Still it's all in the past now. Hopefully fowler has learned from his mistakes and he can keep the bones of this squad. Lets home he keeps the attacking strategy we have seen the last 4 weeks and we really up or game

[Sloop John B]

McIntyre's team knocked the holders and Premiership side St Mirren out of the League Cup too and were damned unlucky not to knock the same side out of the Scottish Cup in a 2-2 draw before comfortably losing the replay.

Not that I disagree with the general point but Johnston, McIntyre and Fowler all knocked one top league side out of cups. The latter two knocking out the holders.

Also McIntyre's side couldnt get results off Dundee, Hamilton or Falkirk. Thats not generic to full time sides. They regularly beat Raith and Livi.

 

 

I'm sure we lost at least a couple of games to Raith our first season back up, notably the 3-2 game with the delay kickoff, whilst we kept on having high scoring draws with Livi.

[palmy_cammy]

All pretty fair, I suppose. I wasn't so much attacking Fowler for inheriting a decent squad though.In truth, I'd been overlooking the fact that he was in charge for the bulk of last season, when I was addressing your comment about progressing further under him. In the short term, I suppose we did.You're right in saying that this season hasn't been a disaster, but it's not been good. You, more than most have been saying the players aren't terribly good, rather than just haven't been effectively deployed. If Fowler's acquisitions have been poorish, it surely can't lead to that much faith that we're on the upward part of the latest cycle.

I don't think we have any excellent players this season who will move up a level. I think we've a few very good players for this division, namely Hutton and the elder statesmen such as Higgins, Dowie, Lyle and Russell. Then we've a group of youngsters who may or may not prove to be good players at this level; Marshall, Brownlie, Murdoch, Harris, Oliver etc. Finally we have a selection of players not up to the job for one reason or another.

He was never going to get it 100% right when signing that amount of players but only a few have been complete flops. My preference would be to give Fowler next season and if possible keep the bulk of this seasons squad with perhaps 5 or 6 additions. That way we minimise the upheaval that was so damaging this time round. If those 5 or 6 players are better than the ones they replace then we'll be looking good for the playoffs again.

We could replace him, but the new man will ultimately want his own players and we're back to square one.

He could of course be a magician and build an unstoppable squad that sees us romp the league. It's a gamble though. Better the devil you know and all that.

[19QOS19]

I reckon Marshall and a fit Tapping are two players who could play higher given the proper development. And I do feel sorry for Fowler with regards to Hilson and Tapping. If these two had avoided injury this year I don't think we'd have been as bad to watch at times.

I reckon Murdoch could play at a higher level too, in time.

[NM_1919]

Tend to agree with the above posts. I really like the look of a few of his signings Marshall, Hutton, Hilson. Then you've Thomson, Harris, Oliver, Tapping and Murdoch in the category of looking good signings but their inconsistent but then you look generally at the age of them and you have to think inconsistency is going to come with signings at that age, let's be honest if they didn't have it, they wouldn't be at queens.

I'm personally of the opinion that we've not a bad squad. Probably need 4/5 players but the makings are there, so like Cammy says to get a new gaffer in and start at square one would be silly. Right back, Centre half, maybe a centre mid (depend if Murdoch comes again) and a striker for starters. For me, I think we need a quality centre half in, as much as I like them both Higgins and Dowie haven't been their usual high standards this season and I think they need competition to get them back to it. Looking at the side for next year you'd prob go with :-

Thomson

... Dowie Higgins Marshall

Hutton tapping/Murdoch(if rumours are true)

Oliver Hilson Harris

...

And be quite happy with that, although personally I'd like to sign someone better than the two centre halfs then make them compete for the berth left, but that'd be a large chunk probably of the wages on three centre halfs. I think beany and tan man if they want to stay have to be face reality that it'll be from bench, I think they could prove very effective from there. Maybe not so much Russell but I don't expect Lyle to be our number 9 next year as much as he's one of my all time heroes. I'm not overly convinced by Lewis Kidd but I'd probably keep him as I think there's probably a player in their, plus he's pretty versatile.

So I'd punt Millar, Conroy, Brownlie, Jacobs (maybe a tad harsh). Think the club have to also let the likes of Aiden, Jim, Hooper go out on loan or their never going to kick on like we could do with them to.

[Guest Flash]

When assessing McIntyre,it is probably best to start with the facts.

At the end of the first quarter, we had taken 9 points from 9 games. Clark was then brought in, with the club's official site saying this was as a result of an injury to Antell. We lost the first game of the next quarter, leaving us with 9 points from the first 10 games, second bottom of the league in the relegation play off position.

We took 13 points in that next quarter while McIntyre continued to impose his own formations.

After reverting to a formation much closer to Johnson's, we then took 17 points in the next quarter and 16 points in the last one, which included the draw at Cowdenbeath when some players were rested.

Now it is probably a bit simplistic to say that we could have averaged 17 points per quarter from the outset had we had a goalkeeper and a manager who hadn't messed around with the team. But, if we had got the same points in the first half as we did in the second, we would have had 66. Dundee won it with 69.

It might be an exaggeration to claim that we could have challenged for the title had we not had a dud keeper and a manger who didn't leave well alone,I don't think anybody can seriously argue that both of these things didn't cost us any points.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Flash

[Homer Thompson]

Tend to agree with the above posts. I really like the look of a few of his signings Marshall, Hutton, Hilson. Then you've Thomson, Harris, Oliver, Tapping and Murdoch in the category of looking good signings but their inconsistent but then you look generally at the age of them and you have to think inconsistency is going to come with signings at that age, let's be honest if they didn't have it, they wouldn't be at queens.

I'm personally of the opinion that we've not a bad squad. Probably need 4/5 players but the makings are there, so like Cammy says to get a new gaffer in and start at square one would be silly. Right back, Centre half, maybe a centre mid (depend if Murdoch comes again) and a striker for starters. For me, I think we need a quality centre half in, as much as I like them both Higgins and Dowie haven't been their usual high standards this season and I think they need competition to get them back to it. Looking at the side for next year you'd prob go with :-

Thomson

... Dowie Higgins Marshall

Hutton tapping/Murdoch(if rumours are true)

Oliver Hilson Harris

...

And be quite happy with that, although personally I'd like to sign someone better than the two centre halfs then make them compete for the berth left, but that'd be a large chunk probably of the wages on three centre halfs. I think beany and tan man if they want to stay have to be face reality that it'll be from bench, I think they could prove very effective from there. Maybe not so much Russell but I don't expect Lyle to be our number 9 next year as much as he's one of my all time heroes. I'm not overly convinced by Lewis Kidd but I'd probably keep him as I think there's probably a player in their, plus he's pretty versatile.

So I'd punt Millar, Conroy, Brownlie, Jacobs (maybe a tad harsh). Think the club have to also let the likes of Aiden, Jim, Hooper go out on loan or their never going to kick on like we could do with them to.

What about Kidd?

[19QOS19]

What about Kidd?

This and the addition of Harris as he's just a loan at this time. I thought Fowler's comments were pretty harsh in yesterday's Standard with regards to the RB position. I don't really see it as an area requiring addressing as I think Kidd has done well there this season.

I think it's pretty harsh to call Tapping inconsistent as well. He's been injured for the majority of the season and has looked fine/good when he's played.

[kleinfaethetoon]

When assessing McIntyre,it is probably best to start with the facts.

At the end of the first quarter, we had taken 9 points from 9 games. Clark was then brought in, with the club's official site saying this was as a result of an injury to Antell. We lost the first game of the next quarter, leaving us with 9 points from the first 10 games, second bottom of the league in the relegation play off position.

We took 13 points in that next quarter while McIntyre continued to impose his own formations.

After reverting to a formation much closer to Johnson's, we then took 17 points in the next quarter and 16 points in the last one, which included the draw at Cowdenbeath when some players were rested.

Now it is probably a bit simplistic to say that we could have averaged 17 points per quarter from the outset had we had a goalkeeper and a manager who hadn't messed around with the team. But, if we had got the same points in the first half as we did in the second, we would have had 66. Dundee won it with 69.

It might be an exaggeration to claim that we could have challenged for the title had we not had a dud keeper and a manger who didn't leave well alone,I don't think anybody can seriously argue that both of these things didn't cost us any points.

Could not agree more with your assessment, some people on here can't see past McIntyre for some reason ...... I have always been of the opinion if Johnston had not made the ridiculous decision to move to Kilmarnock we would of challenged for the title that season or at least been within a game of promotion.

[NM_1919]

Don't particularly rate Kidd at right back does a job I guess but there's better out there.

[Monkey Tennis]

Kidd's grown on me of late.

Right back was only a problem position for us last week, because the manager stuck a midfielder out there for the first hour.

[Monkey Tennis]

When assessing McIntyre,it is probably best to start with the facts.

At the end of the first quarter, we had taken 9 points from 9 games. Clark was then brought in, with the club's official site saying this was as a result of an injury to Antell. We lost the first game of the next quarter, leaving us with 9 points from the first 10 games, second bottom of the league in the relegation play off position.

We took 13 points in that next quarter while McIntyre continued to impose his own formations.

After reverting to a formation much closer to Johnson's, we then took 17 points in the next quarter and 16 points in the last one, which included the draw at Cowdenbeath when some players were rested.

Now it is probably a bit simplistic to say that we could have averaged 17 points per quarter from the outset had we had a goalkeeper and a manager who hadn't messed around with the team. But, if we had got the same points in the first half as we did in the second, we would have had 66. Dundee won it with 69.

It might be an exaggeration to claim that we could have challenged for the title had we not had a dud keeper and a manger who didn't leave well alone,I don't think anybody can seriously argue that both of these things didn't cost us any points.

Spot on.

Apologists gonna apologise though.

[Monkey Tennis]

I don't think we have any excellent players this season who will move up a level. I think we've a few very good players for this division, namely Hutton and the elder statesmen such as Higgins, Dowie, Lyle and Russell. Then we've a group of youngsters who may or may not prove to be good players at this level; Marshall, Brownlie, Murdoch, Harris, Oliver etc. Finally we have a selection of players not up to the job for one reason or another.

He was never going to get it 100% right when signing that amount of players but only a few have been complete flops. My preference would be to give Fowler next season and if possible keep the bulk of this seasons squad with perhaps 5 or 6 additions. That way we minimise the upheaval that was so damaging this time round. If those 5 or 6 players are better than the ones they replace then we'll be looking good for the playoffs again.

We could replace him, but the new man will ultimately want his own players and we're back to square one.

He could of course be a magician and build an unstoppable squad that sees us romp the league. It's a gamble though. Better the devil you know and all that.

Again, I don't much disagree. I'm happier with Fowler following our more recent form which I hope continues today.

I don't see a massive case for getting rid either, despite my reservations.

I was just picking up on the fact that throughout this laborious season, you've been challenging those grumbling about how the team has been set up, by saying that our shortcomings owe most to the players' own limitations.

You seem much more upbeat about our squad now. That's maybe understandable since we started finding our way to goal, right enough.

Has your view of our squad shifted a bit, or does it just look that way to me?

Edited April 9, 2016 by Monkey Tennis

[qos2016]

Russell is a disgrace. Should be released tonight! Sick of his diving and petulance

[BottiBiabi]

Russell is a disgrace. Should be released tonight! Sick of his diving and petulance

Good first post. Well done

[Distant Doonhamer]

Livi lost.

Think that`s us safe now.  

[palmy_cammy]

Again, I don't much disagree. I'm happier with Fowler following our more recent form which I hope continues today.

I don't see a massive case for getting rid either, despite my reservations.

I was just picking up on the fact that throughout this laborious season, you've been challenging those grumbling about how the team has been set up, by saying that our shortcomings owe most to the players' own limitations.

You seem much more upbeat about our squad now. That's maybe understandable since we started finding our way to goal, right enough.

Has your view of our squad shifted a bit, or does it just look that way to me?

I don't think my stance has changed, although the quality of our starting XI has undoubtedly improved with the inclusion of Tapping, Hutton and Hilson.

I still think we are where we are because we have been inferior to those above us rather than any glaring errors by the management. That's not to say we can't improve with a years experience and the right additions.

I've never thought the squad was a lost cause because we've never been in any real relegation danger. Equally it hasn't been good enough to compete with those above us.

[QosLoyal]

Would agree with NM1919 apart from kidd. Hopefully brownlie is punted along with conroy etc. Got to say tapping has impressed me recently hopefully he stays fit.

[palmy_cammy]

Would agree with NM1919 apart from kidd. Hopefully brownlie is punted along with conroy etc. Got to say tapping has impressed me recently hopefully he stays fit.

Were you at the game today? Brownlie was excellent and comfortably our best defender despite the bizarre decision to award Dowie MotM.

[Alan grey]

My observations from today.

With Oliver's pace and trickery to me he looks a better winger wide right. He caused Lee Wallace so many problems and had shown really well when running at players. Not sure where he was playing to be honest tofay but he wasn't hugging the touch line.

Lyle scored last week and end up on the bench? Come on.

Harris blistering pace down on the other wing and great performances recently get rewarded with a place one the bench.. Don't get it.

Murdoch is a massive threat coming from right back. He can combine with Oliver with his vision and passing ability. He can see more of the game than in midfield. Reminds me of the situation with Paton years ago where he was best at right back rather than midfield.

Having 2 pacey trickey wingers is a huge asset. Why not employ them and take the game to the opposition. Let them worry about us rather than us nullifying their threat.

Bit more luck and we might have won. However I think the manager best himself today not being brave enough.