The Queen of the South thread

[the_vortex]

We have no money, deal with it.

Correct , maybe Northfield would like to join the Trust and help raise some money . After all he's supported Queens for over 30 years -

allegedly

Edited November 16, 2011 by the_vortex

[Hawk]

Last night Craig Dargo played for Partick in a Res game against us.He will score goals at our level surely we should be looking out for players like Dargo.

I think Gus is happy with the squad he must be when the likes of Dargo is there to sign.

We need goals Dargo will score them surely even Gus can see that.

As for the money think the trust or one of the board will pay his wages till the new year just like McMenamin last season

The way i see is we do not score goals why not give Dargo a try he has to be better than we have just now BUT as always with Queens looks like we are to late seems that Partick are going to sign him to the new year.

Andy Milne and Steven Black kept Dargo quiet before he was subbed. The best striker on the park was Gavin Reilly and he’s already ours.

There was a number of other individually fine performances from a very young Queens team (Andy apart and no disrespect) considering they were playing against and older and far more experienced Thistle team.

[Swarley]

Last night Craig Dargo played for Partick in a Res game against us.He will score goals at our level surely we should be looking out for players like Dargo.

I think Gus is happy with the squad he must be when the likes of Dargo is there to sign.

We need goals Dargo will score them surely even Gus can see that.

As for the money think the trust or one of the board will pay his wages till the new year just like McMenamin last season

The way i see is we do not score goals why not give Dargo a try he has to be better than we have just now BUT as always with Queens looks like we are to late seems that Partick are going to sign him to the new year.

Hiya Craig Dargo's agent, hiya pal

[Guest TOPFITTER]

Correct , maybe Northfield would like to join the Trust and help raise some money . After all he's supported Queens for over 30 years -

allegedly

Northfield has already been asked to Join/Help The Trust. As yet he has not made anyone aware of his Joining/Helping, in fact since the last time he was challenged on the matter on the Mad Site he has failed to post on any matter that regards helping the Trust or Financing the Club. It would appear Northfield can spend others money much easier than he will part with it, is he by any chance a Politician ?

[Northfield 53]

Northfield has already been asked to Join/Help The Trust. As yet he has not made anyone aware of his Joining/Helping, in fact since the last time he was challenged on the matter on the Mad Site he has failed to post on any matter that regards helping the Trust or Financing the Club. It would appear Northfield can spend others money much easier than he will part with it, is he by any chance a Politician ?

I have lets just say more than a few shares in Queens.I pay my £17 AND buy £5 worth of half time draw tickets.I would join the trust but if and when i have spare money i just send in a cheque to Queens.I know then that the money goes straight to Queens.

The trust to a lot of good work but things like the sign on who we are playing next is just a waste of money .Would that money not be better used trying to help Gus sign a new player.

[the_vortex]

The trust have given the club £15000+ since the beginning of the year, I would imagine some of that cash has went towards wages.

The Trust members & committee know exactly where every single penny is going or what it's being used for .

Unfortunately Northfield you can't say that . Have you any idea where or what your donation is being used for ? I think not .

If you want the power to know EXACTLY where you money's going , then join the Trust . Simples

[Hawk]

Forgive my ignorance and memory but what were last year’s losses?

[Monkey Tennis]

£455,528.

This years loss is lightly misleading in my eyes after the sale of some land (the grass bit next to car park) to Bill Hewitson for £120,000.

More loans again this year from the BOD, a further £89k from Davie Rae, a further £25k onto Billy Hewitson's loans and then £27,825 from Craig Patterson.

What period do these figures relate to?

I take it, they come from the last financial year ie. more or less last season?

Am I right in saying that the slashing of the wage bill in the summer isn't reflected here?

[MB]

What period do these figures relate to?

I take it, they come from the last financial year ie. more or less last season?

Am I right in saying that the slashing of the wage bill in the summer isn't reflected here?

The accounts cover 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011, so yes the slashing of the wage bill is not reflected. We have made losses of over £1m since the cup final in 2008. This is clearly unsustainable and therefore it is hardly surprising that Gus has been given a wage bill of around £300k per annum less to work with than that enjoyed by Brannigan.

[Monkey Tennis]

The accounts cover 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011, so yes the slashing of the wage bill is not reflected. We have made losses of over £1m since the cup final in 2008. This is clearly unsustainable and therefore it is hardly surprising that Gus has been given a wage bill of around £300k per annum less to work with than that enjoyed by Brannigan.

I suppose it represents progress of sorts.

Still a worry though.

Even last season's budget must have been well down on previous years. Plenty players were still under expensive contract, but as I think KB might have mentioned on one or two occasions, our squad was small.

We're also not going to be able to sell a plot of land every year.

It really does seem that if we're going to have a side that we can just about afford to run, we're going to be absolutely hopeless at this level. It's not as if there are loads of bigger clubs in the divisions beneath us, yet we barely seem big enough to stay here much longer.

We might yet survive this season of course, but there's no real prospect that I can see, of us being significantly stronger next time, or the one after that.

Sooner or later (although I'm guessing sooner), it seems that a return to the second is inevitable.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Monkey Tennis

[MB]

I suppose it represents progress of sorts.

Still a worry though.

Even last season's budget must have been well down on previous years. Plenty players were still under expensive contract, but as I think KB might have mentioned on one or two occasions, our squad was small.

We're also not going to be able to sell a plot of land every year.

It really does seem if that we're going to have a side that we can just about afford to run, we're going to be absolutely hopeless at this level. It's not as if there are loads of bigger clubs in the divisions beneath us, yet we barely seem big enough to stay here much longer.

We might yet survive this season of course, but there's no real prospect that I can see, of us being significantly stronger next time, or the one after that.

Sooner or later (although I'm guessing sooner), it seems that a return to the second is inevitable.

I share your pessimistic outlook.

One point that might surprise you is that last season's budget was not significantly smaller than that of the one before. Payroll costs were trimmed by around £70,000. KB may have had a small squad, but many of his players must have been on a hefty whack.

Sadly, the only way we're going to get out of this malaise is if the DGHP deal bears fruit or hundreds more punters flock to Palmerston this season to witness an exciting relegation battle. I'd expect with the winter ahead, we'll haemorrhage even more fans so my optimism is spent.

We're getting relegated sooner rather than later.

Bearing in mind the finances, I really don't think we can be too critical of McPherson. He's on a hiding to nothing. In fact, if we somehow manage to stay up this season, I'd say it would be a significant achievement on his part.

Almost forgot, have a good weekend. At least we won't lose today.

[Monkey Tennis]

I share your pessimistic outlook.

One point that might surprise you is that last season's budget was not significantly smaller than that of the one before. Payroll costs were trimmed by around £70,000. KB may have had a small squad, but many of his players must have been on a hefty whack.

Sadly, the only way we're going to get out of this malaise is if the DGHP deal bears fruit or hundreds more punters flock to Palmerston this season to witness an exciting relegation battle. I'd expect with the winter ahead, we'll haemorrhage even more fans so my optimism is spent.

We're getting relegated sooner rather than later.

Bearing in mind the finances, I really don't think we can be too critical of McPherson. He's on a hiding to nothing. In fact, if we somehow manage to stay up this season, I'd say it would be a significant achievement on his part.

Almost forgot, have a good weekend. At least we won't lose today.

I wouldn't describe a £70,000 reduction as insignificant, but you're right. This is the first season following the necessarily radical surgery to the playing budget and the direct consequence of this is not hard to see.

I used to hold out hope on the DGHP front, but it's dwindled away to virtually nothing now.

I won't pretend to be 'in the know' because I most certainly am not, but it's been so slow moving that to this untrained eye, it appears to have ground to a halt.

I'd love to be proved wrong on this because I think it's our only real chance of salvation at this level in the longer term. As I say though, I just don't see it.

Still, by the next time we play, we'll be 3 weeks unbeaten - tremendous!

Edited November 19, 2011 by Monkey Tennis

[Monkey Tennis]

Nobody stays in the First division forever. They either go up or down and it is quite obvious where we are heading. Ten years must be one of the longest unbroken spells anyone has had.

I think having a team of mainly journeyman professionals is not the way forward. More younger players are needed. They cost less, generally try harder, but they make mistakes. Then again, the journeymen do that as well. The future has to be a team of mainly youngsters, with one or two journeymen to help. Not a team full of journeymen with a few youngsters.

Ten years is indeed a long time in a division which loses 20-30% of its sides every season. There was a time when it looked at least as likely that our exit would be upwards as downwards. That's most certainly no longer the case though.

As for the composition of the squad, I can't agree to be honest that the emphasis needs to be much more youthful. Nobody's going to claim that our current band of journeymen quicken the pulse, but the squad is just about competitive. It's unlikely in my view, if we were fielding several youngsters at once, that this would be the case.

I don't see solutions to where we are at the moment as a club, but I don't see all that much blame to be apportioned either.

Of course we spent too much for quite a while, but that isn't the cause as such, of why we're spending a lot less now.

It's just the reality of the situation and I suppose we need to deal with it.

[Monkey Tennis]

Maybe it is just my perception, but I think the young players offer better value for money. They at least look like they are giving their all, whereas certain others look like they are going through the motions. Maybe it is just unfortunate that this season we have a bunch of players who look like they have no professional pride and no real work ethic. It appears that the only reason they want to win is for the bonus money. Of course, that is always going to be the major factor, but I doubt whether that is the motivation of the best sportsmen. I'm not suggesting we will ever get the best, but we currently don't have any senior players like Burns or Bowey who look like they have more than money on their minds.

I see where you're coming from, but it's statistically unlikely that we'd have several young players on our books at once who would be fit for playing in Scotland's 2nd tier, regardless of how weak that level often looks.

Despite the ludicrous mythology surrounding the wonders KB pretended to work last year, the reality was that when we had to field several youngsters at once (despite some good individual performances) we really struggled.

It's profoundly sobering, but I suspect that the current lineup is not far from being as good as we can possibly muster.

[Monkey Tennis]

it is just unfortunate that this season some of our journeymen have a shit attitude.

I know that plenty of Queens fans agree with you on this, but I honestly don't see huge attitude problems among our current lot.

I think there are concentration and confidence issues, particularly late in games.

I also think there's a pretty chronic lack of creativity about us from anywhere on the park.

As far as I can see though, the players are trying hard - they're just not that good.

[MB]

As far as I can see though, the players are trying hard - they're just not that good.

That's my take on it as well. If we still had McMenamin, Burns and Quinn I don't think we'd be brilliant but those three players would ensure we finished in the top 5 or 6. We may still manage that feat, but our main problems lie in a lacklustre midfield. I don't think we're significantly weaker this season in any other department. I also don't think we lack fight, although I'm generally no fan of Simmons and he appears to exude the attitude that the likes of Flash and others castigate so much.

[JRS LEFT PEG]

Think only the harshest critics will say the team have not been giving their all. Despite their obvious shortcomings , they have been competitive ,win, lose or draw. The lads need us , the hard core , more than ever now . Lets hope the business is done on and off the park next week.

[Swarley]

At the moment, you cant. If you wait a few weeks, you'll be able to

*Ahem*

[MB]

Robinson at fault today Hammer, not good enough.

Robinson is not perfect, but surely he's a better bet between the sticks than big Roddie.

[Skyline Drifter]

Robinson is not perfect, but surely he's a better bet between the sticks than big Roddie.

I think Robinson has progressed with each spell here. He hasn't done much wrong this season really. Culpable on Falkirk's late winner probably and on yesterday's equaliser. Also had a ropey game at Hamilton though not to blame for the actual goals.

He is certainly no Tomas Cerny but on our budget he is probably as good as we could hope for. I don't think there's much to choose between him and Hutton for instance.