The Queen of the South thread

[Monkey Tennis]

Just now, palmy_cammy said:

Only if you were ever deluded enough to think we were going to trouble the upper reaches of the league for a prolonged period. Something I very much doubt.

Otherwise its just a case of us being were we all expected to be.

Still plenty to look forward to, with a couple of cup ties on the horizon to hopefully take our mind off the league.

I think that after the first six weeks or so, it was decidedly possible to imagine we'd still be in the top four at this point, without needing to be deluded.

We might currently be sitting where we'd have expected - or even hoped - to be in July.  That's not much consolation given where we'd got to by mid September though.

Are you really saying that only the deluded wouldn't have foreseen the utter nosedive our fortunes have taken?

[palmy_cammy]

I think that after the first six weeks or so, it was decidedly possible to imagine we'd still be in the top four at this point, without needing to be deluded.

We might currently be sitting where we'd have expected - or even hoped - to be in July.  That's not much consolation given where we'd got to by mid September though.

Are you really saying that only the deluded wouldn't have foreseen the utter nosedive our fortunes have taken?

Its come about a hell of a lot quicker than I would have liked, but generally speaking I'm not surprised we're looking like battling it out in the middle of the table rather than the top.

It's a disappointing run, but I'm not dispirited. That was the part of your post I disagreed with really.

[Monkey Tennis]

8 hours ago, palmy_cammy said:

Its come about a hell of a lot quicker than I would have liked, but generally speaking I'm not surprised we're looking like battling it out in the middle of the table rather than the top.

It's a disappointing run, but I'm not dispirited. That was the part of your post I disagreed with really.

Fair enough.

I suppose I'm more readily dispirited than lots of people.

Obviously, if we'd bumped along to here with a mixture of up and down results, nobody would be too unhappy or concerned.  It's the contrast in our spells, as well as the slope we're still on that's a bit alarming though.

I suspect that our brilliant start is basically going to serve to keep us out of serious trouble this season.  I certainly hope that's the case.  I'd like to think that something could still click into place and keep us in the top half.  I'm not that confident of it happening though.

[Guest Flash]

It is showing a similar pattern to Dobbie's last season in 08/09 when we were top on 18 points after the first quarter. We don't want a repeat of what happened next - 6 points from the next 13 games, leaving us 9th* by the last week in January, 1point off the bottom. Even by the beginning of April we were by no means safe and it was only away victories over second placed Thistle and champions elect St.Johnstone that kept us safe. The 7-1 win over Clyde made absolutely certain. 

So a contrast in spells isn't unprecedented. 

* edited.

 

Edited November 2, 2016 by Flash

[Monkey Tennis]

Yes, even the previous season had contrasts too.

Did we not virtually go bottom of the League in late November, before our league form recovered and we went on our Cup run?

The existence of precedents doesn't help that much with the alarm thing though.

[RUSTY1111]

To drop from 1st to 5th with 3 straight defeats is alarming but Queens have failed to score in 5 league games, also in 2 cup games in regulation time, coinciding with one of those defeats being a 5-0 home reverse to Morton that sees them ahead of us in 4th on goal difference, so we're still on the fringes of the play-offs.

Losing a clutch of key players to injury has certainly led to Queens recent slump but I'm sure our fortunes will change when these players return. Just a pity that Hilson is out long term. Hopefully Hamill and Lyle will return soon and the re-signing of Carmichael, with him not too far away from fitness will help.

The next 4 league games with the top two and bottom two clubs could well determine where we are heading, with Dundee United at home, Hibs away, followed by a home double header on the Saturday and Tuesday with Dumbarton and St Mirren.

I hope the two cup ties kick-start our season playing lower league opposition, Alloa Athletic at home in the Challenge Cup and Albion Rovers away in the Scottish Cup - a 7-1 win like the Stenny match would be good.

At the start of the season everyone was predicting 8th before the signing of Dobbie, so sitting in 5th place after 11 games isn't all that bad, as Dobbie's initial burst had Queens in first place after 8 games. Queens are currently 11 points ahead of Dumbarton in 9th and 14 points ahead of St Mirren in 10th but I'd still prefer to be looking upwards.

Morton have won 4 straight games to go 4th and Falkirk are a point behind Queens in 6th. With only 7 points between Dundee United in 2nd and Ayr United in 7th, I can see the teams in this section jostling for positions for quite some time as the season progresses. Hibs, Dundee United and Raith were probably favourites for the play-offs anyway, along with Falkirk.

[Guest Flash]

 

5 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Yes, even the previous season had contrasts too.

Did we not virtually go bottom of the League in late November, before our league form recovered and we went on our Cup run?

The existence of precedents doesn't help that much with the alarm thing though.

Yeah, in 07/08 we were bottom of the league at the end of October and second bottom at Christmas.

It maybe helps to think that it all came good in the end. 

[WILLIEA]

44 minutes ago, Flash said:

 

Yeah, in 07/08 we were bottom of the league at the end of October and second bottom at Christmas.

It maybe helps to think that it all came good in the end. 

Could be wrong? But I've always felt that looking on the bright side is not in Mr Tenniis's DNA 

[Monkey Tennis]

7 hours ago, WILLIEA said:

Could be wrong? But I've always felt that looking on the bright side is not in Mr Tenniis's DNA 

How dare you?  An outrageous slur.

 

 

Nah, you're right.   I feel oddly let down and alone as a result of Flash's smiley use.

[doonhamer64]

Looks like the telly has sussed out our recent goalscoring drought!  Am I right in thinking that our Irn Bru Cup quarter final tie with the Wasps is the only one not being covered live?

[Skyline Drifter]

23 minutes ago, doonhamer64 said:

Looks like the telly has sussed out our recent goalscoring drought!  Am I right in thinking that our Irn Bru Cup quarter final tie with the Wasps is the only one not being covered live?

Yes, though that would almost certainly be the case goalscoring drought or not. The Welsh interest was always going to see the TNS game picked up whilst Dunfermline v Dundee United is clearly the biggest tie of the round. I would have expected the St Mirren v Ayr game to be selected ahead of us 9 times out of 10. Maybe if Alloa had been at home ours would have had a shot but St Mirren for all their current problems will be deemed bigger name and bigger draw for the tv companies.

[Bluenortherner]

On 21/10/2016 at 08:48, Mr X said:

Did McMillan not play in midfield too, possibly before becoming a more regular right back?

If he could do a job in midfield, Id sign him, but we

On 21/10/2016 at 08:19, SUPERSOUTH said:

Johnston says he only training with the Pars no intention of signing him he has a big enough squad.

need a right back

Yes for sure.

[The Caul Back]

Will Queens ever get promotion. ? The usual statements are being made, they don't won't promotion and they always start well and then drift.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, blackjack said:

Will Queens ever get promotion. ? The usual statements are being made, they don't won't promotion and they always start well and then drift.

Yes, we're clearly struggling now because we wish to be rubbish, lest we get promoted.

Good point.

[spacekid84]

Never understood the Queens don't want promotion pish that some people spout. 

[overthetop]

Squad was never remotely good enough to get anywhere near promotion.
Mid table is best we can hope for and to be honest unless form improves the bottom reaches of the league is where we are heading.

[Homer Thompson]

19 minutes ago, overthetop said:

Squad was never remotely good enough to get anywhere near promotion.
Mid table is best we can hope for and to be honest unless form improves the bottom reaches of the league is where we are heading.

I think we're a fair way of that.

We do have a big December coming up, though, with Saints, Dumbarton and Dunfermline all coming to Palmerston. Lose those three and things might start to get worrying.

I think we can write off the visit to Easter Road in a fortnight but if we can get some results, even avoiding defeat, against Falkirk and Morton we could keep ourselves in the play off hunt.

The league looks like splitting into three. Hibs and United at the top, Dumbarton, Dunfermline and saints at the bottom and the rest battling for the top four.

[Monkey Tennis]

5 hours ago, Mr X said:

I think we're a fair way of that.

We do have a big December coming up, though, with Saints, Dumbarton and Dunfermline all coming to Palmerston. Lose those three and things might start to get worrying.

I think we can write off the visit to Easter Road in a fortnight but if we can get some results, even avoiding defeat, against Falkirk and Morton we could keep ourselves in the play off hunt.

The league looks like splitting into three. Hibs and United at the top, Dumbarton, Dunfermline and saints at the bottom and the rest battling for the top four.

Yes, that's how it looks via a current snapshot, but a snapshot taken a few weeks ago would have had a secure looking top group of which we were a part, taking shape above a gap which led to a group scrapping around beneath.  

Snapshots are of limited value if they ignore form.

Finishing beneath St Mirren is looking increasingly challenging, but getting into trouble is starting to look achievable.

I do think it's clear - we're a pretty ropey team.

[Broony88]

I'm glad st mirren are losing every week and Dunfermline are struggling to get many wins. They will eventually start picking points up though and our games versus those two will be huge in December. 

[Homer Thompson]

11 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Yes, that's how it looks via a current snapshot, but a snapshot taken a few weeks ago would have had a secure looking top group of which we were a part, taking shape above a gap which led to a group scrapping around beneath.  

Snapshots are of limited value if they ignore form.

Finishing beneath St Mirren is looking increasingly challenging, but getting into trouble is starting to look achievable.

I do think it's clear - we're a pretty ropey team.

Thats a fair point, but the current table does for the majority mirror current form - the top two are winning regularly, the bottom two are struggling and the middle teams are winning irregularly - the main exception is probably ourselves and possibly Dumbarton. I did say, though, we have a big December coming up and if we dont get some results against the bottom three clubs we could very well be dragged into that bottom group.

Im pretty confident that wont happen though.