The Queen of the South thread

[19QOS19]

Can't say I'm distraught really about Pickard, he clearly wasn't good enough for a Championship midfield or attack. The only thing he had in has favour was that he was the only youth player to have a decent physique but he wasn't technically able on the ball or quick enough to make that effective. The amount of times he got away with a booking for a late tackle seemed very high.
 
Who knows what dirt he had on James Fowler to keep on picking him?

I think if he drops down a level I'd be keen to see him have a go at CB. Finding his position was the biggest challenge and no one succeeded. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up.

[HoBNob]

I think you're right, yes. Is there even such a thing as hospital radio anymore? 

It's referred to as ParsTv on the menu part of the official website, It's nice.

[Homer Thompson]

54 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

 

 

I think if he drops down a level I'd be keen to see him have a go at CB. Finding his position was the biggest challenge and no one succeeded. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up.

 

 

Even down a level Im not sure hes strong enough, physically or in the air, or good enough positionaly to play centre half. I could see him as a full back, 5 or 10 years ago, but I dont think he as the pace or ability on the ball to play as a "modern" full back.

You're right, though, finding his position is going to be key for him, I think. Lets hope he picks up a club and does well for himself

38 minutes ago, Grant228 said:

 

It's referred to as ParsTv on the menu part of the official website, It's nice.

 

Yeah, I found it once I knew it should be there, just wasnt expecting it be under "Fixtures"

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, Flash said:

 

Eta 3 of the 4 midfielders who started in the Albion Rovers riddy have now departed.

That is telling.

Particularly painful this weekend, that result.

[kirkyblue2]

3 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

That is telling.

Particularly painful this weekend, that result.

 But the BOD are doing such a great job and they don't need any fan interference thank you very much.

[Monkey Tennis]

3 hours ago, Rjc-1988 said:

 

Have to agree fully. Not surprising that we have struggled in this key area in past couple of seasons. Tried hard, no doubt about that, but did nothing to suggest that he had the quality to progress at this level. On top of that he always seemed one late tackle away from a red card.

When Fowler started picking him( and 40 odd games is a lot) my first reaction was "what qualities am I missing here"?

After a few games I became more certain that his continued selection was an error of judgement by successive Managers. Hope he goes on to prove us doubters wrong but think he will need to drop a few levels.

Naysmith doing the right thing - being cruel to be kind - far too many of our fringe players don't look good enough. Pickard can't argue that he didn't get a chance - some others may say that they haven't really had a chance.

 

That's how I see it.

I've been reluctant to have a go as he's young and is an honest trier.

I really can think of so little that he's ever been able to contribute in his numerous appearances though.  At this stage in his career, he certainly never seemed equipped to play at this level.  

I hope it works out for him elsewhere.

[ALOREBURNE]

Anderson signs for Peterhead 

[palmy_cammy]

I have a lot of sympathy for all three players for differing reasons, but ultimately I think it will prove to be the correct decision and can only once again praise the decisive actions of our manager.  After a run of internal appointments, so often favoured by the club, it is decisions such as these where a fresh face looking at things proves so worthwhile.

Anderson is a strange one, in what has been a strange season.  I suppose he personifies it in many ways.  He looked on course for becoming a fans favourite the way he flew out of the blocks with his committed style of play.  He faded really badly though and I don't think anyone can deny he is now rightly out the team and down the pecking order.  I'm sure he could still do a job for us if required but as one of our main summer signings it was probably better to cut our losses than have an expensive bench warmer.  He is probably the biggest victim of the change of manager.  I enjoyed what he brought to the team as it was a nice change having an aerial threat from out wide however brief it was.

Hopefully the cases of Hooper and Pickard (and I doubt they will be the last of our youth players to be released) highlight to the club an area we should be looking to improve.  It is clearly the remit of every Queens manager to establish a core of experienced older players and then supplement these with players from the youth system.  I'm not knocking that, I think it's the most sustainable model for a club our size.  If this season has taught us anything though, it is that the experienced players aren't enough on their own to carry the team (not even the greatest player in the club's history can manage it).  If this is the model we want to use, then we need to invest in the coaching of these players and make far more use of the loan system.  The difference between Pickard and Joe Thomson, who are both about the same age, couldn't be more stark.  Now obviously we are never going to have a youth setup on a par with Celtic, but we can do what they are doing Thomson and loan players out to lower league teams.  Too many of the young players that turn out for Queens look utterly lost and overawed on a football pitch.  I put this entirely down to coaching, and a lack of experience.  Fans as a whole are more forgiving of young talent than a more experienced player so they are off to a good start already in that respect.  If a youth player gives the impression he knows what he is doing, or meant to be doing but it doesn't always come off, only the harshest of critics will pick up on that.  All too often the players I have watched don't even seem to have the first clue what role they are meant to be fulfilling.

Of course you could argue that coaching these players is one of the responsibilities of the manger, and it is.  However Gary Naysmith has probably decided that at their age it is far too late and that his time would be better spent on other aspects of the job and I tend to agree.  Another theory is that he is just more honest than previous managers and is telling Hooper how it is, which is that he is nothing more than a cheap stopgap only to be used in emergencies.  It's a real shame because who's to know how good he could have been with 100 games of experience under his belt at an East Fife etc.

[QoS_1919]

Have Hooper and Pickard definitely been released? 

[CALDERON]

Gutted for Anderson to be honest. 

[ALOREBURNE]

4 minutes ago, QoS_1919 said:

Have Hooper and Pickard definitely been released? 

Pickard has terminated his contract and Hooper has been told to find a new club 

[weeredbook]

Have to agree with a lot of palmy cammys post.The standard of the under 20s is poor and the appointment of someone to get a grip on the youth system should be a priority. The sooner reserve team football is brought back the better.The whole youth system at the club needs a shake up .

[Rjc-1988]

I agree with Cammy's post but on the subject of coaching - the obvious one for me is Danny.

Nobody seems able to get Danny to start scoring goals or deliver the killer balls that make goals. He is potentially a great player for us and he invariably causes opposing defences problems but until the end product improves we are missing a huge trick.

[MONKMAN]

Nobody seems able to get Danny to start scoring goals or deliver the killer balls that make goals. He is potentially a great player for us and he invariably causes opposing defences problems but until the end product improves we are missing a huge trick.

When's he ever been a goal scorer?

[Monkey Tennis]

29 minutes ago, Rjc-1988 said:

I agree with Cammy's post but on the subject of coaching - the obvious one for me is Danny.

Nobody seems able to get Danny to start scoring goals or deliver the killer balls that make goals. He is potentially a great player for us and he invariably causes opposing defences problems but until the end product improves we are missing a huge trick.

Is a leap not required to put that down largely to coaching though? 

He's in his mid twenties now and it's perhaps just a deficiency in his game.  I'm not saying that's the end of it, but he wouldn't be the first tricky lower league player to be inconsistent when it came to delivering.

I know his case is a bit complicated and unfortunate given his injury problems at Hibs, but if he had that final ball, he wouldn't be ours anyway.

[Skyline Drifter]

1 hour ago, QoS_1919 said:

Have Hooper and Pickard definitely been released? 

Pickard's departure was on the club website at 9:30 this morning.

Hooper hasnt gone anywhere yet.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, weeredbook said:

Have to agree with a lot of palmy cammys post.The standard of the under 20s is poor and the appointment of someone to get a grip on the youth system should be a priority. The sooner reserve team football is brought back the better.The whole youth system at the club needs a shake up .

Again, does the fact that our under 20s seem currently a bit limited, really reflect that badly on the coaching, or on the general set-up?

We famously don't pay these guys much and we are based in a sparsely populated part of the country.  We can sometimes get a decent crop, but I think these youngsters are on board for reasons that stretch beyond getting them into the first team.  There's a community aspect to their involvement too.

[Monkey Tennis]

2 hours ago, kirkyblue2 said:

 But the BOD are doing such a great job and they don't need any fan interference thank you very much.

Yes, I heard someone say that too.

[die hard doonhamer]

Is a leap not required to put that down largely to coaching though? 
He's in his mid twenties now and it's perhaps just a deficiency in his game.  I'm not saying that's the end of it, but he wouldn't be the first tricky lower league player to be inconsistent when it came to delivering.
I know his case is a bit complicated and unfortunate given his injury problems at Hibs, but if he had that final ball, he wouldn't be ours anyway.

If Danny's last touch was as good as his first he'd be playing at a much higher level than us. He has the best first touch of anyone I've seen in a Queens shirt in my 15 years of watching.

[The Caul Back]

What's all you Doonhamers opinion on Stephen Rigg, does he cut the Chase?
I know he is presently injured.