The Queen of the South thread

[QoS_1919]

Also, well done to Marshall on getting in the spfl team of the week. Surprisingly no Livi player though.

[SUPERSOUTH]

Any update on how soon Alan Martin will be back playing? 

[Skyline Drifter]

2 hours ago, QoS_1919 said:

Quite looking forward to the 20s game at Palmerston tonight. Anyone know which player to keep an eye on?

It will be another very young team I expect. As far as I know none of the first team squad players are involved tonight. Even some of the more experienced 20s such as Ewan Gourlay are injured. Likely to be 3 or 4 of the 17s squad stripped.  Dont think many if any over 18s will play.

[QoS_1919]

It will be another very young team I expect. As far as I know none of the first team squad players are involved tonight. Even some of the more experienced 20s such as Ewan Gourlay are injured. Likely to be 3 or 4 of the 17s squad stripped.  Dont think many if any over 18s will play.

Thanks for that. Hopefully still a good watch and good result.

[Northfield 53]

2 hours ago, QoS_1919 said:

Thanks for that. Hopefully still a good watch and good result.

Ayr won 5 nil in the under 20 game tonight a player from Ayr got 4 of the goals.

 

[Brother Grimm]

10 hours ago, Northfield 53 said:

Ayr won 5 nil in the under 20 game tonight a player from Ayr got 4 of the goals.

 

Are they top of the league? Don’t seem to lose according to the OS?

[Kyle]

Are you guys putting something in the water to develop your (well, our) young players? Clark, Kerr and Kane have all come back to us first team ready and much improved on the players that left us (certainly in the case of Clark and Kane - not sure about Kerr, but he doesn't look out of place in our side).

Kudos to how your club deals with young loan players. Hopefully we can send a couple more to you guys next year if you don't come up.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Kyle

[Hawk]

39 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Are you guys putting something in the water to develop your (well, our) young players? Clark, Kerr and Kane have all come back to us first team ready and much improved on the players that left us (certainly in the case of Clark and Kane - not sure about Kerr, but he doesn't look out of place in our side).

Kudos to how your club deals with young loan players. Hopefully we can send a couple more to you guys next year if you don't come up.

Yeah, it's called regular game time. It's amazing how a player, his confidence and therefore performances benifit from it.

[Fae_the_'briggs]

52 minutes ago, Hawk said:

Yeah, it's called regular game time. It's amazing how a player, his confidence and therefore performances benifit from it.

Yes,  it's a pity that the likes of Andy Stirling didn't seem to get the opportunity to benefit from this practise. 

[coo shedder]

Yes,  it's a pity that the likes of Andy Stirling didn't seem to get the opportunity to benefit from this practise. 

He did get the opportunity but didn’t take it! Doesn’t seem to be pulling up trees at Dumbarton either.

[palmy_cammy]

4 hours ago, Kyle said:

Are you guys putting something in the water to develop your (well, our) young players? Clark, Kerr and Kane have all come back to us first team ready and much improved on the players that left us (certainly in the case of Clark and Kane - not sure about Kerr, but he doesn't look out of place in our side).

Kudos to how your club deals with young loan players. Hopefully we can send a couple more to you guys next year if you don't come up.

If you could keep them coming that would certainly be fine by us!

Clark was excellent for us and I'm not at all surprised that he has established himself in the top league.  His altercation with Neil McCann has made me love him even more.

Kane was a bit of a slow burner but his best run of form and goals came with his most consistent run of starts.  I'm a bit surprised to see him doing so well at a higher level, but goalscorers rely on confidence and he was full of it when he left us and has obviously just carried that on.

Kerr was a bit of a strange one.  He had a few of our supporters weak at the knees with his performances.  I personally felt he was good but not necessarily a standout.  However given how leaky our defence has become since he left perhaps he was doing a lot of work that went unnoticed to me.  He is a couple of years younger than Kane so perhaps another loan spell with ourselves next season will help his progression.

 

[Rjc-1988]

Yes,  it's a pity that the likes of Andy Stirling didn't seem to get the opportunity to benefit from this practise. 

I am sure he would have played a big part in second half of season if our Manager had given him an extended run in side. Considering the loyalty shown to some other very moderate performers there is no obvious justification for Stirling's treatment.

[Kyle]

13 minutes ago, palmy_cammy said:

If you could keep them coming that would certainly be fine by us!

Clark was excellent for us and I'm not at all surprised that he has established himself in the top league.  His altercation with Neil McCann has made me love him even more.

Kane was a bit of a slow burner but his best run of form and goals came with his most consistent run of starts.  I'm a bit surprised to see him doing so well at a higher level, but goalscorers rely on confidence and he was full of it when he left us and has obviously just carried that on.

Kerr was a bit of a strange one.  He had a few of our supporters weak at the knees with his performances.  I personally felt he was good but not necessarily a standout.  However given how leaky our defence has become since he left perhaps he was doing a lot of work that went unnoticed to me.  He is a couple of years younger than Kane so perhaps another loan spell with ourselves next season will help his progression.

 

Kerr is still making a few mistakes a game but he has all the tools to be a top player one day I think. We'll be lucky to have him going into the 19/20 season  as there's rumours championship sides in England are already circling. I'm not sure you'll get him back but we've got Liam Gordon who's currently twiddling his thumbs on the bench and I think would really benefit from whatever coaching/mentoring your coaching staff and players haven given the other boys!

Kane left us a 3rd/4th choice striker and he's come back looking capable of being/becoming our 1st choice. 6 goals since January and he just looks a much more rounded player. Better at using his pace, he's using his body well to shield the body and win fouls, linking the play better and giving centre halves kittens more often than he's quiet. Needs to work on his finishing but I'm sure that'll get better with experience. He looks capable of being a double figures striker for us in the top flight which I wouldn't have said prior to his spell with you. Dobbie and Maclean are excellent teachers for him though 

 

[19QOS19]

He did get the opportunity but didn’t take it! Doesn’t seem to be pulling up trees at Dumbarton either.

No he didn't.

[Distant Doonhamer]

45 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Kerr is still making a few mistakes a game but he has all the tools to be a top player one day I think. We'll be lucky to have him going into the 19/20 season  as there's rumours championship sides in England are already circling. I'm not sure you'll get him back but we've got Liam Gordon who's currently twiddling his thumbs on the bench and I think would really benefit from whatever coaching/mentoring your coaching staff and players haven given the other boys!

Kane left us a 3rd/4th choice striker and he's come back looking capable of being/becoming our 1st choice. 6 goals since January and he just looks a much more rounded player. Better at using his pace, he's using his body well to shield the body and win fouls, linking the play better and giving centre halves kittens more often than he's quiet. Needs to work on his finishing but I'm sure that'll get better with experience. He looks capable of being a double figures striker for us in the top flight which I wouldn't have said prior to his spell with you. Dobbie and Maclean are excellent teachers for him though 

 

I recall hearing Kane state in an interview how much he had gained from training/playing with the likes of Dobbie and Lyle.

I was impressed by Kerr. Still a bit raw but certainly looks capable of a good career.

It was a pity from our point of view that StJ wanted both back TBH. 

[Guest Flash]

3 hours ago, palmy_cammy said:

 

Kerr was a bit of a strange one.  He had a few of our supporters weak at the knees with his performances.  I personally felt he was good but not necessarily a standout.  However given how leaky our defence has become since he left perhaps he was doing a lot of work that went unnoticed to me.  He is a couple of years younger than Kane so perhaps another loan spell with ourselves next season will help his progression.

 

It is difficult to compare the period when Kerr was here with the period after in terms of goals conceded. Kerr played the majority of league games with an apparently injured, or out of sorts, Martin in goal. Since he left, Leighfield has played the majority of the games. In any event, the stas don’t make for great reading either way.

He played 18 league games and we conceded 27 goals, an average of 1.5 goals per game, or 54 for a season.

We have played 9 league games since he left, conceding 15 goals, an average of 1.7 goals per game, or 60for a season.

The figures are marginally worse since he left, but there may be other factors at play. For example, Martin played 21 games and conceded 28 goals, an average of 1.3 per game, or 48 for a season. Leighfield has played 9 games and conceded 17, an average of 1.9 goals per game or 68 for a season. So it might not just be Kerr leaving that has contributed to the increase.

Edited to correct numbers. Think they are right now.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Flash

[SUPERSOUTH]

On 27/03/2018 at 18:00, SUPERSOUTH said:

Any update on how soon Alan Martin will be back playing? 

Answer my own question looks like he is back training, be a boost if fit to play on Saturday, Jack has gained experience but it will be good to have our No1 back in goals for this very important game that could be a league season defining day.

[Widge]

There’s no doubt Jason Kerr has all the abilities to play at a higher level, but he does as mentioned make mistakes. Last night he wasn’t brilliant by any means and was probably the weakest defender playing. However he’s young and can actually play a bit of football which always helps. Comparing him to Scott McKenna for example, who’s had a run of premiership games and gotten better with each is fair. It’ll take Kerr another half a season or season to become the premiership starter he is going to be. He won’t be at saints for much longer, as others have alluded to he’s already on the radar down south and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him and McKenna end up in the Championship within a season or two. I’d include Hendry, but that’s different given he’s failed down south and playing at Celtic.

[Fae_the_'briggs]

Re the discussion about Jason Kerr,  I think the reason a lot of fans took to him was that he contributed a couple of goals early in his loan spell when all we really had was Dobbie and Lyle doing the business.  I felt he was solid enough at the back and with the exuberance of youth wasn't afraid to put his head in where it hurt. 

[19QOS19]

He has the attributes to be a very good player. My only concern with him was we lost a few goals as a result of him losing his man. But given how dreadful we have been at marking this season I don't imagine he'll have learned anything from our group. He'll be one I'll keep an eye out for.

St Johnstone are definitely a team I'm fond of. We seem to have a decent connection and have benefitted from a few of their players over the years. I had half expected Chris Millar to be the latest one.