The General Ross County Chat Thread

[Spain]

Still using the unofficial Twitter account as the reference. Whoever launched our official Twitter account is clearly clueless. But great, more potential sleuthing to be done.

Steady, whoever is running the twitter account is on a graduate placement remember. After less than a week I'd be willing to guess they're still finding their feet. Also it's possible HNG just forgot to use the new one.

Anyway, I'm not surprised we've got more trialists on the way. Since the end of the season we've lost/shunted 12, and only taken in 4. Even if we were to take all 6 current trialists (which it sounds like we won't take them all), we'd still be a couple of players down.

Provided we can agree wages, who would we be looking to keep out of the trialists? Frempah's had decent reviews and Balk & Latouchent have sounded ok too. The rest nobodies said much about. I haven't seen any of them yet. What's Fenlon like? The two that weren't there last night, were they pretty guff at Wick?

[Spain]

Having read the HNG report from last night, I notice it explicitly says all six trialists are defenders too. We knew Balk played out of position a bit yesterday, but in my mind we're still short in midfield. To not have anyone at all on trial for there suggests he's not planning it, or perhaps we might be seeing Kiss or someone back.

[StuartTaylor]

Steady, whoever is running the twitter account is on a graduate placement remember. After less than a week I'd be willing to guess they're still finding their feet. Also it's possible HNG just forgot to use the new one.

I don't believe they have started yet, in the process of moving. So it's probably Ranald that's doing the twitter.

Provided we can agree wages, who would we be looking to keep out of the trialists? Frempah's had decent reviews and Balk & Latouchent have sounded ok too. The rest nobodies said much about. I haven't seen any of them yet. What's Fenlon like? The two that weren't there last night, were they pretty guff at Wick?

Frempah and Balk definitely, along with Boyd that seems pretty decent. Saunders as cover. The bald CB at Wick didn't impress much.

Latouchant I would keep but would like further LB cover - the LB that played in Wick 1st half I thought was decent, but wasn't there last night.

In the absence of a Cikos / Gary Miller, Fenlon and Saunders will have to do.

The 'team' at the moment is considerably weaker than the team we finished the season with, but you could have said the same this time last season.

Songo'o, Cikos, Gordon/Oikonomou, Kiss, Tidser, Slew, Carey gone.

Cardle on what I've seen so far will quickly let us forget Carey

Frempah or Balk (if we sign them) hopefully will form a good pairing with Boyd, if they get near to the level of Songo'o then that would be excellent.

Jervis/Boyce can surely score more than Slew.

Reguero better than Fraser or Brown? Time will tell.

My worry at the moment is the full backs and the midfield.

FB's - Rosario looks good going forward, but can he cope with Premiership attackers though? He is half the size of Oikonomou. Saunders might become a solid RB but has nothing going forward. Fenlon, who knows, I think he's a better bet than Saunders.

Midfield - weak here imo. Should Brittain pick up an injury we are left with Rocco and Klok for the centre, with Ketts out for months. Soft-centre and we need more. I wasn't the biggest fan of Kiss or Tidser but I'd gladly take either of them back, given our current state.

[bunglebonce]

I think it should be remembered that Latouchent and Frempah are 18 years old; Balk and Fenlon are 20. None appear to have any senior experience, despite them seemingly looking good. One of them apparently needs a translator.

Supposing three of the four are signed as starters, that's a heck of a lot of responsibility to fall on Scott Boyd, who only a few months ago fell out of Adams's favour. Boyd knows how to lead by example on the pitch, sure, but is he really the alpha-male that the pack needs to dictate things? Judging from his partnership with McLean last season, I'm inclined to think not.

It's probably premature for such a deep question, but I don't think you can bank on surviving in the top flight with such a callow back line. A couple of collapses at the start of the season would rightly draw parallels to the year before.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some late-August movement with a couple of loans coming in. I'm not ruling out Lawson getting over his injury just in time for the window closing and being given a quandary by Stuart McCall.

Edited July 16, 2014 by bunglebonce

[Staggie52]

Haven't seen either of the games yet but from the ages being mentioned it would appear that they're principally development league players/reserves. Hopefully there will be more experience when others are brought in but I suspect we might be using a couple of season long loans. I know some don't like loans, but in times of one year deals it would seem to make sense to bring in a couple. They're likely to be just as committed/motivated as someone on a one year contract.

[Savage Henry]

I will say this. Of the teams around us - St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Partick, Hamilton, and Dundee - there aren't too many of their signings who I look at and think, "damn, we should have got him." Which means that the players they've signed to improve themselves wouldn't have had much of an impact on us.

I have absolutely no idea why more attempt wasn't made to keep Oik. He offered everything as a left back - pace, height, composure and strength. I really don't think County play that well with wee full backs.

[bunglebonce]

I will say this. Of the teams around us - St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Partick, Hamilton, and Dundee - there aren't too many of their signings who I look at and think, "damn, we should have got him." Which means that the players they've signed to improve themselves wouldn't have had much of an impact on us.

Ryan Stevenson; Paul McGowan; Paul McGinn; Michael McGovern; Lee Miller and Scott Bain are all players that would undoubtedly improve the squad, in my opinion. Paul McGinn is probably the one I'm most envious of, at this moment.

[Savage Henry]

McGinn's the only one I'm giving you. And only on the basis that we don't have a right back. We don't have a left back either, so any left back anyone signed would be an improvement on us. The others are pretty much the same as we've already got, or in the case of some, less.

Edit; we don't need a keeper, or another striker.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Savage Henry

[StuartTaylor]

I think it should be remembered that Latouchent and Frempah are 18 years old; Balk and Fenlon are 20. None appear to have any senior experience, despite them seemingly looking good.

Del mentions this tonight in the North Star, "two 20 year olds and an 18 year old, so they are not all 1st team players".

Mention of more trialists to come.

[Les Westander of County]

I saw that mystery tweet too.

If it is him, he's only 18 years old and has played for the French youth team.

Higher res pic of him against Wick

ETA: I found a more flattering pic of Arquin.

In those Wick photos, who is No. 9? Sorry if not keeping up.

[bunglebonce]

McGinn's the only one I'm giving you. And only on the basis that we don't have a right back. We don't have a left back either, so any left back anyone signed would be an improvement on us. The others are pretty much the same as we've already got, or in the case of some, less.

Edit; we don't need a keeper, or another striker.

Who is less? Maybe Lee Miller.

Of course County don't need a goalkeeper now - I'll settle for Reguero now that County have him - but I would have had McGovern first and definitely Bain, who I think is better than both and should become one of the best goalkeepers in the country. I think the majority of Dundee fans on here don't realise that he's that much better a keeper than Letheren, possibly because he was merely at Alloa last season.

Paul McGowan is different to any other type of player at the club, maybe de Leeuw excepted but County don't have a natural playmaker at all. I would have loved to have had him at County this season, despite what's gone on in the past - he might not score many goals but he creates so much. Ryan Stevenson would be a near first pick.

In those Wick photos, who is No. 9? Sorry if not keeping up.

Jake Jervis, he scored against Rothes.

Edited July 16, 2014 by bunglebonce

[RandomGuy.]

Reguero is a better goalkeeper than McGovern. Astounded Samson kept him out the Killie side

[dingdong1929]

Reguero is a better goalkeeper than McGovern. Astounded Samson kept him out the Killie side

Similar. I thought Reguero was more than solid at Caley, and was quite pleased when he left for Killie.

I know Samson improved immeasurably since leaving us, especially at St Mirren, but by most accounts he was bilge at Killie.

Couldn't get my head around him maintaining his place ahead of Reguero at all (other than AJ was the one making the decision)

[Savage Henry]

Similar. I thought Reguero was more than solid at Caley, and was quite pleased when he left for Killie.

I know Samson improved immeasurably since leaving us, especially at St Mirren, but by most accounts he was bilge at Killie.

Couldn't get my head around him maintaining his place ahead of Reguero at all (other than AJ was the one making the decision)

Right. The idea is that somehow McGovern has turned into a world beater since leaving County - I'm not sure where that's coming from. I'm just as happy with Reguero - McGovern certainly isn't any better. That's not say McGovern's a bad player, just that he probably wouldn't help our squad.

I had entirely forgotten that Dundee had Kyle Letheren in goals. Easily the poorest keeper I've seen in the top flight. I give him six games, even if this Bain guy's rubbish.

[Spain]

Reguero has proven himself at this level in comparision to McGovern who has never featured in a top flight game yet.

I don't think we could definitively say that McGovern would have improved us any more than Reguero or not, but I'm quite happy with it as the way it is.

I still get flashbacks of the final though...

[bunglebonce]

Right. The idea is that somehow McGovern has turned into a world beater since leaving County - I'm not sure where that's coming from.

There's a "world" of difference between what I argued and what you have deliberately misinterpreted.

Reguero has proven himself at this level in comparision to McGovern who has never featured in a top flight game yet.

Indeed, but I'm calling it based on five games I saw of Reguero live in 2012-13 against a couple of seasons of covering Falkirk, not on how well McGovern did at County. McGovern excelled in the Championship last year, I have a hunch that will transfer quite well to the top flight.

[Savage Henry]

There's a "world" of difference between what I argued and what you have deliberately misinterpreted.

Indeed, but I'm calling it based on five games I saw of Reguero live in 2012-13 against a couple of seasons of covering Falkirk, not on how well McGovern did at County. McGovern excelled in the Championship last year, I have a hunch that will transfer quite well to the top flight.

I wasn't referring to you.

[dingdong1929]

Right. The idea is that somehow McGovern has turned into a world beater since leaving County - I'm not sure where that's coming from. I'm just as happy with Reguero - McGovern certainly isn't any better. That's not say McGovern's a bad player, just that he probably wouldn't help our squad.

I had entirely forgotten that Dundee had Kyle Letheren in goals. Easily the poorest keeper I've seen in the top flight. I give him six games, even if this Bain guy's rubbish.

I was just talking about Reguero v Samson, I haven't seen much of McGovern since he left us, other than the odd game on tv.

I still rate him, but wouldnt be confident drawing a comparison with Reguero.

Edited July 17, 2014 by dingdong1929

[Savage Henry]

I was just talking about Reguero v Samson, I haven't seen much of McGovern since he left us, other than the odd game on tv.

I still rate him, but wouldnt be confident drawing a comparison with Reguero.

I understand, it's a general point. I think it's probably fair to say that, outside Celtic, the standard of keepers in this league is very much of a muchness. I'm sure McGovern will do well - I was quite surprised when he went to Falkirk.

[bunglebonce]

I wasn't referring to you.

Who were you referring to?

I was just talking about Reguero v Samson, I haven't seen much of McGovern since he left us, other than the odd game on tv.

I still rate him, but wouldnt be confident drawing a comparison with Reguero.

He's a better player than when he left County. He doesn't flap at whipped crosses (although he hasn't had someone of Mulgrew's delivery to deal with), his organisation is generally more now than just "away! away!" and he times his one-on-ones even better than before.