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11 hours ago, forkboy said:

Are you on the windup?

Unfortunately not, I had had a few drinks to try to erase that performance from my memory so probably a little too emotional but I am just very very concerned about what I'm witnessing at my club just now.

We're screaming out for a bit of experience in midfield and O'Brien and Draper are nowhere to be seen. Partick Thistle fans (good bunch of supporters btw) were delighted with the omissions of Draper particular as they know how weak they are in that area with Osman out injured atm.

It was the same in the SJ match at Viccy Park, we were lucky enough to get a very dodgy penalty in that game and we're all content with a point, whereas the three points were there for the taking if we'd only fielded our strongest available midfield. 

I'm concerned, very concerned and I don't think OC is getting anything like the best from the squad at his disposal.  The over reliance of uncle Roy throwing money at the issue worries me as much if not more than anything. 

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^^ Last two sentences of the above spot on imo.

Jim O'Brien has been good for us but I'm afraid if the rumours of indiscipline are true then I would back the manager totally (even if I don't think he's doing a great job atm), there's no place for that in a team environment.

I'm scratching my head with the Draper situation, thought he'd be a cracking player for us, no doubt one of the stronger CMs in the league. Is it that we're just not set up like the Caley team he did so well in.

I too am deeply concerned. Don't want to say "told you so" but I really didn't fancy the Coyle appointment. He came to us with no momentum and hardly a good (recent) track record, in saying that, offered the choice between him and Steve Clark at the time I would certainly have gone for Coyle, so what do I know!

What stands out for me is that a 'better' manager should be able to get a little more out of the existing pool of players than his 'unsuccessful' predecessor, that undoubtedly just has not happened. It may have been that Jim n Billy's time was up but I honestly believe we'd be a few points better off if they hadn't gone.

How did Woods do yesterday btw............?!

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3 hours ago, Staggie#Wearethehighlands said:

^^ Last two sentences of the above spot on imo.

Jim O'Brien has been good for us but I'm afraid if the rumours of indiscipline are true then I would back the manager totally (even if I don't think he's doing a great job atm), there's no place for that in a team environment.

I'm scratching my head with the Draper situation, thought he'd be a cracking player for us, no doubt one of the stronger CMs in the league. Is it that we're just not set up like the Caley team he did so well in.

I too am deeply concerned. Don't want to say "told you so" but I really didn't fancy the Coyle appointment. He came to us with no momentum and hardly a good (recent) track record, in saying that, offered the choice between him and Steve Clark at the time I would certainly have gone for Coyle, so what do I know!

What stands out for me is that a 'better' manager should be able to get a little more out of the existing pool of players than his 'unsuccessful' predecessor, that undoubtedly just has not happened. It may have been that Jim n Billy's time was up but I honestly believe we'd be a few points better off if they hadn't gone.

How did Woods do yesterday btw............?!

The game passed him by quite a bit tbh, subbed off on 53 mins.

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I wasn't exactly head over heels for Coyle either. But I'm not sure what manager we could've realistically come in & do all that much better with the current squad. Yes, it's not sustainable to rely on a big overhaul every Christmas, but that's hardly Coyle's fault, he didn't sign any of the dreck and hasn't done this big overhaul before, tad unfair to hold that against him just because Adams & McIntyre have done it. At least it's not his own signings he's throwing out.

I would say that leaving out Draper is baffling considering the alternatives and there are clearly concerns about how the team seems to struggle in the second half, whether it's an issue of fitness or tactics or just the players being w**k. So I'm far from madly in love with Owen, I'd say I'm mildly sceptical but I just think it's far too early to start pissing our collective pants yet. Despite a complete inability to last 90 minutes, Eagles clearly has added something. So I'm willing to give them a bit more time to fix the gaping holes in the team.

Even if I did accept that McIntyre would have us in a better place than we are right now (& I'm not sure I do), it wouldn't be much better. And I had absolutely no faith in him as far as signing players went where as at least Coyle is a question mark. If we'd kept Jim I genuinely feel we'd end up relegated.

Unless you've got some killer blackmail material over Pep Guardiola to get him to leave Manchester City for the Global Energy Stadium I don't see too many candidates to replace Coyle? And punting him while a new guy loses half the transfer window getting appointed and then evaluating the existing squad seems like the worst possible timing.

Edited by forkboy
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On Jim O'Brien: I saw him do a lot of good work, winning the ball, starting off good moves and creating opportunities. However there were quite a few wayward or rushed passes that gave away possession. On balance I feel the badly-needed positives outweigh the annoying negatives, plus he has brought a positive and energetic buzz to the play. 

We need to develop and improve players, both the experienced ones and the young ones.  If they were already fantastic they probably wouldn't be here.

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What’s the story with Draper?

Only asking because our manager is targeting an experienced midfielder on an emergency loan deal to help out with injuries.

Any chance of Owen Coyle helping out his old gaffer by sending Draper down to help us out?

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10 hours ago, somerset_lad00 said:

What’s the story with Draper?

Only asking because our manager is targeting an experienced midfielder on an emergency loan deal to help out with injuries.

Any chance of Owen Coyle helping out his old gaffer by sending Draper down to help us out?

No

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So Tam McManus has us apparently interested in Craig Curran. Given he was saying he’d “heard” McLeish was a lock for the Rangers job I’d say it’s probably worth taking with a pinch of salt.

We’re definitely in a market for more forwards though. Does Curran seem likely to be sticking around up there? We could really use a poacher tbh.

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Curran had a quote in the Inverness Courier earlier in the week about how much he loves being up here and at the club,  and that he was putting a new contract to the back of his mind until the end of the season. I.e contract talks are on hold until the team is safe (if that ever happens).

If strikers were to be categorised then Curran would fall under the same type as Bowman IMO, and potentially Main, with the same aggression (and has form in the past for an elbow but not this season, AFAIK), without the height and pace to trouble Premiership defences.  Effective in a front two when he gets to link in a partnership, but he doesn’t get much change when up front on his own.  Last time I checked, his total xG was comparitively poor considering the amount of starts he gets.  He scores poacher-type goals in the box but that’s because he doesn’t really make chances for himself.  Managers seem to love him for his work-rate, chirpy character, selflessness and defending from the front.  Coyle trusts him more than the other forwards but Coyle isn’t getting the best out of him in the preferred 4-3-3.

Despite being a limited player he’s great to have in the squad and I’m sure that most County fans would be disappointed to see him leave.  There are many players who should go before he does, but there’s no doubt that he fits Robinson’s type of player.  Yet I wouldn’t say he’s the type of forward Robinson needs just now.

Edited by bunglebonce
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On 28/12/2017 at 18:06, frankthetank22 said:

 

Are you Owen Coyle's mum by any chance?  Welcome to P&B, that's an unnecessarily long opening post/rant.

 

 

Kinda agree with Frank here - that lengthy post, whilst containing some fair points, also honks a bit of desperation to try and prove that Coyle is doing well. He isn’t. Coyle couldn’t have wished for a kinder run of matches relative to the 7 league fixtures that McIntyre managed at the start of the campaign. 

I believe Roy understandably has some regrets. I dunno if that’s with the sacking of Jim and Billy, the hiring of Coyle, or maybe both. From what I have been hearing indirectly from players, it would not surprise me in the least if it’s the latter.

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1 hour ago, fastasferries said:

Kinda agree with Frank here - that lengthy post, whilst containing some fair points, also honks a bit of desperation to try and prove that Coyle is doing well. He isn’t. Coyle couldn’t have wished for a kinder run of matches relative to the 7 league fixtures that McIntyre managed at the start of the campaign. 

I believe Roy understandably has some regrets. I dunno if that’s with the sacking of Jim and Billy, the hiring of Coyle, or maybe both. From what I have been hearing indirectly from players, it would not surprise me in the least if it’s the latter.

Getting shot of McIntyre before he could bring in even more dreck in January was 100% the right thing to do.

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