Alloa v Queens

[LoganAAFC]

36 minutes ago, Rory said:

Barring any last minute signings, I'd like to see us go with this XI. Swithered between Kev and Nevans for the left of the three. Kev has done well preseason.

Had to give up season ticket due to working hours changing so will be an armchair fan this season

Not sure who will replace Neill as I think his suspension from the playoff carries over, could be Andy playing there or Taggs at CB and Virtanen at RB if he's fit enough, might not be after just returning to the bench on Saturday

[Rory]

Forgot about Neill being suspended! Could be Taggs to CB then Kane Thomson at RB? Think Andy will only play himself as a very last resort

[LoganAAFC]

2 minutes ago, Rory said:

Forgot about Neill being suspended! Could be Taggs to CB then Kane Thomson at RB? Think Andy will only play himself as a very last resort

Yeah could certainly be that way with Thomson. First competitive start and think he had a good pre-season so a good replacement to fill in. 

[Monkey Tennis]

4 hours ago, Rory said:

Had to give up season ticket due to working hours changing so will be an armchair fan this season 

I love armchairs too. 

[Slipmat]

On 29/07/2024 at 19:46, Vegetableman said:

 

5 hours ago, Rory said:

Had to give up season ticket due to working hours changing so will be an armchair fan this season

 

[Waspie]

On 29/07/2024 at 11:32, Otis Blue said:

Ah, right ... I was on the wrong track there.

My dodgy memory tells me that any game against Alloa is tough for Queens, home or away. I really highlighted it though as I reckon Alloa will be right in the mix for top spot this season and so this will be a good yardstick for our season.

As an aside, will be interesting to see if our shocking home form at Palmy will finally take a turn for the better now.

Don't think we are title contenders as it stands. We have added a solid LB, something we didn't have last season, but we're still short in attacking options out wide in particular. Would need 1 or 2 good additions there and another striker I think - and a bit of luck with keeping existing key players fit - to be capable of having a shot at the title. The next few weeks will be key as the loan market starts to move a bit more but we're starting this season weaker than we finished the last one (but better than the start of last season!)

I don't know what the situation is with Stevie Hetherington and Stefan Scougall for Saturday? Would make a massive difference if they were available. Would suspect Taggs will play CB and young Thomson in at RB after showing up well in his few appearances so far. 

QoS fans like to call us a bogey team but in reality we've both been operating at a broadly similar level over a few seasons now and the games tend to be tight. Would expect more of the same on Saturday. It will be interesting to see how QoS get on but pretty sure they will at least be a far more solid outfit under Murphy compared to the mess over which Bartley presided. 

Edited July 31 by Waspie

[LeodhasXD]

23 minutes ago, Waspie said:

 

I don't know what the situation is with Stevie Hetherington and Stefan Scougall for Saturday?

Both available. It was two bookings accrued in the group stages that kept them out for Morton.

[Vegetableman]

Not sure about this one at all ,  a draw would do at this point but good news that Scougall and hetherington are back for this we sorely missed them in the morton game for sure ,

I like the look of Shay nevans ,Very much a Coulson type of player and one who i think will improve given game time ,would like to see him given a chance . 

[19QOS19]

If Lyon and Cochrane are fit I'm confident we can get something. If they're out then I'd bite your hand for a draw but doubt we'll get it. 

[Distant Doonhamer]

27 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

If Lyon and Cochrane are fit I'm confident we can get something. If they're out then I'd bite your hand for a draw but doubt we'll get it. 

Some Facebook chat from folk who were at our open training session today that Lyon and Cochrane will be missing. Chat was Cochrane out for a couple of weeks but Lyon out for longer. Could be nonsense of course. 

[19QOS19]

8 minutes ago, Distant Doonhamer said:

Some Facebook chat from folk who were at our open training session today that Lyon and Cochrane will be missing. Chat was Cochrane out for a couple of weeks but Lyon out for longer. Could be nonsense of course. 

I'm expecting at least 6 weeks for Lyon. He was hobbling to the bench on Saturday so I'm assuming a hamstring pull rather than precaution. Hoping I'm wrong and hoping we have another body or two in before Saturday in case. 

Got a text today saying he'd heard we're getting a couple of players from Boro. No idea if it's true either of course. 

[19QOS19]

Injury update makes for grim reading. Hopefully we're getting them out the way early and our luck will turn. Really don't want to lose sight of the top spot before we can start to gel. Be delighted with a point on Saturday given the current state of our squad. 

[WeeWelshy007]

23 hours ago, Waspie said:

Don't think we are title contenders as it stands. We have added a solid LB, something we didn't have last season, but we're still short in attacking options out wide in particular. Would need 1 or 2 good additions there and another striker I think - and a bit of luck with keeping existing key players fit - to be capable of having a shot at the title. The next few weeks will be key as the loan market starts to move a bit more but we're starting this season weaker than we finished the last one (but better than the start of last season!)

I don't know what the situation is with Stevie Hetherington and Stefan Scougall for Saturday? Would make a massive difference if they were available. Would suspect Taggs will play CB and young Thomson in at RB after showing up well in his few appearances so far. 

QoS fans like to call us a bogey team but in reality we've both been operating at a broadly similar level over a few seasons now and the games tend to be tight. Would expect more of the same on Saturday. It will be interesting to see how QoS get on but pretty sure they will at least be a far more solid outfit under Murphy compared to the mess over which Bartley presided. 

That top spot for me personally is between us and arbroath i do believe with one or two loan deals we have full potential to win the league will be tight this season but every seasons different from the last

[Otis Blue]

2 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

Injury update makes for grim reading. Hopefully we're getting them out the way early and our luck will turn. Really don't want to lose sight of the top spot before we can start to gel. Be delighted with a point on Saturday given the current state of our squad. 

So depending how you read that post on the OS, that's five definitely out injured and possibly seven for the first game of the bloody season.  What a way to start.  Missing both Lyon and Cochrane is a huge blow.  Lyon was going to be key for us this season in midfield and now looks like he'll miss a good chunk of the first quarter.  Ever thus.

Alloa fans - did Dan Church ever actually play a game for you guys?  Seems like he's only ever seen our treatment room.

Had thought of going across to this but not sure it's worth it now, given the inevitable.

[Vegetableman]

never had much in the way of injuries with us did daniel church, not that i remember anyway 

shame for him , he must have picked up something with you guys ..

[qos_75]

19 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

I'm expecting at least 6 weeks for Lyon. He was hobbling to the bench on Saturday so I'm assuming a hamstring pull rather than precaution. Hoping I'm wrong and hoping we have another body or two in before Saturday in case. 

Got a text today saying he'd heard we're getting a couple of players from Boro. No idea if it's true either of course. 

Isaiih Jones would be welcome back!

That ship has sailed, but it would be good to get a couple of youngsters off of them, if they were in the same mould as him. 

[Distant Doonhamer]

13 minutes ago, qos_75 said:

Isaiih Jones would be welcome back!

That ship has sailed, but it would be good to get a couple of youngsters off of them, if they were in the same mould as him. 

Smashing player but even he ended up injured with us. 
We look like we’re already in the position of having key players injured and others coming back who we’ll quite possibly rush back too soon given we’re already light on numbers. 
Can’t be a good thing overall when the good news from the injury update is that the seemingly always injured Brydon is feeling fit and strong. So hope he can stay fit as he’s a key player for us. 

Edited August 1 by Distant Doonhamer

[HighlandQueen]

19 hours ago, 19QOS19 said:

I'm expecting at least 6 weeks for Lyon. He was hobbling to the bench on Saturday so I'm assuming a hamstring pull rather than precaution. Hoping I'm wrong and hoping we have another body or two in before Saturday in case. 

Got a text today saying he'd heard we're getting a couple of players from Boro. No idea if it's true either of course. 

Exciting about Boro players if true. If anything like Izzy Jones would be fab. 
 

I concur that if we end up playing the team that finished on Saturday it will be a hard shift. We also need firepower as well as our injured back and have got to be in the top 4 mix at the end of August so we can power on once injured back. 

It is interesting that we had horrendous injuries under the last manager and now we have same under Murphy…is it something to do with training surface, fitness, sports science?

[Slipmat]

1 hour ago, HighlandQueen said:

It is interesting that we had horrendous injuries under the last manager and now we have same under Murphy…is it something to do with training surface, fitness, sports science?

The only things I've ever heard regarding injuries caused by artificial surfaces are cuts, and goalkeepers getting pellets in the eye, so that's doubtful.

Fitness?  Well, I think the majority of full-time players these days are much fitter than players from our pre-full time era.  Jimmy Robertson, for example, was if I recall correctly a near ever present in my first two or three seasons going to our games despite his penchant for the finer things in life.

Sports science?  Definitely.  Players now have their fitness assessed to the point of micromanagement and rather than having faith in a player's own  judgement as to whether he feels fit to play club staff pay more attention to the advice of sports scientists etc.  How many times last season did Bartley say "He wanted to play, but..."?  This can also delay or prevent the return of injured players.  This strikes me as being odd now that 5 subs can be brought on during a game.

It's also strange that players "pick up knocks" despite how actual tackling in the modern game has been all but eliminated.

I think we need to mention chairs too though.  Whether it's Bartley blaming gaming chairs, or Cochrane falling off his seat in the canteen it seems clear to me that chairs have far more influence on a player's availability these days than many suppose.  Maybe if the club invest in some new player seating arrangements our injury troubles would ease.

ETA - Just realised that's my second post on this thread mentioning chairs.  I need to end this obsession.

Edited August 1 by Slipmat

[HighlandQueen]

6 minutes ago, Slipmat said:

The only things I've ever heard regarding injuries caused by artificial surfaces are cuts, and goalkeepers getting pellets in the eye, so that's doubtful.

Fitness?  Well, I think the majority of full-time players these days are much fitter than players from our pre-full time era.  Jimmy Robertson, for example, was if I recall correctly a near ever present in my first two or three seasons going to our games despite his penchant for the finer things in life.

Sports science?  Definitely.  Players now have their fitness assessed to the point of micromanagement and rather than having faith in a player's own  judgement as to whether he feels fit to play club staff pay more attention to the advice of sports scientists etc.  How many times last season did Bartley say "He wanted to play, but..."?  This can also delay or prevent the return of injured players.  This strikes me as being odd now that 5 subs can be brought on during a game.

It's also strange that players "pick up knocks" despite how actual tackling in the modern game has been all but eliminated.

I think we need to mention chairs too though.  Whether it's Bartley blaming gaming chairs, or Cochrane falling off his seat in the canteen it seems clear to me that chairs have far more influence on a player's availability these days than many suppose.  Maybe if the club invest in some new player seating arrangements our injury troubles would ease.

ETA - Just realised that's my second post on this thread mentioning chairs.  I need to end this obsession.

It’s Ercols fault….

Yeah. I agree with your post. It’s really puzzling that we had character players that lived a full life and never got injured and now they seem to trip over a leaf and are out for 6 weeks. Maybe all we can attract now are players with a patchy injury record? Odd that Church was never injured now he is never fit. It’s just strange.