Goggles & Flippers

I'm with Burn Broomfield, a strong wiff of Pontius Pilate about this. Letting the little people self implode while he stands off afar. The reality of a Scottish football club and how it can be a money back hole has slowly dawned. Sadly I think Derek Weir leaving is intrinsically linked to this.

The one thing that has stopped me buying any of the current strips are the badges. On the training gear they're printed (poorly and out of proportion) and stitched on. On the away strip (which I have always loved since Pony made it) the issue is scroll round the badge, which again looks awful. I really hope someone from Provan reviews these boards and is a tad more stringent when the proofs are sent through. Along with the text being the wrong way round on the 125th year strip it's a host of errors. Just can't see there being any issues with any other teams badge like how ours is continually messed up. We standardised the colours a few years back, lets do it with the badge.

Long and short is everyone outside Ross County can see they are circumventing financial fair play rules with 2 pensioners and a dug turning up to their games. OK, SPFL and TV money is shared based on league position, but regardless what they're up to is what UEFA is trying to stamp out. Do the SPFL not want another scandal or something?

So just to clarify ...... Coke Zero .....

Funny how demands for Thomas' inclusion on a Saturday has fallen almost silent on the boards. Must be the side-effect of a team getting results. I'll echo the congrats to Crags and the boys, after a tricky start to his tenure, they do seem to be improving and picking up momentum.

Certainly helps when some of the players are giving you 100% opposed to downing tools like they did in the past it could be argued.

Thanks for the veiled compliment, I think I'm mostly right, most of the time, however I am a tad biased. Les' involvement gave the WS breathing space which they undoubtedly needed. There were no alternatives, Boyle wanted out as a matter of urgency, unless you maybe fancy a South American consortium which just gives me the fear every time I contemplate it. However the way it was handled, the information dissemination and the whole deal felt a little bit grubby to me and lacked the consultation with the WS membership that something of this magnitude required. I don't doubt it would have been a resounding yes in December 2014 if a EGM was held but it was a disservice to the membership that it was decided that our involvement was unnecessary. If I do the WS the courtesy of 300 quid when I couldn't afford it, then I expect that same courtesy reciprocated when it comes to major decisions. When you had the WS trying to attract business' as well as the club's commercial department, it was a recipe for disaster. While one group is volunteers and the other earn their livelihood through commission then you will always have a conflict of interest, competition and no common message. Same thing with the membership, going after the season ticket holders who aren't members as they are seen as low hanging fruit. It's a trap they and the club have fallen into repeatedly, there doesn't seem to be a correlation between getting more new or lapsed faces into Fir Park. Ultimately that increases the day to day performance of the club and it's not squeezing that last drop from your committed fans. The issue has been the WS has been a rudderless ship for too long. No clear plan but a lot of meetings discussing options and strategy. Things are slowly changing but there's a distinct lack of dynamism and the fanbase are now either apathetic or ambivalent to it's aims and goals. Unless the WS come out with the equivalent of a defibrillator to re-energise itself , then in 2020 we'll find Les looking for an exit JB style or bequeathing the club to his daughter (not saying it wouldn't achieve anything under her stewardship, she might be inspirational and do an Ann Budge)

I just think sometimes we have to distinguish between the role of a company director and that of a fan with sporting integrity. As a company director you are charged (legally) to ensure your directorship doesn't put the business in peril and continue trading, not to mention the number of people who's livelihoods are dependent on your direction. On one hand you are faced with an immediate drop in your income equivalent to approximately 13% of your annual turnover and potentially the TV companies pulling the plug as one of the two main reasons they have purchased your game has left the building. On the other you're sitting there wondering "What if?" they weren't able to attract some of the players they did that gave them an advantage over you and potentially cost your organisation glory and financial reward. While your impulse is to be disgusted with their effective cheating, the rational part of your brain has also to be employed. Oh of course it's easy to come on here and rant "get Newco tae fuck" (which I agreed with before anyone has a go), but you have to also place yourself in the shoes and consider all of the repercussions of your decision. It's easy with hindsight to criticise, but you don't get courted to be a company director unless you've have more success' in your life than failures. Jim McMahon and Derek Weir can certainly demonstrate that, I'm sure the ramblings on people on a fans forum armed with half truths and conjecture all too quick to finger point in the bad times and overlook praise in the good times. Derek Weir offered to resign when Les took over but one of his stipulations was Derek stayed on while others like Andrew Wilson were thanked for their time and efforts. Based on what I've witnessed thus far, interviews and general demeanour, I think Les can be pretty hard to work for/with and would be very demanding. Let's not also forget how he stumped up ... what was it? £50k along with Jim McMahon to get us though a sticky cashflow patch. How many others would do the same at our club or others? Many have cited the lack of financial planning. Well we all covet success, we revel in it. The trips to Hampden, lording it over old firm fans when we beat them. We look to new players and hope they will take us to new heights, we roll the eyes when we hire a SPFL journeyman. I don't understand what is wrong with budgeting based on a top 6 finish and a cup run while finishing best of the rest of 3 consecutive seasons is now perceived as inept. To me it's the standard Scottish parochial mentality. If we set out every season to aspire to 10th then your aim becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I have no desire to follow a club with a lack of ambition. I recognise football is cyclical and we are in a dip, but we will be back. But like everything on here, it's either sugar or shite with a good sprinkle of lack of empathy.

look at the role and responsibilities of a company director. What took us close to admin was a team that finished 2nd in the league finishing 11th the following season despite not losing many significant personel and any we did lose were backfilled with adequate replacements (on paper). The fault doesn't lie with a board thinking that success will go on otherwise you budget every year thinking you will be bottom and face relegation, the fault lies with the players and management, they had all the tools and facilities available to perform. With respect to Baraclough, hindsight is a great thing eh? With it I would have a host of Apple shares. And by "us" you make it sound like you are in the majority, maybe a tad ambitious.

Well that post shows you know sweet fuck all

Eddiemunster will consider that a challenge

The table at the moment is skewed down to a number of postponements. Partick's games in hand are: Hearts (a) (loss) St Johnstone (h) (draw) Dundee Utd (h) (win) ICT Hearts (h) (draw) St Johnstone (a) (draw) St. Johnstone Partick (a) (draw) ICT (h) (draw) Dundee Celtic (h) (loss) Partick are averaging just over a point a game so you'd think 4 points from 9. I've indicated in red what the form and league placing suggests plus home advantage. ICT 2 points and St. Johnstone 2 points also. It may help us that they all play each other so draws help our cause. Which if we use 26 games today as a datum the truer reflection of the league table could (helmet on) be: 4 Inverness CT 34 5 St Johnstone 34 6 Ross County 33 7 Dundee 33 8 Partick Thistle 32 9 Motherwell 29 10 Hamilton 29 11 Killie 27 So to the split, 7 games to gain 4 points for top 6, all it needs is a little momentum as Ross County showed last season. CAVEAT: All is based on conjecture and hope, consider this and count to 10 before you feel the need to poke holes

Tactical genius, 8th in the table ....... sitting pretty ............

Aye, but he got to shag Jennifer Aniston dressed up as Princess Leia .... swings and roundabouts

It appears Ross from Friends is a Well fan

Looking back through the threads leading to the playoff, there was only a small percentage of people on here who didn't have squeaky bums.

I don't particularly like the guy from what I've read, however I'm sure if I dealt with him face to face regularly I'd have a different opinion. I'm sure he'd be cordial and pleasant in the flesh. Perception and reality rarely match up in our digital age. His management style is autocratic and not matey like the previous two. Good, I prefer that. Am I wanting McGhee to win a popularity contest? Not really, it would be nice if he did but I'd rather he won manager of the month. Can he be at fault for some of the recent mistakes? Yes but as much as he was instrumental in the win at Parkhead and our run in December. Football is a game of fine margins and we've had a particularly crappy run in January. What hasn't helped him and has aided the anti bandwagon is the team selection at times which your ordinary fan finds baffling. Do I think we'll see what he's made of after a summer clearout, 6 weeks of punishing pre-season and his own targets coming in ... undoubtedly. I just hope the season opener isn't against Alloa, finishing 11th is almost certain relegation this term as the three top teams in the Championship are a different entity to last year.

It's an interesting premise that Busta brings to light. I've said before I've been concerned with player power in our dressing room. I think it's safe to say that while Gannon was batshit crazy, senior players in the squad also helped bring about his downfall or at least greased the wheels. A board or owner faced with changing personnel has to look upon the replacement of a manager over that of a number of players with associated transfer fees you'd like to achieve to get harmony back. Ease and commercial ramifications have to weigh on that decision. If you're a footballer in the modern game you know 10 games later you could have a new boss if you bide your time. There has been repeated mutings of disharmony, but I look upon a lot of that as barbershop tittle-tattle. No doubt frustration and male egos brought on by errors and the stress that goes with it naturally bubbles over. I've seen a downing of tools under McCall and Baraclough since then and Saturday appeared to be the same. But for every game like that there is one where everything seems to click and you maul the opposition as everyone is on song everything you try comes off. With respect to some players retaining their starting positions, sure I think many must show more in training than the promise of the fringe players in training. Combine that with instructions that certain players are here to make us money in transfers so I get the impression they are played until they come good, a bit like a chronic gambler throws pound coins into a puggy. A solution for me is the playing staff (without the management as a catalyst) get together and collectively pull together as professional football players and put in extra hours off their own back for the collective good and pride in what they are tasked (and paid) to do. But let's put this in context. It's a poor run yes, we were leap-frogged by the 11th placed team, a lot of our recent results have came down to the last 5 minutes of play and a universal lack of concentration (however it cold be argued a lack of application in the preceding 85 to put the game out of touch). We're not a million miles away from 6th place due to the mediocrity of our league and inconsistency exhibited by everyone outside the top 3 and Dundee Utd. Also if we were sitting just 3-4 points further up the league then this debate may be brewing, but it wouldn't be apocalyptic as many seem to think it is. It was only 6 weeks ago the same players tucked the champions away in their gaff. In the past managers and club officials have cited confidence as key to success, when you lose it getting it back is a tough and tedious wait. It's an age old conundrum, how to make guys who should be better, perform better. Manchester United haven't managed for a while now it with much better personnel and management than we can hope for.

Top goalscorer benched again ..... m'kay

now now

We're going to have to see photographic evidence I'm afraid

With respect to Lionel Ainsworth, this time last year I said on these boards I hoped never to see him in the C&A ever again as he'd effectively downed tools. To be fair however, the only one who seemed to be trying and giving it 100% in every game was Josh Law. I suppose my frustration was born from the fact I look at him and I see a truly quality player, capable of some moments of sublime skill countered by a questionable work ethic at times. However he seemed to buckle down and was instrumental in keeping us on the heels of the other bottom feeders until the playoff with Rangers was a fait accomplit. When McGhee was appointed I also said on here that someone like Ainsworth would not sit well with him. Like him or not, nobody can argue that McGhee puts a premium on fitness and a strong work ethic. Personally I think it's because it's gives players a mental edge thinking they have more stamina compared to the opposition. His double training sessions when he arrived and Jim Paterson are prime examples of this this ethos. I also like to think that in what 15+ years of management he has a degree of man management skills and knows who needs an arm put round them in private and know needs dingied in the media. I suspect it was a last roll of the dice from McGhee to see if he's worth keeping past the summer. If he gets a reaction then ideal, otherwise he's off to be replaced by someone who will cover and track back those extra yards he demands. I sincerely hope the actions of the past week has a two-fold response, first Ainsworth unleashes a "I'll show you" reaction and McGhee's behaviour was seen to be the right move to get the best out of his player. Needless to say, I found myself standing and applauding on Saturday when he came on mainly because I felt others were also due public criticism (unthinkable 12 months ago). I don't think anyone will disagree, on his game Ainsworth can be as good as the best in this league. However I fear he is nonchalant at times is why he's playing with us, had umpteen clubs and not playing at a higher level. Ultimately that is the catalyst of my frustration.

Wasn't Vigurs but regardless I appear to have put the curse of Motson on things

We'll just ignore you failing to list the facts to support your argument then will we?

I don't think it's any secret that we often go close to the bone especially at this time of year with postponements and the latest SPFL cash instalment to arrive. Derek Weir and Jim McMahon in the past have subbed us money from their own savings to get us through tight periods. However we now have a multi-millionaire owner who (unless he has managed to isolate himself from liability but I don't see how) would be required under law to keep things ticking along unless he wishes to wind things up.