Andy_P

What's Connor Sammon got to do with Danny Johnson?

Whilst I don't know enough to argue against your assertion about his time in England I'm not convinced your point about the Premiership/Scotland is correct. He wasn't a kick off double figures by the turn of the year having scored against both halves of the Old Firm and Aberdeen in a Motherwell team that was far from fluent. He simply wasn't given an opportunity thereafter when the formation changed post-Ross County Cup loss. He also scored 7 goals in 20 appearances for Dundee which isn't the worst record either.

Danny Johnson, Leyton Orient to Mansfield.

That's true, there are certainly two or three more senior pros still around, albeit not of the longevity and nor deep rooted attachment to the club such as the Hammell or Lasley ilk that I kind of had in mind when I posted earlier but you're right there remains several with a measure of experience of the league, even if perhaps I'm not personally set on their regular inclusion in the team.

I'm not suggesting there's been a failing. I'm just concerned at the increasing scale of the rebuild that is required and the lack of a remaining core around with which to formulate a team; and the as yet unproven ability of those charged with undertaking it.

I don't wish Devante Cole any ill will at his decision to move on, but I can't help but be concerned at the loss of another our better players. That's a spine of a team in Kelly, Gallagher, Campbell and Cole all gone. Under normal circumstances that would be a challenge in itself, but with a new manager going into his first close season alongside a new head of recruitment to me that challenge is only magnified. It is of course early in June and the "seven to nine" signings line has mentioned more than once but the apprehension that began to form with the renewals towards the back end of last season hasn't exactly eased since.

Liam Brown, back to Queen's Park from Edinburgh City.

I quite like it. I think the hoop enclosed within the white piping works pretty well when set alongside the white collar and cuffs. It also set me thinking of when we'd used white piping before in that fashion and it was Matchwinner's kit around 1987-1989 sported by the likes of Bobby Russell, Craig Paterson and Paul Kinnaird et al. I know many aren't fans but I think with those aforementioned white facings white shorts might actually have complemented the shirt more than claret but very decent nonetheless. To pluck one of those lines from The Simpsons that gets stuck in your head for all eternity "I know what I hate, and i don't hate this".

Queen's Park now playing their games next season at Firhill rather than Falkirk. Not sure what, if any bearing this might have on us being able to attend.

Stephen Hetherington, Alloa to Falkirk. I don't know what kind of ratio there will be of youth graduates who remain in senior football compared to those who are now junior, amatuer or are lost to the game completely but it must count for something the grounding players receive at Fir Park that helps them carve out a career at some level in the senior game even if it might not be the level they had aspirations of playing at. You could probably come up with a fair squad of lower league players that came through at Motherwell that could perform at a reasonable level.

Adam Livingstone back at Clyde.

Euan Murray from Dunfermline to Killie. Their fans seem quite excited.

Nice of them to capture Liam's reaction on walking out of Fir Park for the last time.

I don't really have much of an issue with either Patterson or McLaughlin to be honest and we should not confuse the priorities of the Scottish media with those of the Scotland coach. Don't get me wrong I'd much rather Liam Kelly was in there as 3rd choice keeper but unless something catastrophic happens then the 3rd choice goalkeeper isn't going to play whether that's McLaughlin, Kelly or whoever. Both for reasons of continuity when it comes to training, relationships with the other two keepers and I'm sure there will be an element of gratitude towards McLaughlin for hauling his arse around Europe up to a dozen times a season with Scotland knowing he isn't going to play, I can see why Clarke would pick him over another goalie. I also welcome Clarke's use of the additional squad members available to him by bringing the talents of Gilmour, Turnbull and of course Patterson into the fold. These will have been something of bonus picks for him so I applaud him in bringing in three players that will feature heavily in future to see them integrate with the squad over the course of a month or so, perhaps get them capped in of the two friendlies or against England when we're 3-0 up with five minutes left... My biggest issue with Patterson is the that the emergence of someone pretty prominent who spells Patterson with two tt's is only likely to encourage the trait and as everyone knows spelling Paterson with two tt's ensures the guilty party will sooner or later burn in hell for all eternity. Possibly.

Ross Forbes, who was mentioned a bit recently, has joined Stenhousemuir.

Looking forward to your comments when it clicks about three of the four opponents having those plastic pitches you were so delighted we wouldn't be playing on next season...

Draw on Friday at 1pm. Can be viewed on Freesports or via the SPFL Youtube Channel. Dates for fixtures here

Like my FF stuff so I'd be up for that if you set something up.

You must have Yodo muted Dave...

I don't quite get the apparent desire to circumvent the routes suggested by the club. Why not just take it the offer in the the spirit it was intended and donate to one of two routes offered?

A dreadful finale to a generally dreadful season. Get a goal of a start, have forty-five minutes to see it out and still balls it up. I find myself more annoyed than I perhaps should be given the initial aim of Alexander's reign has been achieved with a few games to spare but it feels like a wasteful end to the campaign. There have been opportunities in these last few games to blood one or two youngsters and learn of their capabilities in a match day scenario against several sides still with things to play for, or you could take the view that we're paying for these players on staff and will make use of them to go for seventh and the additional revenue that brings the club. It was obvious Alexander was going for the latter. But here we are no seventh place finish, no additional prize money and little or nothing learned about the more youthful players in the squad. A missed opportunity on several counts.

I didn't object at the time. A reasonably solid top flight player of five or six years experience and who quite often chipped in with half a dozen goals or so a season. It didn't look a retograde step when set against what Hastie, Seedorf or Long stuck out wide were offering in the first few months of the season. I will however concede however he's delivered the square root since he actually joined mind you.

Your thoughts and votes please...

I wasn't comparing. I was illustrating what you might potentially miss out on if you are going to immediately dismiss players because they happened to finish in a side that finished bottom of a league.