Al B

I still really like Stuart McCall, and I still really like Mark McGhee. Up ye's.

The fact that you just wrote a whole post relating it to real life and getting irate about it, would concur with that. Did you then write to your car manufacturer to complain that it won't do 200mph because it can do it in Forza?

It's a computer game mate.

I get that we're all frustrated, but Jesus Christ...in the sheer moron stakes, thats up there with stopping a ball as it runs out for a bye-kick.

I see us as being a fair bit bigger than Falkirk, but then I'm from Falkirk so I probably would. Saying that though, I doubt any of my Falkirk-supporting mates would argue too much with that. What I will say in Falkirk's favour with being from there, is that they must have the highest percentage of population who support their local side. Out of all my friends there are only 2 Old Firm fans and the rest are all season ticket-holding Falkirk fans.

We didn't miss out because they offered terms we couldn't match, they offered terms we didn't feel the players were worth. That's nowhere near the same thing. I completely agree with the general point with a slight tweak. I don't think the transfer model is poor, I've come to believe that the method is completely sound, but it only works if the people using it can tell the difference between someone who is effective at the level they are spotted, and someone who has the tools to be effective at a higher level. I don't think we have that. As an example take two conference strikers, one who has scored 25 goals and one who has scored 15 goals. I genuinely think we'd stop at that and be after the first guy...without actually looking into it any deeper. For the model to be a success we have to be overlooking the guy with 25 goals from inside the 6 yard box, in favour of the guy with 15 goals who has a much better reading of the game, a calmness and awareness and maybe a handful of assists. I maybe completely 100% wrong, but for me to accept I am, someone would have some job trying to convince me what they saw and were looking for, by using Fletcher, Blyth, and Bowman as examples.

I was assuming that's why they have made it all-ticket, so they can get a gauge of what areas they need to keep clear and then open for us. We always take numbers there...filled our end at the last game. I'm expecting we'll need more than the one stand on Saturday.

Take your point Jay, but if (when) we're 2nd in the Championship, will ours?

I guess; "Who is he?" "He's the fan engagement guy" Is a conversation that has a certain irony all of it's own.

Who's this Murrant dude that people keep mentioning? And how do people know he's rubbish at whatever it is he does? I've only ever heard him mentioned on here and P&B.

I can't understand the thinking of someone who believes Stuart McCall had no budget. He spent an absolute fortune to the point where we teetered dangerously close to going down the pan again (not his fault though...any manager is going to use the budget he's offered, which is a reason the current rose-tinted Dempster revisionists also baffle me). Spending nothing on transfer fees only counts as no budget if the place isn't being smeared into the ground by wages. Been plenty examples of this, absolutely spot on. Players being played who for various reasons aren't the right option (Blyth has absolutely nothing and there were much better options, Gordon has promise but it just wasn't the appropriate time). In general I'd agree with that in terms of players not switching off, but given what was going on in the moments leading up to Jules stopping that ball, I don't have a single problem with the players switching off and starting to think about the next phase of play. I saw it live and have seen it plenty times on the highlights, and I still can't believe what I'm seeing. If you're a footballer at this level, in that exact situation, you are 100% perfectly entitled to assume that ball is running out of play and switch off. There is absolutely no set of circumstances where that ball isn't running out of play unless your own team-mate stops it from doing so, and no-one over the age of 7 is going to do that. Right?.... I take your general point and agree with it with few exceptions. Vigurs and Lawson were a bit of a shambles in hindsight, but at the time it was a huge coup to be signing 2 players from a rival side who were very highly thought of. Yes it didn't work out but I don't think anyone was disappointed with their signing. Ramsden, I can't remember the timing of this but until he had his injury that saw him fade out of the team/squad/club completely, he had been head and shoulders our player of the year to that point. The only issue i'd have with the re-signing of him would be if it happened after it was clear his injury had taken it's toll, but like I say I can remember the chronology. If that was the case then I completely agree.

I can't agree with that at all. I can remember at least 4 times today that the ball was played from a wide area, across the County goalmouth inside the 6-yard box, and just continued on beyond the goal at the other side. Absolutely criminal that no-one was taking up a position to be anywhere near knocking them home. ^^^more accurate. He's absolutely done. On of the most infuriating things that happens on a match day is the amount of times he brings the ball forward diagonally towards the left touchline, stops the ball with the sole of his left foot and then just does nothing. It's becoming a signature move...his own version of The Cruyff Turn - "The Hammell Stop".

I actually lose money over the course of the season by getting a ST as for one reason or another we don't make every game, but the reason we still get one is purely the motivation to go, as your ticket is already bought. I reckon if we paid at the gate we'd be lucky if we were at 5 home games over a season.

I remember Ruddy rushing out to make a clearance at the edge of the box and missing the ball completely, leaving a striker with a tap-in. Not at all saying he wasn't quality, but some people would have you believe neither him nor Randolph made massive mistakes. That one was worse that Woods gifting it to Durie, which still gets cast up 20 years later. Yeah there's context and previous performance etc etc...but it seems context is often used pretty selectively when examples are used to back up a point.

He was part of the interview panel, I acknowledged that. However I've been part of a ton of interview panels and never once been responsible for who was selected. Where did McGhee say that first part? Not meaning that in a contradictory way, just curious to see what info is out there. There's a big difference between dealing with the player contracts and deciding on the player contracts....

I think there's a massive (mis)assumption over what Alan Burrows does and what he's responsible for. He's the COO, not the CEO. Yes, I'm sure he's involved in discussions, meetings and interviews at all levels...but he reports to the people that make those decisions, he doesn't make them. A Chief Operating Officer is responsible for the day-to-day running of a business. He has much more to do with things like deciding which company gets the tender for the catering contract, or prioritising if the dressing rooms need refurbished, or the showers need replaced, and allocating budget for that and bringing in a contractor to do the work. I'm sure due to the fact that we're a relatively small company, he's involved in other processes and his opinion is sought (in fact we know it is), but people who think he's responsible for player contracts, managerial changes etc are the footballing equivalent of flat-earthers, and seem to think he's one step away from picking the team. His meetings and phonecalls involve more plumbers and turf companies, than they do agents and player reps.

I may be totally wrong, but it looked to me like he had blood on his sock and the referee wanted it changed. He was off the park and seemed to be saying what difference does it make, and Canning just decided it would be quicker to replace the player than mess about with changing socks.

Well obviously I want us to win, but even if we don't I'll have stopped thinking about it by the time I'm back in the car. Genuinely not being facetious. just surprised that you take it so seriously that it affects anything else. I'm surprised anyone does actually!

Genuine question, do you really care that much?

On a few occasions I've retrospectively seen the list of guys who have applied for the managers job at any given change. Some of them were absolutely hilarious! Was never sure what was more unexpected...Terry Butcher repeatedly applying (once whilst he was ICT manager) despite never being interviewed, or the fact that on each occasion he's specified bringing Malpas as his assistant (which may explain the lack of interviews...). For the record, I'd take Yogi. He talks like he's got water in his mouth and he's trying not to spill it, but he's had relative success everywhere he's been in Scotland and I don't think we're in a position to overlook that.

I think a few of us felt he'd be a great appointment, then he had his stint at United and we all agreed we were wrong.

Ehhh, im injured. OOOOH OWWW....see? Totally injured.

Or Scott Leitch. He had a recurring dislocating shoulder (a-la Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 2), I remember it happening during games a few times and he just put it back in, strapped it and came back on.

First time I've seen that...absolutely sent that boy to the shop! Cracking goal.

With the amount of money it takes purely to maintain it's current state, I'd imagine "upgrades" will be way down the list. Happy to be wrong though obviously!