Kmcalpin

I general, no. Likewise it won't bother me if we lose Just and TJ - we all know that they will move on. We've seen our best players move on for decades and we're still here. It does mean that our recruitment strategy is doing well. My concern is with the timing. A long and growing injury list and a Conference League tie coming up in a matter of days. Its not the time to be shipping players out and certainly not without oven ready replacements.

No Zander McAllister last night? Please don't tell me he's injured as well.

Financially we are doing very well, no argument from me on that score. You can also add on a modest 5/6 figure fee for the Ox. We also have the relocation of the stadium / replacement of the POD stand to factor in. However, healthy balance sheets don't increase attendances. On the playing side, I was not surprised that JBA left at the end of the season. Despite his positive words I never thought he'd stay with us very long. I'm sure the directors would also have been well aware of his intention to move months ago. Kyrk Macmillan is doing a good job as far as I can tell, but it was a mistake to tell the fans that everything was ticking over nicely during the search for a new manager when it clearly wasn't. It was also naive of the directors to tell the fans that all our best assets wouldn't be sold at the same time. That raised unrealistic expectations.

Apologies, I wasn't commenting on Alfred Johansson just managers in general.

That might well be true, but given the current chaotic state of the squad with long/medium term injuries and new players, not unsurprisingly, being unfit/not ready we have to be realistic.

I have no opinion on him yet. Far too early to tell. Being optimistic and positive is a desirable quality in a manager but not if their interviews merely gloss over weaknesses and failures that are obvious to the fans. Managers also have to be realistic.

Agree 100%. Our chaotic pre season preparation is down to several factors not just slow recruitment. However that is a significant concern, especially given that our first European game is next Thursday. I believe that we're allowed 2 emergency signings before then. Even if we do manage to complete deals in time, how fit will the new arrivals be? Its unlikely that they'll hit the ground running. Despite public assurances from the board, JBA's very predictable departure has completely disrupted our preparations. I'll be gobsmacked if Nick Daws hadn't drawn up a hit list over 6 months ago and has been beavering away on it. It seems that JA's arrival has put a spanner in the works. I'm also sceptical of the directors' claim that our best assets won't all be sold at once. By next Thursday the squad may be even more threadbare if Elliot Watt departs, as expected. TJ also? If we win through against HB and secure a league win against Falkirk (I'll write off the first league game in Embra) then all will be well. If we don't though, serious questions will need to be asked about our failure to recruit timeously and our injury record. I can't ever recall such a long injury list before a season started in earnest. Tonight's final dress rehearsal against against Genk was anything but.

No wing backs and an untested midfielder in central defence? Chaos reigns. You couldn't make it up.

Surely they'll be installed in time?

For the sake of argument lets say the Ox was on £2K per week. If the Pars bought out his contract you'd be looking at £400K. I'm not saying we got anywhere near that sum but its likely we cut our losses to reduce our wage bill, and showed Dunfermline some generosity by giving them a bargain.

Ox's move to East End Park has been in the offing for some weeks now. It was certainly held up by Ward's departure to QPR and perhaps by AJ's arrival. Quite rightly we wanted to hang onto him until a replacement, Paulsen, was brought in. Leaks from the Dunfermline end not ours. Given Ox had 2 years left on his contract I would expect a tidy fee, but not earthshattering. Dunfermline seem awash with cash.

If it is, that will tell us how threadbare our squad is. You'd think AJ would want to field his strongest 11, or as near to it as possible, in order to prepare us for next Thursday.

I think thats it. This decision is overly harsh and totally inconsistent. We'll see if this level of punishment is applied again in future for similar situations. In short, we are an easy target. Being pedantic, Watt's comment was an opinion, based on some factual basis. Presumably the SFA thought that there were worse VAR decisions than that one. If so, what were they? Come on tell us. As for the club's fine, that is also nonsense. According to Graeme McGarry, the fine isn't for the club's comments, but because it posted a picture of a Celtic player with the referee? Really? is that the level they've stooped to? Its interesting that the club might challenge the fine, and I hope it does, but also that it has asked for the reasons in writing. Now thats interesting in its own right. They've either only been given them by word of mouth or they haven't been given them at all. The whole thing stinks. Just as with society in general, free speech is being clamped down on. You are free to express an opinion as long as it is consistent with that of the establishment.

Arguably, the most interesting aspect of tonight's bounce game, apart from the new players, are the starting and finishing line ups. They should give us an insight into our new manager's thinking and the health of our squad.

Signing on fee for the player?

Usually, but not always, at the behest of the buying club.

We should be in no rush to sell. Our finances are healthy. The directors promised us we wouldn't sell our best assets at the same time.

Girdwood Reich seems to be the kind of signing we should be aiming for. As for Watt, I think we should hold out for more than £1.5m.

Johnny Koutroumbis out for several weeks. No word of Stama, McGhee or Longelo.

Rumours on P & B that we're interested in Jake Girdwood-Reich. He's a defensive midfielder who can play in defence if needs be.

You can't beat an East Neuk dressed crab. No whitefish landed here now as it all comes from Peterheid. Anyways, I see St Mirren have signed Eseola Sole.

How can you possibly be fed up with sea food?

Seems to be agile and a very good shot stopper. Apparently played outfield early in his career and looks to be comfortable with the ball at his feet. Likes to save penalties as well. Should be a good fit for our system. At first sight similar to Callum Ward, even down to the transfer fee. Not the biggest keeper in the world and I doubt he'll make it in the Premier League but good enough to help us out in our hour or season of need. There's bucketloads of very good keepers in England so he'll have plenty of competition if he returns down there. I always think that loans can be risky but in our situation, we probably didn't have much choice. I suspect he'll be our no 1 and therefore I feel sorry for Matty Connelly but I can't ever see him being anything more than back up at best for us.

His official height is 6-0. Presumaby then, Matty is 5-10.

I get that Stu and agree there's no need to panic. However we already know that we're short of a keeper after Ward departed and there's a big hole in central defence due to departures and injuries.