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2014-15 Ins And Outs


Toxteth O'Grady
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Not so straightforward as you might think. Possiblek scenario - until a month or two back he didn't look anything special - and we can't sign all of young lads on long contracts. He then breaks into the first team and we offer him a longer deal and he then stalls...... As Weeyin says we can't force them to sign. Maybe that's not the case at all but these decisions aren't easy.

Surely the skill is in identifying the talent at the right time. Coaches should be able to assess suitability for the first team in advance of them getting the opportunity. We're not talking about them all, from the little I've seen we should be looking at Murray, Thomas and Leitch playing it ever so slightly cagier on Erwin and the unlucky Moore.

 

On the flip side we've perhaps been a bit to eager on McHugh & Cummins previously.

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Surely the skill is in identifying the talent at the right time. Coaches should be able to assess suitability for the first team in advance of them getting the opportunity. We're not talking about them all, from the little I've seen we should be looking at Murray, Thomas and Leitch playing it ever so slightly cagier on Erwin and the unlucky Moore.

 

On the flip side we've perhaps been a bit to eager on McHugh & Cummins previously.

 

Agreed Steve. There is a knack to identifying young talent coming through the ranks and more often than not we get it right.

 

 

 

 

 

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McPake wouldn't be my first choice, but then again neither would Clancy, Ramsden, Reid have been.

 

McCall generally gets it right. I remember people on here complaining about the signing of Sutton last year. It worked out alright.

 

Again, the only concern is what it means for the likes of Murray and Kerr. We won't see our young players develop into sellable assets unless they get time on the field...

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McPake wouldn't be my first choice, but then again neither would Clancy, Ramsden, Reid have been.

 

McCall generally gets it right. I remember people on here complaining about the signing of Sutton last year. It worked out alright.

 

Again, the only concern is what it means for the likes of Murray and Kerr. We won't see our young players develop into sellable assets unless they get time on the field...

 

I was one of those Melvin, I was dead against Sutton returning. I am glad McCall had more faith in Sutton than I did. I trust McCall now as he always seems to have the knack of picking the right player that fits his system. So I hope that giving Leitch some game time last season he has seen enough to reward him with a contract. Time will tell

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I was one of those Melvin, I was dead against Sutton returning. I am glad McCall had more faith in Sutton than I did. I trust McCall now as he always seems to have the knack of picking the right player that fits his system. So I hope that giving Leitch some game time last season he has seen enough to reward him with a contract. Time will tell

Listen, we're all entitled to opinions. How many goals did Sutton score for Hearts? There were times last season when I looked at the starting lineup and thought McCall had got it wrong. Occasionally he does, but most of the time it becomes clear why we pay for our seats and he gets a free one in the dugout.

 

That being said, it won't stop any of us voicing our opinions. Because that's what fans do. Not convinced about McPake but I'm happy to give McCall the chance to make me look stupid again...

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Not so straightforward as you might think. Possible scenario - until a month or two back he didn't look anything special - and we can't sign all of young lads on long contracts. He then breaks into the first team and we offer him a longer deal and he then stalls...... As Weeyin says we can't force them to sign. Maybe that's not the case at all but these decisions aren't easy.

 

I was making a generalisation about, what seems to be, our contract policy. Just using leitch as an example - he clearly has the ability and character to make it in the SPL so we should be protecting ourselves here. Another one is vigurs, he has a year to run, has turned into a top player for us but I'll wager he won't get offered anything till the end of next season.

 

Then you look at Dundee utd, all their promising youngsters are protected with another 2/3/4 years. Or st johnstone, as soon as Stevie may started banging in the goals at the start of the season, they sort him out with a years extension.

 

We are supposed to be a selling club, its our business model, but we can't make decent money off anyone if they can be poached for nothing or bought on the cheap in a few months. And we should be protecting ourselves against having to rebuild every year or so too.

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He was superb in his first 6 months at Hibs but then the injuries took their toll again. No sure he ever recovered from the night Higdon owned him.

Funny, whenever I think of McPake, that's the night I think of. Fact we lost our two first choice midfielders in the first half of that game and still won said something about the quality and character of both teams. Give McPake his due, he was outclassed but one of the few Hibs players that didn't give up that night.

 

Clearly the warning signs were there for Hibs that night but weren't heeded...

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McPake was a stand out at Livi and, in a spiritless Hibs team, he was one of the few who showed any stomach for the battle and who never gave up. Many of the Hibs players looked to him as a leader on and off the park. Something that we are sadly lacking when games are not going as planned.

 

 

Perhaps if he had not fallen foul of Butcher and had been given the chance to play towards the end of the season then Hibs might have had the drive and leadership to avoid relegation. Butcher says that McPake did not play more games after Christmas because of injury, but McPake insists he was fit enough (and eager) to play.

 

I accept that McPake is not the most cultured of players. But, if Hutch leaves as expected, we could do worse. As for being finished due to injury, the same thing was said about the almost ever present McManus. It's up to our medical staff to assess him and advise McCall.

Kerr is fair enough as a utility player to have available as cover and Murray has potential but neither in my opinion is ready to fill a central defender role on a day to day basis. A back four of Ramsden, McPake, McManus and Hammell would not be too shabby.

 

If it's true that we are speaking to McPake it suggests that Hutch has told McCall he is off. Hopefully the other out of contract players let it be known soon what their intentions are so that Mccall can spend our very limited budget where it's most needed.

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If it's true that we are speaking to McPake it suggests that Hutch has told McCall he is off. Hopefully the other out of contract players let it be known soon what their intentions are so that Mccall can spend our very limited budget where it's most needed.

 

Would not touch McPake with the proverbial barge pole. I'd take Clancy, who has been released by St.Johnstone, back before McPake.

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Don't need McPake. Already have McManus, Hammell, Ramsden, Kerr , cummins, Murray, and maybe Reid!!!

 

I thought we were skint?!?!

 

If Ainsworth doesn't sign we need someone who can play there also.

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We are paying gunner more than that

 

....

 

Obviously not performance related then.

 

That would suggest he is/would be going no-where with a year left on his contract...

 

Can you see any other club willing to take him on.

 

His penalty save against Celtic was fantastic and he was OK in his last few games, but.........

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