bdu98196

Partly agree but I think the standard of Scottish football is underplayed - its not as bad as made out. Working in the US just now I have seen the Dynamo play twice and once that was against the divisions top team Dallas - the game was entertaining enough but technical skills poor, defensive positioning wasn't great and neither was there a lot of creativity - I don't think either team are any better than mid table Premiership at best, thats a league with Bradly Wright Phillps as a star who couldn't cut it in the Championship down south and guys like Senderos, Webster & Nicholson all as key if not top players at their clubs and they were never outright stars in Scotland. Where it does exceed our game is the atmosphere, catering & making it an event. The climate helps but clubs can do more to create areas outside the ground with entertainment, offer food options of a decent quality and choice, looking at innovative ways to order food, but tickets etc using mobile apps. MLS fans turn up hours before a game which surprised me but there is entertainment to sustain that and spending on food, merchandise & refreshments - we turn up and leave within minutes of the whistle - this looses clubs revenue as we haven't got ideas in place to make fans want to be there and spend.

Another thread on how to improve things? There must be lists of suggestions done to death on this forum - if the club was interested then it would either respond to these or address some of them. We have CTJ and all these social media platforms but all they are for issues like this are a location to vent & moan - last year the new chairman suggested more communication and an action list of improvements, this all seems quiet. Visiting games needs to be an experience and fans made to feel welcomed and part of something - this doesn't happen. There's nothing to be there for other than the match - turn up 2.55 then leave at 4.45 - who wants to stand around in the bland surroundings with the over-priced poor catering and lack of welcoming atmosphere.

Our record at that is poor, over the last few years the only youngsters that have come through and given any real chance at the club are Ryan Christie & Liam Polworth, Nick Ross perhaps is another - all the rest get cast aside having either sat on the bench or given a few token sub appearances. We look to bring in guys released or on loan in their early 20's but less keen to give our teens a go - perhaps with less budget we will have no choice.

Right now the money in English football is ruining the game throughout Europe - Low end teams spending 30M+ on bang average foreign players, lower levels paying more in wages and transfer fees than top leagues in Europe. Salford are another Gretna - they will continue to get fans due to the ManU connection from those who cant afford Old Trafford, but as they go up the leagues the money needed will increase and sooner or later the pockets of the ManU group will close leaving either other investors or sustainability. The documentary they did spoke of something for the local community, giving back to grass roots but clearly the lure of glory and limelight was too much for all concerned. TV & CL money is ruining the game at all levels - the fees involved are crazy and fans are turning off at teams with foreign players and mediocre players just there for the cash and no loyalty. I'd rather follow a diddy team, in a diddy league in a diddy country then be cheated as a fan of some EPL teams right now.

There's several reasons the forum is slowing down, social media is a big one whether it be football, cars or other topics the single subject forum is no longer what folks want - you can get the social media groups with instant replies and people don't have to put any structure to their content. Responses can be short and acknowledged through 'likes' and sharing - that's more important than the content or any structured points. It can be seen on here, there's a lot of posts which have few sentences or lines of text - nobody wants to spend time building structured points or those that do are the minority and the 'usual suspects'.

Warren wages may have equated to 2 or 3 players of lesser experience/quality etc but lets not forget there was a settlement agreed with Warren too - nobody knows what percentage of his annual salary that may have been, add to that the apparent consideration to reduce the wage budget and costs overall I think its fair to say that there is little chance of 2 or 3 faces beyond what was already planned for. We should just assume that McCart is already the Warren replacement.

If you don't like someone's posts or agenda on here just change the settings to ignore them. Seems there's more interest in petty user name calling at this time of year than discussing serious matters around the club. Let's not hide from the fact that after the departure of Rice this is another cheap cost cutting appointment. The promotion or addition of Esson formally to the coaching team will most likely be in addition still to player role (no announcement he has retired) and arrival of Wilson will most likely give us a lower coaching overhead than last and previous years. As said kellacher does deserve a chance but let's not miss the fact we have an inexperienced back room team.

Not keen on the personal insult but I partly agree he has been there through the failings of the 2nd part of the JH and all of RF regiemes. However he has also been part of the team with success and been around the club a long time. On balance probably deserving of the chance he is given but I think if it's a step too much a brave decision has to be made regarding his future.

^ having a board that act with a bit of integrity and professionalism delivering on their promises and treating the fans as being important and not as a taken for granted commodity? Be a good starting point at least!!!

I expect top 4 minimum and promotion. League cup decent run would help early season form and get everyone to gel Irn bru cup I see as a distraction and much like the Scottish cup while a long run would be great we need to avoid fixture congestion and tired players as we really need to expect play-offs and the games and demands that brings.

Not only the effect of dropping a division but also the actions of the board as cited regarding communication or lack off, the less than savoury way of using the press to leak stories and try force players out and the constant talk of restructuring while adding new members at board and upper levels does little to show the club in a good light for existing or potential new fans. Until the club sort a itself out and starts to engage and show itself to be at fan level then we will just have the hard-core until they get fed up. Maybe a good start to the season will increase gate numbers but that can't be taken as granted when doing any budgeting the work has to be done before that during close and pre season build up.

It's strange that so many support and back the board without criticism and think the way it has behaved over the last 2 seasons in releasing or more forcing players out is acceptable. Cost cutting is accepted as required however the way we do this is unsavoury behind the scenes and farcical in public. Regardless of the end result sometimes acting professionally to get there will carry more favour - football is a 'business' built on loyalty of not consumers but fans and without those a club has nothing and no business. All those citing the number of games Warren played last year, his age, concerns about declining form and high salary are people's opinion yet nobody questions the re-signing of Doran (again) over the last 3 years he's hardly played, been on and most likely still is on a good contract keeping him as one of our highest earners and has yet to get anywhere near previous form at a lower level of football- surely that's as big a risk for the club financially.

As per my last post on this topic I am still to be convinced that agreeing a settlement for Warren itself will yield savings. There are negative effects which the way this event was handled and the effect beyond just the outgoings to the player but what he brought into the club or his contribution influences. Getting rid of one of the most marketable assets doesn't always correspond to surplus cash at the end of the season.

Time to ponder the cost savings Settlement fee - doubt Warren would have just walked for free Are we a weaker team or squad- right now yes so how does that effect final league positions, cup runs and any prize monies this season? Has the board behaviour alienated any fans or is it just pushing some loyal ones to the brink - does that effect footfall Warren had been part of our success period, with a squad lacking big names or star players Warren Doran Polly tremarco were probably the 4 big name draws but one is gone - does that effect sponsors? Perhaps the saving of the reported premiership wage is overtaken but what we loose out on and rather than being better off the club ends up worse but fortunately for the board this could only be conjecture.

At least the club conducted itself with dignity throughout as always...................

Get a striker that scores 20+ or two that will do 15 or so each and that should get you the play-offs. Scottish football is pretty simple - find that elusive goal scorer and you can easily elevate your team even up to a false position - we did it before with Mckay, Motherwell = Moult, Kille = Boyd & Naismith, DUtd = Ciftci etc the list can go on

Yeah, can't have a thread which might aim criticism at the club, manager or board .................or after crap performances any players. Seems this forum is only wanting to welcome fake, positive happy posts and anything that prompts questioning or contrary opinion get frowned upon?

Well that's been over 3 wks now and there's no indication he is away. If we are trying to free up funds for other players, we are in danger of missing out on targets - at what point do the club decide that they have to backtrack and look to make plans with GW at the club? Or do we go right up to the start of the season hoping he leaves then throw the cash at whatever targets are milling around looking for a club? Lets hope that not leaving isn't held against him by the management and some fans like it has been for OFW.

Home or away I wonder for the new year derby game. Expecting away as RC are the newly relegated side so get preferential treatment?

I'm not sure Bell lost anything, but he worked hard with unfortunately not enough end product. He may be young but as often the case at the club this is a guy brought in and given more game time than our own youngsters without really showing he is a whole lot better. If suggestions are correct and he is looking for a pay increase, it could be argued he lost his place in the team and wasn't integral in the team heading upwards - if anything after the failure of promotion or at least play-off places the players should really be facing reality and accept they failed to deliver what was required. If he feels he is worth more money and wants to move on then he's not irreplaceable and hopefully the club can look within to give a younger players a chance.

Well in that case Robbo should know better about how it works and its not just that simple - as to get rid of Warren he will have to pay him off with part or all of what he would be due for the remainder of his contract then pay for a.n. other player - therefore in real terms any replacement will actually cost more this season so not acually cost cutting at all!!!!

Correct and like any other business if you sign a contract and wish to break those terms you have to agree compensation otherwise expect the other party to take you to court otherwise suck it up and see the terms through. Going public and trying to put across bad press about the other party is not only a dangerous game, but also will probably do more damage to your reputation than the party you attack.

Ryan Christie played last night for Scotland in the friendly against Mexico- got a full first 45 mins.

Which is the point being made that by already going public they will just look like a bunch of fools and even worse when they back track and start asking him to play. Unfortunately like the OFW situation we will have fans turn on him for not just walking away from his contracted job and entitled monies as they have been convinced the player is not needed and there through greed bringing the club to it's knees and stopping it progressing. Those facts are down to the board miss management though and not the playing individuals.

5 - That's the standard approach now when we need to offload a player that's no longer desired. It was done last year with Draper to an extent as well.