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ThorburnGolf

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Everything posted by ThorburnGolf

  1. Rice came in after the Scottish cup when we started to decline...... is he actually part of the problem would be my question?
  2. For me it's no coincidence that our form suddenly improved on arrival of Malpas, he is clearly respected by players and knows the Scottish game and our club especially inside out, for me there is no better option for manager if he wants it. If he wants to remain in the background then what about Darren Young, has left Albion Rovers and has done a stellar job getting them promoted to League 1 and keeping them there for 2 seasons. Would be someone Malpas could really assist and kick on with.
  3. I think it's a good idea. The lesser clubs are not going to meet Welsh or Irish opposition until the last 16..... and I think at this stage an away trip (European adventure if you will) would be quite an exciting prospect for most of these teams. It will also be great for the young players to get competitive games under their belts. A very good idea in my opinion and I hope it works :)
  4. I really really hope he proves me wrong and is a huge success but I'm very wary of the fact he's not got any experience, and that's being as either a manger or assistant, or even taking the youth team. Would have preferred to see him get a year or 2 as an assistant under his belt first. However there are success stories out there like Alex Neil, Bryan Robson and I'm sure plenty others that have gone straight into management from playing with the same club. So although I haven't clicked happy I guess we have to applaud the board for having the courage to take the risk and they must really see something there in Richie. Onwards and Upwards!
  5. If Yogi is to leave then I find this very very sad for the club as I hold him in very high regard for what he has achieved with this club. If we are looking at a new manger I just don't feel Foran should be the answer, he's never even been an assistant manager never mind manager. Personally I think we look at a young up and coming manager like Gary Naysmith or Barry Ferguson. Both of whom played at the very highest level of football and have proven themselves at a lower level in Scotland as managers with East Fife and Clyde respectively. A fee would obviously be involved here but if we seriously cant afford to poach a manager from a league 1 or 2 side then serious questions have to be asked.
  6. I would guess it's forward thinking due to the ages of the players in question. It is a shame to lose Raven, but I actually think Horner has shown quite a bit of potential this season.
  7. "The players are getting renewed contracts and wage rises and it's a minefield. You fight your corner but there's an understanding from me that you have to be careful about what you do. I've seen Scottish football clubs that have overspent." Sounds to me like he's getting a bit fed up of agents. Again I don't think this has anything to do with KC
  8. Okay I'll give you that, we probably have signed too many midfielders, but given the way Hughes plays with only one up top normally there wasn't too much need to sign strikers with Storey performing well, Lopez (Granted he was pretty dire) was there as a back up first half of the season and we then signed Fisher for 2nd half, unfortunately he got injured. We don't really have the funds to have 3/4 first team strikers on the books if we only normally play one. if we have 5 midfielders starting each week then it's an area you do need serious cover and I can understand the strengthening here as Hughes see's it as the most important part of the side. Personally yeah I'd love to see a couple defenders come in, but I actually think Devine and Horner given some game time and a bit more experience will be great players for us.
  9. Well there you go.... let's just sack him now then.... clearly the man that won us our first piece of major silverware and took us into Europe for the first time is uninspiring and really not fit for purpose..... or have you overlooked this without a second thought? Hughes has said himself that we as a club can only afford to sign rocks and try polish them into diamonds.... when you are doing things like that your success rate is going to be small.... not every signing is going to work out. Lopez for example..... What a first touch he had, and clearly the vision to pick a pass was there.... I can understand why Hughes signed him, he saw huge potential and if I'm honest so did I first couple games, but it just wasn't meant to be, he didn't quite fit the way you would of hoped. The best managers and clubs in the world don't get it right from time to time, Man Utd with Falcao and Di Maria, Chelsea and Torres, Liverpool and Carroll and the list goes on and on and on. Are these managers all to blame?
  10. "There's an understanding from me that we're not flush with cash. We have to be stringent about the way we do it." Clearly Hughes and the board have had discussions on cash flow/budget and he is well aware... no issue here. "I want to keep driving the club forward and keep getting into cup finals, into the top six. For the first time in our history, we took the club into Europe. "Why do it once and sit back and rest on your laurels? No, we want to do it every year." That's good.... same ambitions as the board but in line with what cash is available given above statement. "That's the standard that we set, but to do that, we need to start bringing a better quality of player to the club." Why don't we look at this as JH admitting that some of the players he brought in weren't of the quality, he made mistakes, but why come out and individually say Lopez wasn't good enough or whomever..... you're just slandering people and where's the need for that.... I think this is well said by JH without individually saying players haven't performed or been up to standard. This to me states that he has done what he maybe didn't have time to before the season and been identifying and scouting potential targets and then leaving it to the board to see if a deal could be done for the players he feels would fit the mould. People are reading far too much into things.... the press will always twist stories to make them sound more fantastical or controversial. I think Hughes knows this season has been poor in comparison to last but I think, much like Mr Ranieri south of the border wants to cool down expectations of a club that has overachieved.... at the end of the day, what do you think the aim will be for Leicester next season? I would guarantee you it would be to stay in the league and anything else a bonus.
  11. Worked wonders??? Hardly..... He made the playoffs which is what should be expected of a club of Raith's size. JH kept us in the league which is what is expected of him, you do realise that even with an increased budget it is still the smallest in the league. yes it's been a topsy turvy season but he has done what was expected.... of course we want more, but hey, we weren't far away from top 6.... at the time of the split we were only 4 points off 4th and a potential European place (While Celtic were still in the cup) I mean its hardly the apocalyptic season everyone is making out.
  12. You win some you lose some.... we can't afford out and out proven players, so we have to take risks, on occasions they pay off as they have done in recent seasons, this season admittedly it hasn't been a great one for the new signings, however hopefully the retention of the backbone of the squad and a couple additions that come in and pay dividends and we could be battling and getting back to top 6 football next year. Why go to a club in the championship that is clearly on a massive downward spiral? JH comments about funding are clearly to do with league position and prize money, its tough for him to compete on the budget and he's covering his own back with comments which is fair. How can he be expected to replicate last season consistently on the budget he and the club has? I think that is his position to make us the fans a bit more realistic in our expectations. The board have obviously stated a budget now we are staying up, but to me looks like they have indicated a willingness to give a little more should we finish 7th and win a bit more in terms of league prize money. I like the fact that JH is honest about these things, personally I think people are reading too much into things regarding an in house feud between board and JH. Biggest budget we have ever had.... good to read.... but still going to be one of, if not the smallest in the league so lets be realistic on expectations regarding this statement and not expect miracles.
  13. JH with that win yesterday has effectively done what his remit would suggest for a club our size.... avoid relegation. Well done JH... lets look to get some of the lads signed up for next season so you have some continuity in the squad and build from there.
  14. As long as we hold on to the spine of the team below coming into summer I'll be happy: Fon Williams Raven Meekings Warren TBC Draper Tansey (Although think he will be gone) TBC Polworth TBC TBC Would like to see us starting to do what Yogi started at Falkirk and bring through some more really talented young Scottish lads. Plenty talent out there in the lower leagues, you only need to look at some of the lads Dundee United brought in from Queens Park to prove that. The likes of Max Currie, he showed some potential in the nets against Celtic and I think we should be snapping young players up like that, send them back on loan for experience with the plan of bringing them through in a couple seasons.... However that would mean signing players on longer than 1 year deals!
  15. You would obviously love to keep both as both fantastic goalkeepers. I would say it has to be OFW if we can only afford one, he for me is the better goalkeeper, and I'm basing that really on the past month where he has been superb in the sticks. Brill has to be considered too much of an injury risk now and I would like to see us bring in young goalkeeper that can develop under Esson as coach and OFW's tutelage as mentor.
  16. OFW Meekings Warren Tremarco Horner D.Williams Draper Vigurs Polworth Storey Roberts
  17. I can understand that criticism, however, if a couple results had gone in our favour and we were sitting say 4th, would the same people still be calling for a change as they are bored of what they are watching? There's only so much that can be done with such a threadbare squad and a tiny budget.
  18. I find it sad that some are talking about a new manager, a manager that guided us to our first major trophy and Europe and that to be honest isn't having a horrible season this year.... 2 cup quarter finals reached and could go further depending on tonight. Yes we are 9th and 5 points from the relegation playoff place.... but we are also only 6 points off 4th and I think people forget that. Yes, It would take a miracle to reach top 6, but survival should always be seen as the objective, anything else is a bonus!
  19. I'll agree with you Kingsmills in the part that he must share blame for mistakes made. HIs signings haven't been great but how much of that comes down to luck of the draw, many players we sign are struggling with career and are risky signings, some pay off some don't, we can't match wages of pretty much any other team in the league. He has a tough job on his hands, if he didn't get it wrong from time to time he wouldn't be our manager, he'd probably be managing someone in the champions league. We forget that when Hughes came in we went on a rotten run, he barely won a game when he took over, but he settled the squad and last season happened. I reckon some continuity with keeping the majority of the team we have, less injuries, one or two coming in and we will be surprised again next season.
  20. We need to look at the facts, last season we had 2 of the best players in the league in Christie and Shinnie who are now gone. We also lost a hell of a player in Watkins. The squad was pretty settled, we had no real injury worries throughout and the same players played week in week out. This season there has been new faces, probably the biggest injury crisis in the league and to be honest a tougher league with Aberdeen improving and Hearts coming in. We have been in the quarter finals of both cups (still have a fantastic chance in one of them to reach another final given the draw) we have hovered around mid table all season and to be honest if we go on a wee run of wins who's to say a miracle couldn't happen and we finish 4th? Yes we can't be complacent as we could still end up in a dogfight for relegation. But we have one of the smallest budgets in the league, we need to be realistic, Hughes can't work miracles every season like last but to me he's a damn good manager and I think the criticism of him is a touch unfair. If we stay up, given the good cup runs we have to say its been a successful season. We need to stop dreaming of last season, if it ever happens again, wonderful, but we just aren't a big enough club to be doing the things we did last season every season.
  21. If the former club does not offer the player a contract, no training compensation is payable unless the former club can justify that it is entitled to such compensation. The former club must offer the player a contract in writing via registered post at least 60 days before the expiry of his current contract. Such an offer shall furthermore be at least of an equivalent value to the current contract. This provision is without prejudice to the right to training compensation of the player’s previous club(s). http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/regulations_on_the_status_and_transfer_of_players_en_33410.pdf Its all very complex and I'm not exactly sure how it works, but reckon Swindon would have to agree to release.
  22. I'm not 100% sure on Storey, but I'm sure we can't do anything until Swindon decide to offer a deal of equal or greater value. And I think as far as I'm aware if they do and we want him we would have to pay some kind of development fee if he chose to reject that and come to us, whereby if they release him no fee would be involved. So I think it's a case of chess and waiting on Swindon's next move.
  23. Of course Tansey needs convinced.....anyone offering double the salary would. I think we tend to forget how good life must be in the Highlands for these lads, how successful they all are. Look at when Butcher was offered double the salary down the road. I tell you something, I'd move back up the road in a heartbeat for the quality of life if I could ..... Aberdeen is an absolute hole! How many players have left Caley and gone on to probably think it was a mistake to leave, Tansey being one of them, but now he got a 2nd bite of the cherry. Why can't we think Tansey is repaying the faith Caley showed in him by bringing him back and reviving his career by staying with us and being loyal. Plus let me tell you.... Double the salary doesn't go that far down this way!
  24. Hi DoninPeace, Appreciate that McInnes felt like he was acting with respect and the job he has done for you guys is tremendous. However my question would be "why wait?" Why wait until after the game, Tansey didn't need to know about the offer, once the clubs had mutually agreed a figure on Friday, a gentleman's agreement could have taken place to state that, ok, we won't physically talk to Greg until after the Hearts game on the Saturday, thus not disrupting his thinking or performance for that game, giving Aberdeen plenty time to agree personal terms on Sunday/Monday as the fee would have been concluded. So I just unfortunately don't believe the statement that the offer was put in on Deadline day due to that. I think Aberdeen failed in other targets and then decided last minute to go for Tansey because they knew about the clause and felt that we had to accept, giving them enough time to agree terms with Greg.
  25. Always hard to tell from these videos but looks a decent player, looks like he can spot an early pass and open things up which to be honest we've been lacking a bit this year. Was he spraying passes with both feet as well? If so I'm impressed!
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