Quietly Confident

[Bronson]

Now that the dust has settled I am looking forward to next season a lot. Think we'll see a lot of goals and attacking football.

I thought we'd have lost a lot of players but by my calculations we've only lost Fraser, Kerr and Morais (can't think of any other first team players.) None of the aforementioned are any big loss apart from Morais, but then he blew hot and cold.

If we can add a couple of new young faces, then we well be in with a shout.

As a team, we are used to finding promising youngsters or those who are deemed to have failed at a higher level and giving them a second chance.

The last few seasons the quality of football on display was woeful and i often found mself asking when the last time i saw a goal being scored by us in the north stand end was.

In Rooney, Barrowman, Foran and Odiambo I think we have as good a forwrd line as any other team in the league.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

The critical strategy is not to get cocky - many relegated teams sink to the bottom of the new league because they set off thinking it will be easy. Our start this year is far harder than any season in the SPL.

[RiG]

I thought we'd have lost a lot of players but by my calculations we've only lost Fraser, Kerr and Morais (can't think of any other first team players.) None of the aforementioned are any big loss apart from Morais, but then he blew hot and cold.

Black and Mihadjuks as well of course.

Personally I disagree with a few other points you made Bronson but I must also admit to agreeing with a fair bit of what you say also. Whilst I think Dundee will still win the league I think we will be closer than we would have been given the state of the squad a couple of weeks ago. I am also very happy with the areas Butcher is reported to be looking at strengthening as well. He seems to identified the poisitons that need working on and where new faces are needed and this is very welcome indeed. If / when we get boys in to fill in the final few pieces of the jigsaw who knows what might happen.

As I say, right now I think Dundee have the edge but plenty of time to get some more faces in and then who knows what might come about from it. One thing for sure is I can't wait for the football to start again. I am eager to see how we fare in this league. Bring it on :P

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Personally I feel the fact that Butcher appears to have more control over the muppets than most before him is very significant - the fact that Butcher is sticking around is another significant factor - and undoubtedly that has led to us holding on to players who may well otherwise be offski.

Personally I am glad to see the back of the SPL and I would take a top three finish and a feckin cup run please.

[RiG]

Personally I am glad to see the back of the SPL and I would take a top three finish and a feckin cup run please.

I don't think even you honestly believe that. The SPL is the only place to be if you are a Scottish club.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

No - I do mean it - I want us back up there but mid table and nothing to play fer was getting totally boring. I am glad to be going back to some of the old haunts, being able to stand feckin up, not getting ripped off by admission prices, not facing the Old Filth, the derbies, hopefully a cup run as underdogs again.

It was time to regroup and rebuild.

[AJS]

The SPL may be the highest league in Scotland but it is by far the most boring and predictable out of all. You know who's going to win it and you usually have a fair idea of who's going down. While being relegated was quite a bitter day for most here i can't help but think that at most a season in the 1st Division where we are described as a team to beat will do us good. With us having kept most of our squad intact it will give us a chance to see the football we want to see and we won't have to spend the season looking over our shoulders. Unless were at the top

[Alex MacLeod]

Rig, why do you think Dundee will win the league this season as opposed to any other? Dundee were going to come straight back up and have been going to win the league every season since but have failed. They've let a few players go and brought in a few this season but nobody of any outstanding quality. They are all, at best, 1st division players and will win games but they will also lose games. Partick, Dunfermline, Queens and County will all take points of Dundee this season as will we.

[absent friend]

The SPL may be the highest league in Scotland but it is by far the most boring and predictable out of all. You know who's going to win it and you usually have a fair idea of who's going down. While being relegated was quite a bitter day for most here i can't help but think that at most a season in the 1st Division where we are described as a team to beat will do us good. With us having kept most of our squad intact it will give us a chance to see the football we want to see and we won't have to spend the season looking over our shoulders. Unless were at the top

I think you may have been on your own there unless you thought 'any one from five'!!

[bauhaus]

One of the better things aboot the SFL is we are back to the 2 home and 2 away games. None of that 3 away games against a team beside you cr*p. But I think it will be similar to the SPL in that 2 teams will run away from the rest, yule have yer mid table safe few, and there will be a relegation battle for maybe 3 - Ayr, Raith and Livi. Think it'll be us and dee at summit though. Think it will be same in SPheLL, tWISTEd sisters, mid table crew, and Both Saints, Bairns, and Killie to stuggle. Main thing to look foreward too is winning and scoring more often

[CaleyD]

Like most I've been back and forth in my head between disappointment at not being in the SPL and glad to be in Div 1 where football was/is infintely more enjoyable.

I've settled on the latter and i'm not looking forward to a season of good craic and good football. I'm not going to lumber myself with high expectations of us making a return straight back to the SPL as that's just setting ones self up for disappointment at the end of the season, even if we've had a great one and not quite managed promotion.

[Guest WynessLegend]

No - I do mean it - I want us back up there but mid table and nothing to play fer was getting totally boring. I am glad to be going back to some of the old haunts, being able to stand feckin up, not getting ripped off by admission prices, not facing the Old Filth, the derbies, hopefully a cup run as underdogs again.

It was time to regroup and rebuild.

For once (or maybe twice) I agree with you IHE.

The Scottish Football League - a fantastic open and fair competition with a superb history.

Let's face it - we're too good for the SPL.

[DornochCaley]

No - I do mean it - I want us back up there but mid table and nothing to play fer was getting totally boring. I am glad to be going back to some of the old haunts, being able to stand feckin up, not getting ripped off by admission prices, not facing the Old Filth, the derbies, hopefully a cup run as underdogs again.

It was time to regroup and rebuild.

Could possibly the best thing ever said on the forum. Its true. The SPL was boring, too many of the people going to our games were glory hunters and it was pure *****. The SFL will bring the real fans out and bring back the attractive, exiting football and league season that i for one have missed.

[CaleyD]

It just occured to me that most of todays forum users would still have been in nappies when we were last in Div 1.....scarey!!!

[RiG]

Rig, why do you think Dundee will win the league this season as opposed to any other?

I think they have the best players and have made quality additions to the team both in terms of first team players and those that can come in as a squad performer. Also they have a large bank account to call upon should they require more reinforcements.

Dundee were going to come straight back up and have been going to win the league every season since but have failed.

So have a number of teams that have been relegated, Dunfermline, Saint Johnstone, Livingstone and Partick. This season though they have significant financial muscle to call upon to allow them to be better equipped than ever and also more so than every team in this league.

They've let a few players go and brought in a few this season but nobody of any outstanding quality.

They are all, at best, 1st division players and will win games but they will also lose games. Partick, Dunfermline, Queens and County will all take points of Dundee this season as will we.

(Some of) The players they have signed are proven at this level and are some of the best in this league. Teams in the SPL have wanted to sign Griffiths (and Harkins) but none could offer the money due to the Setanta fiasco. I believe it was Levein who admitted he wanted to make a move for the Livi boy but admitted he had no cash to spend on transfer fees. Also, those very same teams will be more than likely to take points of ourselves as well. The league will be cut throat (look at last season and see how close it was) but I believe Dundee are currently best placed to win it.

No - I do mean it - I want us back up there but mid table and nothing to play fer was getting totally boring. I am glad to be going back to some of the old haunts, being able to stand feckin up, not getting ripped off by admission prices, not facing the Old Filth, the derbies, hopefully a cup run as underdogs again.

It was time to regroup and rebuild.

Could possibly the best thing ever said on the forum. Its true. The SPL was boring, too many of the people going to our games were glory hunters and it was pure *****. The SFL will bring the real fans out and bring back the attractive, exiting football and league season that i for one have missed.

I think a lot of fans are in for a shock this season going by these posts. I doubt you will find a single Dunfermline, Partick or Livi fan who thinks that mid table in the SPL with nothing to play for is boring when you look at them now. Ask them how interesting it has been playing for mid table spots in SFL1.

You can see how hard it is to get out of this league and how few times teams have successfully returned to the top flight after dropping out of it. And I can't see how dropping down a league will make our footballing style more attractive

It will be interesting to see if fans have the same attitude later in the season if (and I stress if!) we don't find ourselves in the title race. I don't think we will win it (based on the current squad) but who knows what will happen if Butcher turns up a couple of quality wingers and we can actually provide some decent ammunition for our strikers.

Edited July 5, 2009 by RiG

[DornochCaley]

It just occured to me that most of todays forum users would still have been in nappies when we were last in Div 1.....scarey!!!

I may be young but not that young. I went to every single home game of the season we got promoted and the season before that.

[Bronson]

Think we're looking at different perspectives Rig. I'm not thinking about spl football at all just now. I just think that we will see our team playing more open attacking football in the 1st division than we have ever done in the spl.

I'm certainly not of the opinion that we will win the league or anything like it, but I do think we should be one of the stronger teams in the division, esp as we have held onto the bulk of our ex spl squad. That should mean we see a better quality of football, as rather than struggling for survival, we should be in the mix for the top 4 in the 1st.

[RiG]

I'm certainly not of the opinion that we will win the league or anything like it, but I do think we should be one of the stronger teams in the division, esp as we have held onto the bulk of our ex spl squad. That should mean we see a better quality of football, as rather than struggling for survival, we should be in the mix for the top 4 in the 1st.

Agree with that. I think we'll be anywhere between 2nd to 4th. Our defence looks very solid and I think it was most important we kept them together although admittedly I have yet to be convinced at all by Djebi Zadi. Foran and Odihambo signing on for another season were both excellent moves and I think Foran will be our main man next season.

I am not sure we'll see a better quality of football but I suppose it can't be any worse than last year and some of the guff we had to endure. Certainly the onus will to be to attack more as the team will be expected to win more games than last season so I can see it from that point of view. Just need to wait and see I guess :P

Edited July 5, 2009 by RiG

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

RIG - undoubtedly the supporters of the clubs you talk about do want to get back to the SPL becos of their history and their belief that they should be part of that. I do feel that we can and will be part of it again - but i would hope to be in a different format - I have no illusion that we will find it difficult to get promoted straight away - but I seriously believe that we have a squad and a management team to really compete in this league - we have the makings of a defence of SPL standard and look like having sufficiently enuff experience, pace and potential fo the SFL.

If we had stayed in the SPL - we would be relegation favourites.

[12th Man]

Glory hunter is a bit of a strange term to use on this site, I can only link it to the OF or the likes of MAN U, as a fan who only follows a team that always wins cups

A glory hunter doesn't follow a team that hasn't even reached the top 6 in the SPL(yet).

As for length of service, I would rather have 10 noisy fans alongside me that have been fans for 10 weeks, than 10 silent ones that have been fans for 10 years+.

[DornochCaley]

Glory hunter is a bit of a strange term to use on this site, I can only link it to the OF or the likes of MAN U, as a fan who only follows a team that always wins cups

A glory hunter doesn't follow a team that hasn't even reached the top 6 in the SPL(yet).

As for length of service, I would rather have 10 noisy fans alongside me that have been fans for 10 weeks, than 10 silent ones that have been fans for 10 years+.

Well thats pretty much what i ment. Fans that come to the big games and complain at ***** performaces when we have been to all the games and watched the REALLY ***** performaces. I said Glory Hunter cause i couldnt be arsed writing a full explination of what i ment.

[Scarlet Pimple]

If the change to the team is one of fresh air blowing in the door at Tulloch AND THE TEAM REACT ACCORDINGLY THEN THE DROP WILL PROVE TO BE A POSITIVE EVENT, IF A SHAKE UP .

What we as fans have to hope for also is that the constant tension of being in a relegation race at the bottom of the SPL will be lifted off the backs of the players and the flair within their bones will come back and they will just get better and better.

If this occurs they will be invigorated and the season could be very interesting and compelling. Having said that if the team thinks this will be a dawdle then they had better realise that only a very determined hell-for-leather attacking style will serve them best and keep them in contention because if the pace, effort and standard is slightly lower than in the SPL there is a danger of the players falling into the trap of easing off ......with poor results being the outcome. :P

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I reckon the glory hunters are the "fans" who'll turn up this season to see a winning team but didn't show face last season when their support was most needed .

[DornochCaley]

Well theres alot of things that could be put under the heading of Glory Hunter.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Well theres alot of things that could be put under the heading of Glory Hunter.

What do you consider a glory hunter ?