Confidence Levels for 2013/14 Season?

[CaleyD]

The four games I missed last season must have been the ones where we had this "play for a draw" mentality.

 

It's my opinion that the reasons we did so well was precisely due to the fact that we didn't adopt such an approach.

[Renegade]

The latter part on the whole I would agree with, but there were times we seemed rather content for the draw, the Saints' game in particular.  I remember we moved Mckay back into the Andrew Shinnie role, sending (IIRC) Roberts up front and saw out the game with perhaps the most boring spell of football in one of the most boring games I have ever witnessed.  A similar thing happened in the later 1-0 defeat, where we took off Mckay (when it was still 0-0 [i don't remember if he was injured or not]) and went with Nick Ross up top.  We were never going to score doing that and really weren't aiming to, trying to see out the game with only ten men.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Renegade

[clacher_holiday2]

anyone mentioned how many points we gained from losing positions last season rather than lost from winning positions no? same old on here though. and somehow forans partly to blame too.

I can have a look after work but I posted the tables for points gained from a losing position in a previous thread, we had lost 20 points from winning positions and gained about 6 from losing.

9/12 I think on that losing position one but top of the table for droped points.

Edited July 22, 2013 by clacher_holiday2

[clacher_holiday2]

Team Pld Draw-when-Winning Lose-when-Winning Points-Lost

1 Motherwell (2) 38 3 0 6

2 St Johnstone (3) 38 5 0 10

3 Aberdeen (8) 38 3 2 12

4 Dundee (12) 38 6 1 15

5 Heart of Midlothian (10) 38 6 1 15

6 Hibernian (7) 38 3 3 15

7 Kilmarnock (9) 38 5 2 16

8 St Mirren (11) 38 5 2 16

9 Ross County (5) 38 3 4 18

10 Dundee United (6) 38 7 2 20

11 Inverness C T (4) 38 7 2 20

12 Celtic (1) 38 6 3 21

second worst for dropped points but tighter than i thought itd be. notice both saints and motherwell top the table

Team Pld Win-when-Losing Draw-when-Losing Points-Gained

1 Motherwell (2) 38 5 5 20

2 Dundee United (6) 38 3 6 15

3 Hibernian (7) 38 2 7 13

4 Ross County (5) 38 2 7 13

5 St Mirren (11) 38 2 7 13

6 Celtic (1) 38 3 1 10

7 Aberdeen (8) 38 1 6 9

8 Inverness C T (4) 38 1 6 9

9 St Johnstone (3) 38 1 6 9

10 Heart of Midlothian (10) 38 1 3 6

11 Dundee (12) 38 1 1 4

12 Kilmarnock (9) 38 0 4 4

motherwell top of points gained from behind, impressive, good management with the ability to make changes

looks like i was being hard on us earlier, 9 gained from losing positions. neither st johnston and motherwell could lose a game when going ahead, both finished above us.

Edited July 22, 2013 by clacher_holiday2

[Sneckboy]

Can't look into those stats too much. I mean, if you have to go a goal down to a team, which team would it be to give you the best chance of still  getting something? Hibs? St. Mirren? County? NO! The answer, for all teams, is Celtic!

 

Not that I doubt the accuracy of the stats, but, in reality,  what a lot of drivel!!!

[lukemackay]

Second worst at dropping points behind Celtic. Who won the league. So by that logic we are the second best team in the league?

[clacher_holiday2]

happyclapping taken too a whole new level in the summer already.

Sneckboy calls us dropping 10 more points when winning games than St Johnstone as drivel and lukemackay thinks we're second best behind Celtic, despite neither table showing the number of points lost when going behind and games won when going ahead.

It was you Luke who asked for the stats on the points gained from being behind and there they are, I don't care if you dismiss them.

I'm expecting more of the same in the coming season.

I can hope for the change though, I hope that defeat to County hurt Butcher as much as us beig relegated did.

[lukemackay]

happyclapping taken too a whole new level in the summer already.

Sneckboy calls us dropping 10 more points when winning games than St Johnstone as drivel and lukemackay thinks we're second best behind Celtic, despite neither table showing the number of points lost when going behind and games won when going ahead.

It was you Luke who asked for the stats on the points gained from being behind and there they are, I don't care if you dismiss them.

I'm expecting more of the same in the coming season.

I can hope for the change though, I hope that defeat to County hurt Butcher as much as us beig relegated did.

i dont believe i asked for any stats? i simply made a point that you tried to disprove with stats that look to me to be meaningless (i mean celtic gave away more points from leading positions than us and didnt do too badly). seems im the only one that can look back at last season with pride rather than regret...

 

edit: theres that ''happy clapping'' phrase again. finding it cute now. do you envy my outlook? so try to put me, and others with more positive outlooks than yourself down for it?

Edited July 23, 2013 by lukemackay

[Sneckboy]

I just feel that those stats can be dismissed as being of little significance due to the fact that Celtic fare worse than Motherwell, Dundee United, Ross County, St. Mirren and Hibs in both tables. Lies, damned lies and statistics!

[clacher_holiday2]

anyone mentioned how many points we gained from losing positions last season rather than lost from winning positions no? same old on here though. and somehow forans partly to blame too.

There you go Luke.

The league table is just a collection of stats, do you think that's drivel aswell?

Here's the stats you're ignoring, I just assumed these would be obvious.

Celtic won 21 games when taking the lead and lost 4 when going behind.

We won 12 taking a lead and lost 8 games we were behind in.

Why don't you guys think its a problem we can't hold onto a lead? Do you like draws?

[lukemackay]

i like exciting fitba. i got my moneys worth last season. why would i try to analyise and complain about our best ever season? im not the manager. its not my job to address these 'problems' you seem to be so concerned about.

[CaleyD]

 

anyone mentioned how many points we gained from losing positions last season rather than lost from winning positions no? same old on here though. and somehow forans partly to blame too.

There you go Luke.

The league table is just a collection of stats, do you think that's drivel aswell?

Here's the stats you're ignoring, I just assumed these would be obvious.

Celtic won 21 games when taking the lead and lost 4 when going behind.

We won 12 taking a lead and lost 8 games we were behind in.

Why don't you guys think its a problem we can't hold onto a lead? Do you like draws?

 

 

To have taken the lead as often as we did was a vast improvement on previous seasons, so we didn't hold it a few times...hey ho, we're not Bayern or Real Madrid!!!

[dougal]

I voted slightly concerned but to be fair I thought the same at the start of last season and look how good that turned out

My concerns are the numbers of new players that have arrived with little if any pedigree as they've plied their trade in the depths of English football

I know Terry seems to have unearthed a few gems in the last couple of years but if it was that much of an untapped Market more clubs would be going down that route would they not?

I don't really have a problem creating his very own little England but it's a gamble on his part

From what I've seen the new players seem ok but we have hardly played any opposition that's worthwhile yet (Charlton will be the tester IMO and a decent performance and a result may go a long way in shaping our start to the domestic campaign)

Dougal

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

And who bet me that I couldn't drag the merger thread to 20 + pages ??!!

[lukemackay]

Just beat Arbroath 7-1 billy scored 5. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE LEAGUE!!!!

[chinos]

cannot see how anyone can be in the tiniest bit concerned? our squad has lost just 3 players in Andy Shinnie, OTJ and Reguero. Brill has looked solid and dependable in the matches so far and looks a ready made replacement for Toni, James Vincent looks like a quality buy from Tel as unlike Owain he seems to be more forward thinking in his play, and like with Brill seems to have integrated well into the squad. Admittedly I see Shinnie as a big loss, but with Doran playing in a more natural central role with more freedom to express himself and with the promising acquisitions of Williams and Watkins on the wings and Curtis Allen (who looks like he has an eye for the onion bag) I personally still see us as one of the more exciting attacking sides in Scotland. (Cue someone to bump this post come our relegation with 4 points in May).

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

As Kayode Anthony once explained to me "It's hard to accept, but you can't change the past. You can't go back and manipulate things to the way you wanted them to happen. Because life would be meaningless and boring and just not worth living. But you can change the future and that's a beautiful thing about life. Yes, you will make mistakes. And yes, you will have bad days, but as long as you let the past go, you'll have such a gorgeous and bright future ahead of you. Knowing that things were meant to happen. Knowing that each day you will learn something so that you keep growing to be a better person. Life is like a rope, twined in all its complexities and yet weaved into one marvellous stream that you have the chance you use something amazing from. So grab hold of it."

 

But then my old mucker Bob Marley crooned "But Johndo my bruvver - In this bright future you cant forget your past"  

[bdu98196]

I voted slightly concerned

 

Must be good times ahead then, thats the most positive post I've read of yours on here in a long time :)

[RiG]

I voted slightly concerned but to be fair I thought the same at the start of last season and look how good that turned out

My concerns are the numbers of new players that have arrived with little if any pedigree as they've plied their trade in the depths of English football

I know Terry seems to have unearthed a few gems in the last couple of years but if it was that much of an untapped Market more clubs would be going down that route would they not?

I don't really have a problem creating his very own little England but it's a gamble on his part

From what I've seen the new players seem ok but we have hardly played any opposition that's worthwhile yet (Charlton will be the tester IMO and a decent performance and a result may go a long way in shaping our start to the domestic campaign)

Dougal

 

How often do ICT sign players of any pedigree?

[AJS]

I will admit that i was not a fan of the way we were doing business, thought it was a major risk and while there is no question it could have gone the other way in the end it left us with a 4th place finish and a stable squad finally achieved. Guys like Warren and Draper have now gone on to establish themselves as key players in the side. 

 

A few stragglers aside we have held onto pretty much everyone from last season and have added promising players to the fold who will be more than eager to prove themselves at this level. Some may become the next gems some may end up getting the dunt before the season even ends. They are coming into a squad thats out to repeat what they achieved last season which will also give an added incentive for them to impress

 

Another positive is that we also appear to have a small group of our own academy players breaking through. Cooper, Polworth, Christie and Ferguson have all shown real promise over pre season amongst others and will hopefully get their chances over the campaign. 

 

On the back of last season i cant help but have faith in what Terry, Mo and Marsella are doing. They stuck with us despite offers from elsewhere and they clearly believe we are capable of progressing even further as a club. They have a particular way of doing business that keeps us recruiting while also keeping our financial books in healthy condition (probably the only team in Scotland who really take it seriously). 

 

I dont really have any expectations going into this season, my idea of expectations were blown away last year and has left me thinking that anything is possible going into any season, im just hoping for as fun a ride as last year...and sticking it to County.