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I can understand MJCs concerns. To use an analogy - after you’ve tasted caviar and champagne, going back to soggy toast and cold tea would be let down. However, that’s a hazard all clubs of our size face. We had a progressive thinking manager (Bobby Ancell) and a fantastic young team in the early 1960’s (Ancell Babes) but again due to the draw of bigger clubs and bigger wages, it was broken-up. The most high profile players who left being, Ian St John to Liverpool, Pat Quinn to Blackpool and Bobby Roberts to Leicester City. Shortly thereafter Bobby Ancell left and that ushered in the Bobby Howitt era which for me looking back now was probably one of the poorest in our history. I didn’t think so at the time but barring our exploits in the Texaco Cup it was a pretty poor time made worse by seeing clubs of a similar size to us getting a chance to play European football - Dunfermline and Kilmarnock to name two. I just hope history doesn’t repeat itself but we need to give the new manager time to put his own stamp on things. COYW.

Same as it ever was.

That’s generally my view. Even just replacing Jen’s would have made it difficult to repeat . now the spine of the team are leaving or left and replacements have been thin on the ground . May just be that I can’t cope in the heat but i don’t have high expectations at the moment .

The second album is always the most difficult.

More than likely. There will be certain segments of the media and Scottish football community that will be itching to see if the way we play blows up in our face, so they can say last season was a fluke, you can't play football that way, and we should have hired one of the usual suspects as manager instead of trying to be different.

Agreed but…

They'll likely think that last season was a Once in a Lifetime for us.

I think the style and approach to the game will be quite similar, but the end results maybe not, which I'm sure will see the obligatory pile-on from the Scottish media and talking heads who grudgingly had to admit that there's another way of playing the game last season. If we're pushing for top six and hopefully get a decent cup run it should be considered a successful season.

Not only is Just a great attacking midfielder but his work rate off the ball, in winning back possession high up the park is phenomenal.

Not that it helps us at all but I think Hearts are pretty much going thru the same as us.

With Ward and Welsh gone, McGinn injured, Watt, Just and JT all likely to leave, and Slattery already gone, that’s virtually the entire spine of JBA’s team dismantled. Anyone expecting Alfred to simply pick up where JBA left off is kidding themselves. That’s not to say he can’t be just as successful with the players who remain and whoever else comes in, but it won’t be the same. Last season may well prove to be an anomaly, although I hope I’m wrong.

Sounds like Curtis Main or Ryan Bowman. I don't really consider Just to be a forward. more of an attacking midfielder. I suppose that's the modern game, though.

Third season lucky, aye? Clearly it’s everyone and everything else’s fault that he’s been crap.

Are you classing nightmare as a dream? 😂

Who knows? You may be a modern managers dream!

Much along the lines of what I was thinking. I can see Stam getting the chance to claim a first team spot. Who knows, with a slight modification to our approach he could turn out to be the goal scorer we thought we had signed. Last chance saloon though. Although he has said he advocates a possession based, play out from the back system, Johansson has also said he will mix things up at times. That might suit Stam as he certainly struggled to get into games when given the chance last season. Plus if we lose the players we think we will lose, then we might need to be a bit more pragmatic. I do expect us to be more risk averse than we were Askou. Has Stam ever indicated he wants to leave or has the Club ever said they want to move him on at any cost? To sell you need a buyer. I get he returned to Australia on loan last season but I would love it if he could prove all the doubters wrong. And in his time back in Australia I don't think he missed any games through injury? Whatever, the new Manager needs time to assess what he already has in the building. Following numerous closed door games our friendly against Genk will likely give a good idea of who he rates or does not rate.

I suppose I could do a lot of running and not score goals either ….. I wonder if Jens would’ve wanted me.

Hendry, if he was able to stay fit, actually ticks a lot of the boxes that are required for how Jens set us up to play. A quick look at his stats suggest a channel runner, a pressing forward, a link player, a creator of space, a facilitator for runners around him. It's clear why Jens wanted him. I doubt he looked on him as a first choice starter, but as a backup or player coming on from the bench, he ticked the boxes of what our style needed.

I cant help but think Elliot Watt might have talked him up too… best pals and all that

Aye i agree the data must have been full of errors the day he popped up on the system.We havent got anything out of him at all terrible signing. I really dont know about our striking options down the middle I wouldnt put my faith in any of them.

I don't think Jens used a system that required an out & out striker, and depending on your definition of an out & out striker, the new manager likely won't either. It's just not how we're set up to play these days. I have a feeling that we'll be looking for forward players who can press consistently, initiate the first line of pressure, link play, occupy both centre-backs, attack crosses, and run channels. My gut tells me that we'll see RCC given a chance, along with Vogt replacing TJ and Stama getting a chance early on if he can stay fit until we can get a Just replacement. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a regular selection of three across the front line, and not one of them being a traditional out & out style of striker.

Hendry is the worst of the lot imo. I’ve seen zero in him and when he does get minutes in between his long lay offs he just points and moans and has a face like a smacked arse.

Yes, I don’t rate Stama, and I’m starting to come round to that view on Hendry too. But I never said that about RCC. In fact, I said I expect a lot more from him this season. I’m expecting him to step up and make a much bigger contribution. Willy could well be JT’s replacement, while Thor remains a bit of an unknown. Once JT and Just are sold, I still expect us to bring in at least two more forwards.

I'd argue that Vogt is already yer Maswanhise replacement. Yes, Just will be sold. But the fact you don't rate Stamatelopolous, Charles-Cook or Hendry doesn't remove them from the wage bill. If Just leaves, that frees up a wage. But if the other guys are as useless as you say, trying to get them out the door (when fit in Hendry's case) will not be straightforward...

What part of “will be sold” in reference to Just and JT wasn’t clear? The whole point is they’ll likely be sold and replaced. Hendry will likely be nursed through his injuries until his contract expires, while Stama will hopefully be moved on this summer, freeing up his wages for another signing. So, realistically, we’re still looking at three new forwards coming in, while at the same time trying to balance the books and stick to the club’s strategy.