Kmcalpin

Irrespective of who we eventually sign it appears that we're in the market for an "Elijah Just replacement"/attacking midfielder.

This season is shaping up to be even worse than last season , if thats possible.

Seb Palmer-Houlden?

I suspect a few, including Mikey Booth, will go out on loan and that will increase leeway for a couple of signings. BBC and Rancid reporting that we're hoping to secure a loan deal for Bobby Wales, but that Dundee is likely to beat us off. New signing teaser on X.

Not sure about that. As it stands, and that may change in the next few weeks, we have 2 left backs in Longelo and Williams. Do we need a dedicated 3rd one? If both are injured then SOD and JK can also play there.

100% agree Denny. We do need competition for starting places, but I do understand that can lead to some unhappy players, if they're being left out. Its a fine balancing act. Put simply, many of our fringe players are not good enough. Some are Championship standard, whilst others are League One or two standard. I would put RCC in that category. I agree about Ross and Wilson. Ross started out well about 4 years ago but never really progressed and when I've seen him of late looks to be out of his depth. He's now 20 and although previous managers must have seen something in him he just hasn't cut it. Its sad but a harsh part of footballing life. Ewan Wilson? doesn't seem to fit in with our style of play. Again after an impressive start, he's never kicked on and didn't impress whilst on loan at Starks Park. Both these lads will probably end up in League one or two. Booth and McAllister are different and may well benefit from a spell out on loan. From the little I've seen of McAllister before this season I was impressed but then again he was playing alongside seasoned pros. Whyte is a bit different and he looks as though he could slot into the first team this season if he's partnered with seasoned pros.

Thanks for that insight David. I suppose thats what sports science is all about. So, what we're saying is that whilst a manager takes the actual decisions on team selection and and substitutions, the opinions he is presented with by other staff can, in some circumstances (like a squad limited by injuries), pretty well dictate what team he actually puts on the park. For example, "Player A has a minor strain and we recommend he plays no more than 20 minutes". So, whilst ordinary fans like me naively assume that the manager has free rein to pick the team the reality might be totally different.

Mybe a paper exercise, but our submitted list for Thursday's game is a little more optimistic as it includes Sods, Williams, Thor and Ap Stam. Priestman and Sparrow also on it as well Hodge. How fit some of these players are is another matter entirely of course. Still its a step in the right direction.

Yes, some players didn't do themselves or the club any favours. There's been plenty of talk about incomings but a few need to be shipped out either on loan, to mitigate wage costs or to gain experience; or permanently.

For me, the positives of this tie are the cash generated through the gate and possibly German TV money; seeing a team like Freiburg at Fir Park; and giving the players more experience. Results wise being realistic, its a case of damage limitation and AJ knows that.

I think you're being a tad harsh. He's a young inexperienced manager with a Scandinavian background (cups don't mean very much). A baptism of fire for him due to the plethora of injuries but I think he's been let down by his back room team here. They've been in post for some time, know the players very well, and would know the pitfalls of playing at Ochilview. I suppose its possible though that they warned him about over rotation and treating Stenny too lightly only to be ignored. Questions do need to be asked though.

I watched today's highlights and taken together with the Helsinki game last Thursday, I'm concerned that we seem to be very vulnerable down the 2 flanks.

We're now several games into the new season and its clear that the squad has deficiencies. The good news is that we have to rectify them. We desperately need another attacking midfielder and striker. Maybe another left back if Longelo moves on. Loan move for Mikey Booth and maybe Ewan Wilson, if he can't be offloaded. I wouldn't lose any sleep if RCC found a new club as he's just not doing the business. We almost have a strong enough strating 11 but the fringe players are not impressing.

Very true. Despite assurances from the top to the contrary, JBA's departure caused huge disruption and that has hit us very hard. I should have it said it before but congratulations to Stenny. It was their cup final and they wanted and very badly to win it. It was their day in the sun and good luck to them. Its unlikely they will repeat it.

Some good points being on here and on P &B. I understand the problems the manager is facing and expected a degree of squad rotation but today was just too extreme. When I saw the starting line up I expected a very difficult tie on a poor surface. In short AJ, and his management team, took a huge gamble and it backfired. We treated Stenny with disrespect and it cost us. Now AJ and his management team may have learnt some lessons today, but I have to ask did his assistant manager and coaches, who knew our youngsters very well, not advise him beforehand? The likes of Mikey Booth is clearly not ready for first team football and thats been apparent this season already. He's been hung out to dry. Luca Ross and Ewan Wilson are probably League One or Two standard and are not going to make it. Again who has been advising AJ? Most on here could have told him that weeks ago. In short we may have a strong starting 11, almost, but the fringe players are just not cutting it for various reasons. Hopefully a few will leave, either permanently or on loan, as soon as Freiburg knock us out of the Conference League. Hopefully AJ has learnt a hard lesson that domestic Cups are important to Scots fans and he won't repeat today's mistakes.

"We" treated Stenhousemuir and our fans with disrespect and paid the price.

A costly miscalculation from AJ today.

When you saw the starting 11, extra time was always going to be a strong possibility, even probability. A known risk.

BBC showing that Stenny have had 5 corners so far. That can't be right surely?

I've just emailed both the club and Society about this problem. Something does need to be done, but as Denny says, the first step would be an acknowledgement that this has gone badly wrong.

I take your general point but doubt if Wells will feature as he now plays for Linfield. Maybe a bit of game time for Zander McAllister from the bench? Matty Connelly? I must admit I like to see a bit of height between the sticks.

I'd certainly be starting the likes of Connelly, Wilson, Knight Lebel, Whyte and Vogt for this one.

We thoroughly deserved the win last night and did it in style although we did tire, expectedly I should add, around the 70th minute. Before the game I hoped to be 2 goals up by the 70th minute to deal with that scenario and we were, courtesy of Said. A good all round team performance. I was especially impressed with our central defence and midfield. Lowry came onto a good game in the second 45. Once he's match fit he'll be a real asset. No need to comment on Said, as he did the talking for himself on pitch. TJ looked far better on the wing and I'm looking forward to seeing him once he's fully fit. Vogt excites me and if he's played to his strengths will win the fans over, when he's fit. As another respected poster said to me, post match, outside the POD, it was great that AJ showed trust in young Whyte and Booth. Whyte especially caught the eye. The only slight downside for me was that we gave HFK just too much space down the wings and a better side would have punished us. It didn't matter in the end though. The crowd was magnificent and created the best atmosphere for a good few years. What a night to be a Well fan. Possibly our best ever Euro win? There's no going back now! Credit to AJ for taking us so far in such a short of time, despite departures of some of our best players and a horrendous injury list. It feels like he's continuing JBA's work, at worst, and maybe taking us evens lightly higher. We can but dream.

My thoughts exactly. We should have been told about the seating change at the time.

An epic night that will live long in my memory. Credit to AJK and the players.