Kmcalpin

Just to put matters in a general context, I've just been speaking to a Raith Rovers fan who was at the game last night. He said that Ross County were a level above them and the gap between the the top of the Championship and the bottom of the Premiership is substantial. Thats not to say the odd decent player can't make the step up.

I assume SK or one of his agents will be at Stark's Park tonight.

Callum Slattery re-signing?

Absolutely. Quite apart from his form, his attributes are incompatible with the guys in front of him and the system we play. He/they have not been a good fit. He started off well, when he first signed, but his form this season has been poor. The defence has had to alter its gamplean to compensate for his lack of height and weakness in the air. That said, our defence and midfield haven't gven him the cover a keeper is entitled to. Best for both parties if he moves on.

This covers players in all positions according to BC.

If it turns out that we're offered £800K + add ons for Bair then we should take it. He may not replicate this season's form next year. Yes, that will leave us short up front, but hopefully SK has been preparing for this very scenario. My one proviso is that that any fee received is not used to plug financial gaps. Those gaps should be addressed by external investment and/or the Society proposal.

I don't know about being finished but I see where you're coming from. He's been very solid; a steadying influence if you like, but his form has tailed off. He'll also be a year older and slower next season. I know its a rumour, but a 12 month deal wouldn't be unreasonable for him OR preferably SOD, but not both. . Given our defensive record over the past year, tinkering with the defence will do no good. It needs a complete overhaul.

Jordan Tillson being mentioned on P & B. Defensive midfielder.

According to P & B Barry Maguire has been released. No great surprise but good luck to him. Being ruthless, he took up a wage but didn't play. Hope he finds another club maybe at Championsip or League 1 level.

I heard the same rumour in the POD Stand yesterday, from a Fife based source. He has a year to go on his contract

This excerpt from the Herald article may clarify matters "Clubs tend to protect themselves by insisting the player must pass a medical on the day his contract begins, a clause that allowed Celtic to cancel the transfer of Jaroslaw Fojut last summer after the Pole sustained a knee injury."

We just don't know. This link, from the Herald, might provide some enlightenment. In short, the devil is in the detail. IF a PCA has been signed, and we don't know that it has, it might be subject to a medical before actual signing the permanent deal i.e. the Celtic/Fojut case. https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13101399.case-pre-contract-not-legally-binding/

Thats it for me. If the Society had to fork out £750K, for one year, the coffers would be empty and we could not meet any guarantee required. I'd guess, at current levels, the Society might be able to raise say £150K per year? We'd then be relying on player sales, which can be unpredicable. Thats why the Society needs an alternative proposal. None of this takes into account the discretionary additional finances that might be required to keep us competitive with the likes of St Johnstone or St Mirren.

Was there not also a cancelled PCA spat between Ross County and St Johnstone?

As someone else has said, he can't have signed a permanent deal as he's still on Hearts' books. There may be a PCA or gentleman's agreement but that's it.

He had his strengths but was bit undisciplined and a one man band. You wouldn't want to be playing beside him.

There's been some discussion on P & B about the Society not necessarily needing to put the external investment proposal to a vote, if it deems it to be pretty unacceptable. I don't know. However, if it doesn't put the proposal to a vote, it has to come up with a credible alternative financial plan to put to members.

Hopefully the much awaited release list will be published this week. We don't want to read about too many "Contract offered but awaiting response" entries.

I agree overall, but the jury is still out on Moses, for me. You may be right, but its too early to form a definitive conclusion. I'd maybe retain SOD, as experienced back up. McGinn was a steadying influence for much of the season but his form tailed off. At 33 going on 34, his legs won't be a strong as they were this season and he's not going to be of the same standard. .

Thats it for me. Historically, a slightly worse season than normal, but there are mitigating factors. SK has credit in the bank for turning it around after Stevie Hammell left us in a mess. He also cleared a lot of deadwood, with which he was left. A bad crop of injuried didn't help. But, the manager now needs to up his game considerably in terms of tactical nous. No more overthinking please. We also need a good summer in the transfer market - that will be a massive factor in how we do next term.

They did indeed, but the team itself was chopped and changed unnecessarily from the off. I expected a settled familiar line up to start, with the young lads being introduced gradually late on to a recognised set up. That didn't happen. They were asked to fit in with a disorganised and ineffective hotch potch of a formation.

Pretty much the result I expected, but not achieved in the way I envisaged it. I’m not overly fussed that the players hit the beach, but I was deeply concerned that our manager appeared to. That sent out the wrong message beforehand to the players. St Johnstone were always going to be up for it and fortune certainly favoured the brave in their case. The game itself was a cameo of our season; losing cheap first goals; defensive calamities; throwing on 500 strikers willy nilly late on. We took 3 points out of a possible 12 against St Johnstone this season. Let that sink in. What concerned me most was the manager’s team selection and tactics. Going by the personnel he selected, it looked like a very ambitious attacking team, but the formation seemed to contradict that as it appeared to be very defensive. In other words, square pegs in round holes. I thought at first it was a back four but then seemed to revert to a back 3 with Nicholson playing wing back, as Melvin Bragg suggests. Nicholson was played out of position as was Paton and that made them look ineffective. Up front Bair was all too often left stranded and isolated. Our confused defensive formation was definitely a factor in St Johnstone’ s first goal. All so avoidable. The subs too baffled me. I simply don’t understand Vale playing in a deep midfield role and SK is was not getting the best out of him there. I didn’t get the need to hook Lennon Miller nor bring on Callum Butcher. Just downright confusing. Clearly the players didn’t fully understand the set up either. Like others, I would have understood if he’d stuck with our normal set up but maybe brought in a player or two who is staying or perhaps giving the likes of Luca Ross or Dylan Wells 10/15/20 minutes in the second half. By unnecessarily tinkering with the line up and tactics today and overthinking, he set the tone for the players not performing at their best. All these issues are part of much deeper concern for me. They indicate that SK is not learning from his mistakes. That does not bode well for next season. Overall he’s done quite well this season given the constraints he’s had to work under like budget limitations; injuries; and having to work with another manager’s players, deadwood and all. He’s kept us in the Premiership finishing in 9th spot. He has a huge summer ahead in terms of team building. If he continues to make the same mistakes, the fans will not be so forgiving next term.

I would re-sign one but not both. We will require experience in the team. SOD is a few years younger than McGinn. The latter has been a steadying influence in defence but has tailed off, of late. He'll be 34 this year.

Maybe Casey and Devine were also unfit. But why were all 3 on the bench? It's the only rational explanation, in part, for SK's apparent pre match brainstorm.

Sorry we fell well short. Given where we were months ago, 9th spot was fine. We deserved to finish 9th and not 10th or 8th.