2025/26 Ins & Outs Discussion

[Kmcalpin]

We really have pushed the boat out in the past few weeks, strengthening midfield and up front. That's great. However, I still worry that the defence will ship goals. I know there are issues there with the number of legacy players but JBA may still want to shake things up in that department. 

[wunderwell]

13 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

We really have pushed the boat out in the past few weeks, strengthening midfield and up front. That's great. However, I still worry that the defence will ship goals. I know there are issues there with the number of legacy players but JBA may still want to shake things up in that department. 

I think I'm really looking forward to this season if we get two guns in the defensive area.

[Lobey_Dosser]

JBA will definitely want his own man in defence, someone with the physical attributes that is also comfortable with the ball. Hopefully a commanding goalie is also on his radar. 

[stv]

3 hours ago, Lobey_Dosser said:

JBA will definitely want his own man in defence, someone with the physical attributes that is also comfortable with the ball. Hopefully a commanding goalie is also on his radar. 

Gordon strolled thru the first phase of games for us last season ,he can’t suddenly just turn shite. Need to take into account previous manager lost the plot after those games. Still think he’s a good defender.

Looks like Ox will have this injury hanging over him for a while.

[Spiderpig]

4 hours ago, Lobey_Dosser said:

JBA will definitely want his own man in defence, someone with the physical attributes that is also comfortable with the ball. Hopefully a commanding goalie is also on his radar. 

Agreed a solid centre back and a keeper that will command his area, come for cross balls etc takes a whole lot of pressure away from the rest of the defence.

 

[santheman]

49 minutes ago, stv said:

Gordon strolled thru the first phase of games for us last season ,he can’t suddenly just turn shite. Need to take into account previous manager lost the plot after those games. Still think he’s a good defender.

Looks like Ox will have this injury hanging over him for a while.

Gordons fine when he's played to his core strengths of defending high balls and clearing his lines,  not so sure how he'll cope with playing it out from the back which looks like the way we'll be set up.

[dennyc]

1 hour ago, stv said:

Gordon strolled thru the first phase of games for us last season ,he can’t suddenly just turn shite. Need to take into account previous manager lost the plot after those games. Still think he’s a good defender.

Looks like Ox will have this injury hanging over him for a while.

Gordon was poor in his latter games for St J and after a brief encouraging start with us he then reverted to little better than the rest. Positional and ball retention, trying to play out hardly inspiring. There has to be a player in there given his earlier St J performances and I think he found playing in a back three especially difficult. I have hopes that in a back four, concentrating on defensive duties, we will see the player we hoped we had signed. But he needs a partnership and I do not think Balmer is that player. So yes we need a CB that the Manager knows and trusts. 

[stv]

1 hour ago, dennyc said:

Gordon was poor in his latter games for St J and after a brief encouraging start with us he then reverted to little better than the rest. Positional and ball retention, trying to play out hardly inspiring. There has to be a player in there given his earlier St J performances and I think he found playing in a back three especially difficult. I have hopes that in a back four, concentrating on defensive duties, we will see the player we hoped we had signed. But he needs a partnership and I do not think Balmer is that player. So yes we need a CB that the Manager knows and trusts. 

Agree about Balmer and hopefully the new manager plays the game to Gordon's strengths and coaches him a bit, not like our previous manager who seemed to go out his way to play his players out of their natural and preferred positions.

I think he did that with evey position in the team except the goal keeper. 

[Mccus28]

Safe to say Balmer should be resigned to being a sub for the rest of the season

 

Ive said it on here before..........the guy gives me the fear every single time I see his name in our starting 11

[weeyin]

9 minutes ago, Mccus28 said:

Safe to say Balmer should be resigned to being a sub for the rest of the season

 

Ive said it on here before..........the guy gives me the fear every single time I see his name in our starting 11

Are there any defenders from the past 2 seasons that make you think different - because I'd struggle to think of one.

[Orinoco]

Clearout at the back required. 

[weeyin]

9 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Clearout at the back required. 

I agree and have being saying that for thenpast couple of seasons.

[Orinoco]

Do we have any defender on our books who's decision making and concentration merits a top league salary?

They never learn from their mistakes. They can't do the basics in defending, never mind pass a ball. I think a coach trying to improve them is folly. Just get rid somehow and start again.

 

[Big Wispy Flossy]

I thought Gordon was worse than Balmer today, and balmer was bad!

[MelvinBragg]

Difficult to tell on that abomination of a pitch and in that heat but first impressions

Watt - Tidy player, did the basics well. I think he'll turn out to be a very good signing.

Sule - Raw, has the tools to frighten defenders though. A bit too keen to go down looking for fouls maybe...

Just - Looks a good player. Couple of really good moments in his 30 minutes. Also seemed willing to take responsibility late in the game by dropping deep to get the ball and try and make something happen.

Fadinger. Some nice touches and worked hard. Not sure where he fits in the team. Don't think he's a winger..

Longelo - His first game so don't want to be too harsh but he looked nowhere near ready. Basics like first touch were missing. Maybe not up to speed yet as English teams start back earlier? 

 

Not writing anyone off after one appearance, just my first impressions...

[wellfan]

Forget what I said before. Today made it very clear this team is missing a spine. We need a GK, CH, CM, and CF. All of them starters.

[Kmcalpin]

16 minutes ago, wellfan said:

Forget what I said before. Today made it very clear this team is missing a spine. We need a GK, CH, CM, and CF. All of them starters.

Not 100% sure about GK but you're spot on about the other 3 positions.

[Spiderpig]

12 hours ago, wellfan said:

Forget what I said before. Today made it very clear this team is missing a spine. We need a GK, CH, CM, and CF. All of them starters.

Agreed, that was Alex Fergusons approach in every team he built, a solid spine in the team as you mentioned with the keeper and CH the priority.

Craig Brown done it when he took over, made us difficult to beat and built a decent team that took us to Europe.

[Ya Bezzer!]

35 minutes ago, Spiderpig said:

Agreed, that was Alex Fergusons approach in every team he built, a solid spine in the team as you mentioned with the keeper and CH the priority.

Craig Brown done it when he took over, made us difficult to beat and built a decent team that took us to Europe.

There was a time when we could bring in players from the English Championship or good level players from Rangers and Celtic.

Those days are gone.  

That makes finding a strong spine much harder than it used to be and the likleyhood is any good player brought in is leaving after a season.

If we'd kept all our good players over say, the last five seasons, we'd have a pretty good team.

But the financial reality in 2025 is it's very, very difficult for a club our size to build a side that's got any quality.

[Kmcalpin]

Understandably, after the frenetic pace of last week's arrivals, and yesterday's debacle in the sun, there's been more talk of the need for additional arrivals. Thats to be expected. However, JBA may also wish to loan out or mutual a few players he doesn't fancy to balance numbers.  An interesting few weeks ahead.  

[Lobey_Dosser]

14 hours ago, wellfan said:

Forget what I said before. Today made it very clear this team is missing a spine. We need a GK, CH, CM, and CF. All of them starters.

Agreed. As encouraging as some of our business felt last week, the spine of the team is obviously key to success and ours needs addressing. JBA did hint that he has to be patient in trying to acquire some of the players he wants. I think we will be pursuing a quality centre half, midfielder and possibly a goalkeeper. Striker probably depends on the perceived robustness of Stama. 

[wellon]

1 hour ago, Kmcalpin said:

Understandably, after the frenetic pace of last week's arrivals, and yesterday's debacle in the sun, there's been more talk of the need for additional arrivals. Thats to be expected. However, JBA may also wish to loan out or mutual a few players he doesn't fancy to balance numbers.  An interesting few weeks ahead.  

Do uou really think yesterday was a debacle? 

I thought first half we played some nice stuff at times

Sule, Watt , Fadinger all looked decent 

[Kmcalpin]

50 minutes ago, wellon said:

Do uou really think yesterday was a debacle? 

It was a double edged sword. Result wise definitely. Clyde are a middling league 2 side and whilst we have no god given right to beat them  we really should be. Having watched the highlights, both goals we conceded were howlers and Clyde could've scored more. 

Preseason preparation wise it was a definite success. More gametime for the players and JBA got to see the players in competitive action being themselves. A chance too  to put across his ideas.

League Cup group games are about striking a balance between being competitive and getting gametime. We'll know if JBA got that right, once the group stage is over. 

[weeyin]

I'm not exactly sure how long the league cup groups have been in place now, but surely long enough for fans to recognise the fact the the first game at this time of the season is always a bit of a lottery. There are so many variables in play that won't be in play once the league is up an running.

There is usually one, often more, Premiership teams that fail to qualify from their group, and most struggle in a few games. The reasons are obvious:

• New managers not having time yet to implement new tactics
• Thinner squads with new recruits not yet signed, or signed during the week and not ready to play
• Players at different stages in their fitness due to longer breaks after international duty in the summer
• Players with trivial injuries not being risked
• New managers trying out different combinations and formations in competitive games for the first time
• Managers trying to load balance game time across the entire squad

And in the case of yesterday, playing on a plastic pitch on a hot day where the home team has kept it as dry as possible to slow down the tempo.

The starting line-up in the first game rarely bears any resemblance to the starting line-up that has taken shape in September. 

This is just a long way to say keep it in perspective, people - the league cup groups have rarely (never) been an indicator, good or bad, of our subsequent league form.