2026/27 Ins & Outs Discussion

[Yabba's Turd]

A couple of chats over the week regarding Welshy.
MFC were never in the picture, Aberdeen, Hibs and 1 other were, wanted to escape the west of Scotland gold fish bowl
JBA wanted him in France, Toulouse signing policy preventing it.

 

[real dosser]

Rumour tonight that Watt away to Portugal tomorrow for his medical for Turkish lot.

[David]

Certainly not the time to be getting worried, as the real business hasn't even started, but comparing where we are today to last season, this time last year we'd signed Fadinger, McGhee, Watt, Sule, Just, Longelo, and Said. I felt like we had done a decent chunk of our business earlier last summer, and it appears to have been the case. 

We had lost Shane Blaney, Steve Seddon, Dan Casey, Dom Thompson, Davor Zdravkovski, Harry Paton and Moses Ebiye by this point, mind you, while this season we've lost Halliday, Nicholson, Slattery, Liam Gordon, Ward, and Oxborough. 

So, weighing up the incomings and outgoings against this time last season is interesting.

Again, absolutely not a time for losing the plot, but I don't think anyone can deny that we need to start getting some business done. Europe is right around the corner, and that's a big deal.

[Kmcalpin]

8 hours ago, David said:

Certainly not the time to be getting worried, as the real business hasn't even started, but comparing where we are today to last season, this time last year we'd signed Fadinger, McGhee, Watt, Sule, Just, Longelo, and Said. I felt like we had done a decent chunk of our business earlier last summer, and it appears to have been the case. 

We had lost Shane Blaney, Steve Seddon, Dan Casey, Dom Thompson, Davor Zdravkovski, Harry Paton and Moses Ebiye by this point, mind you, while this season we've lost Halliday, Nicholson, Slattery, Liam Gordon, Ward, and Oxborough. 

So, weighing up the incomings and outgoings against this time last season is interesting.

Again, absolutely not a time for losing the plot, but I don't think anyone can deny that we need to start getting some business done. Europe is right around the corner, and that's a big deal.

Agree 100%. Our chaotic pre season preparation is down to several factors not just slow recruitment. However that is a significant concern, especially given that our first European game is next Thursday. I believe that we're allowed 2 emergency signings before then. Even if we do manage to complete deals in time, how fit will the new arrivals be?  Its unlikely that they'll hit the ground running. 

Despite public assurances from the board, JBA's very predictable departure has completely disrupted our preparations.  I'll be gobsmacked if Nick Daws hadn't drawn up a hit list over 6 months ago and has been beavering away on it. It seems that JA's arrival has put a spanner in the works. I'm also sceptical of the directors' claim that our best assets won't all be sold at once. By next Thursday the squad may be even more threadbare if Elliot Watt departs, as expected. TJ also? 

If we win through against HB and secure a league win against Falkirk (I'll write off the first league game in Embra) then all will be well. If we don't though, serious questions will need to be asked about our failure to recruit timeously and our injury record. I can't ever recall such a long injury list before a season started in earnest.  Tonight's final dress rehearsal against against Genk was anything but.  

[weeyin]

The good thing is that the window is open until 1st September.

The bad thing is that most leagues start before then, although ours is earlier than many.

So you don't really get a chance to assess the squad for the season until a few games in.  

Just another reason to dislike the window idea, or at least its timing.

 

[Jonesy]

This time last year we had already drawn with Clyde and were just about to scrape by Stenhousemuir with a scuffed SODs effort from a corner.

Had everyone collectively decided that the patience offered to JBA and the team last season was a one off?

Rushing out to sign a player every time someone else picked up a knock is what led us to Kettlewell's disaster if a final January window and a squad of about 200.

We'll be fine.

[MJC]

I miss us being in the League Cup group stages. They’re the perfect preparation for the season whilst being serious games themselves in a competition that we actually have a chance of making a scratch in. 
 

Unlike this ‘European’ nonsense which is essentially a couple of glorified friendlies which we always make a complete arse of and get embarrassed in.

[Ya Bezzer!]

7 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

(I'll write off the first league game in Embra) 

We've won more matches at Easter Road this decade than any other current Premiership ground.

The only places we have a better record is Livingston and Ross County.

[Kmcalpin]

1 hour ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

We've won more matches at Easter Road this decade than any other current Premiership ground.

The only places we have a better record is Livingston and Ross County.

That might well be true, but given the current chaotic state of the squad with long/medium term injuries and new players, not unsurprisingly, being unfit/not ready we have to be realistic.  

[thewelllfan]

8 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

Agree 100%. Our chaotic pre season preparation is down to several factors not just slow recruitment. However that is a significant concern, especially given that our first European game is next Thursday. I believe that we're allowed 2 emergency signings before then. Even if we do manage to complete deals in time, how fit will the new arrivals be?  Its unlikely that they'll hit the ground rerunning. 

Despite public assurances from the board, JBA's very predictable departure has completely disrupted our preparations.  I'll be gobsmacked if Nick Daws hadn't drawn up a hit list over 6 months ago and has been beavering away on it. It seems that JA's arrival has put a spanner in the works. I'm also sceptical of the directors' claim that our best assets won't all be sold at once. By next Thursday the squad may be even more threadbare if Elliot Watt departs, as expected. TJ also? 

If we win through against HB and secure a league win against Falkirk (I'll write off the first league game in Embra) then all will be well. If we don't though, serious questions will need to be asked about our failure to recruit timeously and our injury record. I can't ever recall such a long injury list before a season started in earnest.  Tonight's final dress rehearsal against against Genk was anything but.  

I think it was pretty inevitable that team from last season was going to be ripped apart if we make the best part of £10M from it given where we were at the start of last season that sets the club up for years to come. We've allegedly made around £1.3M from JBA and Ward leaving and look to have accepted a bid around £1.75M for Watt so that's us made £3M from 3 guys we picked up for free last year. I think £7M in fees between Just and Maswanhise is very much achievable which would basically mean we're £10M better off and in the same place we're in most seasons needing to make 8-10 signings. Hopefully Just sticks around for the 2 Euro ties and we get through HB and have a bit more time to make additions to the squad before Hibs and the next round in Europe. By 

[Jonesy]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

Unlike this ‘European’ nonsense which is essentially a couple of glorified friendlies which we always make a complete arse of and get embarrassed in.

We don't always though do we? Aside from Sligo last time and Stjarnan we pretty much always do as well as we should be expected and gone out against the much higher ranked seeded team. Other than those too instances you need to go all the way back to Mypa to fill your misery quota.

It's frustrating we've not yet taken that extra step and gone beyond that extra step - Odense was the one that got away there and would have put us into the group phase.

I'll have missed some but going out to Nancy, Panathinaikos, Levante, Steuea Bucharest, Odense, Krasnador or the Israeli mob isn't exactly a rid neck.

There are some games in there we possibly could have done better in (namely Odense and possibly he Israelis if Gallagher hadn't made a cunt of himself) but it's not an embarrassment by a long stretch. All of these teams had much bigger budgets than us and/or are regulars in European competition.

[Kmcalpin]

32 minutes ago, thewelllfan said:

I think it was pretty inevitable that team from last season was going to be ripped apart if we make the best part of £10M from it given where we were at the start of last season that sets the club up for years to come. We've allegedly made around £1.3M from JBA and Ward leaving and look to have accepted a bid around £1.75M for Watt so that's us made £3M from 3 guys we picked up for free last year. I think £7M in fees between Just and Maswanhise is very much achievable which would basically mean we're £10M better off and in the same place we're in most seasons needing to make 8-10 signings. Hopefully Just sticks around for the 2 Euro ties and we get through HB and have a bit more time to make additions to the squad before Hibs and the next round in Europe. By 

Financially we are doing very well, no argument from me on that score. You can also add on a modest 5/6 figure fee for the Ox. We also have the relocation of the stadium / replacement of the POD stand to factor in.  However, healthy balance sheets don't increase attendances. 

On the playing side, I was not surprised that JBA left at the end of the season. Despite his positive words I never thought he'd stay with us very long. I'm sure the directors would also have been well aware of his intention to move months ago. Kyrk Macmillan is doing a good job as far as I can tell, but it was a mistake to tell the fans that everything was ticking over nicely during the search for a new manager when it clearly wasn't. It was also naive of the directors to tell the fans that all our best assets wouldn't be sold at the same time. That raised unrealistic expectations. 

[purestate]

1 minute ago, Kmcalpin said:

It was also naive of the directors to tell the fans that all our best assets wouldn't be sold at the same time. That raised unrealistic expectations. 

Agree to an extent. Intention yes but naivety in that if good bids and offers to players came in that we would be in a position (not just contractual) to resist. 
I think most of us are/were realistic about that prospect.  

Stating the obvious but hindsight is the real issue.  Would any of us be worried about losing Watt for £1.5m when he came in from a recent relegation campaign?    If we’re in the same place next season with Moorman then that will have meant he (and team hopefully) have had a great season. 

[Kmcalpin]

4 minutes ago, purestate said:

Would any of us be worried about losing Watt for £1.5m when he came in from a recent relegation campaign?    If we’re in the same place next season with Moorman then that will have meant he (and team hopefully) have had a great season. 

I general, no. Likewise it won't bother me if we lose Just and TJ - we all know that they will move on. We've seen our best players move on for decades and we're still here. It does mean that our recruitment strategy is doing well.  My concern is with the timing.  A long and growing injury list and a Conference League tie coming up in a matter of days. Its not the time to be shipping players out and certainly not without oven ready replacements. 

[MJC]

1 hour ago, Jonesy said:

We don't always though do we? Aside from Sligo last time and Stjarnan we pretty much always do as well as we should be expected and gone out against the much higher ranked seeded team. Other than those too instances you need to go all the way back to Mypa to fill your misery quota.

It's frustrating we've not yet taken that extra step and gone beyond that extra step - Odense was the one that got away there and would have put us into the group phase.

I'll have missed some but going out to Nancy, Panathinaikos, Levante, Steuea Bucharest, Odense, Krasnador or the Israeli mob isn't exactly a rid neck.

There are some games in there we possibly could have done better in (namely Odense and possibly he Israelis if Gallagher hadn't made a cunt of himself) but it's not an embarrassment by a long stretch. All of these teams had much bigger budgets than us and/or are regulars in European competition.

It’s just a non event for me. We know we’re never going to do anything of note in the competition but apart from the novelty factor of playing a big name like Borussia Dortmund and then playing PAO in the CL prelims, I can’t remember much, if anything, for us to shout about especially in games at Fir Park in Europe.

Obviously Flamurtari 8-1 was great but that was the exception…and it was at Airdrie.

But in our last seven European matches at Fir Park we have one win to our name and that was behind closed doors during the lockdown season. Outwith that one our record is played six, won zero and scored two goals. 
 

Us playing in Europe is like Scotland at a major tournament. The team do nothing apart from occasionally embarrass themselves. But hey, what does that matter? The fans had such a wonderful time, the locals loved them and it was a great trip!

Big leap to the left! YAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAASSS!

Who cares about the result we drank the pubs dry! YAAAASSS!

[Jonesy]

5 minutes ago, MJC said:

It’s just a non event for me. We know we’re never going to do anything of note in the competition but apart from the novelty factor of playing a big name like Borussia Dortmund and then playing PAO in the CL prelims, I can’t remember much, if anything, for us to shout about especially in games at Fir Park in Europe.

Obviously Flamurtari 8-1 was great but that was the exception…and it was at Airdrie.

But in our last seven European matches at Fir Park we have one win to our name and that was behind closed doors during the lockdown season. Outwith that one our record is played six, won zero and scored two goals. 
 

Us playing in Europe is like Scotland at a major tournament. The team do nothing apart from occasionally embarrass themselves. But hey, what does that matter? The fans had such a wonderful time, the locals loved them and it was a great trip!

Big leap to the left! YAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAASSS!

Who cares about the result we drank the pubs dry! YAAAASSS!

Some of the runs we went on under Gannon, Brown and McCall(?) were good. Especially the season under Brown when we beat Breadablik and Aalesunds but aye, you're right there. Managing to beat one of those higher ranked teams and give us something to shout about is the next step we need to take.

Even St Johnstone have managed to do it.

[MJC]

Gannon and Brown oversaw some good results in the early qualifying stages including the aforementioned 8-1 win. Even scoring at Airdrie against Steaua Bucharest was a great moment. However our efforts under McCall were pathetic and we went into the games against PAO, Levante and Kuban beaten before a ball was kicked and failed to score against any of them IIRC. And then we had Stjarnan.

[Ya Bezzer!]

39 minutes ago, MJC said:

Gannon and Brown oversaw some good results in the early qualifying stages including the aforementioned 8-1 win. Even scoring at Airdrie against Steaua Bucharest was a great moment. However our efforts under McCall were pathetic and we went into the games against PAO, Levante and Kuban beaten before a ball was kicked and failed to score against any of them IIRC. And then we had Stjarnan.

There is a big difference between playing Scandinavian teams at this stage in the season and other teams who are just starting their seasons too.  Summer season clubs have a pretty big advantage in being at full competitive  fitness.  

Even if you look at the League Cup group stages there are way more 'shock' results than happen in the Scottish Cup and that's pro teams playing semi professional or part time teams with no fitness advantage, they are just starting on a sort of level fitness field.  

Steaua, Panathinaikos, Levante and Kuban are/were all different level clubs.  Big ask to get anything from them.  

[Spiderpig]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

It’s just a non event for me. We know we’re never going to do anything of note in the competition but apart from the novelty factor of playing a big name like Borussia Dortmund and then playing PAO in the CL prelims, I can’t remember much, if anything, for us to shout about especially in games at Fir Park in Europe.

Obviously Flamurtari 8-1 was great but that was the exception…and it was at Airdrie.

But in our last seven European matches at Fir Park we have one win to our name and that was behind closed doors during the lockdown season. Outwith that one our record is played six, won zero and scored two goals. 
 

Us playing in Europe is like Scotland at a major tournament. The team do nothing apart from occasionally embarrass themselves. But hey, what does that matter? The fans had such a wonderful time, the locals loved them and it was a great trip!

Big leap to the left! YAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAASSS!

Who cares about the result we drank the pubs dry! YAAAASSS!

Probably 75% of the teams who qualify for Europe know they will " do nothing of note" as you put it, we are in that position, we will never win a euro trophy but qualifying for the group stages would be the next best thing.

Euro qualification is a wee bonus for having done so well in the previous season, when we ended up as the 4th best team in the country. 

We are a small provincial club but weve had quite a few euro adventures over the years, seeing how far we can get and having a great time in the process, and giving me some of my proudest moments as a well fan, ie champions league in the olympic stadium in Athens.

So however we end up in this years ECL we have earned the right to be there and give it our best shot. So why dont we all get right behind AJ and the team and see where the adventure takes us the experience is worth it.

[wellsince75]

From a transfers in perspective  - we're still very short in numbers. 

If Im being honest I"m lost in terms of who's injured , who's leaving but bottom line we're in a significantly weakened  position than both the end of last season and same stage last season. 

I've read a few posts about no need to panic as we have until September -  I'd accept perhaps 1 or 2 late arrivals but right here , right now it feels like we're well behind the curve of where we should be.  

 

[dennyc]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

It’s just a non event for me. We know we’re never going to do anything of note in the competition but apart from the novelty factor of playing a big name like Borussia Dortmund and then playing PAO in the CL prelims, I can’t remember much, if anything, for us to shout about especially in games at Fir Park in Europe.

Obviously Flamurtari 8-1 was great but that was the exception…and it was at Airdrie.

But in our last seven European matches at Fir Park we have one win to our name and that was behind closed doors during the lockdown season. Outwith that one our record is played six, won zero and scored two goals. 
 

Us playing in Europe is like Scotland at a major tournament. The team do nothing apart from occasionally embarrass themselves. But hey, what does that matter? The fans had such a wonderful time, the locals loved them and it was a great trip!

Big leap to the left! YAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAASSS!

Who cares about the result we drank the pubs dry! YAAAASSS!

You actually come across as very bitter. Thankfully most see us qualifying for Europe as a measure of success and enjoy the ride however long it lasts. Whether or not they enjoy a trip to the away games. Results are not always great but the anticipation and build up to the games gives fans a lift and a wee bit of hope......well most fans anyway.

[weeyin]

I'm sure everybody at the club is aware of where the gaps in the team are, who is likely to be leaving, the extent of the injuries we have, and who our targets are.

It's literally their job, and their continued employment depends on it.

Unfortunately, the one thing we can't control as much as we like is the timing of the signings. The window not closing until September doesn't help, and the World Cup has slowed business down a bit too.

While it would be ideal to have a complete squad in the middle of July, in today's game that is unrealistic. If SOD, JK and JT hadn't been injured, we'd probably be more comfortable heading into the HB game, but these things happen and we just need to deal with it.