Fresian Coo

The article pretty well hits the mark. I would only disagree in one respect. It seems the League Cup win is being used as some kind of datum point. In terms of the league it is meaningless and the league is my only concern. We were poor in the league before, during and after the League Cup run. The team that season should at least have been challenging for the top six, and was (like every season since promotion) nowhere near it. Ending a miserable campaign the following season in eighth place was no achievement when considering how the league looked at the split – the only real yardstick season on season. That we have now descended to the current situation does not alter our earlier failures. ​

Probably wishful thinking on my part, but I wonder if we might play better against better opposition.

Anybody know why our best dead ball prospect and general midfield thinker (Mallan) continues to warm the bench while inferior personnel make the first team?

I must confess I don’t get the vitriol towards John McGinn. When he first came into the first team it seemed to me he was one of the best prospects we had for many years. He went on to prove that with his play. The fact that last season, in common with near enough every team mate, the performances dipped badly should not detract from that. Hibernian are a far bigger club than St. Mirren, will be paying him more money and will in all likelihood be in the top flight before us. What exactly has he done any differently from anyone else in his position? He owes St Mirren nothing in my view. I for one will be very pleased to see him do well at Hibernian and in his subsequent career.

£285 for the West stand springs to mind.

Danny Lennon was ultimately a failure at St Mirren. The League Cup win was obviously meaningless in terms of the league. However, it proved that in season 2012-13 we had a team well capable of a top six slot. In that respect he had better tools to work with than Gus McPherson. As English points out, in every one of our previous eight top flight seasons we have flirted with relegation. A look at the table at this stage (say after 30-33 games) is a far more accurate reflection of how the team is actually performing that the final league position. Citing an eighth place last season as some kind of achievement is very misleading, especially when you consider that it was very much two divisions comprising the top six and the dross. The fact that Lennon’s replacements have been disastrous does not make his tenure a success.

You are correct. We could climb the table and/or win a playoff. I am suggesting in the balance of probability that we won’t do either from what I have witnessed this season. Bear in mind that it will take money that is not available to improve our situation. Alex Miller? Help ma Boab.

We should be in less of a rush to find a new manager. The board should leave Teale and Longwell in place until the end of the season. In practical terms there are probably now only three teams in the relegation scrap. To me that would be a very major problem for any new manager (as well as for T&L) hoping to keep us up. I fully expect the bottom two will go down. I also believe Motherwell have players of sufficient quality to move clear and as a rule they seem to make very few mistakes in their managerial appointments. Therefore, I would say rather than waste money now on a new manager and the players he would no doubt want to bring in during the January window, we should more or less write this season off and prepare for an assault on the Championship next season with a squad based on the younger players. St Mirren will be relegated whatever personnel are brought in this season, of that I have little doubt. If money is as limited as appears to be the case, better to save it until June 2015. Obviously, one difficulty with my proposed course of action would be keeping the support engaged during the remainder of this season.

I often look in on this forum but seldom post. However, last March before the League Cup final I did and said I believed Danny’s contract should be allowed to lapse on expiry. Nothing in the interim has changed that opinion. I would in fact have been astonished if he had been given an extension in the face of a very dismal league campaign. In terms of the Board, I seem to be in a minority in thinking they have (as usual) acted correctly. What possible reason would they have for telling Danny before the last game of the season? So that we could all say cheerio? I think the money from a higher league finish comes before irrelevant sensitivities. I also note that some are suggesting the Board should have come out with a statement mid season either backing or sacking Danny when things were not going well. For what purpose as essentially by saying nothing he was being backed? The announcement of Tommy Craig as successor was initially an OMG moment for me. On reflection, bearing in mind the other apparent candidates it was probably the correct choice. If it saves money, so much the better. We will see.