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Centre Half Please!


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Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that Norrie played much that season. Was out injured for much of it.

We also got relegated that season, Aitken managed to get sent off 3 times, we conceded a barrowload of goals and the transfer fee and wages that Aitken and others cost us led to over a decade of financial poverty in the lower divisions and we eventually had to sell Love Street.

Hopefully we don't make a similar signing this time! lol.gif:

... I'm also not recognising the description of Norrie McWhirter as shaky.

Sometimes I wish rather than trying to find a big commanding no nonsense centre half we could unearth another Norrie McWhirter that reads the game well and gets himself into position to sweep up the danger and cover for other players mistakes.

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This is becoming a totally ridiculous situation. I know he's been struggling, but how many players are we going to continue signing that end up out the door shortly afterwards ?

Have to agree. It is fast approaching the farcical level. We have a very thin squad, and to let a player who covers an awkward position leave (assuming he doesn't simply opt to sit it out in the huff) with 3 days of the window remaining is bizarre.

ETA: caveat - the Sun is a tawdry rag that routinely spouts drivel.

Edited by Drew
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Have to agree. It is fast approaching the farcical level. We have a very thin squad, and to let a player who covers an awkward position leave (assuming he doesn't simply opt to sit it out in the huff) with 3 days of the window remaining is bizarre.

ETA: caveat - the Sun is a tawdry rag that routinely spouts drivel.

All down to our shambles in the summer transfer window.

I wouldn't be surprised he wants to leave as he needs games but he has to be frank rotten for us

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Have to agree. It is fast approaching the farcical level. We have a very thin squad, and to let a player who covers an awkward position leave (assuming he doesn't simply opt to sit it out in the huff) with 3 days of the window remaining is bizarre.

ETA: caveat - the Sun is a tawdry rag that routinely spouts drivel.

He will no doubt sign for a relegation rival to strengthen their squad. Ideal if he just went to Carlisle as he should have done in the summer. He never looked happy here.
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You couldn't make it up lol.gif

Like most of us, I've watched him and harkins lark about at half time, playing crossbar challenge etc. I just wonder if he had a dodgy work ethic. DL is always insistant that work rates are high, maybe he felt that both these players were bad role models for the young players ???

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Look at our bench from the Thistle game

  • 02 van Zanten
  • 17 Reilly
  • 24 Newton
  • 26 Brady
  • 27 Grainger
  • 30 Dilo
  • 34 Williams

three experienced outfield players, in the previous two games against Hibs & the Fakes we only had 6 subs listed.

The squad is down to the bare bones (cliché alert #1) and even if we get someone in we can't afford to let Grainger go. The timing seems bad too, just three days before the window closes and it's hard to see a rush of clubs coming in for him given how the season has gone for him so far after coming back from an injury. I don't see it happening but you never know....................

It's a squad game these days and part of that is keeping fringe players motivated, Adam, Guy, Imrie, Robertson & Mair all gone - that's an experienced bench (cliché alert #2) and you'd have to reckon we sweetened those deals cool.png. Harkins away on loan, I'll leave out Barron 'cos it seems to be down to injury problems and now you have to wonder how committed Grainger will be if (as I expect) he stays.

I'm firmly in the Dannysceptic camp - the only way to redeem the situation is to go on a winning run - go on Danny, make it so......................

Edited by Bud the Baker
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Is every post you make a negative one? biggrin.png Maybe one drudge of year after year supporting Saints blends into another. I recall them being paired many times and I also remember Aitken playing his arse off for us (not like me to defend an OF player but he did and definately won me over), Relegation wasnt due to him but several other highly paid duds and poor management.

Is every post you make incorrect?

The first game that McWhirter & Aitken were in the same side was on the 7th of March that season.. Even then they weren't "paired together" as Norrie was at right back with McGowne in central defence alongside Aitken.

In total, they played in the same side 5 times with 3 of them being the last 3 games of the season when we were already long since relegated and again, Norrie wasn't in central defence.

If you are able to remember them paired together many times then I think we can safely ignore your opinion about what happened that season as nonsense.

Here to help. thumbup2.gif

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I have to admit to being a bit worried at the moment. Grainger hasn't been what we all hoped and both Kelly and Naismith have done really well since coming in to the first team but are showing a bit of inconsistency and a slight dip in form which is to be expected.

For all that I agree about Williams as a very decent CH, a defence of Kelly, Naismith, Williams and either of MacAusland or McGregor, playing in this league, would be a massive cause for concern.

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Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that Norrie played much that season. Was out injured for much of it.

We also got relegated that season, Aitken managed to get sent off 3 times, we conceded a barrowload of goals and the transfer fee and wages that Aitken and others cost us led to over a decade of financial poverty in the lower divisions and we eventually had to sell Love Street.

Hopefully we don't make a similar signing this time! :lol:

 

Who won POTY that season?

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Your signature asks for foresight yet when the likes of me highlighted that Lennon's summer signings were shit you hit back with the usual personal abuse.

Feel free to apologise.

Bow down to my mastery.

Thanks. :thumbs2

You're officially aff yir heid, I've been critical of the summer and so far January signing strategy. Why would I give you personal abuse about something I agree with.

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Ok, so the club have taken a perfectly understandable and laudable position and they have re-stated that they will not go into debt to buy players, or pay them inflated wages that either unsettle existing players or destabilise the fine line of book balancing.

That having all been said, they have basically cleared a number of players out and without double checking, I think I'm right in saying that we are probably shorter this year in playing strength than last and we have brought in a number of younger players who theoretically will cost less than seasoned professionals.

The need to strengthen the defence, especially in the middle of the park is obvious to see to just about every fan. The goals against column is the 3rd worst in the league but only just and it wouldn't take much to be the worst (and that includes Hearts) thumbdown.gif . That follows last year when again we had the 3rd worst goals against record.

Yet the management rely on McAusland and McGregor. I like McGregor and I think between the two he has more football skills and is getting back to the kind of form that the fans saw when he came to the club. Pats on the back to the club for seeing him through two horrendous injury years.

However that still leaves us with a shaky defence no matter how you look at it. Any time I see the defence under any pressure, I squirm. I get the pretty constant feeling that McAusland is a mistake waiting to happen. As much as he may be a St Mirren fan, his father having influence in other quarters etc, I feel he is a large part of the problem. Take him out of the team and put in a strong, no messing about centre half and I'm convinced our defence would leak a lot less goals.

I probably hark back to days of Gordon McQueen, Jim Clunie, Bobby Reid, Jack Copland (two of which came out of Junior football) to name only four, but all of these mentioned commanded the box, read the line really well and coaxed the best out of those around them.

I've got to say I think the management have failed us on this one, BIG style. By failing to recognise, or act to shore up the defence we are sitting targets for the play-off place.

P.S. - that's not knicker wetting either - we are only three points ahead of Thistle and County and the latter has a game in hand over us and a better goal difference!

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Ok, so the club have taken a perfectly understandable and laudable position and they have re-stated that they will not go into debt to buy players, or pay them inflated wages that either unsettle existing players or destabilise the fine line of book balancing.

 

That having all been said, they have basically cleared a number of players out and without double checking, I think I'm right in saying that we are probably shorter this year in playing strength than last and we have brought in a number of younger players who theoretically will cost less than seasoned professionals.

 

The need to strengthen the defence, especially in the middle of the park is obvious to see to just about every fan. The goals against column is the 3rd worst in the league but only just and it wouldn't take much to be the worst (and that includes Hearts) Posted Image . That follows last year when again we had the 3rd worst goals against record.

 

Yet the management rely on McAusland and McGregor. I like McGregor and I think between the two he has more football skills and is getting back to the kind of form that the fans saw when he came to the club. Pats on the back to the club for seeing him through two horrendous injury years.

 

However that still leaves us with a shaky defence no matter how you look at it. Any time I see the defence under any pressure, I squirm. I get the pretty constant feeling that McAusland is a mistake waiting to happen. As much as he may be a St Mirren fan, his father having influence in other quarters etc, I feel he is a large part of the problem. Take him out of the team and put in a strong, no messing about centre half and I'm convinced our defence would leak a lot less goals.

 

I probably hark back to days of Gordon McQueen, Jim Clunie, Bobby Reid, Jack Copland (two of which came out of Junior football) to name only four, but all of these mentioned commanded the box, read the line really well and coaxed the best out of those around them.

 

I've got to say I think the management have failed us on this one, BIG style. By failing to recognise, or act to shore up the defence we are sitting targets for the play-off place.

 

P.S. - that's not knicker wetting either - we are only three points ahead of Thistle and County and the latter has a game in hand over us and a better goal difference!

Could not have put it better if I tried

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Ok, so the club have taken a perfectly understandable and laudable position and they have re-stated that they will not go into debt to buy players, or pay them inflated wages that either unsettle existing players or destabilise the fine line of book balancing.

That having all been said, they have basically cleared a number of players out and without double checking, I think I'm right in saying that we are probably shorter this year in playing strength than last and we have brought in a number of younger players who theoretically will cost less than seasoned professionals.

The need to strengthen the defence, especially in the middle of the park is obvious to see to just about every fan. The goals against column is the 3rd worst in the league but only just and it wouldn't take much to be the worst (and that includes Hearts) thumbdown.gif . That follows last year when again we had the 3rd worst goals against record.

Yet the management rely on McAusland and McGregor. I like McGregor and I think between the two he has more football skills and is getting back to the kind of form that the fans saw when he came to the club. Pats on the back to the club for seeing him through two horrendous injury years.

However that still leaves us with a shaky defence no matter how you look at it. Any time I see the defence under any pressure, I squirm. I get the pretty constant feeling that McAusland is a mistake waiting to happen. As much as he may be a St Mirren fan, his father having influence in other quarters etc, I feel he is a large part of the problem. Take him out of the team and put in a strong, no messing about centre half and I'm convinced our defence would leak a lot less goals.

I probably hark back to days of Gordon McQueen, Jim Clunie, Bobby Reid, Jack Copland (two of which came out of Junior football) to name only four, but all of these mentioned commanded the box, read the line really well and coaxed the best out of those around them.

I've got to say I think the management have failed us on this one, BIG style. By failing to recognise, or act to shore up the defence we are sitting targets for the play-off place.

P.S. - that's not knicker wetting either - we are only three points ahead of Thistle and County and the latter has a game in hand over us and a better goal difference!

I asked this on the coach home last night about why we don't look at the Junior leagues, as there are some good youngsters coming through

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Guys we've got to calm down.

Talk about a threadbare squad is frankly embarrassing.

We have WAY more than enough players at the moment even after the recent culls.

Those players are already good enough or they should also be punted.

What we don't need is panic buying.

Well you just got a panic buy but he a striker

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