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January Punt or Keep.


TopCat

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On ‎01‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 11:04 PM, TopCat said:

 

There's been some overblown threads this week, describing our November games as 'must win' or 'most important in our history' etc. Blatant nonsense of course, nothing is won or lost in November.

Where things are won or lost is January, and the transfer window. We went into January 2014 level pegging with Motherwell and Ross County. They spent a fortune between them in the window, we sold our best player in McLean. As a direct result they stayed up comfortably and we got relegated. This example is repeated all over football, seasons are made or lost in the mid season window.

 

I don't disagree that the January transfer window will be crucial TC. I also think November is crucial - both positions are not mutually exclusive.

As things stand - two of three teams from Saints, Dunfermline and Dumbarton are going to be either relegated or involved in a play off for relegation. We play both at home in November and already trail them by four and three points respectively. If November goes pear-shaped for us that could be a minimum of seven and six points with away trips to both in the third quarter of the season. We would then be heading into the January window in an even worse position than January 2014.

Coupled with that, the heads will likely go down even more, fans will continue to drift away and the downward spiral with gather momentum.

Unless miracles are worked in January then a decent bit of wheeling and dealing will get us a stable team more likely to pick up a few extra points here and there. If we are already trailing by at least the points totals outlined above then we are going to be struggling to catch either team with even that mini bounce.

So November wins are crucial to stop the rot and make sure that the January window, itself,  remains crucial.

In terms of January window - we need a commanding centre half to work with Baird and two new midfielders including a proper Goodwin type (but obviously not Goodwin himself). How we get these will indeed be the trick. To pay for it I guess we have to ditch the loanees as these are the only ones it appears that we can offload. While I think Hardie is a luxury, Walsh has brought results and goals from the bench and Shankland - while obviously unfit - scored well for us last season so you would hope he could get that back. I accept that we might not have time to wait for that so these would be the guys to go if we can identify decent targets to bring in.

 

Edited by southsidebud
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I think you are being harsh on him there. He's a 20 year old boy playing in a shit midfield for a team that have been shit for 3 years! He's not at the level of McGinn or McLean but he is a talent. This season he has been just as awful as the rest and I don't know if he needs an arm round the shoulder or a boot up the backside or maybe he needs the solid holding midfielder we are crying out for.



Just judging him on the same standards all players should be judged on. Imagine being a manager and finding out that the clubs biggest star is a central midfielder who cant tackle or pass, who cant pick out a through ball to a striker and who can only play in his position if accompanied by two bouncers.

Thats exactly what Jack Ross faces at St Mirren. Its time people got honest. Mallan needs to adapt his game so he works within the team. Even his set pieces have gone to shit this season.
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4 hours ago, southsidebud said:

In terms of January window - we need a commanding centre half to work with Baird 

Absolutely right -  the makings of a right player in Jack Baird. I'd hoped Webster would bring him on but Webster's been such a bombscare himself he's been little help to Baird. Still reckon Mackenzie could be the man for the job if we can keep him fit for more than five minutes. Our only win in recent times against Hibs - centre back partnership of Baird and Mackenzie.

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1 hour ago, Stuart Dickson said:

 

 


Just judging him on the same standards all players should be judged on. Imagine being a manager and finding out that the clubs biggest star is a central midfielder who cant tackle or pass, who cant pick out a through ball to a striker and who can only play in his position if accompanied by two bouncers.

Thats exactly what Jack Ross faces at St Mirren. Its time people got honest. Mallan needs to adapt his game so he works within the team. Even his set pieces have gone to shit this season.

 

 

Clearly he needs to adapt and up his game, but he has talent. If Jack Ross feels he can't get that out of him and it's time for him to go then fair enough. I just think he has a lot to offer and hopefully he can produce for us.

 

 

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Clearly he needs to adapt and up his game, but he has talent. If Jack Ross feels he can't get that out of him and it's time for him to go then fair enough. I just think he has a lot to offer and hopefully he can produce for us.



Well the lad better get his finger out his arse and start producing cause right now I wouldn't offer 60 Polo Mints for him, never mind £60,000. Hes a passenger in a poor squad failing miserably to win his own battle in midfield never mind showing the kind of determination and fight that you get from players who make it. And what I find insulting is there are people on here prepared to let their "big talent" coast through games offering nothing whilst players like Kyle Hutton and Rocco Quinn are routinely slaughtered.

When a side is in the shitter like St Mirren are now, thats where you find out who the good players really are. They are the ones who'll work even harder in training and who'll bust a gut trying to turn things around. Mallans done none of that. Instead hes underperformed, shirked and hidden. Hes lost the ball cheaply countless times in matches Ive seen and he has completely let his teammates down.
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5 hours ago, Stuart Dickson said:

 


Well the lad better get his finger out his arse and start producing cause right now I wouldn't offer 60 Polo Mints for him, never mind £60,000. Hes a passenger in a poor squad failing miserably to win his own battle in midfield never mind showing the kind of determination and fight that you get from players who make it. And what I find insulting is there are people on here prepared to let their "big talent" coast through games offering nothing whilst players like Kyle Hutton and Rocco Quinn are routinely slaughtered.

When a side is in the shitter like St Mirren are now, thats where you find out who the good players really are. They are the ones who'll work even harder in training and who'll bust a gut trying to turn things around. Mallans done none of that. Instead hes underperformed, shirked and hidden. Hes lost the ball cheaply countless times in matches Ive seen and he has completely let his teammates down.

 

100% correct. Mallan has been a ghost this season. I don't know if it's a confidence thing as he used to put himself about a lot more, but at the moment he offers nothing.

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Langfield – punt but only we can find a better option. No point in him being a coach, he makes basic mistakes himself. Offer him a playing only role and if not he can GTF

Gallagher – punt, too feart to be a keeper

Wilks – keep

 

Naismith – keep for now, but needs to start finding form or he’ll be out in the summer – if a replacement is available on loan or free then this position is up for grabs

Webster – keep, has experience but don’t think he should be captain, needs to focus on making less mistakes himself before he gets any responsibility – get your shit together man

Irvine – keep, another one that needs to concentrate on his own game. Is ok when he does the simple things right

Jordan Stewart – keep, big fan of Jordan. Quite composed and can pick a pass

Baird – keep, could develop but not first team quality yet

MacKenzie - keep

Gordon – punt, not good enough unfortunately

 

Morgan – keep – been thrust into the 1st team too early imo, good impact player but shouldn’t start as often

Hutton – punt – gave him every chance but sadly he is rotten, expected more

Quinn – at the moment he’s on the punt list, bit of a passenger

Mallan – keep. Needs to lay off the bevy and get interested in his football again

Walsh – keep, he can play either wing, chips in with a few goals. He will do

Lewis McLear – Keep, good youth player, has potential

Gallagher – punt, if we keep Walsh he can go

Kyle McAllister – keep, give him a run in the first team

Magennis – keep, think he is our most promising youth player

 

 

Hardie – punt - he will be off in January anyway

Shankland – keep, needs to stop being a pie though – send him to climb up and down Ben Nevis for a week

Clarkson – punt, got too many strikers

Sutton – keep, best striker we have

 

 

JR should aim to mould the team into a 4-2-3-1 shape

 

Keeper – Langfield (or better option if available)

Left back - Stewart or Irvine

Centre half pairing – Webster & Mackenzie – Baird as back up

Right back – Naismith (or replacement if available)

Defensive mids – Quinn and a replacement (essential to replace Hutton asap) – young Magennis could be an option here

Attacking mid 3 – Mallan middle of the 3, Walsh I feel could play either side. Got the options of McLear, Morgan, McAllister and Magennis. Should be enough

Striker – Sutton. Shankland as back up. Sutton always first choice however

 

 

Edit to add - Sutton should be made captain. Only one capable of driving on the team, based on evidence this season

Edited by Doakes
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Langfield literally punt and then punt again to ensure he is as far away as possible. We have had some rotten goalkeepers but he is right up there as arguably the worst keeper we have ever had. I am not looking at what he has done before coming to us but judging him on what his performances with us.

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It has to be a clear out that is the bottom line. Also we have to pull together and back JR this is about players not getting their f**kin act together. A Gordon Scott will be having got a good drink tonight. How do I fix this. Dock wages mate. Swearing, not wearing the club tie. Late for training, anything it's now needing a severe kick up the assessment within the law.

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Our league fixtures between now and January:

Dunfermline (h) 19/11
Falkirk (a) 3/12
Raith (h) 10/12
Ayr (h) 17/12
Dundee Utd (a) 24/12
Morton (h) 31/12

Is it just me who wouldn't be surprised if we went into the new year without a win? A lot of tough games there, suppose Ayr will be our best chance.

Our easiest game on paper before the window was today, at home to 9th place. And we couldn't even get a draw.



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that disgusted,a went straight home after game,not done that before,couldn't b bothered listening to fuds saying we will come good,give ross time,blah fukin blah,enough is enough,no more



Me too. Straight home and one unhappy fan tonight. Ross for me shouldn't never have got the job but the board appointed him and he is in this for the long haul therefore he gets my 100% backing but after today we are being cut adrift from the rest and I'm afraid that the reality of situation is that we are staring at 2 relegations in 3 seasons.

What was wrong with appointing a manager with experience who has a history of keeping teams up with a young assistant for the long term. Jimmy Calderwood would have been ideal.
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5 hours ago, TopCat said:

Our league fixtures between now and January:

Dunfermline (h) 19/11
Falkirk (a) 3/12
Raith (h) 10/12
Ayr (h) 17/12
Dundee Utd (a) 24/12
Morton (h) 31/12

Is it just me who wouldn't be surprised if we went into the new year without a win? A lot of tough games there, suppose Ayr will be our best chance.

Our easiest game on paper before the window was today, at home to 9th place. And we couldn't even get a draw.


 

 

It's ok, you were saying elsewhere that the points we get before Christmas weren't important anyway. It's January onwards that counts. You said.

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2 hours ago, TopCat said:

 

 


What a bizarre post. Quote me as saying points we get before Christmas weren't important... :lol:

 

 

Well, I was paraphrasing, but the opening sentence of the OP in this very thread refutes the idea that these games in November are 'must win'.

If they're not must win, then they can't be that important.

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Well, I was paraphrasing, but the opening sentence of the OP in this very thread refutes the idea that these games in November are 'must win'.

If they're not must win, then they can't be that important.



By paraphrasing you mean completely misquoting me? :lol:

No game in November is must win as nothing is decided in November. Not that tough to understand really.
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