RicoS321

I didn't think the utd game was a managerial issue. He made a couple of mistakes but the players were way off it that day. It was a bit like that time McInnes took a tanking off St Johnstone. It could have been a blip*. The first massive concern for me came in that Hibs game, where he watched as we were completely taken apart for 45 minutes, hoping we could make it until halftime. That was a performance that you could really lay solely at the door of the manager. The fact that he then repeated the error at Ibrox was staggering. *Obviously it wasn't, but he could have learned from it and moved on with success if he wasn't such a poor tactician.

As expected at the start of the season, we've signed 50%, at least, pish, and 10% again are just average players who wouldn't be missed if they left. I'm not sure if we've got the 1 or 2 gems that will go on to better things or not, that might be more clear if we get a run of form. It'll be good to see a new man come in, with no favourites or preconceptions. Players like Ramadani and Scales, I just can't work out. Scales is completely lacking in strength and aggression, which could improve with age (see Considine), but he's not good enough now, and again we've done someone else's development work in a key area of the pitch. Ramadani buzzes around the pitch, and it's taken me a while to realise what I don't like about him. It's the fact that he's so one dimensional. Everything is done at the same pace , he doesn't look up, he charges at our own back line offering stupid one two's that end in the defender being under pressure. He's basically Willow Flood without the tackling. He completely confuses things in that area. Around the time of Flood and Robson, we had Jack coming through, and that's Barron for us. Goodwin kept playing him in that stupid advanced role, because he wanted Ramadani to Flood around in front of the defence. Get him in the two alongside Shinnie and see what he can do. Ramadani is a good backup. Orlando makes a good point about McKenzie, but he's not young anymore and we need to either play him or ship him. He occupies the middle ground between left back and centre half unfortunately, so for me will only ever be a squad utility to cover both those roles and good to have. In the summer we need to recruit both left back and left centre half (again, as predicted). Further up the park, we need a left sided player (Hayes or Roberts will do for now), and somebody that can run fast and burn defenders on the right and get the ball in very quickly for Miovski. Duncan will do for now. In the centre of the 4-2-3-1, Clarkson is head and shoulders above anyone there (and in the team really) now, and we hope that one of the existing players like Besuijen, Myslovič or another can come on in games and prove themselves. Kennedy is absolutely fine as a backup anywhere on the right and even in the centre for now until the summer. Agree entirely with Orlando about Duk. He's Josh Maggenis with a bit more flare and less aerial ability. He's good if you need someone to run 80 yards with the ball and win a throw-in in a sort of rugby territorial advantage (which is actually fairly valuable against the scum). Unless he can work out a way to play number nine, he's a good sub to have. He can play as part of a two as well, but he should never appear in any role that requires him to track back, so it would only be in a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 that he should be played alongside Miovski (and I would advocate that he starts on the bench most of the time). Morris, Polvara and Richardson should go out on loan now, and not wait until the new manager arrives. If we hadn't paid for them, they should have been terminated (or maybe just their contracts). Longer term, we need rid of Stewart, Kennedy and all the loanees, probably Roberts, Myslovič and Besuijen. McRorie should probably just play a bit part role, covering the various areas that he can sort of play (which could mean he plays every week), and slot in for any failed signings, of which there'll be many more to come. That leaves us an entire back four to sign again in the summer. Shinnie should be signed, Barron kept even if he doesn't accept a new deal, a new right sided player and a number ten. We're looking at another struggling season again next year I predict. Edit: I disagree with OD about Roos, I think he's decent. Lewis has been honking since being back. Roos has performed well when you consider the defence that's in front of him.

That certainly seemed to be the point at which the rot started. I'm not sure it's prudent to bin the manager at the first unacceptable capitulation! There's always a bit of a period where you have to have the shite show, just to be sure. Darvel should have done it, of course, even hearts.

Gone

Sounds fantastic. Not particularly happy with the way he spells his name though, it's deeply concerning. Kennedy should have a word.

^ this

That's not what he said in his interview though, he says he has no idea: "there is no timeframe on it". Which seems about right. Those fans singing "you're getting sacked in the morning" were entirely correct. There's just no clarification of which morning. One thing I'm surprised about is that the FMB didn't suggest getting someone else in to assist on the footballing side of things. The equivalent of that tactics lad we had with Glass. Or even an experienced football person in to assist. I thought they might have used that tactic to buy time.

I can understand his thinking behind not playing Shinnie in fairness. I suspect it's been a while since he had played three games in little more than a week, and the rest was justified. Then in the game, he probably thought that the game was going to be won from the front, and that all the subs needed to be attacking ones. It's a little bit dense really, but understandable. The problem that he had was that having already taken off Myslovič, the correct decision would have been to remove Ramadani, but he's deemed a favourite and - in fairness - the combination of the two together is useful. The other option was Clarkson, who was one of the only ones creating anything. The later you get in the game, the less sense it makes to bring on Shinnie (and taint him with that shite!). The right call was to bring him on for Myslovič at halftime, or earlier, moving Clarkson higher up the park, but he obviously still thought at that point that we'd comfortably turn it around.

You do realise that dry January isn't upheld in law?

I suspect Stewart offers a lot off the pitch and he seems to have a good attitude. I think it's his ability holding him back to be honest. In terms of Brown, it's a very good example. We were weak as anything while Brown was in the team latterly. The confidence a captain gives is through his performances first, attitude second and a player like Brown - who simply wasn't good enough anymore - walking around screaming has an equal affect to a Stewart. Shinnie was the man for the job against Darvel, but it seemed to me like Goodwin just didn't get the connection between bringing on a player with guts and determination to win a game, rather he thought he could win it by bringing on attacking flare alone (he thought we'd simply be too good). He assumed we didn't need a Shinnie-like player against inferior opponents, which was hugely misjudged. In fairness, Shinnie looked a little off the pace against hearts too, which I guess is understandable given he wasn't featuring every week previously. Shinnie is a proven leader that sets the tone, guys like Hayes, McRorie and Clarkson have the attitude too (McKenzie and Kennedy probably too, just lacking in ability again). Shinnie aside, we lack that player who is head and shoulders above the rest who doesn't need to shout the team through a game.

It doesn't really suggest we should have stayed with Glass in particular, but that we should stay with a manager (any manager) who is trying to force a certain style (entertaining, ken?) on a team. The stats back up what we've been saying all season really, that our approach to games is high risk and the personnel aren't up to implementing the plan. What JJ suggests, and I completely agree with, is that we simply can't afford the type of player that can do what we're asking (I don't think there's a manager that could get that out of any players we can afford either). It's extremely rare for us to find a player without a deficiency in one or more areas of their game that make the entire plan fall down unless we're up against inferior opponents. As I mentioned yesterday, Stewart is absolutely key to me in what we're trying to do and he's so far removed from having that ability to move the ball quickly and also operate high up and quick enough to cover. I find it extremely hard to believe that Stewart had better stats than David Bates in that regard, which suggests something completely flawed in our data collection between leagues. A visual check should have confirmed that he was a good penalty box defender. Ramadani is also key playing in front of the defence, especially when on his own, which he has been. He's clearly not good enough to cover for the two other midfielders in the 3-1-4-2 or 4-1-4-1 that we operated this season (plus bringing the worst out of Barron), he doesn't have the strength or speed to do such a difficult job. Our terrible expected goals against, without taking into account the score within games is not a particularly useful metric. The various games we've won at home by several goals all included a huge number of chances for the opposition - those are just games in which our high risk approach worked, and you could effectively discount those (when comparing to Glass I mean). There are a couple of things that will make or break us for the rest of the season. Shinnie is a massive signing that will allow us to play with more intensity. We'll have to sacrifice the single holding midfielder and play two, which will also allow us to comfortably play a four. Stewart is actually crucial too. If we can't get a replacement this month (and I agree with the assessment that we shouldn't just sign anyone), he needs to stay fit and free from red cards. Perversely, we're still a significantly better defensive unit with him in the team than not (see Hertz game). It's another high risk approach, but I don't see another option at the moment. Finally, we need to make a decision on a front man to lead the line. For me it has to be the traditional number 9 in Miovski, with Duk replacing from the bench. None of the shoehorning a disinterested, lazy, unfit Duk into left of a three. He doesn't have the consistency or reliability required. Get proper wingers playing on their correct sides to hit the line and fire it in and let Miovski do what's required.

Someone's a bit surly tonight.

It's a disgusting statement, quite frankly. Everyone knows that the place to back your manager is on national radio, whilst abusing Kenny McIntyre.

You've not been watching the Cormack era?

That's not really a newspaper though.

It's only 14:00 in Atlanta, gie them a chance.

Yep, we still don't seem to have cracked that level above the manager problem. Somebody that would have challenged the Considine decision, the need to ditch everyone and start again in a single window, the Porteous statement etc. For me, guys like McRorie and Kennedy are only good enough to be utility players anyway. They play a valuable role in the squad for mostly that reason but we shouldn't be accomodating them. I can completely see why Goodwin go into the problem with the defence. He hung pretty much everything on Stewart being a good player and that turning out not to be the case has ruined all his plans. Pretty much everything can be linked to that. The risk would have been minor if Stewart was good enough to guide Scales, McKenzie and maybe even Richardson through a game. Finding a centre half worse than Bates was impressive though.

Absolutely. I guess I just took it as read that a modern manager would have a good grasp of the basics, or at least come with a coach that did. One thing that the Tim game strategy taught us is that Goodwin could actually organise a team to do one thing well and whilst others were lamenting the approach (justifiably), I was actually quite pleasantly surprised that he could manage that. Fundamentally, though, the board will likely have made their decision based on interview, where really only those character skills would be in show. When it comes to judging a manager's tactical abilities, the scouting involved would have to be quite involved, over the course of many months and with a deep appreciation of the team being managed and any mitigating factors (injuries, bad signings etc). The only real metrics otherwise are results, and league position versus budget expected league position. In short, it's pot luck whether you get a good manager or not (unless promoting from within).

I think that they'll really, really want to, but his position is untenable and I think they'll know that. I think Jim will too. It's a real shame, everything about him as a character suggests he should have the qualities to be a really good manager. A strong work ethic, good leadership (St Mirren cup winning captain etc), doesn't suffer fools, intelligent and articulate but grounded. I can see why the board would think that they're so close and want him to keep learning. However, his tactical ineptitude (immaturity, even) isn't going to be overcome overnight and I suspect his understanding and patience will have already boiled over with the players making the dressing room untenable too. I expect we'll see him doing a good job elsewhere soon. We won't see any of the 3-1-4-2s or the other nonsense setups when there is no pressure on him to produce entertainment elsewhere and he'll become a cautious, disciplined manager ala McInnes and be a good fit for someone.

I want him to stay now. Fed up of all the new manager pish. Give him a five year extension to ease the tension and give him a bit of long term security.

I think we can close this thread forever now.

Gerard was given a lot of fuck ups before he was successful. He was so much of a winner he lost to Aberdeen numerous times. I don't actually care whether a manager "believes" the old firm could be touched or not, it's utterly irrelevant to what has actually occurred with every single manager in Scottish football over the last 36 years. Goodwin believed he could beat the Huns a few weeks ago, he was just unable to stop his captain being a fuckwit. Glass believed it too. Our first priority is building a team that can beat hearts over a season. If we're going to overcome a six fold budget deficit, we're going to need more than a foreigner that believes.

I guess it depends on what's happening behind the scenes, that we don't see. The players - and I find it very unlikely - could be putting up a real defence of their manager. They might see things differently to the fans. Or, more likely, Cormack will want to show an element of professionalism (whatever that means), either outwardly, or towards the players. He'll methodically build his case, and include the players in the prawcess (I mean, if there's a prawcess for hiring, there has to be one for firing, right?). In other words, he'll fire him the morn.

I love Shinnie. It goes much deeper with him.

Dons legend Patrizio Billio.