Rallying Call

[Paradox]

So, I'm no "Happy Clapper" - I like to think of myself as a fairly realistic fan.  At the start of the season, I had no real expectations of where we would finish up, but was encouraged by the positive start to the season in the Bet Fred Cup group games, and then winning away at Tannadice.  I thought that the play-offs were a reasonable target, but knew that this would be one of the toughest Championships in recent years.

Since then, the season has been a bit of a tailspin, we've never really been in contention for a play-off place, despite never being that far away in terms of points, until recent weeks.  Now, we seem to be looking over our shoulders, worrying about the other play-off option, as the teams below us are picking up points while we continue to falter.

As a Pars fan, my only expectation is to see the team try to play entertaining football.  Unfortunately that hasn't happened in the main either though.  Fans are starting to lose interest, or are becoming increasingly angry and frustrated at the lack of any kind of positive momentum from the team.  The whole atmosphere around the Club is changing.

During the dark times of administration, it made me really proud to see the Pars fans come together, totally committed to saving the Club.  Many, many people made a contribution, whether financial, or by giving up their time (sometimes both) to help us come through the other side.  Innovations like the PST and the CC Lifeline, as well as Marv's Emporium as it became known, all played crucial roles in pulling much needed funds to keep the Club alive.

There are too many bodies and people that were involved then to pay tribute to them all.  Some are well kent faces, others just did their bit behind the scenes.  But one thing was clear - we truly were "Pars United".

That feels like a distant memory to me now.  The players have no confidence, key players are singled out by sections of the support for a hard time, then this season , an increasingly vocal element of the support began taking their frustrations out on the management team and even the Board.  AJ was relieved of his duties (prematurely in my opinion), but there is a new management team in place now.  If you take the time to listen to the Chairman's vision for how Stevie Crawford, Greg Shields and Jackie McNamara will contribute to the future of the Club, it's actually quite exciting.  In coaching circles, all three have good reputations, and there is still one more to be added to the team, as I understand it.

Unfortunately, on-the-field performances are dominating everything else, and it feels like there is a lot of negativity around the Club again.  There are divisions appearing in the stands, the fans are disconnected from the players again.  Fans are calling for managers to be sacked, Board members to stand down, players to get punted for being useless - not sure where the money is meant to come from for all of this?

I think we need to take a step back, and remember where we have been over the past few years.  We all gave ourselves a mutual pat-on-the-back for saving our Club, and mocked the Sevconians for letting their Club die.  However, some of us now show that same sense of entitlement that the residents of Castle Grayskull have always done.

We need to get behind the Club, from the players to the new management team, to the Board and Chairman.  Despite what some like to think, our Club is in good hands.  If you ever go along to a Supporters Council meeting, and get the chance to speak to those running the Club, you'll know that they are an honest bunch, and all experienced and successful people.  They are the first to admit that running a football club is  entirely different to any other business, and the learning curve is a steep one.  Have mistakes been made?  Absolutely.  Has this season been anything to be happy about?  Nope.

We are all experts on forums and social media, but the big difference is that none of us are accountable - these people running the Club are. Some of them will have lost money during the administration.  As far as I know, they all give their time to the Club free of charge.  They are fans too at the end of the day.  If they decide that they've had enough of the personal abuse, or the stick directed to them or their families, either directly or indirectly, they'd be well within their rights to chuck it.  And then what?  I think that some of us need a bit of a reality check sometimes.

I'm forever seeing references to our 'budget' - clearly, this isn't as big as some people think, and I don't think we're even in the top 5 in our league in terms of money available to spend on players.  Do I know that for a fact?  Absolutely not, but Ross County, Ayr and Dundee United all have owners pumping money into their clubs.  Falkirk have had a recent cash injection.  I'm sure I read that Stephen Dobbie's salary is paid by a local businessman, so QOS can put their money into other things (assuming that is the case) and still enjoy having the best player in the league at their disposal .  We also have a huge stadium for a Club our size (another legacy from the previous regime), which will require significant finances to maintain.

Folk who wanted AJ gone are now saying that the appointment of Stevie Crawford was a cheap option.  How do they know?   Do they know the details of his contract?   I have also yet to hear anybody name a credible candidate who was available to replace AJ.  Every manager has to start his journey somewhere.  Hopefully he can make a success of things at East End Park.  The new management team have my 100% support.  They have, and will continue to make mistakes, as will the players.  I see a team playing with fear, because of a total lack of confidence.  If we concede a goal, EVERYONE in the ground expects us to concede another, given the way this season has gone.

The cup-tie at Raith could have been the catalyst for our season, but again we shot ourselves in the foot with silly mistakes.

Right now, we just need to get some wins under our belt, and hope that things will improve between now and the end of the season.  SC has had a lot of criticism already - folk finding fault with everything from his substitutions, to his match-day suits.  Maybe some Pars fans aren't happy unless they have something to moan about?

I've heard a lot of positive things about the first half on Saturday.  If we can keep players like Beadling and Anderson fit, we're maybe, just maybe in with a chance of getting a decent run going.   But it needs to happen soon!

If we start taking care of our own business, we can still make an assault on the top half of the league, even if the play-offs are becoming a less realistic target.

We can't go chasing impossible dreams anymore - that nearly killed our Club once before.

One thing is for sure.  Slating players, managers, board members whether in person, from the stands or online isn't going to help improve the situation!

[scottyboy]

I would agree with a lot of that apart from AJ was relieved of his duties prematurely. Maybe we can make an assault on the top half, but the damage was done early on in the season. I just want SC to give us an improvement on the first half of the season. 

[Paradox]

1 minute ago, scottyboy said:

I would agree with a lot of that apart from AJ was relieved of his duties prematurely. Maybe we can make an assault on the top half, but the damage was done early on in the season. I just want SC to give us an improvement on the first half of the season. 

My take on the AJ thing was that things were actually beginning to improve, but by then I think he had lost the confidence of the fans, and maybe lost a bit of belief in himself?  IIRC correctly, we had only lost 1 game in 6 when he left.  Sure, things weren't great, but at that time, I was still more confident of us moving up the league, than falling down it as we have.

Hopefully, SC can turn things around for us this season.

[Vinnie]

Well said @Paradox.  Unfortunately wasted here, as I imagine all the sensible posters here agree with you, its the roasters on .net that will be bursting blood vessels..

Now youve got that off your chest, fancying popping onto you EPL trivia thread and giving a few answers? 

[Paradox]

1 minute ago, Vinnie said:

Well said @Paradox.  Unfortunately wasted here, as I imagine all the sensible posters here agree with you, its the roasters on .net that will be bursting blood vessels..

Now youve got that off your chest, fancying popping onto you EPL trivia thread and giving a few answers? 

Haha, aye OK mate.

[Piracy]

Good post.

Been a difficult season and with expectations running high early doors it quickly went downward. I still thought we'd turn the corner but that wasn't and isn't going to happen.

Best we can do is get behind the Board, Management and Team.

Offer our collective support and I believe we'll improve under Crawford and Shields. But they need encouragment and patience to flourish not the constant level of continual negative drivel from all these top FIFA Managers who've been schooled in football by playing for the school team and manage Man U on the X-Box.

It is best countered with reasoning and positivity and presenting balanced viewpoints. You can still be critical and rightly so but it's got to be fair.

Staying away damages the club and we don't want that.

Withdrawing from the Lifeline damages the club.

Choosing not to have a beer pre-match at the ground damages the club.

Spouting negative half baked made up tripe damages the club.

Support the club we've more chance of success, withdraw and we f*ck up and you're then part of the problem.

[Guest The Beer Baron]

A lot of the time I feel it's ego. People can't handle it when it gets tough so they go all out negative as some kind of protection for their fragile state.

Imagine being a fan of Albion Rovers right now? Or East Stirling? It doesn't sound so attractive but the hardcore element remain as small as they are. Why? Because that's their team. Football is about having your team and (I believe) having your own stories around that team.

 

[Vinnie]

Sacking managers left right and centre does not guarantee success - look at Man United since Fergie, look at teams like Leeds and Forest since they got relegated to the Championship, same with Villa. 

Look at Everton in the last few seasons - major investment, but if the teams above you are equalling your spending, or outspending you, you need to revise your expectations. 

[Guest The Beer Baron]

Clubs like ourselves need someone in charge that knows how to set up a winning system and can identify and sign the players to make it work whilst working with limited resources. Livingston and St Mirren last season showed exactly that. Sadly, AJ signed mostly rubbish in the summer and that's been the main reason for our decline I feel. He wanted to change it to a 3-5-2 but signed utter diddies at centre half and players like Hippolyte and Fez who simply haven't worked out up front. 

[Vinnie]

27 minutes ago, The Beer Baron said:

Clubs like ourselves need someone in charge that knows how to set up a winning system and can identify and sign the players to make it work whilst working with limited resources. Livingston and St Mirren last season showed exactly that. Sadly, AJ signed mostly rubbish in the summer and that's been the main reason for our decline I feel. He wanted to change it to a 3-5-2 but signed utter diddies at centre half and players like Hippolyte and Fez who simply haven't worked out up front. 

Im not sure... I think its relying on loan players and offering short term deals that we cant build on a season, its a constant restructure 

[Paradox]

8 hours ago, Vinnie said:

Im not sure... I think its relying on loan players and offering short term deals that we cant build on a season, its a constant restructure 

There was a definite shift towards 3-5-2 And the players signed were supposed to fit this system.

Ultimately it failed, and a season of fitting square pegs into round holes resulted in AJs demise.

I still think we have a good squad on paper.  Unfortunately, we play on grass!

[Vinnie]

Fair point @Paradox.

However, I would ask, is that a necessity given the players we were able to sign on the terms offered, rather than being able to offer three or four year contracts to players we really wanted to sign or keep?

[Paradox]

4 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

Fair point @Paradox.

However, I would ask, is that a necessity given the players we were able to sign on the terms offered, rather than being able to offer three or four year contracts to players we really wanted to sign or keep?

Perhaps.  Maybe that was the REAL failing this season?

Maybe pushing the envelope a wee bit more to keep Nicky Clark, Callum Morris, etc might have made a difference this season, who knows?

[Guest The Beer Baron]

Can only speculate but if we're working within a structure, they'd have to be special as **** to break it.

[Superally]

23 minutes ago, Paradox said:

Perhaps.  Maybe that was the REAL failing this season?

Maybe pushing the envelope a wee bit more to keep Nicky Clark, Callum Morris, etc might have made a difference this season, who knows?

I think I can agree that pushing the boat out may have been worthwhile in terms of Morris as the squad we have could easily be trimmed. In terms of Clark there was no chance he was going to stay given the level of abuse from the small minded morons in our support. We would not be in the position we are today if Clark had resigned.