Club Statement

[Digs]

4 hours ago, Piracy said:

Because I feel he underperformed at our club. I think he's probably underperformed at every club he's been at. I think he is one of the most naturally gifted players and potentially exciting players we've seen at EEP in years. Yet he and the other players have failed us as we're relegated. So just after relegation seeing him joyously celebrating another teams victory got on my tits. Right now I'm glad he's gone and I want to see other players go right at the back of him too. They let us down and themselves down. 

Totally agree. I'm not so naïve that I don;t thik footballers don't have a team they support, that's just stupid. However, when you've just been relegated it's not a great look. Having said that, he won;t give a toss as he'd already left months ago anyway. 

I think in terms of ability he is punching well below his weight. That boy has so much ability but it would appear it's him that is hindering the use of it. He will be remembered through the Pars rose tinted glasses as this and that, but the reality is Grant was right (when he was here at least) that he was a bit lazy in the defensive side of the game, and if we're being really honest, he only really turned it on one in every 3 games. I don't know why he was often in and out of the team but if we're being honest with ourselves here, that is the likely reason, allied to the rumours of him being 'difficult' in the dressing room. His career trajectory doesn't lie when you compare it relative to his ability.

[SanguinePar]

1 hour ago, Digs said:

 the rumours of him being 'difficult' in the dressing room. 

These rumours - have they been around a while? I can't think of having heard them until recently, and it's just the kind of rumour that would get spread around about a player who is choosing to leave the club.

I'm not saying they're necessarily untrue, but I don't know if we should just take them at face value either.

[Superally]

54 minutes ago, SanguinePar said:

These rumours - have they been around a while? I can't think of having heard them until recently, and it's just the kind of rumour that would get spread around about a player who is choosing to leave the club.

I'm not saying they're necessarily untrue, but I don't know if we should just take them at face value either.

I think Sanguine that many of those issues were evident at the beginning of the season as well in a supposed fall out with PG.

[kelty_par]

5 minutes ago, Superally said:

I think Sanguine that many of those issues were evident at the beginning of the season as well in a supposed fall out with PG.

The reason Thomas was dropped by grant was because of a half time spat in the partick game at home, and never saw eye to eye after that. Boy from my work was talking to a member of doms family at ibrox the week after and said about the argument and that’s why he was subbed off that day 

[livipar2]

Grants handling of DT was shambolic at best. Make him captain, play him in completely the wrong position, sun him at HT, drop him completely.

He may (or may not be a bit of an arse) but is it not the managers job to manage all types of players and get the best out of them? On that front PG and Yogi failed miserably.

[SanguinePar]

14 minutes ago, Superally said:

I think Sanguine that many of those issues were evident at the beginning of the season as well in a supposed fall out with PG.

Ah ok, thanks - mind you, with Grant playing him out of position, and then not at all, I'm not surprised if he wasn't happy. How that translated in the dressing room, I don't know.

However, I was just looking at some stats, and Thomas was our most successful player in season 21/22 in attacking terms anyway - second top scorer with 4 (behind O'Hara with 5) and number one assist player with 5 (next closest is Polwarth with 3 apparently).

We scored 34 goals all season and he was directly involved in 9 of them, 26.5%. Next best is O'Hara with 6 direct involvements, 17.6%. And that's despite Thomas playing only 1442 minutes compared to O'Hara's 2052.

I just think that of all the players I'd describe as underperforming, he'd be pretty low on the list.

[rosythpar]

Thomas and Dorrans reportedly both tried to terminate their contracts while Grant was in charge. 

Even when Crawford was in charge there was talk of unrest in the dressing room between Thomas and Turner. It could be a good thing that hes away.

[Keyser Soze]

I was told Thomas and Turner came to blows. 

[Digs]

13 minutes ago, rosythpar said:

Thomas and Dorrans reportedly both tried to terminate their contracts while Grant was in charge. 

Even when Crawford was in charge there was talk of unrest in the dressing room between Thomas and Turner. It could be a good thing that hes away.

And common denominators rarely lie.

[Digs]

15 minutes ago, SanguinePar said:

Ah ok, thanks - mind you, with Grant playing him out of position, and then not at all, I'm not surprised if he wasn't happy. How that translated in the dressing room, I don't know.

However, I was just looking at some stats, and Thomas was our most successful player in season 21/22 in attacking terms anyway - second top scorer with 4 (behind O'Hara with 5) and number one assist player with 5 (next closest is Polwarth with 3 apparently).

We scored 34 goals all season and he was directly involved in 9 of them, 26.5%. Next best is O'Hara with 6 direct involvements, 17.6%. And that's despite Thomas playing only 1442 minutes compared to O'Hara's 2052.

I just think that of all the players I'd describe as underperforming, he'd be pretty low on the list.

Stats are one thing, overall performance is another. Granted, he wasn't the only one I could level that accusation at, far from it, but I'm saying relative to his level of ability he clearly has, he didn't do it often enough for me. He was either in the mood or he wasn't in my view, and so that is why he's not playing in the league his ability should really be paying at.

[Keyser Soze]

3 minutes ago, Digs said:

 why he's not playing in the league his ability should really be paying at.

Hmmm not sure about that. He’s wasn’t good enough to play in the top flight hence why he’s constantly farmed out on loan to championship clubs and generally made a positive impact. Championship is his level. He’ll never get a gig again in the top flight not because of attitude but because he’s clearly just not talented enough. 

[Digs]

Just now, Keyser Soze said:

Hmmm not sure about that. He’s wasn’t good enough to play in the top flight hence why he’s constantly farmed out on loan to championship clubs and generally made a positive impact. Championship is his level. He’ll never get a gig again in the top flight not because of attitude but because he’s clearly just not talented enough. 

That's my point though. I'm saying technically, he does have the ability, we've seen it in flashes loads of times. His delivery and quick feet on occasion are a joy to watch, but for whatever reason, he just doesn't do it often enough. You could be the best player in the world ability wise but if you aren't able to make use of it then you find your level, as you say. I'm not saying it's a travesty he is where he is, as I said earlier, his career trajectory doesn't lie. 

[Rossmcno1]

14 minutes ago, Digs said:

That's my point though. I'm saying technically, he does have the ability, we've seen it in flashes loads of times. His delivery and quick feet on occasion are a joy to watch, but for whatever reason, he just doesn't do it often enough. You could be the best player in the world ability wise but if you aren't able to make use of it then you find your level, as you say. I'm not saying it's a travesty he is where he is, as I said earlier, his career trajectory doesn't lie. 

When he can be bothered he is a decent championship player.  Unfortunately on the 2 out of 3 when he is posted missing, he’s a man down.  
 

You can just tell there’s a behavioural issue there too, I can track that back to an away game at Palmerston under Crawford in 2020 when he was subbed and you can see him taking the proper huff.  
 

My issue with the whole Celtic pic isn’t the fact that he’s there as a fan - we all know vast majority of Scottish players will be fans of one or other of the arsecheeks.  It’s that clearly our relegation doesnt mean one jot to him - which I’m sure would stick in the craw of some of our younger fans who idolised him last couple of seasons.
 

He’s not a dafty he knows that his tricks and flicks that get turned into Gifs keep the kids happy.  Reality is he’s just been relegated as part of one of the worst performing seasons in this clubs recent history.  Considering that was only 4 days ago, maybe keeping the head down rather than being front and centre celebrating his big teams win might have been more palatable….

too long didn’t read version = flattered to deceive won’t be missed, stick on to have a blinder against us because he’ll be bothered for that.

[SanguinePar]

38 minutes ago, Rossmcno1 said:

It’s that clearly our relegation doesnt mean one jot to him

I don't think that's clear at all, not from just that picture. 

[Keyser Soze]

2 minutes ago, SanguinePar said:

I don't think that's clear at all, not from just that picture. 

Aye he’s just watched the team he supports win the league. He’s entitled to enjoy the moment. I have no issue with him attending the fixture or the picture in question. 

Obviously like any rationale human being I despise Celtic and the vast majority of their supporters but footballers tend not to be rationale human beings