Thoughts on Season Ahead?

[THE LARK SAINT]

10 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

Is Ballantyne really all that close to breaking through? I'd have expected him to be more involved in the friendlies/cup games if he was. I'm also a bit sceptical as to whether Max will still be in the starting line-up by the time we get to the first league games (as I mentioned in the Annan thread, I thought Davidson looked unhappy with him during that game and I reckon he'll be dropped to the bench tomorrow).

I think Davidson's fear of mistakes makes it very, very difficult for young players to break through into his plans (which is what we're seeing with Sinclair at the moment).

Sinclair is 21 spent a good spell injured   needs loans although I think he could have had more time this pre season, his time will come but 21 is really young for 1st team keeper 

I suspect he will be away on loan soon.no bad thing for his development  as sitting on bench as back up does him no good and probably why Parish has played 

[templeofsaints]

6 minutes ago, THE LARK SAINT said:

Sinclair is 21 spent a good spell injured   needs loans although I think he could have had more time this pre season, his time will come but 21 is really young for 1st team keeper 

I suspect he will be away on loan soon.no bad thing for his development  as sitting on bench as back up does him no good and probably why Parish has played 

If the Reserve League is coming back then is there a need to put him out on loan? Same might apply to the likes of Ballantyne/Ferguson etc although it depends on whether Callum thinks they'll be good enough to make the step up this season, especially since with the size of our squad there will be limited opportunities for these fringe players.

[blueheaven]

1 hour ago, THE LARK SAINT said:

I don't quite agree that a manager that Can win 2 cups is clueless, on the other hand in difficult circumstances  led us into and through the play offs

"Led us into the play-offs" is a really odd thing to try to turn into a positive!! We should have been nowhere near the playoffs.

 

1 hour ago, THE LARK SAINT said:

Sinclair is 21 spent a good spell injured   needs loans although I think he could have had more time this pre season, his time will come but 21 is really young for 1st team keeper 

I suspect he will be away on loan soon.no bad thing for his development  as sitting on bench as back up does him no good and probably why Parish has played 

I agree with this but the thing is it's not just Sinclair. To me, there's a general reluctance to bring youngsters into the first team and Sinclair is just one example of that.

[blueheaven]

1 hour ago, templeofsaints said:

If the Reserve League is coming back then is there a need to put him out on loan? Same might apply to the likes of Ballantyne/Ferguson etc although it depends on whether Callum thinks they'll be good enough to make the step up this season, especially since with the size of our squad there will be limited opportunities for these fringe players.

Yeah, I think the problem with putting youngsters out on loan is that they can't be called upon when needed, so may miss their chance. It'll be interesting to see how the new reserve league changes the club's approach.

At the game on Wednesday a few of us were talking about some of our previous successful youngsters. Keigan Parker came into the team at 15, I think Danny Griffin was captaining us at 17. Then there were guys like Kieran McAnespie, Stuart McCluskey, Stephen Robertson, Andy Whiteford, Phizzy Scott, Ross Forsyth, Kevin Cuthbert and even Callum Davidson himself. From memory, I don't think any of these guys went out on loan before breaking into the Saints team. They were kept at the club, playing reserve football and training with the squad, so they were ready and able to step into the first team when injuries/suspensions created a chance for them.

 

 

[Northern saint]

If lessons had been learnt from last season, they appear to be the same as Politician's promises to learn and do better.  No change needed, look the other way.  

I haven't seen any other manager so ready to blame the players publicly as Davidson.  We'll see if Max plays tomorrow if his message remains the same, try and do something to win and be banished!   Did Max's second half performance reflect the manager's words to him at half time?  

The short preseason may be an excuse but the management team must surely know the level of poor performance they will get from the usual suspects.  The need therefore was to see if those fringe or new players would be capable of stepping up, improving the team.  The cup games should have been used to examine those players.  Sinclair is an age where many top goalkeepers of today were playing regularly.    Why not see how he performs at this level now?  Eetu, Bair, Ballantyne, Ferguson game time.  Why not change the system to match the players?  

This season already seems to be repeating the mistakes of last season.  Speaking with a Dundee United fan, excited about European football for the first time in years only brought back the memories of what could have been.  How, when we played at pace, with some passion and attacked in numbers we looked good.  Then Davidson was shouting them to get back.  More ambition should have led to the group stage at least.  

I've said before in struggling managers, a negative mindset creeps in and the team goes backwards.  Is Eetu a fallout from this?  Nothing has been done to address the coaching staff.  Could we get Dasovic, Attila, Morris to come and work with the players?  Is there a young d*** Campbell whose enthusiasm gives his players some momentum?  

The only hope, however small, is that so many teams were bad last season, some may be again.  I'm beginning to see a leak in the glass.

[sixties saintee]

3 hours ago, THE LARK SAINT said:

I don't quite agree that a manager that Can win 2 cups is clueless, on the other hand in difficult circumstances  led us into and through the play offs

I'm on the fence and will give him till Christmas  at least. 

To late by then Larky, you watch Max will be on the bench Tomorrow

[south inch]

OK, which one of you guys ghost wrote the Hootsmon's summary of our preparations for the coming season which ended with the prediction that we would finish 12tth?

Not complaining, I thought it was very good.

[blueheaven]

15 hours ago, south inch said:

OK, which one of you guys ghost wrote the Hootsmon's summary of our preparations for the coming season which ended with the prediction that we would finish 12tth?

Not complaining, I thought it was very good.

We were often predicted to finish near the bottom during Tommy's time and I know it was used as a motivational tool to give the players a bit of fire in them to prove everyone wrong. Of course, back then people were wrong, so it was probably a bit easier to prove.

 

[R.B.B:- Adz]

42 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

We were often predicted to finish near the bottom during Tommy's time and I know it was used as a motivational tool to give the players a bit of fire in them to prove everyone wrong. Of course, back then people were wrong, so it was probably a bit easier to prove.

 

This is nothing like a Tommy Wright team 

[johndb]

What about getting Tommy Wright in to Mentor Callum? Blow it just get tommy back full stop!

[slf]

7 minutes ago, johndb said:

What about getting Tommy Wright in to Mentor Callum? 

I suggested that ages ago but got blown out the water by the usual suspects

[Norsaint]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:22 AM, blueheaven said:

We were often predicted to finish near the bottom during Tommy's time and I know it was used as a motivational tool to give the players a bit of fire in them to prove everyone wrong. Of course, back then people were wrong, so it was probably a bit easier to prove.

 

Last season was the first in many years that they were not predicted to be near bottom and they got pretty close. Better perhaps if they are favs to go down?

[garydavidson]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/62201732

Podcast buffoons or on the money?

[pezza70]

That Anderson is a wanker, would he say the same about the OF with their struggles to win big in Europe?

[blueheaven]

13 minutes ago, garydavidson said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/62201732

Podcast buffoons or on the money?

I can't disagree with any of that, sadly.

I feel like we've completely lost all of the key ingredients that made us a success under Coyle, McInnes, Lomas and Wright. Each of those managers built on the achievements of the last, but Davidson has broken the formula and now we're going backwards (or, more literally, downwards).

[pezza70]

1 hour ago, blueheaven said:

I can't disagree with any of that, sadly.

I feel like we've completely lost all of the key ingredients that made us a success under Coyle, McInnes, Lomas and Wright. Each of those managers built on the achievements of the last, but Davidson has broken the formula and now we're going backwards (or, more literally, downwards).

I think we will run last but don’t like Anderson saying we have had success and are now due to cop some bad results.

I also agree that teams under previous managers all built on the previous regime that the good old blue wall would always hold even if we didn’t score a brace of goals but the team last couldn’t defend at times and we all know our goal scoring efforts under CD last year.

[sixties saintee]

Bet they aw went fir the the last season tae win the league

[Steve McQueen]

General question. If we were guaranteed a playoff/11th place again now would you take it?

[garydavidson]

1 hour ago, pezza70 said:

I think we will run last but don’t like Anderson saying we have had success and are now due to cop some bad results.

I read that as being fairly tongue in cheek as the overall piece is aimed at being humorous mainly.

 

More predictions of doom: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/62344997

Chris Iwelumo doing his best to try and avoid saying we are going down.

[Cagey]

I have yet see a pundit or fan to place Saints higher than 12th.

Apart from 4 or 5 Saints fans

 

 

[tucker]

I'd take Tommy, Owen or Del back as manager if the season goes as we all expect 

[PSJ.84]

4 hours ago, pezza70 said:

That Anderson is a wanker, would he say the same about the OF with their struggles to win big in Europe?

As said above, it’s tongue in cheek and the piece overall is good. I’d pay a lot more attention to what anybody at The Terrace has to say compared with the rest of the ‘pundits’ in Scottish football 

[chips]

No-one loves us.... but we don't care 

 

[pezza70]

1 hour ago, Steve McQueen said:

General question. If we were guaranteed a playoff/11th place again now would you take it?

Yes definitely 

[ex-montrosesaintee]

2 hours ago, Steve McQueen said:

General question. If we were guaranteed a playoff/11th place again now would you take it?

Not a chance, I really think we are a player or two.... and a manager.... away from being way better than 11th.  Taking that deal would mean no chance of Callum going.  If we finish 11th this year and Callum is still here, then we'll be even worse the year after.