Linky Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 14 minutes ago, Saintdunc said: Do you mean our level, as Triestina are near the foot of Serie C, or that of the Scottish Premiership? Sad appraisal of the quality of Scottish football, if it's the latter. I mean bottom third of the SPFL is probably about the same level as Serie C. Probably about the same as bottom of English League 1, top of League 2. Nothing to be ashamed about, but the Italian and English leagues are very strong. Catania would get 19k to a home match last season in Serie C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueheaven Posted October 11 Author Report Share Posted October 11 49 minutes ago, Linky said: I mean bottom third of the SPFL is probably about the same level as Serie C. Probably about the same as bottom of English League 1, top of League 2. Nothing to be ashamed about, but the Italian and English leagues are very strong. Catania would get 19k to a home match last season in Serie C. I think that's probably about right. If you look at the Triestina squad, they have a player with 21 caps for Slovenia, another with 37 caps for Latvia, plus quite a few players with under-age caps for various different countries. There are some fairly big clubs with big stadiums in that league. I'd bet there are probably quite a few players in that division who we'd very happily see at Saints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintdunc Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 (edited) On 9/29/2024 at 3:09 PM, Linky said: Also - if we are keeping Neilson, I think he's absolutely fine as a back up for Holt, but he's not a CB at this level. Would rather play Essel as CB if we need to On from the start for the U21s tonight. Gemmell must like him, or are they short of decent CBs at that level as well? Edited October 11 by Saintdunc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MySpazz Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 11 hours ago, Saintdunc said: Last time I looked he was playing in Serie C. Admittedly scoring at that level. As you say though, he was hung out to dry. P;laying alongside the old Aberdeen keeper Roos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.B.B:- Adz Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 4 hours ago, Saintdunc said: On from the start for the U21s tonight. Gemmell must like him, or are they short of decent CBs at that level as well? A long long history of overhyped players getting capped at “21s” and going on to football obscurity. The Scotland youth setup is a weird and wonderful place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy Posted October 12 Report Share Posted October 12 Neilson probably does well at youth level because his size. I do wonder if he's been like that since a young age too, as the way he plays lacks an urgency/aggression as if he's just used to be able to coast through games. R.B.B:- Adz and PerthSaint01 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_gain Posted October 12 Report Share Posted October 12 39 minutes ago, RandomGuy said: Neilson probably does well at youth level because his size. I do wonder if he's been like that since a young age too, as the way he plays lacks an urgency/aggression as if he's just used to be able to coast through games. It's genuinely a problem in youth football (at all levels) from 10 years and up. You get big, strong kids whose physicality and pace cover up many weaknesses in their skill level or their game intelligence. If not coached on their weakneses (or not wanting to be coached) they coast until they hit a stage where they aren't the fastest, strongest. Earlier kids get this adversity and learn to work through it the better but some just fritter out of football when they hit this. SFA report recently highlighted it and suggested players playing up a year. Remi Matthews also mentioned it being a problem for him as he hit his wall in adulthood. I agree, Neilson does look like he's maybe not yet learned some of the "finer" arts involved in defending because he's maybe not had to and chucking him in midfield won't help either. On a slight tangent, the Belgium U21 team 3 years ago were light years ahead of our U21s, difference in level was quite staggering at the time, 2-0 in 2024 probably not the worst result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted October 12 Report Share Posted October 12 2 hours ago, RandomGuy said: Neilson probably does well at youth level because his size. I do wonder if he's been like that since a young age too, as the way he plays lacks an urgency/aggression as if he's just used to be able to coast through games. Watched him in the under 21s. The game passes him by ,no positional since and don't remember him putting a tackle in. Was played left of a back 3 so that might not have helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linky Posted October 12 Report Share Posted October 12 14 hours ago, Saintdunc said: On from the start for the U21s tonight. Gemmell must like him, or are they short of decent CBs at that level as well? I think some players just work for certain set ups and not others. Some players are great at international level that haven’t had such good careers, or in some countries but not others Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme S Posted October 12 Report Share Posted October 12 Eric Nicholson this morning: New St Johnstone manager, Simo Valakari, could soon make his first signing. Courier Sport understands that Croatian centre-back, Bozo Mikulic, impressed as a trialist in a Friday closed-doors game against Hibs. And the 27-year-old, who arrived on Wednesday and trained on Thursday, is now set for talks with a view to linking up again with his old boss in Scotland. Mikulic, a free agent, played under Valakari at Auda in the Latvian top flight in 2022-23. The 6ft 4in, left-sided central defender is a former Croatia under-19 international. He has played for both RNK Split and Hadjuk Split and spent two spells in Italy, the first at Sampdoria.Saints have been crying out for a commanding centre-half. Valakari’s predecessor, Craig Levein, was attempting to identify a player for that position – as well as left-back – before he was sacked. Conceding goals from set-pieces and corners has been the Perth side’s Achilles heel over the last few weeks and they are a man light, with Sam McClelland ruled out for the season. ozo MikuliSimo VaSt Johnstone Cleveland-Saint, pezza70, rik2304 and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garydavidson Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 Bozo signed until the end of the season pending a work permit. templeofsaints, MySpazz, rik2304 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintee in exile Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 Sounds promising and good to see Simo is moving fast to strengthen our weak defence.Hopefully a better keeper on the way too rik2304 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenrothes saintee Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 Hopefully if he’s any good we will look to give him a longer contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pezza70 Posted October 16 Report Share Posted October 16 12 hours ago, glenrothes saintee said: Hopefully if he’s any good we will look to give him a longer contract. Hopefully he will look at this as a stepping stone to a bigger pay day and we get the best of him out on the pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted October 16 Report Share Posted October 16 Hopefully he and the coach will get a visa. Indicator 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bankfoot saint Posted October 16 Report Share Posted October 16 Unless they go for a fast track visa for Bozo theres no way hes playing on Saturday, Simo’s visa has already taken over a week and its still not been confirmed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.B.B:- Adz Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 On 10/11/2024 at 7:07 PM, Saintdunc said: On from the start for the U21s tonight. Gemmell must like him, or are they short of decent CBs at that level as well? On 10/12/2024 at 6:44 AM, RandomGuy said: Neilson probably does well at youth level because his size. I do wonder if he's been like that since a young age too, as the way he plays lacks an urgency/aggression as if he's just used to be able to coast through games. On 10/12/2024 at 9:00 AM, Cagey said: Watched him in the under 21s. The game passes him by ,no positional since and don't remember him putting a tackle in. Was played left of a back 3 so that might not have helped. Beaten by Kazakhstans making it five tournament failures in a row. Neilson played the full 90 mins vs Kazakhstan. So average! Definitely not a first team starter for St Johnstone football club in the premier league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cagey Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 2 hours ago, R.B.B:- Adz said: Beaten by Kazakhstans making it five tournament failures in a row. Neilson played the full 90 mins vs Kazakhstan. So average! Definitely not a first team starter for St Johnstone football club in the premier league. Got caught in possession and the guy went on to win a penalty for second goal. A player that thinks he is better than he is. R.B.B:- Adz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gekko Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 I've always thought that Neilson was a Hearts project from Levein. I wouldn't mind if he was better than what we had, but if anything, he's a downgrade. Get him back down the road and concentrate on our own players, rather than helping a rival by giving their young players experience. We have Bozo now, and Essel can also play centre back if necessary. I'd rather play them than the Hearts young prospect. Graeme S, R.B.B:- Adz, lindz105 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Strasser Posted October 18 Report Share Posted October 18 Sean Rooney has been dismissed by St Mirren. Will be looking for a Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chips Posted October 18 Report Share Posted October 18 38 minutes ago, Bruno Strasser said: Sean Rooney has been dismissed by St Mirren. Will be looking for a Club. Probably untouchable until his day in court, claims of assaulting a female teenager and another charge of homophobic abuse. Serious charges (if found guilty) think he'll struggle to find another club at this level for quite some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepless Posted October 18 Report Share Posted October 18 2 minutes ago, chips said: Probably untouchable until his day in court, claims of assaulting a female teenager and another charge of homophobic abuse. Serious charges (if found guilty) think he'll struggle to find another club at this level for quite some time. Yes indeed. What a shame, stupid lad. That foul he should have been sent off for (and wasn't even booked) was also a shocker. He even had two swipes at the guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chips Posted October 18 Report Share Posted October 18 2 minutes ago, sleepless said: Yes indeed. What a shame, stupid lad. That foul he should have been sent off for (and wasn't even booked) was also a shocker. He even had two swipes at the guy. Oh yeah forgot about that, seems Rooney was always a bit of a "character" when with us, going by his media posts he certainly didn't hide his love for Celtic 😏 Was a bit peeved when he went to St Mirren as would have liked to have seen him return here, glad he didn't now. Seems he's totally f****d up now sleepless 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueheaven Posted October 18 Author Report Share Posted October 18 Even aside from what he's alleged to have done, it's really not great that a professional footballer is spending his time hanging around chip shops in the early hours of the morning. Doesn't exactly suggest he's taking his fitness seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slf Posted October 18 Report Share Posted October 18 1 hour ago, Bruno Strasser said: Sean Rooney has been dismissed by St Mirren. Will be looking for a Club. Likely looking for a lawyer as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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