RicoS321

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.

The first ever loan signing to be made manager? I guess it's no worse than being beaten by amateurs.

In fairness, the coaching team is almost always coming in with the manager, and out too. Last season's coaching team was strange. There was a suggestion that they were compiled and employed by the club, in the same way that our recruitment team was (unaffiliated and unaffected by change in manager). However, when it came down to it, they were all punted with Glass. That seemed strange to me, and they were gone before Goodwin had a chance to assess them (Brown aside, who was a signed player). We went back to the model of signing a manager and coaches as a package with Goodwin, and there will be no reason to keep them (with us out of the cup, we won't need Samson as sub goalie either). Robson strikes me as extremely tactically naive, but I'd give it to him for the rest of the season, save us making another massive fuck up quite so soon. I actually don't care that much. Goodwin seemed like a good guy, a strong character with a lot of discipline. He threw that away almost immediately, and he couldn't back it up. I don't really like any of the players at the club aside from Johnny Hayes, which is what happens when you ditch every single player I suppose. I'm not remotely excited by the new manager or our band of foreigners.

I'm not actually sure we do have a lot of quality in the squad. When we say squad of course, we're not talking about the bench, who are all shite, and pretty much the entire defence is gash. The midfield is beginning to look a little average. Also the strikers lack any consistency and put in zero effort. Hayes worked hard when he came on though.

I haven't been able to make up my mind with him this season. He's just average. I think the fact that he plays every week is an issue. I'd have Shinnie on (I'm assuming he's being rested) for him. Duk has been honking and again not looking interested. He's a complete liability when not on it. No doubt Duncan (or the new lad) will get hooked for Miovski instead.

Good to see the new guy and Duncan both starting, with Duk through the middle. Not sure we need to be seeing Clarkson in a game like this, I'd rather Barron was given an opportunity. Hopefully Clarkson will be sitting alongside Ramadani, but I've got a suspicion he might be playing a 4-1-4-1 with Clarkson and Myslovič clogging up the area behind the striker. Whilst it's against lower opposition, I would like us to keep working at a particular formation to work on our consistency.

The fact that we were apparently interested and then it moved onto Hibs swiftly after, suggested to me that it was agent chat. Possibly not, but got that impression.

Might be available shortly.

VAR is incapable of adding anything of value to the game of football. Just like the BBC, showing us the Tims playing an obvious walkover.

Crosby and Nash coming onto BBC4 next.