Thistle vs Falkirk - Relegation Decider?

[jagfox]

So, like it or not we have another game on Saturday versus a Falkirk team that have gone gung ho in the transfer market with 16 new signings to date with Paul Hartley looking to add a forward to his much changed squad. 

Ive not really heard much of the players they’ve signed as a fair amount have come up from the reserve squads of various English clubs. There will be a familiar face in all likelihood in that of former Jags captain Paul Paton. He certainly fills a position where we are sorely lacking at the moment. 

I’m not expecting much from either team as we are still short on numbers but at least we can add Elliott and McCarthy to the squad. Will we have a new face or two in place? I wouldn’t bet on it, tbh.

I’d be happy with some entertainment and a few Thistle goals (at least one more than the Bairns would be pleasing). I appreciate that is a big ask but we might be getting the visitors at the right time despite our own travails...

 

[javeajag]

5 minutes ago, jagfox said:

So, like it or not we have another game on Saturday versus a Falkirk team that have gone gung ho in the transfer market with 16 new signings to date with Paul Hartley looking to add a forward to his much changed squad. 

Ive not really heard much of the players they’ve signed as a fair amount have come up from the reserve squads of various English clubs. There will be a familiar face in all likelihood in that of former Jags captain Paul Paton. He certainly fills a position where we are sorely lacking at the moment. 

I’m not expecting much from either team as we are still short on numbers but at least we can add Elliott and McCarthy to the squad. Will we have a new face or two in place? I wouldn’t bet on it, tbh.

I’d be happy with some entertainment and a few Thistle goals (at least one more than the Bairns would be pleasing). I appreciate that is a big ask but we might be getting the visitors at the right time despite our own travails...

 

Talkies are a bit of an unknown as tbh are we.....

we don’t really score many goals so the key issue I suspect will be our defence 

[scotty]

If Hartley has spent the past week drilling into his players how to play against us, I'd go for a 0-0 untill the 89th minute.

[erty13]

Can we all agree that despite our different opinions  about the manager and the quality of the players, we will all support the team when they kick off at 3pm on Saturday. 

Booing and shouting abuse at the players will only hand Falkirk a huge advantage.  If we expect the players to step up their performance,  we need to show our support. Let's get back to the " we score when we want" days.

[Auld Jag]

9 minutes ago, erty13 said:

Can we all agree that despite our different opinions  about the manager and the quality of the players, we will all support the team when they kick off at 3pm on Saturday. 

Booing and shouting abuse at the players will only hand Falkirk a huge advantage.  If we expect the players to step up their performance,  we need to show our support. Let's get back to the " we score when we want" days.

Agree with this.Although this is only the second league game of the season imo both managers are under pressure beacause of what happened with both teams last season.We are at home so we need to look to win this game.Lets score first and have the Falkirk fans booing their team.

[Hankey]

As poor as we are, I definitely think we can win this, although I wouldn't read much into it barring a resounding margin. Falkirk are pretty poor anyway but are in the process of trying to get their team to gel as well. A loss would be very concerning as I think Falkirk are a stick on for the bottom half.

[sandy]

Two games in and we are in a ‘relegation decider’? 

Oh please ....

[Yellow & Redneck]

8 minutes ago, sandy said:

Two games in and we are in a ‘relegation decider’? 

Oh please ....

I think the title is a little tongue in cheek. 

[twinny]

35 cup finals between now and the end of the season.

[westertonjagfan]

3 hours ago, erty13 said:

Can we all agree that despite our different opinions  about the manager and the quality of the players, we will all support the team when they kick off at 3pm on Saturday. 

Booing and shouting abuse at the players will only hand Falkirk a huge advantage.  If we expect the players to step up their performance,  we need to show our support. Let's get back to the " we score when we want" days.

Completely agree with this. I seem to be surrounded by boo-boys in the JHS. It's starting to really piss me off. Support the team. I'm as ****** off as anyone else but I can control myself and not shout and bawl like a toddler. 

[The Legend Blows]

The main positive to take from this fixture is that bookies haven't cottoned on to how terrible we are and still have us odds on. Lump all your spare cash on Falkirk at 13/5.

Falkirk 2 nil at 18/1 also looks great value. (Just saying for the gamblers out there) 

Edited August 8, 2018 by The Legend Blows

[watties wallies]

this season i have attended morton and ayr at home and albion and ayr away

and before that livi home and away in the play offs

in all of these games, apart from the first half against morton, and yes even the albion rovers match we have been dire, bloody awful

tactically inept, no fighting spirit, no leadership on the park

some of the players wearing the red and yellow wouldn't get a game with the local pub team

this has got to change now, enough is enough 

our finances have been sorted, we will soon have a new training facility

we as supporters don't expect to win every game, or always play attractive, attacking football

but we do expect is a  thistle team that is professionally organised, playing as a team and having the energy to last 90 minutes

but unfortunately win lose or draw this saturday nothing will change

as someone has previously posted, the wagons are circling, the status quo will be maintained

i await " the next big moment" with bated breath

always thistle,    watties wallies

 

 

 

[Hankey]

1 hour ago, The Legend Blows said:

The main positive to take from this fixture is that bookies haven't cottoned on to how terrible we are and still have us odds on. Lump all your spare cash on Falkirk at 13/5.

Falkirk 2 nil at 18/1 also looks great value. (Just saying for the gamblers out there) 

They were actually 14/5 with Marathon Bet at the start of the week.

[javeajag]

What’s Archie’s win ratio ? About 25 % ?......will be higher at home I suspect so given falkirk are a little unknown ......we have  what 50/50 chance of getting a draw ?

[BowenBoys]

3 hours ago, javeajag said:

What’s Archie’s win ratio ? About 25 % ?......will be higher at home I suspect so given falkirk are a little unknown ......we have  what 50/50 chance of getting a draw ?

I have no idea what the statistical likelihood is of any football match ending in a draw. I also have no idea what your point is.

[scotty]

Betting talk. A  foreign language to me.

[Norgethistle]

11 hours ago, twinny said:

35 cup finals between now and the end of the season.

37 if you count play offs

[jaf]

12 hours ago, sandy said:

Two games in and we are in a ‘relegation decider’? 

Oh please ....

Sandy, current squad on current performance levels, which teams are you confident we will finish above this season?

[Alan Murray]

 Squad against Ayr was missing 4 players still to come in, 2 suspended and 2 injured. 

[Gary Peebles Tackle]

Speaking of which, does anyone know if / when we’ll see Bannigan? Exactly what we’re missing & it’d be great to have him back.

[Alan Murray]

Supposed to be back in training from Monday. I think the Stranraer match seems likely. 

[scotty]

6 minutes ago, Alan Murray said:

 Squad against Ayr was missing 4 players still to come in, 2 suspended and 2 injured. 

So, will we go through the rest of the season with our squad made up with players still to come in?

[jaf]

3 minutes ago, Alan Murray said:

 Squad against Ayr was missing 4 players still to come in, 2 suspended and 2 injured. 

Yep......

A right back responsible for contributing to very many of our conceded goals in the last few seasons

A midfielder who has been overlooked for Shea Gordon in pre season games to date

A midfielder who has a contract which expires this month

A player who we aren't quite sure where he fits into our team yet

These 4 were not going to transform us into world beaters - in fact 3 of them were available the previous Saturday and the outcome was the same.

Ayr were also missing players of course including 36 year old Mark Kerr who strolled through the game against us the previous Saturday.

 

 

[Alan Murray]

1 hour ago, jaf said:

Yep......

A right back responsible for contributing to very many of our conceded goals in the last few seasons

A midfielder who has been overlooked for Shea Gordon in pre season games to date

A midfielder who has a contract which expires this month

A player who we aren't quite sure where he fits into our team yet

These 4 were not going to transform us into world beaters - in fact 3 of them were available the previous Saturday and the outcome was the same.

Ayr were also missing players of course including 36 year old Mark Kerr who strolled through the game against us the previous Saturday.

 

 

But we don't really know what would have happened if the players were available. That's why we need to give him more time. I am worried by the two performances against ayr. 

Remember however we did beat Morton who should be in the mix this year. Ayr has a settled winning team with a striker that looks like he would not be out of place in some of the better teams in the Premiership. Next time we meet he will probably playing for another team. 

Game on Saturday is huge - Falkirk are similar to us in then have had a huge turnover of playing staff. A much better match to judge us on.
 Lose and yes we should be worried.  

[jaf]

1 minute ago, Alan Murray said:

But we don't really know what would have happened if the players were available. That's why we need to give him more time. I am worried by the two performances against ayr. 

Remember however we did beat Morton who should be in the mix this year. Ayr has a settled winning team with a striker that looks like he would not be out of place in some of the better teams in the Premiership. Next time we meet he will probably playing for another team. 

Game on Saturday is huge - Falkirk are similar to us in then have had a huge turnover of playing staff. A much better match to judge us on.
 Lose and yes we should be worried.  

That's all fair, but we cannot keep saying teams are better than we think. I do not think either Ayr or Morton will be in play-off spots come the end of season (because I think there are four teams in the division better than them). If I am right, and our expectations are promotion, they are teams we ought to be beating to meet our expectations. The bookmakers have Morton as 7th favourites for the league and Ayr as 9th. Falkirk are 6th. (we are 3rd).

We did beat Morton, however Morton had 18 attempts on goal compared to our 5 (and 62% of possession), and for how well we played in first half, Morton will feel disappointed they did not take a point from that game.

I agree though more time needed once squad is finalised. But to my mind, end of September is a reasonable line in sand and certainly the review should be well this side of Christmas as some have suggested.

I certainly agree that Saturday is a big game.  What is frightening if I play the game of "who will we definitely finish above this season?", the answer looks bleak. A few good signings and a resurgent Banzo may of course change that outlook!