Jump to content

Season 2019-20


Recommended Posts

9 hours ago, ThickAsThieves said:

Goalkeepers: Need a solid back-up to Sneddon, who should have a chance to start the season as number one for the first time. Get Bell and Lennox out and see who’s available. 

Defenders: I’d look to get Jordan McGhee in from Falkirk as our versatile defender (ie. replacement for McMillan) as he’s a decent first choice right-back to compete with Elliott but can play across the backline. Turns 23 in July so no compensation would be due. Retain Anderson or go for O’Dea as our experienced head and run with Anderson/O’Dea, O’Ware, Saunders and McGinty as our CB options. So long Keown. 

Midfielders: Wouldn’t be against trying to sign up Gordon but expect McCarthy and Spittal to leave so need defensive and attacking replacements. Does Ian McShane have a relegation clause? Michael Tidser? Not sure who else is available.

Forwards: Would also think McDonald will be gone, sadly, and with Roy and Coulibaly going and Mansell looking a bit too raw in my opinion, we should look be looking at two strikers minimum coming in - with Doolan retained as back-up - the first time he’d enter a season thought of as such, I believe. Rudden would be a good option. Tony Watt? Connor Sammon?

Winger required with Storey surely leaving - Keillor-Dunn at Ross County? Dom Thomas? Or try for a season loan of Mikey Johnston or Glenn Middleton? Not sure how realistic that would be. Would try to keep Cardle but if he leaves then again that’s another body to replace. 

All names thrown out are lazy suggestions to be fair so to summarise: goalkeeper, 2 defenders (assuming we keep Elliott), 2-3 midfielders, 1-2 wingers, 2 strikers. If you were to keep McMillan, Anderson, Gordon and Cardle that’s just 4-6 new bodies I reckon.

Decent analysis GRE

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Garscube Road End said:

At this rate we will have a team on the field in Zimmer frames.

Only two of the eleven players contracted for next season are over the age of 30.  I don't expect one of them - Bell - to be a Thistle player when the new season kicks off.

Oh, and eight members of County's championship-winning squad were 30+, with two of them being named in the PFA Scotland team of the year.

You knew all of that, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/5/2019 at 11:04 AM, Z88 said:

One big issue next season will be the loss of money from the parachute payment. £600k this season down to £300k next. Unless the Board can find a easy to replace that then I think our scope for decent signings is very limited. 

Withnthe EUFA Money it was over £900K down to £250K this Season 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Dark Passenger said:

Only two of the eleven players contracted for next season are over the age of 30.  I don't expect one of them - Bell - to be a Thistle player when the new season kicks off.

Oh, and eight members of County's championship-winning squad were 30+, with two of them being named in the PFA Scotland team of the year.

You knew all of that, right?

Jesus wept. Lol. Lighten up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doolan's an interesting one. He's not old and he's the type of smart player who could play on to a decent age.

i have a bit of a theory that last year's relegation may have most greatly affected those with the longest standing Thistle connections. Archie (and maybe Shaggy) had lost it really, Christie Elliot was awful (and was the captain), Erskine pretty lacklustre and Doolan hasn't been himself all season. Thistle wasn't a happy place.

Elliott came back, and maybe Caldwell felt that moving Erskine out was needed to lift the place with new faces. But Doolan saw the season out and, Morton aside, he never really looked himself.

But I'm sure a happy, confident Kris Doolan could still be a top striker in this league.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, allyo said:

Doolan's an interesting one. He's not old and he's the type of smart player who could play on to a decent age.

i have a bit of a theory that last year's relegation may have most greatly affected those with the longest standing Thistle connections. Archie (and maybe Shaggy) had lost it really, Christie Elliot was awful (and was the captain), Erskine pretty lacklustre and Doolan hasn't been himself all season. Thistle wasn't a happy place.

Elliott came back, and maybe Caldwell felt that moving Erskine out was needed to lift the place with new faces. But Doolan saw the season out and, Morton aside, he never really looked himself.

But I'm sure a happy, confident Kris Doolan could still be a top striker in this league.

I think there might be something in that theory....interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, allyo said:

Doolan's an interesting one. He's not old and he's the type of smart player who could play on to a decent age.

i have a bit of a theory that last year's relegation may have most greatly affected those with the longest standing Thistle connections. Archie (and maybe Shaggy) had lost it really, Christie Elliot was awful (and was the captain), Erskine pretty lacklustre and Doolan hasn't been himself all season. Thistle wasn't a happy place.

Elliott came back, and maybe Caldwell felt that moving Erskine out was needed to lift the place with new faces. But Doolan saw the season out and, Morton aside, he never really looked himself.

But I'm sure a happy, confident Kris Doolan could still be a top striker in this league.

Just say Caldwell bins Dools now. In his testimonial year. Having binned Erskine.

Could we forgive him? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree. I reckon the spirit about the club was such that too much sentiment could have got us relegated this season. I hope Doolan stays, but only because the manager thinks he's an asset. Anything else would be an insult to Kris Doolan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, That 1 jags fan said:

If Doolan was’t a club legend not one of us would want him to stay. But maybe with better players me might score more I’m 50/50 on him. 

I'd turn that around a bit. We might not want him to stay based on last season. But the argument for him staying is based on previous performances, the knowledge that he is an intelligent and effective player who looks after himself and therefore really should be able to be an important player. Not legendary status.

But I really think it's all about psychology. The manager, and Kris Doolan himself, will know better than any of us whether he should stay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Third Lanark said:

Considering we got McDonald for erskine he probably got right though I didn’t want erskine to leave 

I don’t think that’s right.

McDonald, Roy and Mansell were essentially replacing Quitongo and Mutombo (and in all but formally, Coulibaly).

Harkins was essentially replacing Ntambwe/Storer.

Anderson was replacing Keown. Saunders was replacing Scobie. McMillan was replacing Melbourne. Hazard was replacing Bell.

The equivalent replacement for Erskine was surely Cardle. Now Cardle has done a decent job since signing, but I think you’re misleading if you’re comparing directly Erskine and McDonald as one-in-one-out.

Edited by Woodstock Jag
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, allyo said:

Agree. I reckon the spirit about the club was such that too much sentiment could have got us relegated this season. I hope Doolan stays, but only because the manager thinks he's an asset. Anything else would be an insult to Kris Doolan.

Well, the ‘anything else’ might be the outcome

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you look at the players under contract into next season we might not be far away from having a decent starting 11 which would look something like this:

Sneddon

Saunders O'Ware McGinty Penrice

Fitzpatrick Slater Harkins Bannigan

New Signing  New Signing

I would expect us to have a total squad size of around 18- 20 so that leaves at least 8 to 10 players to be signed. It would be surprising if Doolan wasn't one of the strikers and hopefully Cardle signs for another year.

I can't see much value in another central defender with Saunders, O'Ware, McGinty able to play there and when we have Penrice and Harkins able to fill in there for emergencies.

So in my opinion we definetly need a right back, left back cover for Penrice, centre defensive midfielder, 2 wide midfielders, 2 strikers (one of which a target man). The remaining places in the squad should be younger cheaper players.

If Bell leaves then we need another keeper.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, laukat said:

If you look at the players under contract into next season we might not be far away from having a decent starting 11 which would look something like this:

Sneddon

Saunders O'Ware McGinty Penrice

Fitzpatrick Slater Harkins Bannigan

New Signing  New Signing

I would expect us to have a total squad size of around 18- 20 so that leaves at least 8 to 10 players to be signed. It would be surprising if Doolan wasn't one of the strikers and hopefully Cardle signs for another year.

I can't see much value in another central defender with Saunders, O'Ware, McGinty able to play there and when we have Penrice and Harkins able to fill in there for emergencies.

So in my opinion we definetly need a right back, left back cover for Penrice, centre defensive midfielder, 2 wide midfielders, 2 strikers (one of which a target man). The remaining places in the squad should be younger cheaper players.

If Bell leaves then we need another keeper.

 

I never knew we signed the twins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, sandy said:

Well, the ‘anything else’ might be the outcome

By "anything else" I mean keeping him for sentimental reasons. I'm pretty sure Caldwell wouldn't do that, as he demonstrated with Chris Erskine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...