Transfer News !

[JAG1970]

11 hours ago, jlsarmy said:

They’re  both just punts , probably didn’t cost us a lot 

Who knows we might get lucky 

Caldwell's managerial mantra

[ARu-Strathbungo]

1 hour ago, Garscube Road End said:

Well. All this summer transfer dealings, quite frankly have been an absolute MEH! Perhaps only Zanatta looks decent.

I had to google 'MEH' to understand what it actually means, and I would pick you up on Zanatta being either 'meh' or even 'decent'. 

Admittedly my opinion is  based only on Saturday's game against Ayr, but I feel Zanatta might be the difference between PTFC playing in the seaside league next year or managing to pull themselves into mid table safety in the Championship over the next 8 months of this season.

I only hope the guy can stay injury free for his time at the club.

[Caramaca]

With 3 of our 4 new signings here till Dec/Jan at say £1K a week is £45K, and with getting £60K for getting to quarters and the Celtic money to come in, have we spent the rest on Zanatta or have we cash left ?

[Semi Nurainen]

3 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

All the publicly visible indications are that we are a crappy, struggling team with a garbage, clueless manager, both looking as if they are heading in one direction: down. Hence, no surprise that our final signings are nobodies that nobody has heard of.

Here's hoping they turn out to be revelations in the good sense! 

I think you're exaggerating a  bit now … we're never that good.

[Trotter]

Sneddon                            Fox

Williamson                       Kakay

Penrice                               Robson

Hall                                       O’Ware

McGinty                            Saunders

Bannigan                           Cole

Gordon                               Slater             

Palmer                                 Harkins

Zanatta                               Jones

Miller                                    Mansell

Cardle                                  De Vita

Sub: Austin                        Sub:Niamg

           Wilson                                Galasso

& by my reckoning of Caldwell’s non-signings.... he’s given Banzo a new contract & made him captain. Then McGinty now made Captain. He announced Sneddon as his number one.

 

that leaves Penrice (didn’t miss a minute of playing time last season), Slater & O’Ware as players he didn’t bring in.

So... how long does Caldwell get to turn things around?

He’s got his squad.

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Trotter
Adding subs. Thanks LIB.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Missing Mystery Mitch from above and you might want to include the injured Calum Wilson.

[MonehJags]

As much as it has been a disappointing start to the season, it is also clear that we wont win the league. Dundee United have spent massively and it would always have been difficult to compete with them this year. The play-offs will probably have been seen as the route to promotion and I don't think that has changed. I think we will be good enough for 4th place at least. Out of the 4 games we have failed to win, the Morton game is by far the most disappointing given the manner of the late collapse. Its all ifs and buts however ridiculous individual errors by usually reliable personnel have been largely the cause. We've just come out of August and already the season is over in the eyes of several forum members. I felt at the start of the season we were bottom heavy and didn't have many attacking options. It looked as if we were going to be relying on Cardle to be the creative spark. The addition of Zanatta sounds like we have got a cracking player on our hands. There are a few signings where the jury is still pretty much out but I am hoping as much as everyone else does that they will come good. The play-offs are very achievable this season so I'm not entertaining the relegation talk. September is a big month for Caldwell and if we can get a decent win up in Montrose then hopefully it will give us a lift going into the league games.

[Trotter]

43 minutes ago, MonehJags said:

As much as it has been a disappointing start to the season, it is also clear that we wont win the league. Dundee United have spent massively and it would always have been difficult to compete with them this year. The play-offs will probably have been seen as the route to promotion and I don't think that has changed. I think we will be good enough for 4th place at least. Out of the 4 games we have failed to win, the Morton game is by far the most disappointing given the manner of the late collapse. Its all ifs and buts however ridiculous individual errors by usually reliable personnel have been largely the cause. We've just come out of August and already the season is over in the eyes of several forum members. I felt at the start of the season we were bottom heavy and didn't have many attacking options. It looked as if we were going to be relying on Cardle to be the creative spark. The addition of Zanatta sounds like we have got a cracking player on our hands. There are a few signings where the jury is still pretty much out but I am hoping as much as everyone else does that they will come good. The play-offs are very achievable this season so I'm not entertaining the relegation talk. September is a big month for Caldwell and if we can get a decent win up in Montrose then hopefully it will give us a lift going into the league games.

I thought that would happen after County win in Betfred.

[Trotter]

1 hour ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Missing Mystery Mitch from above and you might want to include the injured Calum Wilson.

Good call. Niamg & Galasso also. That’s a squad of 26 players who are all in or around first team squad. No one can say he hasn’t been backed.

[allyo]

41 minutes ago, MonehJags said:

As much as it has been a disappointing start to the season, it is also clear that we wont win the league. Dundee United have spent massively and it would always have been difficult to compete with them this year. The play-offs will probably have been seen as the route to promotion and I don't think that has changed. I think we will be good enough for 4th place at least. Out of the 4 games we have failed to win, the Morton game is by far the most disappointing given the manner of the late collapse. Its all ifs and buts however ridiculous individual errors by usually reliable personnel have been largely the cause. We've just come out of August and already the season is over in the eyes of several forum members. I felt at the start of the season we were bottom heavy and didn't have many attacking options. It looked as if we were going to be relying on Cardle to be the creative spark. The addition of Zanatta sounds like we have got a cracking player on our hands. There are a few signings where the jury is still pretty much out but I am hoping as much as everyone else does that they will come good. The play-offs are very achievable this season so I'm not entertaining the relegation talk. September is a big month for Caldwell and if we can get a decent win up in Montrose then hopefully it will give us a lift going into the league games.

I hope you're right, but I'm struggling to see the evidence to think we will finish in the top four.

Results have obviously been poor, but so have the performances (at least those I've seen). I don't see the personnel in our squad to expect any great upturn in fortunes. And our manager, despite a decent end to last season, doesn't inspire confidence.

Add to that all the uncertainty, and rumours of disquiet within the squad (which may or may not be true), I really don't see any reason to think that we are one of the best four teams in this league.

[ARu-Strathbungo]

57 minutes ago, MonehJags said:

As much as it has been a disappointing start to the season, it is also clear that we wont win the league. Dundee United have spent massively and it would always have been difficult to compete with them this year. The play-offs will probably have been seen as the route to promotion and I don't think that has changed. I think we will be good enough for 4th place at least. Out of the 4 games we have failed to win, the Morton game is by far the most disappointing given the manner of the late collapse. Its all ifs and buts however ridiculous individual errors by usually reliable personnel have been largely the cause. We've just come out of August and already the season is over in the eyes of several forum members. I felt at the start of the season we were bottom heavy and didn't have many attacking options. It looked as if we were going to be relying on Cardle to be the creative spark. The addition of Zanatta sounds like we have got a cracking player on our hands. There are a few signings where the jury is still pretty much out but I am hoping as much as everyone else does that they will come good. The play-offs are very achievable this season so I'm not entertaining the relegation talk. September is a big month for Caldwell and if we can get a decent win up in Montrose then hopefully it will give us a lift going into the league games.

I hope you are correct, but I am struggling to see the team get to top four status on the evidence of the play seen to date.

I think with the likes of Sneddon, Penrice, an on-form Bannigan, O'Ware, McGinty, Palmer, Cardle [if played in the correct formation], and Zanatta, you have the basis of a team that are for sure top four. The fly in the ointment is GC's sometimes inept tactical play in the overall team formation and the position on the park he will ask some player to assume.

When he gets it right GC has shown he can do the job, but too often last season his tactics were baffling and destructive to the balance of the team and the way they can play.

Also if the rumours are true,  upsetting players like Bannigan and O'Ware is something he needs to fix, those two guys don't strike me as being ones to throw their toys about if they don't get what they want 100% of the time, my guess is GC's highhandedness has caused a small spat develop into a full scale argument. [that is just guesswork on my part as I am not ITK]

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I too hope Moneh's right but I'm more leaning towards Doolan's post match comments and involvement in the mini league at the bottom. The one thing we've got in our favour is we've now got the manpower to cover adequately for injuries and suspensions. The overall quality of that manpower is of course a different matter and in no small way dependent on how effective are three players we've yet to see play plus the two new lads we saw on Saturday. I'm more fingers crossed than confident.

Also I think the Montrose game will have to be used to blood the new players, so I'd take a win for morale reasons but I'm fully expecting it to be a disjointed affair. 

[Mr Bunny]

I remember saying this time last year that we seemed to have some good players but an unbalanced squad with good cover in some areas and very thin in others.  At least the latter is not the case this year with cover all the way through.  Some of the good players Archie had are still with us:  e.g. Bannigan, Slater, Gordon, O'Ware.  Some of Caldwell's better signings, from last season like Cardle and Mansell and we have some decent signings this season: Robson, Williamson (tho' neither great shakes defending, more as attackers), Miller, Palmer, Zanatta.

Others like De Vita, Jones, Hall, etc jury still out (I've seen them be decent at times, a bit dodgy other times) but give OK cover just now and may improve.  Mitch Austin is a question mark.  So I don't think that's a bad squad, just we don't have a real team yet if you know what I mean.    I'm disappointed we didn't get a midfield stongman in - the only way to make up for that is for the team to be stronger mentally instead and so far they don't seem to be able to do that for all of a game.

[laukat]

Whilst I hope I'm wrong think we're in for a very similar season to last but for different reasons.

Last year we had settled if not too predictable formation and tactics under Archie but a pretty dire squad with gaps at right back, sub standard CDM and strikers. January allowed the quality of the squad to be improved and most of the gaps to be addressed so we got an improvement in results but under GC never got a settle team, tactics or formation.

This season recruitment is better than under Archie but not as good as last January. We have some more gaps compared to January (still no CDM, strike force is weaker). Added to that this year the tactics, formations and selections appear to be more inconsistent than from Janury to end of last season.

So I think we're going to struggle and be skirting around the relegation spots until either we get another wave of recruitment in January or the tactics, fromation and selection issues are resolved. I suspect to resolve the later requires a new maanger but on the positive side a new manager could make a substantial difference.

 

[Semi Nurainen]

4 hours ago, MonehJags said:

As much as it has been a disappointing start to the season, it is also clear that we wont win the league. Dundee United have spent massively and it would always have been difficult to compete with them this year. The play-offs will probably have been seen as the route to promotion and I don't think that has changed. I think we will be good enough for 4th place at least. Out of the 4 games we have failed to win, the Morton game is by far the most disappointing given the manner of the late collapse. Its all ifs and buts however ridiculous individual errors by usually reliable personnel have been largely the cause. We've just come out of August and already the season is over in the eyes of several forum members. I felt at the start of the season we were bottom heavy and didn't have many attacking options. It looked as if we were going to be relying on Cardle to be the creative spark. The addition of Zanatta sounds like we have got a cracking player on our hands. There are a few signings where the jury is still pretty much out but I am hoping as much as everyone else does that they will come good. The play-offs are very achievable this season so I'm not entertaining the relegation talk. September is a big month for Caldwell and if we can get a decent win up in Montrose then hopefully it will give us a lift going into the league games.

a) We'll be lucky to see 4th - somewhere between 5th and 8th (still with luck), much closer to the bottom team than the top in terms of points;

b) You can explain away an individual error here and there; the pattern is that we've now had 10 months of  individual errors; being pumped definitively by a team on a third of our budget is part of the pattern;

c) See Dooan's insightful, comments about being adrift so early (that's the point) that you are trapped in a relegation mini league;

d) Kenny Miller was the first player to mention the word 'relegation' after the Morton game - and he's meant to be Caldwell's pal;

e) Shows how desperate we are when we are dreaming of 'a decent win at Montrose' to lift our season.

[allyo]

Having lost McDonald, Doolan, Elliott, Spittal, Anderson and Fitzpatrick from the team that finished last season, I don't think we've replaced them with equal quality. So while I think the team that finished last season was stronger than the one that started it, I don't necessarily think the current one is.

But there are a lot of unknowns, so we'll see.

[sandy]

6 hours ago, Trotter said:

Good call. Niamg & Galasso also. That’s a squad of 26 players who are all in or around first team squad. No one can say he hasn’t been backed.

He has been backed, now he has to deliver. No excuses, no platitudes, no dossiers, no more PowerPoint slides. 

Deliver or walk away.

[Auld Jag]

14 minutes ago, sandy said:

He has been backed, now he has to deliver. No excuses, no platitudes, no dossiers, no more PowerPoint slides. 

Deliver or walk away.

Agree, but he wont walk. If he is not doing the job we will need to sack him.

[jlsarmy]

7 hours ago, Trotter said:

Good call. Niamg & Galasso also. That’s a squad of 26 players who are all in or around first team squad. No one can say he hasn’t been backed.

No idea why Galasso was allowed to go out on loan , having watched him a good bit last year , he’s probably the most natural goal scorer at the Club just now and with Dario Zanatta now on board it was tailor made for someone like Evan Galasso to put away the chances created.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

8 minutes ago, jlsarmy said:

No idea why Galasso was allowed to go out on loan , having watched him a good bit last year , he’s probably the most natural goal scorer at the Club just now and with Dario Zanatta now on board it was tailor made for someone like Evan Galasso to put away the chances created.

Must have missed this. Where did the lad go on loan to?

[jlsarmy]

10 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Must have missed this. Where did the lad go on loan to?

Think he went on loan to Caledonia Braves

[dl1971]

3 hours ago, sandy said:

He has been backed, now he has to deliver. No excuses, no platitudes, no dossiers, no more PowerPoint slides. 

Deliver or walk away.

I dont disagree. Very much his team. Time to see very significant progress. 

[sandy]

11 hours ago, Semi Nurainen said:

 

e) Shows how desperate we are when we are dreaming of 'a decent win at Montrose' to lift our season.

All good points IMO

Is it too early to be dreaming of a White Christmas?

[MonehJags]

14 hours ago, Semi Nurainen said:

a) We'll be lucky to see 4th - somewhere between 5th and 8th (still with luck), much closer to the bottom team than the top in terms of points;

b) You can explain away an individual error here and there; the pattern is that we've now had 10 months of  individual errors; being pumped definitively by a team on a third of our budget is part of the pattern;

c) See Dooan's insightful, comments about being adrift so early (that's the point) that you are trapped in a relegation mini league;

d) Kenny Miller was the first player to mention the word 'relegation' after the Morton game - and he's meant to be Caldwell's pal;

e) Shows how desperate we are when we are dreaming of 'a decent win at Montrose' to lift our season.

The individual errors have been happening long before Caldwell took over. Christie Elliott provided two of the worst I have ever seen which in the end contributed to Archie's departure. There is no doubt its concerning that the trend has continued. Its small margins in most games and crazy mistakes can be the difference.

Cut adrift so early? If we fail to win in Arbroath then we can start concerning ourselves with that.

I think we have a better balance to the squad now with the recent additions. This is where my renewing optimism has been born out of. Its now completely down to the manager to get this team to play.

Its very easy to criticise through the keyboard and most of it has been quite rightly justifiable. Id be even more concerned if we just getting pumped every week without every looking like winning. We have been in with a shout in all the games so far, the defeats have been hard to take but could easily have went the other way.

[jlsarmy]

37 minutes ago, MonehJags said:

The individual errors have been happening long before Caldwell took over. Christie Elliott provided two of the worst I have ever seen which in the end contributed to Archie's departure. There is no doubt its concerning that the trend has continued. Its small margins in most games and crazy mistakes can be the difference.

Cut adrift so early? If we fail to win in Arbroath then we can start concerning ourselves with that.

I think we have a better balance to the squad now with the recent additions. This is where my renewing optimism has been born out of. Its now completely down to the manager to get this team to play.

Its very easy to criticise through the keyboard and most of it has been quite rightly justifiable. Id be even more concerned if we just getting pumped every week without every looking like winning. We have been in with a shout in all the games so far, the defeats have been hard to take but could easily have went the other way.

Think it’s the lack of an out and out goalscorer which is going to be the problem, taken too many goals out of the team from last year Erskine, Doolan ,Spittall and Scott McDonald , don’t think they’ve been adequately replaced 

Time will tell