Fans Forum - Monday January 21st

Nice one. Looking forward to this already. Just be in the Almondvale Suite? Bar be open?

I've not been along to one of these things before, are they worth the trip?

I'd definitely say so. They're never hugely busy so it's an ideal chance to get down, listen to the guys who run the club talk in person and ask them any questions you may have.

As it says too, with all the reconstruction chat going on just now, there'll be plenty to talk about.

Plus, if the bar's open, even more reason to head along ;D

Is this being held behind the south stand or upstairs in the main stand?

Thanks in advance.

We've done quite a few forums and I'd hope that those in attendance haven't seen them as bluff and bluster!
It's a good chance for supporters and club officials to get together in a relatively informal way.
From a panel point of view they are always interesting nights.

Did you go, Mango Fan? How did you find it?

Some of the topics that were discussed included:
League reconstruction
1st team tactics
Initiatives to boost support/crowds at games
Advertise these initiatives
Club finances
Reasons for various players having left the club recently

I enjoyed it tonight. There were several varied questions asked that led to quite a few in depth discussions between the floor and the panel.

I hope I'm no in JC's bad books for pointing out a couple of things I noticed last Saturday at Morton and probing as to how things could have been done possibly differently to achieve a more positive result. I think he felt I was wanting the team to resort to simply hoofing the ball long, like the angry shouty mob seem to prefer (nothing could be further from the truth), but he, to be fair to him, patiently explained that that scenario simply wouldn't be happening, which is fair enough.

I thought that some of the more vocal supporters of the boot and rush type tactics would have been there to ask the question for themselves, but no.

Pity, would have been the perfect opportunity for them to do so.

Wonder if JC will join twitter hahaha

Maybe I'm just turning into a crabit bassa these days but I was actually put off JC a bit after last night.

Not a massive thing but I just think he came across as very blinkered in his view on what we're doing. I appreciate the 'total football' or Barcelona type style he's working on and that's great. He said repeatedly though that we're playing the best football in the league by far - great, but we're currently 15 points off the top of the table. So for all that good football we're playing, other teams who are just getting on with things, are racing ahead of us.

He said a couple of times that Morton weren't a great side and that we were a much better footballing team yet we've now failed to win against them on three occasions this season.

His chat on not pumping the ball forward makes absolute sense - two big defenders against two small strikers - fine. There isn't only two options of pass along the defence or pump it long though. He said aslong as he's there, we won't be putting the ball in the box and hoping for the best. Haven't checked the highlights to confirm but weren't the equaliser vs Partick and both our goals vs Raith recently resultant from balls put into the box?

Likewise, what height is Stevie Craig? Not the biggest of strikers but when they came here last time, he scored from a header after a decent ball into the box.

There just seemed to be a lack of understanding on the fans behalf. 30 seconds left and we're 2-1 down - we might not have the time to string 25 passes together and score a World Cup goal so why not get the ball in the mixer then. It doesn't have to be a high ball - a ball zipped along the deck only needs a flick/stray foot/deflection and it can end up in the net.

I'm not questioning what we're trying to do at all. Some of the football we've played at times is the best I've seen for a while. But when we're trailing by a single goal and it's the last toss of the coin, I don't think anyone would have any problem seeing the ball going into the box (like it did vs Partick to win a point).

His passion is undoubted but I just felt there was a bit of 'do you know who I am' creeping into some of the answers. That's fine - none of us have scored in a WC or at a level of coaching knowledge that he is but I just thought there could have been a bit more understanding towards some of the questions rather than the 'if you don't like it, go somewhere else' chat.

On a positive note, was good to hear the thoughts of GM and GN on reconstruction and also quash some of the myths regarding the Bobby Barr and Dylan Easton situations.