Team for Next Season

1 year contract as expected didn't rate him towards the end of season too many fouls. Hopefully news on a forward soon. Maybe Hopkins looking for a loan signing from other leagues?

Couple of Championship loans would be good. Hopefully try and get Declan when he's back out of jail (obviously a couple months to get match fit), and a few strikers.

Sives was caught out quite a few times early in the season, he's really slow, cost us the game against Raith too but I still maintain it was too close to give a hand ball, nothing he could do with it being hit at him from a couple of feet away. Quite liked him for attack though, and would've had him every day of the week over Cole.

I really fear for us if we lose Buchanan, we're cost cutting again and i'm not optimistic that the quality we're bringing in is of the same standard as the ones leaving. A couple of signings look promising but we really need to have a 20+ goal scorerer and there is no way Buchanan's quality will be replaced if we lose him.
All our signings are young guys in their early 20's or late teens, that gave us inconsistency last season, can't see this working out well for us getting back up to the Championship. We needed to retain a core batch of players and have some experience in the team too, it looks like at least 2 seasons down in League One, and that's only if we can consolidate our position this season and build on it for the next again season. The talk of continuity is only going as far as the management team, and that was the area we needed change.

I'm genuinely stunned that St. Mirren have signed Ben Gordon. He's hopeless.

Too slow, lack of discipline and couldn't make a ten yard pass. He's a glorified part time footballer.

Quite right that St Mirren continue their trend of signing overrated, has-been players who will only (literally) slow down the progress of some of the semi-talented players they have that have been brought through locally.

I notice they've now taken a load of players off the site, but Darren Cole is still there

He made plenty of goal line clearances, i'm stunned by some of EL's ratings of players, didn't rate Bobby Barr either which set the trend for both of us having polar opposite opinions on players abilities.

I'd rather my defenders stopped problems ahead of clearing off the line.

forzalfc wrote:I notice they've now taken a load of players off the site, but Darren Cole is still there

I think we're stuck with him, he's Martindale's pal isn't he?

If he gets fit pre season and gets a fecking grip on reality about his ability on the ball he'd be ok, but he always gets overconfident and tries to dribble the ball out of defence, or lets the ball bounce to get his foot on the ball under pressure instead of just clearing it, just too cocky and hasn't the skill to back it up.

EdinburghLivi wrote:I'd rather my defenders stopped problems ahead of clearing off the line.

I'd rather still see a goal line clearance than a goal and Gordon's reading of the game was pretty good. On our central defenders last season i'd put Gallagher, Gordon, Sives, Neill and then Cole in order of good to bad. So we've lost our top 3 defensive plyers and have stuck with the bottom 2.

Halkett looked decent in the CB position in the one game I saw him there but imo he was a lot better for us as a RB, he went back to RB against Stranraer after our drubbing and made all the difference to our attack getting down the wing, when he dropped back into staying in our defence and not going up the wing later on in that play off game we looked less threatening in attack.

Not sure if I just missed it in the earlier statement or if it's been edited but Mark Fotheringham, Gary Glen, Marc McCallum and Kieran Gibbons are away.

Thought Halkett was actually pretty good at CB. Gordon was okay but incredibly slow which often led him to picking up silly bookings and giving away free kicks for holding on to shirts etc.

Disappointed to lose Sives as he was always dependable and knew his limits.

Thought Neill was not bad in the air but his ball control could be pretty worrying. Thought the same for Cole (without the in the air bit) but maybe the first division is actually his level. I'm not the guys greatest fan by any means but maybe we should give the guy a chance to prove himself.

Like many am sorry to see Sheerin go; still undecided about Gibbon - looked good enough playing for us but accoridng to some of my Blue Brazil friends he seemed to lose it for cowden.

Thought Marc Mallum wasn't that much of an improvement on DJ; better at crosses maybe but not as good shot stopper.

Gary Glen and Mark Fotheringham wont really be missed in my opinion.

All I can say is we can forget all about a quick return to the second tier, the 4th tier is looking more likely.... the next Livi book will be "From Premier League to Public Parks"

Actually pretty happy Fozzy is away. Didn't really see him offer a great deal and probably was one of the higher earners.

Disappointed Gordon was away, think he knew the game and could talk whoever he was playing with at CB through it. Obviously he lacked a yard of pace, but I suppose every player at this level is going to have a flaw or two.

Things will be very, very worrying if Buchanan leaves. We are now down to wains and unproven players, although if you were him I think you would probably jump ship if anything were to come in.

Bertie Bassett wrote:All I can say is we can forget all about a quick return to the second tier, the 4th tier is looking more likely.... the next Livi book will be "From Premier League to Public Parks"

Worrying that I am in complete agreement with you on how things are looking for next season, i'm usually quite optimistic but I really think we'll struggle with consistency again and unless we hold onto Buchanan I think we're completely fecked.

Defence is a big question mark with young players from Airdrie and Cole, midfield could be decent, and if we keep Buchanan we'd have a 20+ goal scorer and hopefully Mullen will fire in with double figures too, so we'd have a potent enough first eleven. We'd need a couple of strikers signed who have potential and could thrive with Buchanan helping develop them. BUT, i'm totally relying on Buchanan here and I can see him going to another Championship team. I'll be relieved as feck if we get to pre season and he's still here.

Disappointed to lose Sives and Gibbons to an extent, can't say I'm too despondent about the rest. Sives put in some cracking performances the season before last, just unfortunate that he couldn't get his place back in the team after injury straight away unlike another player. Thought Gibbons too would've been suited for the more physical side of the game we'll likely see in League 1, although going by Cowdenbeath fans' comments, he didn't really fit in there. I don't think any human would, tbh.

Ben Gordon is probably the definition of a borderline FT/PT player. Can read the game fairly well but his concentration isn't what it needs to be for the Championship, and there's the fact his pace is a hindrance rather than an asset. He was alright for us, and probably would've made a difference in the play-offs but I'm genuinely surprised St Mirren have went for him; I would've had him nailed down as a certainty to go to Dumbarton. Good luck to the guy, nothing against him and he's done well to get a move like that at this stage of his career.

Quite glad to an extent that most of the deadwood is out now, hopefully Cole will be the next. Normally, with a decent manager or at least someone who knows what they're doing, I'd be optimistic given the squad we're building, but I can't say I am. Very important now that Halkett and Buchanan stay, will be worried if either leave.

Liviforever wrote:

forzalfc wrote:I notice they've now taken a load of players off the site, but Darren Cole is still there

I think we're stuck with him, he's Martindale's pal isn't he?.

Is it unreasonable of me to expect that Livi players are selected for their ability rather than who their pal is?

Can't think of any other explanation as to why Cole was played against Dumbarton away when he was clearly not ready to be back after being out injured. Then kept getting games after that when he was unfit and costing us games with mistakes when he was caught on the ball. Or why the feck he's still here.

Cole had persistently told Hopkin that he still had a knee injury but Hopkin was having none of it and thought he was just trying to avoid playing (probably due to his off-the-field history). He even suggested doing something like swimming rather than training with the rest of the team to aid his problem but Hopkin still wouldn't have it.

The fact that some people are disappointed that Craig Sives has left shows exactly how bad a squad we had last season. He was absolute mince at the best of times, glad to see the back of him. Not convinced Sheerin would have done too much in league 1. Few goals here and there. Gordon would have been a good addition for us but let's not kid ourselves he would have been offski even if he did stay up. Cole is pish so hoping he is let go. 

Think Buchanan will leave as well, probably buy his way out his contract but never been convinced in him last season. 

Really need 2 more strikers. Perhaps 1 that has been effective in this league before.

Doubt we'll attract or afford a quality striker, certainly not better than Buchanan, we seem to only be able to afford young players with potential. Having Buchanan would help bring that potential out of them though, that's why I hope he stays, that and I reckon he'd score 20 odd goals in League One.

He will only score from what is created, so 20 odd goals is never going to happen LF - he is much more of a knick a goal every 3 or 4 games type of player, hardly prolific.

Don't agree with you Bertie, he has the ability to make his own goals from just being able to cut inside and score, or run onto a ball. He's more than capable of 20 odd goals when he can score 17 in the Championship. Just need to look at White to see that, scored for fun with Stirling and i'd say he was more the type who needed another player to get the ball to him inside the box. Buchanan took the ball on the halfway line and ran up and scored away to Alloa, doesn't need to just be given it inside the box.

But he is getting older, whereas White was just starting out. His 17 was with Alloa weren't they? He didn't get that many with us. Better players than him didn't score 20 goals for us the last time we were in this division.

I would have expected Mullen to be a step above this level but he went so far backwards over the last two seasons I can't see that being the case now.

He still got something like 15 for us did he not? As long as these new guys can actually make some chances for him he'll do fine. I'd still like to see us bring in at least 1 more striker though.