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Topic: Reflection on Progress to Date
1. Author:  Indiapar1        
Date: Mon 6th Oct 2025. 19:14

I think reflecting on the first third of the season:

1. We are a much younger team than this time last season
2. We are fielding quite a different team than this time last season
3. We have played some good football and are playing better football than this time last season
4. We have more potential as a squad at this stage than we did last season
5. We have been a bit unlucky in games. For the most part, despite the younger squad, we have competed well.
6. It`s those small breaks that we haven`t had that have cost us points. With a slight change of fortune, I think the results will come between now and Christmas
7. We haven`t helped ourselves in a couple of games. Hopefully, those dips in the road are behind us.

Despite not picking up points, the standard of play has been good, and the football has been a good watch most of the time. We need to turn that into goals over the next 5 or 6 games

I personally remain optimistic. The thing with Poisson distributions is that you can shift them to the right or left. It`s all about people, performances, morale, and professionalism.

G Wardrope

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2. Author:  RhinoPars        
Date: Mon 6th Oct 2025. 19:49

Well said India. Yet another well-reasoned post by IMO one of the top posters on here.

We have been a bit unlucky with hitting the bar so often, some great saves by the St Johnstone keeper, Stevenson not being sent off, Not getting the penalty for the pull on Kane`s shirt in the box, and some pretty poor refereeing.

Losing Caceres, Cooper and Rudden hasn`t helped either.

Let`s hope our luck turns. but we will need to get back to upping the tempo and trying to get forward faster and vary our attacks more with with some direct through balls through the middle for players to run on to - rather than over-reliance on crosses from out wide.

With our young squad - we are going to have to be patient. However the skill level of the current squad is much better than recent seasons and the football generally has been more entertaining.

This is work in progress

Let`s hope we rediscover goal scoring form soon.



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3. Author:  Jealous Furniture        
Date: Mon 6th Oct 2025. 20:17

We have better players in general, but still too weak in certain areas of the squad to make the most of them. Cacares, Gilmour & Amade are an upgrade but when we`re playing without any genuine strikers it`s hard for them to make an impact.

Fraser & Kearney are our only genuine full backs too, Otoo filled in for Fraser against Ayr and got hooked at HT. KRH isn`t a right back.

Everyone on here has already said it but if Cacares, Gilmour or Amade have to rest then the replacements weaken us far too much

Work in progress is right



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4. Author:  NMCmassive        
Date: Mon 6th Oct 2025. 22:34

Honestly feel like we’re alright at the back and in the centre of midfield. Caceres is already extremely important to us. Cracking wee player. Without him we weren’t able to create space for the young wingers and then they weren’t able to supply our strikers with chances.

Was pleased with Nurudeen at the weekend but I wouldn’t like to pressure on him. It’s a big step not just in football terms but but leaving Ghana for Scotland is going to be a shock to the system - especially when the rain, sleet and endless days of cold wind kick in.

COYP

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5. Author:  wee eck        
Date: Mon 6th Oct 2025. 23:30

How many games does Caceres miss through suspension?

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6. Author:  wulliepar57        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 00:00

Pretty sure I heard for straight red it`s 2 eck

Post Edited (Tue 07 Oct 00:01)

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7. Author:  wee eck        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 00:06

That`s a shame missing the Rovers` game then.



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8. Author:  PARrot        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 02:39

wee eck, Tue 7 Oct 00:06

That`s a shame missing the Rovers` game then.


Yep. The Airdrie reschedule could cost us there.

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9. Author:  Playup_Pompey        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 10:07

likely documented as Violent conduct (attempted headbutt?) so 3 matches rather than 2 yellows which would be a single game ban.



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10. Author:  GJS93        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 11:01

A1 Serious Foul Play
A2 Violent Conduct
A3 Biting or spitting at someone

2 match suspension Effective immediately to the League Competition where the sending off offence was reported



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11. Author:  Berkey        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 19:05

We’re definitely better than last year and i would say in multiple positions (mainly down to lennon signing some wing backs to play his formation rather than trying to shoehorn in what we already had). We have a good first 11 but there’s a very big drop off when there’s any injuries.

It’s the best midfield 2 we have had for some time, they are more experienced and older players so can stand up to other teams in there. What a difference that makes.

It was a low bar based on last year but feels like we’re still short in areas and are having to relying on at least a couple of players who are not consistently able to have an impact on games at this level yet. I would include Kearney, the Tod brothers and McLeod in this boat but hopefully they will improve and add more to their game as the season goes on.

The squad isn’t as well balanced as you would like either, we kept boothe but we still have Hamilton, otoo and Todd so ideally we could have not signed boothe and brought in another attack minded player or striker.

Think we are definately a ball on the deck type team, which means when the pitches are rubbish in the winter we may struggle and when the ball goes in the air we don’t really compete that well at all.

Think if we can just get enough points on the board to put some daylight between the bottom 2 that would be good enough and aim to strengthen a few areas of the team come early Jan. we’re probably only 2-3 quality players away from being in the mix for the playoffs.



Post Edited (Wed 08 Oct 11:02)

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12. Author:  Raymie the Legend        
Date: Tue 7th Oct 2025. 21:07

Pretty fair summation, Berkey




It`s bloody tough being a legend
Ron Atkinson - 1983


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13. Author:  RhinoPars        
Date: Wed 8th Oct 2025. 08:46

Good summary Berkey. However I would also think our improvement is much more than just wing backs but has also come from better situational awareness from players like Amade and more ability to thread a pass forward, coupled with greater unpredicatbility and creativity and more accurate finishing from players like Andy Tod and Josh Cooper. Rudden has also done well so far prior to his injury. We also have a real ball winner like Gilmour in midfield. He reminds me a bit of how NL used to play - not a fancy player but always available for a pass and rarely gives it away. We have also played the ball on the deck a lot more rather than resorting to aerial ping-pong all the time. Last but not least we have the skill of Caceres.



Post Edited (Wed 08 Oct 15:00)

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14. Author:  TAFKA_Super_Petrie        
Date: Wed 8th Oct 2025. 09:57

Think the last few games also highlight why we were so keen to get Easton during the close season.

---------------------------------------------------------------


[b]"People always talk about Ronaldinho and magic, but I didn't see him today. I saw Henrik Larsson; that's where the magic was."[/b]


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15. Author:  Indiapar1        
Date: Thu 9th Oct 2025. 07:50

I think the encouraging thing this year is that a draw at home or away is viewed as points dropped rather than points gained by the current squad of players. That level of confidence is very important to develop the right attitude to approaching the games. A young squad means a developing squad so I expect the next third of the league season to be an improvement in results

G Wardrope

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