Sly Old Fox
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@MidKnightDreary Sold! All suggestions gratefully received.
Chapter 38 – McRobbed
August ‘22
A mixed month gets off to a good start with a 2 – 1 win at home to Stenhousemuir with a brace from Red Hot Currie – nice to see his form carrying over into the new campaign. I give some new signings a run out for the Caramel Cup tie against Hearts Reserves and the lack of match fitness tells as we slump to a 1 – 0 defeat. The next game is away to Albion Rovers and I put out a full strength side, hoping to bounce back with a win – straight defeats can be terrible for the fragile morale of the side.
How vexing. Daniel Farrell does well to get out of the way of Park’s first goal from a free kick, when most mortals would have been hit by a ball fired straight at them. Park’s second is a world class free kick, curled into the bottom corner from 25 yards. And that is all Albion Rovers did all game, while we squandered chance after chance.
Even more vexing is a bid from Falkirk for centre back Finn McRobb, probably my most reliable player and a rock at the back. Of course, Finn wants to go and I can’t persuade him to stick around, so end up accepting an offer of £7000. That is likely to be season ruining. Looks like I’m going back into the transfer market. I wonder where Jordan McGregor is. In the league, games don’t come much easier than at home to Elgin City.
Despite out-shooting them 21 shots to 2, we did manage to make it a tight game. These players have no killer instinct to finish off games that are begging to be put out of their misery. Nice to see McRobb putting in an excellent performance and bagging a goal in what is likely to be his last game for the club. Why are you doing this to me Finn? Take me with you to Falkirk!
Yeah, bye then! Keeper Daniel Farrell comes to tell me he’s worried that I thought it was OK to sell one of our best players. Some nerve on this guy. I haven’t got the strength to argue with him, so I reassure him McRobb will be replaced. May I introduce to you: Joe Shaughnessy.
He doesn’t have the recovery speed of McRobb, but most of the time we defend so deep that’s not going to be an issue. He will hopefully bring some experience and a cool head to the back line. He is, astonishingly, valued at £89k. Probably more than the entire club is valued at. Let’s see what he can do as I throw him straight into the line-up for the final game of the month away to Montrose.
It took 90 minutes and 25 shots, but we broke Montrose down in the end, with sub Sally McNally slotting in from a Johnston cross. A solid game from Shaughnessy who didn’t have a lot to do, but did commit a sensible foul to prevent a breakaway by Montrose. That’s the kind of cynical, canny mindset we need to kick our way out of this league.
Transfer deadline day sees an unusual flurry of activity. First, I receive unexpected bids for Umaro ‘Gary’ Balde from Falkirk and Dunfermline. I don’t really want to do more business this summer, but it’s not really worked out for Balde here – he has never found consistent form and it’s not clear what he brings to the team. He has established no partnerships in the team and with the team cohesion at ‘good’ I decide to take the risk and bring in someone with a clearer role. Farwell Gary and good luck.
There is also an insultingly low bid from Queen’s Park for winger ‘Wide Eyed’ Johnston. He’s been no better than average since he re-joined the club, but I know it will be difficult to secure even an average winger to replace him. I go back with an aggressively high counter proposal and Queen’s Park drop it. Hopefully that doesn’t unsettle him too much, God knows I can do without any of that this season.
As per usual, we finish the month in second place in the league.
Chapter 38 – McRobbed
August ‘22
A mixed month gets off to a good start with a 2 – 1 win at home to Stenhousemuir with a brace from Red Hot Currie – nice to see his form carrying over into the new campaign. I give some new signings a run out for the Caramel Cup tie against Hearts Reserves and the lack of match fitness tells as we slump to a 1 – 0 defeat. The next game is away to Albion Rovers and I put out a full strength side, hoping to bounce back with a win – straight defeats can be terrible for the fragile morale of the side.
How vexing. Daniel Farrell does well to get out of the way of Park’s first goal from a free kick, when most mortals would have been hit by a ball fired straight at them. Park’s second is a world class free kick, curled into the bottom corner from 25 yards. And that is all Albion Rovers did all game, while we squandered chance after chance.
Even more vexing is a bid from Falkirk for centre back Finn McRobb, probably my most reliable player and a rock at the back. Of course, Finn wants to go and I can’t persuade him to stick around, so end up accepting an offer of £7000. That is likely to be season ruining. Looks like I’m going back into the transfer market. I wonder where Jordan McGregor is. In the league, games don’t come much easier than at home to Elgin City.
Despite out-shooting them 21 shots to 2, we did manage to make it a tight game. These players have no killer instinct to finish off games that are begging to be put out of their misery. Nice to see McRobb putting in an excellent performance and bagging a goal in what is likely to be his last game for the club. Why are you doing this to me Finn? Take me with you to Falkirk!
Yeah, bye then! Keeper Daniel Farrell comes to tell me he’s worried that I thought it was OK to sell one of our best players. Some nerve on this guy. I haven’t got the strength to argue with him, so I reassure him McRobb will be replaced. May I introduce to you: Joe Shaughnessy.
He doesn’t have the recovery speed of McRobb, but most of the time we defend so deep that’s not going to be an issue. He will hopefully bring some experience and a cool head to the back line. He is, astonishingly, valued at £89k. Probably more than the entire club is valued at. Let’s see what he can do as I throw him straight into the line-up for the final game of the month away to Montrose.
It took 90 minutes and 25 shots, but we broke Montrose down in the end, with sub Sally McNally slotting in from a Johnston cross. A solid game from Shaughnessy who didn’t have a lot to do, but did commit a sensible foul to prevent a breakaway by Montrose. That’s the kind of cynical, canny mindset we need to kick our way out of this league.
Transfer deadline day sees an unusual flurry of activity. First, I receive unexpected bids for Umaro ‘Gary’ Balde from Falkirk and Dunfermline. I don’t really want to do more business this summer, but it’s not really worked out for Balde here – he has never found consistent form and it’s not clear what he brings to the team. He has established no partnerships in the team and with the team cohesion at ‘good’ I decide to take the risk and bring in someone with a clearer role. Farwell Gary and good luck.
There is also an insultingly low bid from Queen’s Park for winger ‘Wide Eyed’ Johnston. He’s been no better than average since he re-joined the club, but I know it will be difficult to secure even an average winger to replace him. I go back with an aggressively high counter proposal and Queen’s Park drop it. Hopefully that doesn’t unsettle him too much, God knows I can do without any of that this season.
As per usual, we finish the month in second place in the league.