Where are the goals coming from?

[H9crx]

Very poor to be in the position to only have two strikers in the team one very good but old the other with the potential and no experiance!

I think we should have offerd decent money for Loy up front!

[Accies4ever]

Question : Where are the goals coming from?

Answer : Whoever we're playing against.

[redandwhite1874]

its a valid a question, Tony going is not a shock and after letting Scotland go we were surely looking at striking options. So from a fans viewpoint ultimately we have failed at a key time to protect the team's attack options and have recruited no alternatives when we appeared to have both time and money on our side.

The boy signed today we have no idea about in terms of fitness, position etc and hopefully he can do well. We are now dealing in the free agent market but having struck gold their once with ?tony perhaps we will be lucky to do that again,

It would be good for the club to come out and detail what has happened, what their immediate plans are re the cash and players.

[Accies4ever]

In all seriousness, what has happened tonight couldn't have come as a surprise.

So what plan B did the club have in place.
It appears.... nothing.

We might have got a shed load of money, so unless they are planning to give out free season tickets to all next season, then serious questions have got to be levelled at the board. A sequence of poor decisions have taken place in such a short period of time.

Prepare for some dire football from Accies from now until end of the season.

Quickly losing all interest in this season now. A mere month ago we were flying, now we're a shadow of our former self.

[Alfie Olek]

It would be good for the club to come out and detail what has happened, what their immediate plans are re the cash and players.

Agreed but I think we know where most will go youth development running costs and the traing dome. It's a balancing act but as of now the balance is out of kilter. The transfers of Hendrie and Andreu should have surprised no one but its the loss of Alex and Frankie that I think has mucked up this window in terms of players in. The focus for a crucial period of time was on replacing them then Hendrie's on off transfer probably knocked recruitment plans again. It's a bit reminiscent of our second season in the SPL We finished on a high in 7th but failed to reinvest in the squad instead we got the shotgun approach and ended up relegated. That's not going to happen this season but try telling that to those fans who have just bought 4 those tickets if the performances on the park don't recover. just depressed tonight a win on saturday might cheer me up

[Accies4ever]

F**k all chance of a win on Saturday now, unless you're betting on Killie

[WILF]

Bit over the top some of the reaction here. Boil it down and the only player we've lost that makes us worse off is Tony. The results in the last 5 games have realistically ended hopes we had of aEuropean place which would have been worth throwing money at. A top six finish? Yes we want it but it's hardly the same as winning a trophy or getting Europe.

Also, I think we have a cracking prospect in Brophy, thus hopefully means he gets more game time in the remainder of the season and indeed the same for our other youngsters. We are safe what a brilliant opportunity to blood our talent for next year not sign done over priced players to keep them out the team. If you are Brophy today you've got to be excited at the trust shown in you.

Rewind to before Alex left and my view was different but now this season is different. It's about consolidation, regroup, blood youngsters and ready them for next season.

The depressing thing for me is the SPFL itself. We'll never win it with Celtic there neither will anyone else. So, every season will be about survival? Finishing as high as we can and selling players to fund youth. It's a sad reality of Scottish football but this season may be as well as we can ever do.

[southoftheborder]

hmmmmm

Our second top scorer in the league is now...........

Martin Canning!!

[rubenthedog]

now is the chance to give Brophy a run in the team.

Our position in the league is secure, never have a better time to give him some serious game time.

[porcupine]

I am with Wilf and Reubenthedog on this one.

Sure, Tony going will be a major miss but it was always a strong probability that he was away, as he was streets ahead of most of Scottish football talent. I said some time back that 40 points would se us safe from relegation, and I think the board know this too, and have kept their powder dry on big wage/ transfer splurges. It was very unlikely that we were ever going to qualify for Europe, with Celtic Aberdeen and Dundee United ahead of us, but we STILL have a good chance of finishing in a top six place. Posters seemd to have forgotten that we have a load of talented youngsters who can now have their chance to show their skills, without ANY pressure of relegation on their shoulders.

This certainly Brophy's chance, quite apart from others in our development league team, as we can't be top with his goals alone! One of the three new signings seems destined for #22 replacement, so it's a long way from doom and gloom. We are in a far better position league wise, that we have ever been in recent years, and without pressure of the drop. Even slipping out of the top six would not be a disaster, as we are still more than capable of taking points from all the others at the foot.

Given the depth of talent we have, I still see us beating Kilmarnock on Saturday. They were a poor team at Rugby Park, and stole the points with a wonder strike in injury time. Nullify Eremenko, if playing, and we should not have a problem.

Dependent on our final Premiership place, the board will know whether to spend some of the transfer cash in the close season on players, or whether our own youngsters are capable in their new roles on the first team.

[H9crx]

Could EB play the #22 role?

[Colombian Boffin]

I am with Wilf and Reubenthedog on this one.

Sure, Tony going will be a major miss but it was always a strong probability that he was away, as he was streets ahead of most of Scottish football talent. I said some time back that 40 points would se us safe from relegation, and I think the board know this too, and have kept their powder dry on big wage/ transfer splurges. It was very unlikely that we were ever going to qualify for Europe, with Celtic Aberdeen and Dundee United ahead of us, but we STILL have a good chance of finishing in a top six place. Posters seemd to have forgotten that we have a load of talented youngsters who can now have their chance to show their skills, without ANY pressure of relegation on their shoulders.

This certainly Brophy's chance, quite apart from others in our development league team, as we can't be top with his goals alone! One of the three new signings seems destined for #22 replacement, so it's a long way from doom and gloom. We are in a far better position league wise, that we have ever been in recent years, and without pressure of the drop. Even slipping out of the top six would not be a disaster, as we are still more than capable of taking points from all the others at the foot.

Given the depth of talent we have, I still see us beating Kilmarnock on Saturday. They were a poor team at Rugby Park, and stole the points with a wonder strike in injury time. Nullify Eremenko, if playing, and we should not have a problem.

Dependent on our final Premiership place, the board will know whether to spend some of the transfer cash in the close season on players, or whether our own youngsters are capable in their new roles on the first team.

Totally agree.

[Whiskeytown]

Agree too. Time for some fans to keep the heid. As for Saturday, might we see Greg Docherty start? No Andreu or Imrie so we are lacking in creativity so might be worthwhile giving him a chance. Or it could be Lynch or Sumsky? Would have liked Danny Swanson, that's a good loan signing for St Johnstone.

[Mrsweetleftfoot]

I don't think that anyone disagrees with the model that Accies run with.

However, we had a real chance to push on and try to GUARANTEE top 6 with the POSSIBILITY of Europe still on the horizon.

For me, Europe has gone with the departure of Andreu (and to a lesser extent MAC).

I think what most fans are looking for is some modicum of ambition to buck the trend and strive for something really special this year.

I remain upbeat about our position and hope we continue to stick to the same footballing principles that have served us fantastically well over the last wee while.

Hopefully, some of the development squad can now step up and show that hey can fill the void.

[Alfie Olek]

I don't think that anyone disagrees with the model that Accies run with.

Agreed its the only way forward in scottish football

I think what most fans are looking for is some modicum of ambition to buck the trend and strive for something really special this year.

Also agree. Thats what i meant about things being out of kilter. The two newcomers may prove to be excellent acquisitions but just for once I wanted to see someone like Loy brought in for a bit of cash which we clearly have without breaking the bank or the model. It would have been a statement of intent that we had set ourselves a top six target and perhaps better.

[porcupine]

Yes, true, but you can see where the Board are coming from. They HAVE signed three new faces (albeit untried in our system) and have talented youngsters champing at the bit for a first team place. Give the youngsters a chance to prove themselves, and let the new signings add their talent to the squad for the remainder of the season.

Our final league position will determine where, if any, we need to strengthen in the summer, and the surplus unspent sale income should be available at that time for any such requirements. It's all about building on a further level of achievement from this season to next season. The "scatter-gun" approach never worked before, and our youth development has produced some amazing players, so that IS the sensible way ahead here. It is also the only way ahead for most, if not all, of Scottish Football.

[Accies999]

I'm not too worried, yet. The new signings might end up being better than the ones we've lost, it's an opportunity for the youngsters to have a go and we could still bring someone in on a free if needed.

[redandwhite1874]

I would say Ali Crawford is perhaps the most obvious option to play the role that Tony has played for us?

I agree with the club's ethos and statement; but there needs to be a reasonable platform twinned with a new perspective that we can now actually buy players (as was shown by going in for Loy). Our striking options look wafer thin right now and clearly the club agree with that (hence the step back with Jason); that we didn't sign Loy or a plan B looks to be a reasonable frustration for fans. Scotland went ages ago and the MAC position has been known for about 10 days so a new striker must have been a priority; and a priority that has not been delivered on when we have the opportunity to finish top 6 and have cash to attract some reasonable level of player.

[WILF]

What's the obsession with top 6? Who cares really, I mean finish as high as we can obviously but don't spend money just to finish "top 6". There's no massive cash boost and the split is a farce not a target in my humble opinion. No relegation is achieved, Europe is all but gone. Rest of season is only about youth and preparing for next year. It's the worst of the SPFL, you start a competition knowing you can't win it. Pretty bollocks really.

[Davie Hogg]

What's the obsession with top 6? Who cares really, I mean finish as high as we can obviously but don't spend money just to finish "top 6". There's no massive cash boost and the split is a farce not a target in my humble opinion. No relegation is achieved, Europe is all but gone. Rest of season is only about youth and preparing for next year. It's the worst of the SPFL, you start a competition knowing you can't win it. Pretty bollocks really.

Agreed