Accies .V. Morton - Friday, Oct 11th

[Admin]

Your comments please...

[Beckford]

Hopefully we play with a wee bit of freedom away from the pressures of the league. Yes I would like to progress, but if we try and have a real go and possibly try a few fringe players I'd be happy. Too many games, especially at home, has seen an overly cautious approach for my liking.

Il optimistically plump for a narrow one goal win, although I can not remember the last time we turned up for a televised game. Can't see there being many in attendance unfortunately, but our usual lot will be there and we can watch the re-run when we get back.

[Bertiejoejoe]

Full strength squad I would imagine. Can’t see any fringe player under the age of 23 starting, he is not a manager who gives young players a chance. McKenzie Kirk, prime example, hardly played any minutes in league 1 last year but has played plenty in the spl with St Johnstone, yes a know his father is a coach but am sure if he didn’t think he was capable he wouldn’t be playing. So that squashes rankins theory, wouldn’t get another managers job after this, little yes man to strain, that’s why he is there!!

[Beckford]

To be fair, I'm sure getting the youth player / experienced player balance right is a challenge but other Accies managers have managed it and it is something that fans love to see.

[YeOldeHamiltonian]

Had Root Canal Treatment not long before the game, so watched from the Sofa and that performance was infinitely more painful.

Going out with a whimper against a club full of players no better than ours…but they have a better Manager and it showed.

In addition, the perfect game to play young Liam Morgan instead of mediocre journeymen who have already proved not to be up to the job.

Finally, bringing on 2 centre halves when you are 1-0 down at home in a Cup Tie is a sacking offence in itself.

[Beckford]

Not a single positive can be taken from that performance. It's clearly not working. As soon as we gave away the penalty the game was over. Brutal to watch again

[Red and white hoops]

So so poor again. Yet again we get what we deserve, nothing. We’re getting worse week on week and the club don’t seem to care.

We create next to nothing and when we do get the ball to our ‘striker’ inside the six yard box he blazes it over the bar.

What I noticed most tonight was the massive difference between two managers. Dougie Imrie constantly talking to his players for the full ninety minutes. Encouraging them. Pointing where he wanted the ball, up and down the touch line. Look across at Rankin to see him standing in silence, hands in his pockets.

Fear the worst next week. We’re in for a thumping.

[Bertiejoejoe]

Yet again Rankin rotten. Nothing changes here, never bothered going tonight, glad I watched it on tv, sorry through my fingers. This man has never improved Hamilton Accies in the last 3 years and spend spend spend.Most of it on mediocre second and third rate players Am all for giving youth a chance when appropriate but ever since he has had the job the amount of players coming through to first team has hit an all time low. If you compare the 2 teams that won the under 19 and under 18 league with a 5 year gap it’s astonishing that 9 of the team 6 years ago have all made probably hundreds of appearances between them but when you look at the team that played in Europe last year think there have been 6 or so with probably about 20 to 30 and mcginn would of had most. Is it down to being the team 6 year ago being far superior to the team that won the league last year, doubtful! A would generally say that it’s down to management, canning had no qualms in playing the likes of smith, winter, hamilton and later munro and mimnaugh then you had mccann, stanger and reilly who are all still playing professionally. Yet with the latest league winners we had, mcginn, newbury, latona, black, morgan, kalala, preston and neeson, most of them have had little chance under Rankin, he has totally shunned most of they boys, people will say haven’t progressed but they haven’t had a chance and all the good work that the old head of youth and staff put in was a real waste. Some of they boys aforementioned are talented boys and am sure if it’s not Hamilton which doesn’t look like it unless big changes happen will go on and forge a career elsewhere. Zengin, Strain and Rankin out!! Club av supported for years going to the dogs under their leadership, mark my words!

[AccieDownUnder]

A real shame to read that it’s the first game since 2011 that we haven’t played an academy player. Wild considering it was the challenge cup as well. Rankin is of course to blame for what goes on the park but the lack of leadership, player recruitment strategy and direction off it is even more galling. Absolutely nothing will change if we were to sack JR. We’d sign another yes man coach who will let the two muppets above target players without a clue. I watched the Falkirk highlights where they currently have 5 first teamers out injured (real key players like Morrison, MacIver, Lang and Donaldson.) and you can’t really see a drop off. McGlynns recruitment is aimed at his style of play and isn’t dictated on the players ‘name’. Players are correctly profiled to come in and do a job. When one drops out there’s another player fit and ready coached to play his style. A million miles away from us. Our squad is so incredibly unbalanced which is all the more frustrating since we aren’t exactly cutting costs on it and using youth.

[Beckford]

Unfortunately I think what you say is correct AcciesDownUnder. Rankin is obviously not the manager we need and 100% desrves the criticism he gets in my oppinion. However, its becoming more and more obvious that the club is a complete shambles behind the scenes and that none of the reccouring issues are being addressed.

I have heard countless rumours of infighting behind the scenes, issues that means the stadium acquisition is highly unlikely, financial problems, more unpaid wages to back room staff, absentee board members at cruicial times and so on and so on.

I am not claiming to have any inside knowledge, but there are a lot of rumours and chat which must be based on at least part truths. From the outside looking in it appears to be a very disfuctonal environment to work in and it's understandable to an extent why so many of the squad look less than motivated or downright miserable.

When the changes at board level happened, I posted that I was very cynical and thought it would be just more of the same given that it was existing members changing roles and not the mass clear out we had hoped for. After a while I admit to being cautiously optimistic but I'm rapidly returning to my initial stance.

It's so frustrating and fans should be concerned and angry about the state we are in. It's vital we push for transparency and engagement with the board. It's bloody hard work to support Accies. We deserve a board that understands the club, values it's fans and work to create a proper football club. We don't expect much to be honest, just a club run by competent individuals that love it as much as we do and values it's support. We need actual Accies fans on the board which we never seem to have.

At the moment our future looks bleak and the mixture of apathy and anger amongst fans is understandable. No team sponsor, no youth players coming through, a manager that is struggling badly and our 150th "celebrations" ruined. Things need to change urgently, or who knows how bad this could actually get. Depressing!

[Stevie Clarke]

There have been some encouraging signs off the pitch recently. We now film our games and put them up relatively quickly so we've now caught up with teams in the ninth tier! An online shop is apparently coming soon. And prices have been cut to £20 & £10 for Falkirk this Friday.

Zengin seems to regard the 150th anniversary as beginning in December as it was December 1874 we were formed. I wonder if the match day programme will make a comeback for one match to commemorate a home game around the formation date, Airdrie on 28/12 maybe. Morton did this last week and it was so popular they are doing another print run. They got a bumper crowd of 2,976 v Raith when normally it would be around 1,700. Hopefully we will pull out all the stops to publicise our anniversary match. Morton also auctioned off match-worn shirts from that game which will have raised a fair amount I would have thought.

Hopefully we can put last night aside and rally the troops for Friday. I don't think many of us are optimistic going into it but it's important that we have a good turnout.

[AccieDownUnder]

Removing emotion from the current squad and management I can’t help but still be pissed off at the conduct of the board over our 150th anniversary. I watched clips of Morton celebrating theirs and it was brilliant. Nothing over the top but the absolute minimum we could have mustered. It’s apparent our current board have no recognition for the fans and the future , imo, is absolutely bleak. This should be a year we come together as a club and fanbase but imo we are drifting apart into oblivion. How do we come back from this? God knows but it’s nothing that on the pitch will fix

[AccieDownUnder]

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[AccieDownUnder]

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[YeOldeHamiltonian]

Not that it matters to us but seeing Thornliebank (our messiah involved) go to sh!t is a major red flag imo.

Catering guy apparently owed £65k, The Avonbridge Hotel £6-7k and others although not sure if it is all Serif’s doing or debt which McGowan and his lackeys ran up.

I passed by the ground a few days ago and noticed Football First are in the away stand.Surely we could have used them to make the kit as the Nike outfits and merchandise back then was vastly superior to the current cheap tat.

[Bertiejoejoe]

Not surprised that monies owed to different companies. Hearing they can’t even pay for water or energy drinks for first team. Mr Strain deals with all the cash, seref obviously hasn’t a clue if this clown is left to run the show. Seemingly first team wages late again last month next thing will be bigger fine and points deduction. Div 1 hear we come

[Stevie Clarke]

Removing emotion from the current squad and management I can’t help but still be pissed off at the conduct of the board over our 150th anniversary. I watched clips of Morton celebrating theirs and it was brilliant. Nothing over the top but the absolute minimum we could have mustered. It’s apparent our current board have no recognition for the fans and the future , imo, is absolutely bleak. This should be a year we come together as a club and fanbase but imo we are drifting apart into oblivion. How do we come back from this? God knows but it’s nothing that on the pitch will fix

As I said in my earlier post, our anniversary technically hasn't happened yet. It should be a December match that gets the full treatment. If there's nothing in December then that will be a disgrace but I'd cool your jets until then. I'm angry that the club crest on the strip doesn't reference the anniversary. A gold tinted badge isn't good enough. There is talk of a special third kit, possibly to be worn throughout December. I'm not a fan of third kits, there's really no need for them with a bit of thought into the colours of the second kit, but it's likely this kit will have reference to the years.

[Beckford]

The fact that we are in to October and we are still left guessing about the anniversary celebrations is cause for concern / complaint, even if there is to be some sort of event in December.

TBH the waiting until December thing just sounds like a convenient excuse for not doing anything to date and I would guess more down to the fact that they have failed to prepare appropriately. I have little faith that measures will be in place by December to mark the event as desired and the club are leaving themselves wide open to more criticism and anger should they fail to deliver.

If merchandise was ready and available from May (as we were assured it would be at the start of last season) we would not have missed out on five month of potential sales. If ties, polo's commemorative scarves etc. were on sale in May dated Dec 1874 to Dec 2024 i dont think many folk would have thought " ach i think il wait until December before i get that as its not technically our anniversary until then" Folk are obviously much more likely to buy strips etc at the start of the summer too.

Obviously we should have been selling the bloody stuff while there was a feel good factor and an air of optimism around the club straight after the promotion. It was a no brainer and a monumental oversight no matter what spin we try to apply.

[Stevie Clarke]

It's hard to disagree with that, to be honest. They have missed a huge opportunity and as I stated ages ago, Morton's strips were unveiled in mid- May and on sale shortly after. I suppose my main point was, after hearing what Zengin said a few weeks ago in the bar before a game, there will be stuff happening in December but for many it will be a case of too little, too late.