Squad and transfers 2019/20

[TRVMP]

So you know what his salary was there or even if he just fancied a change? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't move away over there for no reason and would have got a club here if it was just about getting a game.

 

I can say with 100% confidence that I have a better idea of his salary range than you do. Is it better than Morton? Yes, for sure. But it's the sweeteners that make it - the living and tax arrangements. It's simply not a place where high-earning players will regularly go. It's a jolly - the football is very poor compared to almost any league in Europe. (Morton would absolutely batter any Singaporean team with room to spare - again, judging this on a few years ago, but I don't think it's changed overmuch.)

[irnbru]

I was heavily involved in the launch of a football media enterprise in Singapore and Malaysia and worked very closely with a few local journalists in that time - and, of course, became passingly familiar with the football played there. I will admit it was some years ago now, and the landscape may have changed since I stopped paying attention. But from looking at the AFC coefficients, Singapore hasn't changed overmuch, and from a glance at the squad lists, I'd say they've only improved as much as, say, MLS has in that time, which is to say at the top margins. With all due respect to Brian McLean, I don't think he's a top marginal player.

 

So we have my admittedly outdated experience against your... nothing, except a burning desire to defend everything the club does all the time.

 

Unless of course you want to type out exactly what you think he was earning over there and how good the quality of play is, I'm going to stick with my opinion, which is that playing in the S-League is basically a jolly, and not one that's going to set you up as a wealthy individual.

A desire to defend the club. Ffs.

 

It's about a potential signing who's played at a decent level and went overseas for a few years for salary or otherwise (salary being most likely) that people have written off before seeing him play.

[TRVMP]

A desire to defend the club. Ffs.

 

It's about a potential signing who's played at a decent level and went overseas for a few years for salary or otherwise (salary being most likely) that people have written off before seeing him play.

Personally I've not written him off. I've offered my own experience of Singaporean football. The salary isn't what you think it is. The lifestyle is, absolutely. To be totally clear, if I was a random footballer and had the choice between the Scottish Championship and a couple of years in Brunei, I'd pick the latter (unless it was Dundee United who were in for me) without a second's hesitation. But it wouldn't make the league any less crap and it wouldn't make my actual salary what you think it is.

 

As far as pure sporting merit goes - leaving money and lifestyle aside - playing in that league is a black mark on one's CV. It's very, very poor. Much like the I-League, it doesn't make you a bad player if you go there and if you want a change of scenery and an expat lifestyle, go for it. But it doesn't make you any good, either. That's my point here, not whether or not McLean should be written off.

[irnbru]

In the last few years he's won himself a short term contract at Hibs, the cup in Iceland before going back to Brunei.

 

While I'm not excited about the signing I'm not overly concerned either.

[irnbru]

Personally I've not written him off. I've offered my own experience of Singaporean football. The salary isn't what you think it is. The lifestyle is, absolutely. To be totally clear, if I was a random footballer and had the choice between the Scottish Championship and a couple of years in Brunei, I'd pick the latter (unless it was Dundee United who were in for me) without a second's hesitation. But it wouldn't make the league any less crap and it wouldn't make my actual salary what you think it is.

 

As far as pure sporting merit goes - leaving money and lifestyle aside - playing in that league is a black mark on one's CV. It's very, very poor. Much like the I-League, it doesn't make you a bad player if you go there and if you want a change of scenery and an expat lifestyle, go for it. But it doesn't make you any good, either. That's my point here, not whether or not McLean should be written off.

I've not said he's any good. I've said he's left a decent level (higher than ours) for a better life and has clearly wanted to come back home. Dumbarton was a few games at the end of the season so a stop gap for him and nothing to worry about for us.

 

Basically his career path shouldn't necessarily put us off as there's a pretty reasonable explanation behind it.

 

Whether he can still play at the level he was at after the last few years remains to be seen but judging him on it is a bit short sighted.

[TRVMP]

If I'm displaying concern it's not deliberate. I'm not that bothered either way. His CV doesn't look bad to me and I've not seen him play in over a decade. What I'm doing is pointing out some misconceptions about playing in Brunei, which I think I've done now, so I'll leave it at that.

[Hej]

In the last few years he's won himself the cup in Iceland.

 

:lol:

 

 

 

In next week's episode we sign the Botswanan Premier League Golden Boot winner.

[El gofer]

:lol:

 

 

In next week's episode we sign the Botswanan Premier League Golden Boot winner.

Can see what you tried to do there but not sure it quite works.

Iceland is a higher calibre than Scottish championship. No?

[TRVMP]

Can see what you tried to do there but not sure it quite works.

Iceland is a higher calibre than Scottish championship. No?

Not in my admittedly non-expert opinion. If if it better, it's not by much, and only at the top end. Ambitious Icelandic players go abroad at a young age, generally.

[TONofmemories]

Mcgreever apparently set to sign too.

 

Sigh

[El gofer]

In terms of championship players, or to put it another way, lower end Scottish professional players, it's not the worst level they could be going to. There are a number of cases of players going there and coming back to play.

Can't say I am delighted to have the potential spine of the team being made up of 4 players in their mid 30s in McLean Millar Mcallister and Sutton though.

[hoodless]

At least Kilday would have been a known quantity. These two seem pretty risky. We now have two players who were relegated from League 1 with Brechin last season, is that right?

[EanieMeany]

At least Kilday would have been a known quantity. These two seem pretty risky. We now have two players who were relegated from League 1 with Brechin last season, is that right?

Kilday was known to be not very good.

 

Don't really see anything in McLean's recent history to be overly worried about, apart from being 34. Nobody on here really knows anything about him, so there's little point making any judgements at this stage.

[Tubes]

He didn’t look great on Tuesday but McGeever was horrendous particularly in the first half. Nowhere near good enough.

[TheGoon]

You’d think McGeever was Franco Baresi the way some are swooning over him on P&B. They can’t have been at the same game as me though, he was quite clearly a weak link. McLean less so, but I’m not overly enamoured with signing someone who barely cut the mustard at Dumbarton just months ago, regardless of where he’s been before.

[vikingTON]

Kilday was known to be not very good.

 

KIlday is quite clearly a better defender than the most if not all of the centre backs/total haddies we've been looking at over the summer. McLean at this, very late stage of his career would be uninspiring, but I suppose if you can drag teams down to an agricultural, kick and rush style of play then he could still be very effective at winning first and second balls. Signing McGeever on the other hand would be further cause for alarm as there is a good reason why he has spent his career slumming it at seaside league dross like 'Brechin' and 'Falkirk'.

 

The chief issue though is that even McLean would be yet another gamble pick when the spine of our first team is already woefully short of proven performers for this level. 

[dunning1874]

If we’re resorting to yet more Brechin rejects, as first choice options this time, we’re heading for a relegation battle. The decision to release Kilday isn’t looking clever if we’re ending up with Ryan McGeever in his place.

 

Before everyone goes off on the usual rant about players not being given a chance, yes, no one is writing players off already, no one is going to boo players onto the park, but the fact is that there’s nothing in his track record to suggest he’s up to the Championship and it would be a concerning signing.

 

An injury prone player who managed 10 games last season, a 34 year old and a player who has just been relegated from League One after going through a whole season in the Championship without a win, with a 33 year old midfielder as cover, is not anyone’s ideal defence. People are expecting miracles from Hopkin, but that back three would be a long way off to what he had at Livingston.

[EanieMeany]

If we’re resorting to yet more Brechin rejects, as first choice options this time, we’re heading for a relegation battle. The decision to release Kilday isn’t looking clever if we’re ending up with Ryan McGeever in his place.

 

 

That's an issue regarding the other players rather than with letting Kilday go, though. He had his moments for sure, but over the piece he was nowhere near consistent or reliable enough and it was absolutely the right decision to let him go.  I know that's not necessarily the point you were making, but still.

 

We'd be considerably better off over the years if more "he's actually not that great but we'll keep him anyway" players had been punted forthwith rather than being allowed to creep about for years.

[hoodless]

if JJ assembles this squad cunts would be going mental. We’re in for a long hard season AGAIN

[TheGoon]

Both of the above posts are correct. The only centre back worthy of gracing the Cappielow turf again is Sir Gavin Gunning. All MCT money should be going straight into his bank account.