Who is ready for the top flight?

[Yeats 62]

Win % last season:

Reynolds 64.5%
Connolly 59.1%
Watson 56.5%

Granted that Watson played 3 games at right back, 2 of which we lost (Qots and Alloa)

Exactly

[TerryTheTerror]

Win % last season:

Reynolds 64.5%
Connolly 59.1%
Watson 56.5%

Granted that Watson played 3 games at right back, 2 of which we lost (Qots and Alloa)

Well, there you go.

[tHeArAb]

Siegrist, Butcher, Shankland, Appere

Then we are in deep trouble

Genuinely think that's where we're at. Connolly & Reynolds I don't need to comment on. Smith & Robson showed every single weakness possible while being ripped new ones vs Hibs. Harkes - see the Harkes new contract post. Powers - unsure tbh. Showed up well vs Premiership Hibs but not convinced. McMullan - not a hope in hell he's Premiership quality.

As for Watson. He's not Premiership quality either for me so the argument that he would have been capable is a non starter. All three of them need replaced if we're going up a division.

[BudMill90]

Genuinely think that's where we're at. Connolly & Reynolds I don't need to comment on. Smith & Robson showed every single weakness possible while being ripped new ones vs Hibs. Harkes - see the Harkes new contract post. Powers - unsure tbh. Showed up well vs Premiership Hibs but not convinced. McMullan - not a hope in hell he's Premiership quality.

As for Watson. He's not Premiership quality either for me so the argument that he would have been capable is a non starter. All three of them need replaced if we're going up a division.

I hope you are wrong buddy. Because the majority of players you mention are likely to play a lot of games for us next year. I also disagree on the Smith/Robson comment re Hibs games but I'm fine with agreeing to disagree tbh. I wouldnt say we are in perfect shape but there arent too many players that I'm nervous about seeing in the starting 11 next season. Would I like 8 or 9 new players who are better than what we have? Who wouldnt! But the likelyhood is we'll get 5 maybe 6 at the most.

[arab777]

Win % last season:

Reynolds 64.5%
Connolly 59.1%
Watson 56.5%

Granted that Watson played 3 games at right back, 2 of which we lost (Qots and Alloa)

I was a bit surprised by when I read this so checked it out

The win figures for Connolly is skewed by including 4 sub appearances coming on at minutes 88, 89, 88, 71. Plus 2 other starts against S,muir and Cowden in the Betfred.

Games actually started, not including the Betfred which was pretty much a pre season cup

Connolly

P14 W6 D3 L5
clean sheets 3

Win Rate 42%

Watson

P19 W11 D3 L5
Clean sheets 9

Win rate 58%


Our best defensive period of the season where we only conceded 3 goals in 10 games Watson played in every one of them. it was actually when Connolly came back in to the starting line up we started to ship goals again.

[tHeArAb]

I hope you are wrong buddy. Because the majority of players you mention are likely to play a lot of games for us next year. I also disagree on the Smith/Robson comment re Hibs games but I'm fine with agreeing to disagree tbh. I wouldnt say we are in perfect shape but there arent too many players that I'm nervous about seeing in the starting 11 next season. Would I like 8 or 9 new players who are better than what we have? Who wouldnt! But the likelyhood is we'll get 5 maybe 6 at the most.

I think Smith is just a decent Championship player. He's faired okay since he came to us, however at Easter Rd, deary me. He was all over the place. I just don't know if he's going to get any better. He offers very little in an attacking sense either. The fact we were linked with O'Donnell makes me think the manager thinks the same.
Robson, I'm really not sure how long we can persevere with. He's been brutal since his injury. One purple patch before then but where did that form go?
Maybe two good, experienced CH's would help, but I hate that argument that 'with better players he'll play well'. Just buy a decent player in the first place. We'd take a big gamble going in with these two as first choice with Sporle and Freeman as back up imo.

[Whitfieldarab]

If we're judging players who are deemed ready for the top flight on how they played against Hibs in the cup then Powers is on his way to Celtic and Butcher is going to The FUN on a free.It was 2 games, that's it.

For what it's worth I'd say Shankland, Appere and Siegrist are the obvious no brainers. Liam Smith for me is good enough for the step up too.

Harkes, McMullan, Robson and Sicknote(Pawlett) need to really step up and hopefully Powers gets up to speed after a good pre season and proves his doubters wrong.

Wouldn't mind Butcher sticking around too as he can fill in a few positions and obviously the young anes that broke through are exempt from any cull so I'll not include any of them.

The rest I'm no fussed aboot.

[tHeArAb]

If we're judging players who are deemed ready for the top flight on how they played against Hibs in the cup then Powers is on his way to Celtic and Butcher is going to The FUN on a free.It was 2 games, that's it.

For what it's worth I'd say Shankland, Appere and Siegrist are the obvious no brainers. Liam Smith for me is good enough for the step up too.

Harkes, McMullan, Robson and Sicknote(Pawlett) need to really step up and hopefully Powers gets up to speed after a good pre season and proves his doubters wrong.

Wouldn't mind Butcher sticking around too as he can fill in a few positions and obviously the young anes that broke through are exempt from any cull so I'll not include any of them.

The rest I'm no fussed aboot.

Its an indicator of how they'd fair against better opposition. However if you read my entire post, you will see that the players aren't just being judged on those two games. I've said Robson has been awful post injury and let's be honest, most of his career he's flattered to deceive other than 4 months at the start of the season. I also said I don't see Smith getting any better and is poor in an attacking sense. I was expecting more from him if I'm being honest.
I wasn't convinced on Butcher the first time round either but he's worth a second chance given how much he influenced our season last year.

[duke_the_arab]

I was a bit surprised by when I read this so checked it out

The win figures for Connolly is skewed by including 4 sub appearances coming on at minutes 88, 89, 88, 71. Plus 2 other starts against S,muir and Cowden in the Betfred.

Games actually started, not including the Betfred which was pretty much a pre season cup

Connolly

P14 W6 D3 L5
clean sheets 3

Win Rate 42%

Watson

P19 W11 D3 L5
Clean sheets 9

Win rate 58%


Our best defensive period of the season where we only conceded 3 goals in 10 games Watson played in every one of them. it was actually when Connolly came back in to the starting line up we started to ship goals again.

It just shows how you can turn stats around to put a positive slant on any discussion . Definitely looked better defensively with Watson playing.

[GUNBOAT]

I will not slate any player but if you look back to the 6-2 derby game early on the Dees were in the ascendancy and to be fair i never thought a hammering was on the cards.

After the match the opinion of many Dees was the game changed when Connolly went off injured,it has to be said he was having a shocker and could have given away two penalties.

I have stuck up for him on here and posted a thread to salute his commitment to the cause but his achilles heel is the sheer panic he spreads throughout the whole team when under pressure.

There is no doubt in my mind that if we were to lose Shankland and start with Reynolds and Connolly in defence we will be in a relegation battle from August onwards.

What annoys me about Connolly is i think he could still be a decent defender in the Premiership if he could be more composed on the ball,Reynolds has had a good career but his best days were in another decade i'm afraid.