Definitely.

We can only control our performances and effort.  We just have to concentrate on what we can affect and hope the other teams slip up and that we put in maximum effort when we play both of them with a view to clawing back some points.

I hope that Ayr will crumble under a bit of pressure and that maybe some English club makes a bid for Shankland in January as he will be a huge loss to them.

If I'm honest, I think Ross County are the team to watch.

PatReilly wrote:

Macho Man wrote:

Definitely.

We can only control our performances and effort.  We just have to concentrate on what we can affect and hope the other teams slip up and that we put in maximum effort when we play both of them with a view to clawing back some points.

I hope that Ayr will crumble under a bit of pressure and that maybe some English club makes a bid for Shankland in January as he will be a huge loss to them.

If I'm honest, I think Ross County are the team to watch.

True, but Shankland may well be signed and loaned back to Ayr as part of a cut price deal til the end of his contract, like Lewis Morgan last season. 

I've never rated Shankland, and to emphasise how little I know, ICT were the team to beat this season, for me.

Eight draws in a row has cost them, but they're still on a 23 game unbeaten run.

I never thought that might happen re Shankland.  I'm the same though, I never really thought much of him before but his goals tally is showing me up and fair play to him.

I didn't really think too much about who was going to be topping the league as I didn't see the point in worrying about that with Laszlo in charge.  I've only really thought about it since RN came in and I just think Ross County might be able to maintain their form.  I wouldn't write anyone off though as that's the first step on the road to complacency.

We should go for Shankland

PatReilly wrote:

Just looked this up: when Csaba was sacked, we were three points behind Ross County and five behind Ayr, all with the same games played.

Today, we are four points away from County and seven behind leaders Ayr, again with the same amount of games played (twelve).

Things can change quickly, but although we've improved, that's another five games gone and our main competitors for the title have remained steady.

That slight increase in points gap during that period stems from the weekend of the defeat at Somerset when Ellis was in temporary charge.

Since Neilson took over, we've taken 10 points, Ayr 9 and County 8. All from four games.

The only caveat to that would be that the other two have played each other. That said, they've also both played the team at the bottom.

MockChop wrote:

Billy_Hainey wrote:

MockChop wrote:

We should go for Shankland

Was there no some word on the Forum, during the Summer transfer window, that we'd shown an interest in him?

Also was the figure quoted that Airey Fairy were after 300k or something.

 
Just put a bid in, fuck it

Where are we getting 300 grand from? He'll be off to St.Johnstone, Dundee or an English League one team I reckon.
 

All I said was get a bid in.

Unsettle them. And / or force a club to come in & take him.

PatReilly wrote:

A prediction: Sevco will sign Shankland, promising a fee paid out of their season ticket income when it arrives in June, thus lending the player back to Somerset Park.

Trap_6 wrote:

 
That slight increase in points gap during that period stems from the weekend of the defeat at Somerset when Ellis was in temporary charge.
 

Aye, that's fair, but I was at that game, fuming that we hadn't already got Neilson in place. A point I'm making is we've given ourselves a handicap for this season, needlessly.
 

Yeah I completely agree Pat. Essentially we started the season in October with an eight point handicap. That is an irritation and, who knows, it may yet prove to be a bit too much to overcome. From what we've seen so far though, I definitely wouldn't bet against us overhauling it come May. 

Also, we need to be thankful at least for the squad Laszlo left, despite how hopeless he was at getting them to play. It's easily the best squad in the league. There are managers not a million miles away who have inherited an utter shitstorm, where the best they can do is put out fires until January and hope the season isn't done by then. At least we don't have that.

I also reckon Shankland will be sold then loaned back in January. McCall has hinted on Sportsound a couple of times that he's convinced both the player and the board to hold off until May. But I'm sure they'd grab that sort of deal, should it come. 

The good thing about him and Dobbie grabbing all the headlines is that it's completely taken the attention off Safranko, who is actually the best striker in the league. I've still got a fear someone will come in for him in January.