| ALLEZ LES HOOPS |
| There can no longer be any doubt about it. Queen's are going backwards, in fact they've been on the slide for some time. And while the team have under-performed many a time this season, there hadn't yet been a match where they'd been utterly dead and buried with an entire second half of football still to play - before yesterday's drubbing. The perennial ( and often valid ) excuse of loads of injuries simply could not be made, and while opponents Stranraer are a strong team, with players of a decent calibre, particularly Jenkins, Finlayson and Moore, they are not the sort of team that on last season's most passionate performances we'd have had to fear getting well beaten by. Now stranded in eighth place, without the consolation of games in hand, and even Elgin City not yet out of sight, the season could yet get grimmer unless quick solutions are found to this mess and some commonsense decisions applied. Kenny Brannigan certainly seemed to have taken leave of his senses when yesterday's team was picked, with the defensive reshuffle in particular seeming to sow seeds of confusion which Stranraer gleefully exploited. It wasn't so much the actual players who were selected, or the combination of them - there weren't exactly gasps of shock from the gallery when the teams were announced. No, it had more to do with both the formation and tactics - if either actually existed. New signing David Stewart was played, and if Richard Sinclair's absence was unavoidable ( we are yet to discover why he wasn't played ) then that was fair enough. But why, despite giving hints of being a good communicator, at least before the team collapsed, did he replace Steven Fallon as the pivotal central defender? Fallon was thus switched to wide defensive position which he looked uncomfortable in. Assuming that these were the instructions, and it can't be guaranteed as some players looked very unsure of what they were meant to be doing, they are mystifying. The manager was not helped by Agostini giving one of his worst-ever displays, looking over-zealous in the early parts of the game and then committing an embarassing error which led to the killer second goal for Stranraer. The player could not have found it easy recovering his nerves from what was nearly a very serious car crash back in August, and he has been his usual solid self since fully recuperating. But yesterday he was cumbersome, and like Fallon, drifted out of position onto the right hand side an inordinate number of times. Danny Ferry, playing in a central role, though being Danny more of a pitch-wanderer than central defender, was probably the best player Queen's had, yet he is such a clubman that being the best of a bad bunch in a heavy defeat will be of scant consolation, and he'll be aware he can play better too. Midfield was little better, though frankly we've come to expect this sort of standard from the centre of the park. Yet each one of these players - Clark, Reilly, Kettlewell, Whelan, Harvey at a push - have shown, fleetingly, how inspirational they are capable of being. Clark and Whelan didn't play ( save a brief and irrelevant sub appearance for Jonny ), and in Clark's case, didn't even make the squad. But the Ross Clark we saw at Inverness looked like an SPL player! What has gone wrong? Is Kenny Brannigan at fault for failing to motivate players like Ross properly? Does he lack the man-management skills? Or has Ross just been complacent or lazy or lost interest? We can only guess at the correct answer. But there's no question: a fit, fighting Ross Clark is invaluable to Queen's Park. On his best form he'd have rejuvenated yesterday's flagging midfield. Reilly and Kettlewell have genuine attitude problems, seeming most keen to stop oppostion men in whatever way comes to hand, despite neither being all that strong or particularly good at tackling. And it was even sadder to see Reilly go down softly, with the game already over, in an inconsequential part of the pitch to try and win a free kick. This is not the way Queen's Park should be playing - if nothing else we've long been an honest side. His habit of going through opposition players from awkward angles must also be cut out. Like Clark, Reilly on song is a fine, driving midfielder but unless there is improvement the exit door is his most likely destination. As for Kettlewell, his replacement was of no surprise as he contributed nothing, albeit from the unusual position of right midfield/wing back. In attack, Queen's opened fairly brightly before conceding the two goals quickly and appallingly, and had Ally Graham been more mobile we could even have been in front. Sadly, Ally chose to conserve himself instead of flinging himself at Harvey's dangerous cross into the box, and found few chances after that. Alongside him up front were the unlikely, untested and unsuccessful pair of Paddy Gallagher and Steven Canning. That Canning even 'earned' a jersey at all was inexplicable; his recent displays have seen him look lightweight, lacking in timing, energy and heart. Yet Kenny felt a subtle change of position would do him good. He made scarce impact on the game and had to come off, but somehow he didn't. Another player who frankly seems likely to go come the summer whether there is managerial change or otherwise. Once upon a time Canning was another player who looked talented, had a bright future in front of him, and seemed set to become a fixture. But the forced change of coach brought about by John McCormack's leaving has been detrimental to his progress; played out of position, if at all, Canning almost saw the door during last summer before Kenny had a rethink. He's probably had another rethink by now. The most worrying thing is that he's hardly the only example of raw potential being drained away - the whole Queen's team is an example of it. It's not as if the team has changed that greatly from last season - the spine of it, Scrimgour, Ferry, Fallon, Agostini, Whelan, Clark - were all around last year, when we underachieved but played far better football, while in signing Graham's leadership and McAuley's goals and sharpness, as well as Reilly and Harvey, it could be argued that our squad was theoretically even stronger at the start of this term. But the loss of width in the side has been more damaging than should ever have been allowed to be the case. And look where we are now - points-and position-wise, little worse off than last season, but in footballing terms all of that promise has disappeared, and we look what we are; a mediocre, struggling bottom half of the table team. Our crowds, too, reflect this, with numbers dropping away steadily, and it would be no surprise if they shrank further in view of our awful home form, which with all fairness to the present manager and players is hardly a new phenomenon. Whether the committee share my ambitions for better times, or whether they are satisfied with matters, god only knows, and I wouldn't be in complete trust of their judgment whatever decision is taken. But this form can't be allowed to go on without a serious overhaul of either the playing staff or the coaching staff; or both. Queen's Park 0 Stranraer 4 ( Henderson, Aitken, Jenkins, Moore ) Queen's Park: Scrimgour 6, Ferry 7, Agostini 5, Fallon 5 ( Moffat 5 ), Stewart 5, Reilly 5, Kettlewell 5 ( Whelan 5 ), Harvey 5, Canning 5, Graham 6 ( McAuley 6 ), Gallagher 5. |