[NoSkillz]

June 27, 2018


-- I always start the preseason with a friendly with either my reserves squad or my U18s.

Preseason Friendly – Lesser Hampden
Queen’s Park 2 - 3 Queen’s Park Reserves
Queen’s Park Goals – Ali Miller (7.2), Izhaak Ahmed OG
Queen’s Park Assists – Ciaran Summers (6.9)
Other Notables:

Reserves Goals – Grant Savoury (7.1), Dylan Thomas (PEN – 7.0), Fraser Murdoch (7.2)
Reserves Assists – Ross McLaughlin (6.9), Paul Kennedy (7.1)
Other Reserves Notables -
Player of the Match – Fraser Murdoch

-- My Queen’s Park squad was made up of mostly second-team players while my entire Reserves squad was made up of players here on trial. Needless to say, our lads should be embarrassed by this performance, as they were outclassed in every respect by their hungrier opponents.



Tactical Approach

-- I’m still not really set on how I want the lads to line up this year. Looking at our current roster of players, along with their best positions and roles, I’ve isolated about four to five players that are the class of the team and therefore want to build around them and their strengths. I have what I consider to be top-level players for our division at the following positions: GK, DC, MC, AMC and ST.

I’ve always enjoyed playing a 4-2-3-1 formation so that would certainly work but I’m relatively weak on the wings. A 4-3-3 was something else I considered (or a 4-3-1-2 perhaps) and I may try it out during the preseason. A flat 4-4-2 is always a lower-league staple and something I’ll likely incorporate into training.

I certainly didn’t get any clarity in our inter-squad match – we played some horrible 4-4-2 football there and were unquestionably outclassed by our trialists.

Tactics are very much a work-in-progress at this point.



Coaching Staff Additions

-- After firing almost all of our staff, we’re starting to get some new blood into the coaching room, bringing in two new coaches (including a GK coach), a physio, two scouts (including a chief scout), a reserves squad manager and a U18 manager. We’re still waiting for word on a few other potential staff members, as we look to fill our assistant manager position, one more coaching slot (looking at a fitness coach), a head physio, a Head of Youth Development position and a U18 assistant. Again, keep in mind I can’t pay any of these people and that’s already cost me my #1 choice for an assistant manager, who took a paying job elsewhere.



Queen’s Park Captain to Leave Club?

-- Our team captain is 24-year old DC Scott Gibson, who has incredibly been with our club since 2012. He’s our leader and our top defender but with that come opportunities. Two teams in our league, Stirling and Berwick, have offered him a contract and Scottish League One club East Fife are also interested in his services. Money talks so I’m guessing he won’t be with us much longer. We do have some decent depth at the squad and I have some solid options with the club on trial as well.


-- Speaking of trialists, we have THIRTY such hopefuls that are with the club at the moment training with our reserves. Some are professionals here on temporary loan (including a few from Celtic) but most are street free agents looking to stay in the game, based on recommendations from our club chairman.



Next Up -

-- Our preseason begins in earnest with a trip to the Scottish Highlands, as we visit Brora Rangers FC