Football Season Guide

Manager Ray McKinnon was dispatched and replaced by Lee Wallace and David McCracken, who proved to be equally inept but have been retained for the season ahead. Once again, Falkirk will have a squad that is in excess of what most of their rivals will be able to muster, yet they will have to get more from the players who grossly underperformed last time out. Conor Sammon was the greatest culprit in attack, but there is additional competition in that area with the arrival of Anton Dowds, who is playing full-time football for the first time in his career, Akeel Francis and Aidan Keena, the latter two arriving from English football. Meanwhile, what appears to be a strong midfield has been boosted further by the arrival of winger Callumn Morrison from Hearts – a player of at least Championship standard – and Blair Alston, who is in the same category. With Charlie Telfer and Morgaro Gomis available to play centrally, there should be no lack of quality in Falkirk’s side. At the back, meanwhile, they have a strong first XI and are unlikely to see any change in their first-choice defence. They do lack depth in that sector, though, while they are also on the look out for an additional goalkeeper to challenge Robbie Mutch. The foundation, however, should be a strong one, but the managerial quality in the dugout may well hold them back once more. Furthermore, the attitude of the squad needs to be stronger than it was last season, but the management only seemed to compound that issue.