Last time out I talked about how to measure progress. As a pure maths student one of the things I have looked at to measure distance is metrics. I'm wondering if I could come up with a metric to measure overall progress from a base level I am making.
I certainly don't want to measure it by league performance as P18 W5 D6 L7 Pts21 is worse than both the last two years, but marginally. Our position of 7th is also worse nominally but we are just 2 points off the playoffs as opposed to 4 points above the relegation playoffs which is technically better than last year.
Can we measure it by the board confidence? Well, thanks to winning the relegation playoffs last year, despite underperforming in all 3 cup competitions and the league itself the board were pleased with last season and my successes play a part in evaluating me this year! Well, I'll take it. It sure beats getting called into the board to explain why we lost to the league no-hopers. But I cannot really see how that can measure my performance.
How about cup progress? Tempered by the appalling return of 0 wins from 6 attempts the board were happy for us just to take part in the minor cups. With no expectation we entertained Arbroath of League 2 in the Challenge Cup, and entertained the fans with an emphatic 5-0 thumping! We followed this up with a dismantling of Airdrie in the League Cup. And that's where the story ends as immediately after in the league we played Airdrie and their revenge was swift and decisive.
Player happiness? I said last season that the Nathan Blockley situation had sorted itself out. That situation is well and truly sorted out now as he has left the club. Not through me giving into any demands of his, rather the board seeing the £15,750 transfer fee as too good to turn down. I really didn't want him to leave telling the board as much, but that was like spitting into the wind. So he's gone, and is now worth just £5000 through not getting any starts at Inverness. What I'm not happy with, is the fans giving the transfer (what is now) 44% happiness with me. Not a damn thing I could do about it, and it is a negative on my transfer record!
With him gone it is someone else's turn to moan about wanting to join a bigger club, and no surprise it's Ally McKerracher, a centre midfielder just like Blockley. This is playing out exactly like Blockley, even down to the number of games for him to become settled at the club again. Rather amusingly, he has just signed a 1 year contract extension citing his love for the club!
Notable from his absence of the transfer talk is Rory McAllister. He was listed, no-one wanted him, so I let him stay. His rebuttal to being transfer listed was 7 goals from 14 starts in the league. Not bad, but Shane Sutherland has started a few games up front, come on as a sub up front a few times, and started in the attacking midfield a few times, and has netted 11 times from 16 starts and 5 sub appearances in all competitions, including 8 league goals. So I really don't want progress to be measured by if my striker is my leading scorer!
So I guess the only way I can measure my progress is by what league I am in. It's a short hop to the playoff places, hopefully we can ride some form to get us there this year. If nothing else, the extra money from a couple more games would be most welcome.
And with more money at the club I might finally be allowed to take a coaching qualification. Onwards and hopefully upwards.
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