Nisbet to Ross County? Jesus fucking christ that is bad.

our smallest most technical player to the most physical hoof ball league in europe

just play in the a league if there aren't any better offers

This.

How do you measure that? 

Christ almighty. Get FBK as your manager if your current one is producing this tripe. 

How the fuck are the 2 options for our Johnny Warren medalist Ross County and the Dutch 2nd Div? Insane. 

I definitely notice that our athletic players do better at landed contracts in europe

Might be hard to get a look in at 1.6m

We saw last world cup that the a league is good enough prep. If he cant get anything better than here i hope he stays

Surely he can get a better move than that. 

It doesn't even matter that Ross County are back in the SPL. It's baffling there hasn't been a clear front runner to sign him given the number of clubs that watch the A League. Links to a 2nd tier Dutch club also mention. The blindness and disrespect surrounding potential suitors or lack thereof and this isn't even hyping a player lie Nisbet up.

Could you imagine the interest with a player of his form with a Croatian or Mexican profile flag?

Ross County are frequently one of the clubs in the mix when relegation is discussed at the start of a season. If you think SPL is terrible for Nisbet, how would you feel about him in the Scottish second tier next season? If he stays at CCM, he gets ACL as well as A-League.

bahhhhh this stinks!! It was obvious once it took this long to get any reports of linking him with any clubs. I really hoped someone like a J-League club would see his skillset and take less note of his stature. Honestly he would be better off joining the other Aussies in Denmark. I guess Irvine did make the most of his time at Ross County and now look at him, there's still hope...

in other thread discussions re our players I see the usual suspects making noise.
Expectations and the up speak of ours is too high - so be it Ross County, is it because you expect a higher ranked club should have signed him ? ofcourse eh.
IMO he's OS and out of the comfort zone, either put up or shut up, adjust put in a good season and lets see what he does as will other Clubs looking throughout the season far more than AL.

For me it's less about any perceived club ranking and more about wanting the club and/or league to be suited to the player's qualities and therefore allow Josh to thrive, develop and showcase his talents. I may be wrong but a possible relegation battle in the SPL might not be the most supportive environment for this stage in his career...time will tell.

and to other posts since.
Yer the perfect world scenario a player gets into a Club that suits their style let alone have the understanding knowledgeable gaffa who gets what ticks his new recruits boxs.
FFS, your a minnow in the big picture, kudos he and anyone gets plucked from no where, yes no where land of Oz and gets a OS gig.
Next IF your the player having all the ability where you came from, in time it should stand up out on the pitch once you've settled in your new environment.
Relegation battles or not, a good up and coming player either stands up despite possibly being let down by fellow team mates, he's friggin 25 not 16/17.
He's battled for years to make a name of himself here and finally matured and made it - here.
If I was in his boots and knowing the challenge ahead I would see it as my time/my moment to really have in my heart I am going to make it, even in a low level club I will show them what I got......
Yep time will tell, 25, will he adapt quickly or not, will he gain the confidence to take on players and create ? well I expect so if he's anything the player we have seen he sure should no matter where......
This is his chance - maybe not any others.

Another thing despite its the SPL, obviously my avatar some would call me a eurosnob, like igaf politely last I checked the SPL/Premiership is ranked around 17 and those crying to stay in AL ranked around 29 !
Least he's going to play against 2 major global known clubs with sound players competing in CL/Europa let alone playing them in huge sell out stad with awesum atmosphere incl Hearts St Mirren etcetc.....
I think many here are ALsnobs :) and like many of our players rate it OTT and he should be in a nice club with nice people to develop him, he's already developed.

There are more games in the SPL and a bigger shop window. I think Nisbet is right to move. I think we can sometimes be too critical of players club choices as though they have their pick of who they want. You can only go where there is interest. If that's Ross County if I were Nisbet I'd go for it. I don't think it's the best stylistic fit but I agree sometimes you've just got to back your self to make it work. 

Without Celtic and Rangers the SPL would be ranked about 50.

I agree with all your other points though. SPL, even at a minnow club, in some ways is the perfect challenge. So many reckon he won't survive in the SPL but he's tough as teak and a really good footballer also. If he can acclimatise quickly I see him becoming a cult figure over there.

yes true mate, same applies to LaLiga, take out RM/Barca, Bundas BM reigned/reigns supreme, where would those leagues rank without them as a thought.
One thing for sure not the ranking they have enjoyed or so so long.
Same applies to the SPL just a different level.

Yep - i'm not so analitical as others, I'm just the average passionate football luver who knows, the cream always bubbles to the top no matter where/div and standards.
IF you got it sooner or later your going to adjust and shine.
Yes Grav you are one of those in a kind way mate :)

You stats guys - I'm sure you'll come up with some other stats that will show no comparo due to era's - league yaddayadda but sorry I see it but that you either put up or shut up.
Looks at these 2 whilst you guys carry on about heights/minnows.
Going back to harder even more physical days and NO official and new rules protection.

King Kenny - that guy played over 200 Celtic games was a tall 1.7, striker/mid signed at 17.
Oh but hang on lets protect the short fellas today, its not fair to them playing in hoof ball or lesser leagues.
Zola was 1.68 ! played in lower SerieA clubs first up.
Sure these are blokes who turned out being high top quality but how do you think they were treated in their teens and climbing the top.
Even at the top they got chopped up but they adpated/learnt in their early days, size did not matter in the end.
That other modern day 1.7 bloke from Argentina done ok and his idol was 1.65 !
Modric 1.7.
Pirlo 1.7, we're talking splitting hairs Nisbet 1.6.

Look forward to the countless counter posts lol.......but carry on.

How much spfl do you watch. I watch a lot due to the aussies there. It is way too physical for nisbet and quite frankly it is a hoofball league. They are an outlier in world football, having just 450 passes per game not involving the 2 glasgow giants. For players that aren't fresh out of an academy (over 23) when they join, the bottom 10 clubs do miles worse in transfer revenue than the bottom 10 of similar quality leagues - sweden, norway and greece. The fact that it is a hoofball league means once you are in you develop slowly and get stuck

15 years ago pim verbeek warned aussies about going to the championship, saying most players on the continent would be judged not good enough for the championship due to its overemphasis on physicality. The championship has changed, the spl hasn't. Nisbet is the shortest player in the league and probably would be the shortest player in europe

there is no point going to a deadend league that is no better than the a league and plays a style that doesn't suit him due to their backwards football philosophy. He is better of staying here for a season where he gets a long season with ccm regardless

The SPL didn't stop Mooy or Irvine from having good careers in better leagues. They're recent examples. There are a lot of other examples if you go back further. 

mooy was very young there and barely played with his best season having 13 games. Like robertson he barely got a look in then ripped it up when moving to a similar quality league that wasn't as hoofball. Mooy also didn't really progress until he went to other leagues. There will always be outliers, but the transfer value of the spl for over 23s outside the glasgow giants is low compared to similar quality leagues. Not just a little lower either. Players don't progress as well in a hoofball league

How does the transfer value compare to the A-League?

will check. My guess is comparable remembering the numbers

I have watched my share of games since Moore/Dukes days and to date.
Main thing I recall Pim saying bugga picking most players from here - here's one cracker comment :
Verbeek replied bluntly "If you train for three weeks with Nurnberg or Karlsruhe, I have to be honest, I still think that's better than playing in the A-League."

and might I add, no he is not better off staying in our cushy local comp waking up everyday smelling the rose's.
He can always come back be it 1 3 5yrs time, still play till mid late 30's.
WTF would stay here right now @ 25yrs in your prime years, like any of us if in their shoes, most dream of playing abroad, why deny him that, go Nisbet win lose fail at least you can what say most of us can't, I got a pro contract abroad living my dream compared to hanging at cushy boganville with all due respect.

When was the last time you watched an spfl match that did not include celtic or rangers?

When pim said that the a league was even more hoofy than the spfl. A mere 3 years later matt mckay is picked from the a league for the asian cup squad and dominated an asian cup semi. The a league changed the spfl hasnt. I wonder if pim would say it is better training for a buli 2 side than playing for ross county, since his issues in both cases are similar. Pim was quoted out of context, he actually defended the quality of the league pointing out that adelaide united made the acl final. He said the individual quality of the player is fine but the playing style does a poor job of prepping you for international football (which is precisely my criticism of the spfl, especially in nisbets case)

I don't agree the take that the SPL won't prepare players for international football. It hasn't hurt Irvine, Rogic, Mooy, Rowles, Boyle or Atkinson in recent times. 

I'd argue atkinson has gone backwards there while rowles sideways at best. Pklayers in the glasgow giants are a different kettle of fish since they play a different style. Boyle I agree has done well

the point isn't that no one will make it there, you are just worse off there than any similar quality league. Some people who smoke a pack a day will live to 100 while others who exercize and have clean living die at 50. But on average it is a bad league for players to prep for international football

Yer forget Atkinson not a good mention I bucket him with King.
Both don’t cut it OS.
The rest done Ok being cheeky and what about the rest of the afcon Acup players totalling 14 not up to standards due to playing spl ???
https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/14-spfl-players-called-up-28402286

I rate celtic and rangers and have no problem with aussies who make it there. Once again its the bottom 10 teams which are the outlier playing hoofball. If you remove the aussies from that list of 14 aussies as well as celtic and rangers players there are 2 players left who are fringe players for congo and ghana

more passes are indicative of the radical difference in style between the bottom 10 in spfl and the rest of europe, australia, asia and even the mls. Importantly the socceroos circulate the ball which means a more radical change from the spfl to international football compared to just about any other league. Style matters a lot for international football as you only get a short amount of time with players, if their club coaching and national coaching is similar that makes it easier to gel

You can have all the ambition in the world, but no point going to a league that doesn't suit you and even if you succeed is a dead end as there are so few transfers out of there once you hit a certain age and aren't playing for celtic or rangers.

And hey if ccm is not just better for his footballing career but also "cushy" (and has a nice beach rather than the crap weather in scotland) all the better to be honest

I'm not a big fan of Atkinson but he's performed better than I ever expected for Australia which is why I threw him in there.

It'll be interesting how Nieuwenhof goes. He's the SPL player I'm most interested in atm. 

his best performance seemed to be against peru and he seems to have declined since then :(

Rowles at least hasn't gotten worse

Younger players like Nieuwenhof just need to play pro football at a decent level and the spfl has actually been decent for young players to use as a springboard

Boyle ? You seem to forget that he is Scottish, first and foremost, and it is where his career started. 
He never went there, he was already there.

What's that matter? The comment I responded to was in regard to the Scottish league being poor preparation for international football. It didn't hurt Boyle who has had a good international career with us. 

yeah agree boyle has done well at international level

nisbet is a 1.6m midfielder who is a little technician so different kettle of fish. In any case he is apparently denied the ross county rumour

I'm guessing I'm a usual suspect :P
players who have been worse than him in the last two seasons of the a league have garnered more interest. I think his height is putting clubs off

Since the ccm are playing asian champs league he should just stay here if he can't get something decent. No need to go overseas

The problem with that analogy LFC is he doesn’t fit the style of play whatsoever.

No point going to a place where you not going to fit and struggle to make inroads.

Barca I respect your POV BUT thats from yours and others look at it black and white.
Not every player fails as we know, some actually shine once they get a grip of it.
What IF Nisbet shows you guys up ? (that I hope so)
He has the ability with his feet and the ball, agility, he'll need to be quicker smarter, get used to the physicality and referreing difference and the atmosphere around grounds.
Some players can't even adjust to the crowd cauldron pressures.
Instead of all this negative outlook (he's too short ffs) I see this as a great challenge for him to prove himself and to you guys by the look of it.
The challenge wouldn't be much different in any other league.
He's battled being too short all his life here till breaking through last couple of seasons.

It doesn't surprise me that Nisbets best offer is the SPL. It's a league that gives Australians a go. I don't mind the SPL but I don't think it's the best fit for Nisbets playing style. So it means he'll need to really perform. Mooy at St Mirren is a good example of a pathway for his role and at a comparible level club. That was an important stepping stone. 

Interesting fact - the stadium at Ross County has more seats than the population of the town. 6500

Might as well stay at CCM, he is in the national team mix etc. This is a sideways move at best 

Wherever he ends up I just wish he didn't have such an obvious barrier to his potential suitors. He's a very fine footballer and I wish him the best.

Nisbet - 1.6m

Shortest epl player Alan Wright 1.63m
shortest in la liga - 1.6m
shortest in seri a - 1.84m (!!!)
shortest in ligue 1 - 1.64m
shortest in bundesliga -1.64m
shortest in eredivisie - 1.67m
shortest in spfl > 1.7m (none of the listed shorter players on google are playing in the spfl this year. One is 45 years old. They did have a couple of short players last season though none as short as nisbet)
shortest in the eerste divisie - 1.69m

Nisbet would be the shortest in any league outside of spain

Shortest player in SerieA at 184cm? That surely can't be right?

using the very sophisticated technique of googling "shortest player in the seri a" I got a list of shortest players with 1.84 being the shortest

curious if it is wrong

Of course it's wrong. With 5 seconds of thought I came up with Christian Pulisic as an AC Milan player who isn't particularly tall. Checking on Wikipedia it shows him at 1.78 m. My guess is that at least 30% of the players in Serie A, or any other league, are less than 1.84 m.

yeah there is a few shorties

Samuel Chuckueze is 1.72m. Would have to go one at a time to see which sounds a pain

If Nisbet was 10 cms taller then I don’t think it would’ve bothered euro players trying to sign him, however for context Bayern signed a Spanish winger who is 162cm so there is always hope. 

Who’s the 1.6m player in La Liga?

max morales who left a few years ago. The shortest current player is 1.67m is christian portu

Needs to have a word with Arzani... even he said it was a bad move looking back at it.

Might be worth just staying here and really dominating needs to hit double figures in goals and assists.

https://x.com/ozhubfootball/status/1818258312527589831

apparently rumours are nonsense. Hoping for portsmouth

Irankunda officially confirmed heading for Bayern's first team preseason. Even if he doesn't play much, him just being around players of that quality and training with them will advance him. 

Great news!