3 reasons Falkirk can recover from patchy start in Championship
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To the surprise of many, Falkirk are sitting in ninth spot after four games of the Ladbrokes Championship season. They’ve chalked up just one point and conceded a worrying 11 goals in the process.
However, despite a less than stellar August, we think the Bairns are set to turn things around and rise quickly up the table.
Here’s why we’re backing Peter Houston’s men to find their feet again, starting with Saturday’s trip to Glebe Park…
Houstie’s never sailed a side into choppy window
During his six years in charge of first Dundee United, and later Falkirk, Houston has never finished outside of the top-half of the table. In fact, his Bairns side have managed back-to-back second placed finishes in the Championship.
The club’s current situation is also one they’ve recovered from before under this very manager. Back in 2014-15, the club won just one of their first seven league games, as well as enduring an embarrassing Challenge Cup exit at home to Stranraer.
However, they bounced back to end the campaign with 14 wins and a top-half finish. In other words, it’s not too late for this season to be a success.
Returnee Loy has great record at this level
The Ladbrokes Premiership proved a serious test of Rory Loy’s abilities, and he blew hot and cold at that level, recording 12 goals in 42 outings. However, the striker’s record at this level – with both the Bairns and St Mirren – is highly impressive.
Loy chalked up 29 goals in 63 Championship games in his first stint at Falkirk Stadium (2013-15), and proved he’s still potent at this level during last season’s loan spell with St Mirren.
The 29-year-old helped the struggling Buddies avoid the drop, scoring in five of his 13 league outings, as well as chalking up four assists.
Having worked under Houston with great success at this very club, there’s little doubt he’ll find his feet again very soon.
Despite not scoring in his first nine games in all competitions, the former Carlisle United man has continued to be in the thick of the action, contributing five assists. When he finally finds the net, expect an avalanche of goals to follow.
Sligo win and easier fixtures bode well
Having exited the League Cup at the hands of Livingston, the Bairns headed into this Championship campaign low on confidence, and quickly had to contend with games against early-season pace-setters Dunfermline Athletic and Queen of the South.
However, Houstie’s men have finally got that much-needed confidence boost, in the form of last weekend’s 2-1 victory away to League of Ireland outfit Sligo Rovers in the Challenge Cup, with the visitors counter-attacking to devastating effect.
That boost has coincided with an easier run of games on the horizon. Falkirk head to bottom club Brechin City on Saturday, with the Bairns having beaten the Glebe Park club in each of the past seven meetings.
A game against now out-of-form Livi also await the club during the next few weeks, so we fancy Falkirk to be hovering around mid-table by the end of September.
