Another MoM for Calvin Miller today - 1 goal, 1 assist in Falkirk's 0-3 away win at Dundee Utd. Falkirk up to 5th in the EPL. He's the reigning Scottish Championship Player of the Year and his career really seems to be taking off.

I liked him when he played for Notts and I can remember being disappointed when he signed for Chesterfield over us.

Pretty sure his arrival on loan was the first time we properly switched to a back 3 and wing-backs too, I can't remember Notts ever playing a back 3 and wing-backs as their main formation in my time supporting us (that goes back to about the mid/late 2000s). Was he our first ever left-wingback?

5 hours ago, menzinho said:

I liked him when he played for Notts and I can remember being disappointed when he signed for Chesterfield over us.

Pretty sure his arrival on loan was the first time we properly switched to a back 3 and wing-backs too, I can't remember Notts ever playing a back 3 and wing-backs as their main formation in my time supporting us (that goes back to about the mid/late 2000s). Was he our first ever left-wingback?

He can't have been Menzinho. It's easy to work out because there was a players' meeting and then Ardley changed the system, not too many games before he was sacked, and we've hardly ever changed since then - away at Yeovil it was. Let's see

Checked it. Our first LWB of this era was Jordan Barnett! : )

Calvin Miller was atrocious at first (that was probably under Ardley) but when IB brought Ruben in from the cold everything clicked and Miller benefitted and put in a spectacular run of games and really showed his potential.

I thought C'field was a failure for him so I'm a little surprised he's one of the stand-out players in the SPL this season. Looks like his next move will be significantly up from Falkirk

On 27/11/2025 at 22:56, theAnticlough said:

He can't have been Menzinho. It's easy to work out because there was a players' meeting and then Ardley changed the system, not too many games before he was sacked, and we've hardly ever changed since then - away at Yeovil it was. Let's see

Checked it. Our first LWB of this era was Jordan Barnett! : )

I know this is an old debate, but I had a look at Transfermarkt. I was convinced that Ardley had been wedded to four at the back and that it was Burchnall who switched to three. Wrong!

The first game in the 20-21 season where we used wing-backs was a 1-0 win at Wealdstone in March, in the last days of the Ardley era. Miller and Kelly-Evans were our wing-backs that day. But our first game of the current era with wing-backs was the home draw with Stockport at our very first home game in the National League the season before, with Bakayogo and Kelly-Evans taking up the positions. All according to Transfermarkt of course.

We'd dabbled in it before then too, but March 2021 was our permanent move to playing wing-backs.

My memories of the time are pretty clear @StarkMallard 

The players meeting seemed to be about getting 3 CBs into the team....Doyle and O'Brien were clogging away ahead of them and Ruben was shockingly still exiled. Ardley was a dead man walking. If ever a guy deserved to get the sack for not working towards the owners vision it was Ardley

I was always against wing-backs up until Williams, probably because most managers used it as a con trick to insert another defender and others weren't brave enough to get it right.

I used to argue on the old site, a sign of an effective wing-back is a player you would never pick to play full-back. And I think this is where we eventually landed this season with Tsaroulla and Jones.

Burchnall was a disaster not being brave enough to play Nemane over Kelly-Evans

Williams had to work with what he had, but he made sure he transformed Chicksen's game to play the position and had no hesitation in bringing Nemane into the team.

Anyway, 5 and a half seasons of wing-backs now and 2 promotions to show for it. We got it to work for us! But it still amazes me how many still want 4 defenders and are so quick to call for a back 4 despite all our success with a totally different system.

Edited Thursday at 12:423 days by theAnticlough

2 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

Wow, but he definitely earned it. With Falkirk he became one of the best creative players in the SPL

I was a big fan when he was at Notts and have followed him ever since. These days we're getting used to very youmg players making a splash at big clubs and at international football. Miller is a good example of a player slowly maturing over a number of years. His all round game has continued to improve and his physique is much more athletic than it was 6 years ago. He has had a superb time at Falkirk with goals and assists - averaging one goal involvement every two matches in 90 odd games. At the age of 28 he is a great catch for Hearts.

I didn't dream that he signed for Chesterfield after leaving us, correct? I thought he was very good when he played in the right position, very good at getting forward and skillful enough to take on players in a way that made them not want to dive in with challenges. He wasn't consistent, but he put a lot of effort into his performance and usually I felt he was let down by others not pulling their own weight around him.