Falkirk begin the new Premiership campaign confronting a substantial rebuilding job after losing a clutch of influential attacking players over the summer, with former player and manager Ian McCall warning that matching last season’s top-six placing will be difficult.
Summer departures leave sizeable gap
The Bairns were beaten 2-0 at home by St Mirren in Saturday’s opening fixture, a result that underlined the scale of the challenge facing manager John McGlynn as he looks to replace goals and experience.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening-day score | Falkirk 0–2 St Mirren |
| Notable departures | Barney Stewart, Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait, Ben Broggio, Brian Graham |
McCall, who spent time at Falkirk both on and off the pitch, pointed to the difficulty of replacing multiple leading goalscorers at a club of Falkirk’s standing.
"It's really hard when you're at the level Falkirk are, a big club but not one of the big, big ones," McCall said.
He highlighted the uncommon nature of the club’s previous recruitment windfalls and suggested that unless the club can secure substantial funds it will be hard to find equivalent players on a regular basis.
What this means for the season
The loss of five of last season’s top scorers leaves McGlynn with the task of reshaping his forward options and the broader squad balance. While McCall did not expect relegation to be a likely outcome, he said repeating the comfortable top-six finish would be a stretch without significant reinforcements.
- Falkirk must find new sources of goals after the departure of key forwards.
- Recruitment and squad development will determine whether the club can sustain last season’s league position.
- Early-season results, such as the home defeat to St Mirren, will increase pressure to adapt quickly.
Supporters will watch closely as McGlynn looks to the transfer window and his youth and remaining senior players to fill the void. The club’s approach to recruitment, and any incoming signings, will be decisive in shaping expectations for the campaign.
For now, Falkirk remain in a transitional phase: a club with a recent high finish, now attempting to replace a remarkable group of attackers who have departed within a single summer.
