The Stephen Dobbie show rumbles on for yet another season and this could be his best yet in a Queen of the South shirt. The talismanic striker has again provided Gary Naysmith with a huge number of goals but are Queens more than just Dobbie?
My own answer to that question is – I’m not sure. Having seen Queen of the South a few times this year I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about them but I still see a side who, without Dobbie, could be in trouble. That might sound harsh but I have yet to see it from them when he is not playing.
Naysmith has a decent base squad with a structure in place that allows for continuity but when you take Dobbie out of the team they turn from a side who could push for a playoff to a side that would maybe be looking over their shoulder. I am not meaning to sound pessimistic but there hasn’t been much growth in Queen of the South over the last couple of seasons and maybe we won’t see what the club is truly made of until Dobbie is gone.
January Wishlist – As with any side who operate with a tight budget it is more about adding depth to a thin squad.
Player of the season (so far) – Without doubt it has to be Dobbie. I like a few other players in the Queens team, like Dykes, but Dobbie has to walk away with this.
Predicted Finish – 5th
Manager Grade – B. I really want to like Naysmith and I have always thought that he presents himself well and he clearly cares about his job. He is someone though who has set his team up to assist one player and although that is maybe the correct thing to do he really needs to challenge himself and his team to do other things. He hasn’t ever really been linked with any of the bigger jobs in Scotland but I still think he has the potential to have a decent career moving forward.
Overall Grade – B. Things are going well for Queen of the South and they can be proud of their league form this season. Things may derail depending on fitness levels and the availability of Dobbie but they should be in with a shout of the playoffs at the end of the season.