Unquestionably no side suffered as disappointing a campaign as Falkirk, who finished an embarrassing fifth in League One, having been one of the favourites to win the title. Certainly, with the squad that they possessed, they should have finished at least second.
Mistakes had started to be made at the end of last season, though. The management duo of Lee Miller and David McCracken, who had proven to be incompetent last term were retained. Initially, with Partick floundering, they were made to look better than they are.
Falkirk won six of their opening eight matches of the season, though only two of these came against teams that would finish in the top five, while there was also an ominous 1-1 home draw against a Forfar side that finished bottom.
Things started to fall apart shortly before Christmas with a 1-0 loss to Airdrie. Then followed a draw with Airdrie and a loss away to East Fife.
It seemed that the shutdown had come at the right time, especially when they started with wins over Montrose and Falkirk. Their fixture list was light compared to some clubs and full-time status should have played into their hands, but a succession of poor results ultimately saw the managers sacked and Gary Holt put in charge.
The momentum against Falkirk, though, was too great. They took only one point from their last six matches.
They will struggle to reflect on any positives from the campaign. An experienced squad should have achieved far better, with their management teams unable to find a way to unlock packed defences.
Big changes should be expected in the summer. The playing staff have shown they cannot be relied upon, while a new manager is required to get Falkirk back to where they should be.
