Just received the following from the club and thought it best posted here in the first instance and not delayed in order to prepare a frontpage news article....

Building for the Future

Following discussions between the Management Team and players last week and today all at the Club would like to thank Roy McBain, Stuart Golabeck, Russell Duncan and Grant Munro for their services over the last number of years.

Chairman George Fraser singled out Grant Munro for a special mention being a past captain of the Club and having progressed thro our youth ranks "Grant has been an exceptionally loyal servant to the Club and demonstrates to all in our existing youth set up that with the correct application, skill and determination you can progress to become Captain of the club.

Unfortunately due to the current financial environment generally, but football in particular, Contracts are all now short term 1 to 2 year deals and it is highly unlikely we will see a player with the service profile of Grant at the Club again.

On behalf of everyone at the Club we wish Grant well for the future whilst extending our thanks to all the players who have served the Club over the seasons through the lows and highs of relegation and promotion"

It is always a sad day at any Club when the old guard move on but we must now look to the future and build on the success we achieved this year on our return to the SPL.

I was having a conversation with someone last night (non ICT supporter) and they pointed out to me that several times during our chat I had used the statement "could still do a job" in reference to guys we were releasing. The point he made was that is "doing A job" good enough and is "good enough" all we want to be as a team/club? Surely, he said, if the ambition is top six then what you need are players who "can do THE job" that is being set out before them and we should want more than to be just "good enough".

I didn't entirely agree with him but we did have a long and interesting conversation about players and how being in an SPL team and having SPL experience, even for a few years, does not make them SPL quality and how our mantra of being better than the sum our parts is really only us trying to justify the fact that we were surviving with players who we perhaps knew deep down were never going to bring us anything more than the hope of SPL survival and occasionally flirt with the idea of making top six. Has this become so engrained in the ICT psyche that the players believe the same thing and was this the reason why they seemed to shut down and go a little off the boil once they were in a position where survival was all but guaranteed?

In all honesty, the conversation did raise more questions than it answered, but it was interesting to get an external point of view/opinion from someone who is not an ICT fan but is a football fan living locally who keeps tabs on, and occasionally comes to watch, the team.

Who knows, it may well be that Butcher has identified a problem and hasn't been able to put his finger on the reasons. We know he had those clear the air talks with the players not so long ago which didn't really seem to improve things on the pitch. Perhaps, not being able to get to the root of the issue, he feels the only option that remained open to him in dealing with it was to have a mass clear out.

Maybe we'll never know, maybe there's no more for us to know than has been said. Being someone who doesn't like the "because I said so" style answer then it'll probably bug me for a bit longer before I can draw the line and really concentrate on looking forward to what's to come instead of what's past.

Well, that's quite a clear-out and the wages "saved" will therefore be considerable to use to bring in others.

Terry surely MUST have identified prospects which he is sure that he can arrange to transfer to ICT otherwise his actions are a huge gamble.

Based on the news to date what will the score be on Wedneday night I wonder?

Or does that matter now?

The game tonight certainly does matter. Players on way out need to impress potential employers. Same players hopefully want to show Terry that he is wrong in getting rid. Or if they don't want to prove it, then Terry is correct in getting rid of players with no fight in them! ICT need the points to stay as high in the league as possible for bigger payday at end of the season.

And most importantly, I have a bet that we finish within 46 points of the league winners and stand to win ?165. Its mighty close at the moment, and defeating Cellic will help my cause

Based on the news to date what will the score be on Wedneday night I wonder?

Or does that matter now?

With the game being on tv, and quite a few looking for new clubs, I believe the incentive is there to prove the Butch wrong, and interest other clubs. For the players that are staying, and especially Duff (because it's all his fault, according to CTO), they will be looking to prove that they are going to be an integral part of the squad to move us on to the next level, which is only one place above where we are now.

1-1. Rooney scores in the dying moments, and the old firm try to sign him, ? la Scott Macdonald.

Incidentally, should Rooney not be getting offered a two year deal?

Incidentally, should Rooney not be getting offered a two year deal?

I suspect that the club know that he will not sign a 2 year deal

Wiull Celtic sign Rooney in admiration of his play today.

Or will Rangers, in appreciation for it.

Wiull Celtic sign Rooney in admiration of his play today.

Or will Rangers, in appreciation for it.

More likely to replace Mulgrew with Munro.

There were a lot of positives to be taken from last night's result but the big thing for me is that the bulk of the team that started yesterday either have contracts or have been offered contracts for next season. With Foran and Hayes to come back in that gives us the bulk of a very good side for next year. There is some business to be done around the centre of the defence but if the midfield and Rooney (without Foran and Hayes) can do that to Celtic, then there must be real optimism for next season.

A midfield that contained Duff, would you believe it!!!!! Some would have you believe he can't even play football.....