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Instead of using smilies why dont you just answer the question with a straight answer ?

The 'Butcher OUT' post got me a little agitated, simply because out problems do not lie with him alone. Nor should they. Yes we can say we've still got a list of injured/not fully fit players, and no that excuse wont wash for much longer, if at all. But why should our shoddy performance against St Johnstone (and even our current league position) merit HIM to be touted for the chop? Simple answer - He shouldn't be! I've only managed 4 games this season, and not once have I seen Richie Foran give 100% in his performances. He's meant to be the club captain and has done nothing but criticize his fellow professionals. And judging by the reactions of some others around me yesterday, I'm not the only one to think this. Foran has been less passionate in his overall game than he was at this stage last season. He's slow off the ground for headers he'd normally be expected to win, and has been at least a yard off the pace most of the season. His criticism's of other players performances cannot therefore be justified if he himself is worthy of even more criticism. Surely he cannot be the first name on the team sheet, just because he is club captain? What Foran needs is to be dropped, and dropped now. Shane Sutherland shows alot of passion and creativity whenever he plays, and even Andrew Shinnie is showing signs of linking well with Tade. With McKay pushing for more game time, Hayes close to a return and others looking to start, I really hope Butcher starts to utilise these men in an effort to bring some desire and fight of which has been lacking in Foran.

Okay, point taken. I'll try again. Butcher.....Good guy. Brewster....W4\K.

Well he's not even making the bench down there now so it's maybe not such a daft idea !

Unfortunately, thats the nature of the beast ... we can only spend what we make (and a little bit on top of that if the accounts are anything to go by) and what we make does not allow for longer term contracts with signing on fees that reflect the length of longer terms, nor does it allow us to shop for "proven" players on higher wages, instead we are looking for raw or untapped talent and hoping they will come good .... And as for short term loans, lets put that one right into context ... the two most recent loans were short because they were to cover for injuries - expected to be of 3-4 months duration - that occurred right at the start of the season before the window was closed. Its a gamble, of course it is, but if Hayes, Cox, Hogg, Tudur-Jones etc etc etc all come back around December/January then the wisdom of a short term loan may well be seen ... the wage bill is precarious in terms of making the books balance and a short term loan means we can send the player back if our other players recover in time. Conversely, the loans could also be extended if that doesnt happen. In my mind, thats actually quite astute rather than foolish. The biggest mistake made, and yes I believe it was a huge mistake, and have said it a dozen times in other threads, was getting rid of Grant and Russell. They could still have done a job for us this season (and beyond) and TB does have to live with that one.... but that in itself is not a sacking offence ! I do still believe it will click well before the season is over but I have to admit to being concerned. I dont like us sitting at the bottom, but we are not adrift like we were the last time. There are only two wins separating 6th spot and 12th so I am not hitting the panic button (yet). I respect the right of others to be concerned, or even to think its time for a change, its a valid argument given our league position ... but I respectfully disagree. And I disagree not because my head is up my @rse or in the sand, but because I have a different opinion PS -- heard Terry has followed CaleyD around the stadium replacing his button with these ones ....

Perhaps Birmingham could lend us someone for up front

Can a mod re-name this this thread "there's it". Just to keep things grammatically correct (in Inverneeshan).

I think they are becoming more frequent now that there is no reserve league Given the amount of players returning from injury or looking to improve match fitness then i think its a good idea I was dissapointed when the SPL scrapped the reserve league system as it was a great way to keep fringe players match fit, help injured players gain fitness and also blood youngsters against SPL quality

TOKELY COULD BE THE ANSWER. There is an old saying that 'you get more with honey than with vinegar". I don't wholly agree withn that because some horses are just lazy and need a wee push to get up there with the frontrunners in the pack. But if Foran is not throwing out some praise and/or encouragement then he is surely making a big mistake in by-passing the opportunity to show the players that he isnot only a fair Captain but a wise one. And he must motivate or die on the vine. That is leadership.

Butcher and Malpas cannot be fired because it would well-nigh bankrupt the team. However, as time goes along and wins still do not materialise, the current set-up could become untenable. The stability of the Managers' position offers a fall-back position for them which could become a disincentive to getting the best out of the team and the big question is will Terry and Mo lose more heart than they could already be suffering by viewing the apparently lacklustre and no-real-fight effort against St Johnston. Heh!Terry seemed awfully muted in his comments about the team's performamce. So, why did the team not play-on from the St Mirren high instead of raging along with confidence? THAT scares me.Losing is one thing but rolling over and dying at the first whiff of a North wind is not the spirit of a real Highland team. Read into that whatever you like. So, is it a case of too many Southern boys in the team with no real heart? If so they are doing themselves no favour at all because if they do have real ability do they think it will shine through on this insipid canvas and attract the attention of the brilliant Southern Managers? Answer--not bl--dy likely. The problem also is this fantastic loan situation scenario which always will be tentative and terrifying ..here today and gone tomorrow. Players with one foot in Inverness and one mind in Birmingham--just the ticket for Caley Thistle.Yeah right! Terry , try telling them to fess-up or f..k off. Bench them and play some 2nd or 3rd team lads in their stead..that will show them withouhaving to sceam at them. This is serious business so send the flipping message. Or is it a form of complacency setting in every time they win a gam? It looks as if Tansey can have a go but blooters the ball frequently over the bar which is far from profeessional and indicates a lack of desire to get it right on the training ground. Same old , same old. Also, Tade must be brought back from the front line and used as a battering ram type prober since He is very unlikely to score a lot of goals right up front(if any more at all). The rot could become a very large rut....'nuff said Terence and Maurice? P.s Get your gear on Terry and show them how it is done for ten minutes on the park. That would send a REAL message to the younger element, I would warrant. Certainly shake their complacency , if nothing else. Think I am being too tough, friends? Feel free ........

Take my advice and just settle for that.

Would this be a good time to point out that Montenegro aren't even in our group?

i say give foran a rest and hand over the captancy to esson for 2-3 weeks we seen when foran came off against aberdeen esson got all the lads together in the second half and we played some brilliant football ok didnt get a result but improved i dont see any harm in it foran will do well for us this season but not while injured.

most of the home fans when i went to watch a pre season game at elgin

I rather think that now is not the month to moan our misfortune, we have two big games coming up, then a hard three games in November. The real test will come in December and January. we will have our big injuries back - and had time to get match fit aswell. December and January will also bring around those games against the teams in the lower half again, and that is when our season will be shaped. Tade works tirelessly but he aint going to get 15 goals this season, he needs someone beside him who will poach of his hard graft. Hayes and Doran will be back to introduce trickery, pace and directness. Cox and Tudor Jones will return to help seal the gaping holes our defence is finding it hard to prevent. Once we have our uninjured first 14-15 regular squad we are nowhere near the worst team in the league. Take a point from Celtic at the moment, we have had double the amount of injuries they have had, and look at what a difference that has made to them over the last month. You take 4 or 5 players out of Rangers and they will suffer the same way. You take 6 players out of ant other team in the SPL and each would nosedive. Have faith peeple, we will soon be on the march up the table to avoid a relegation battle. I have kept saying if we stay in touch until the injuries ease we will be ok, and I still trust that will be true

For me, I think the difference is the kind of problems we're facing at present. Brewster was, IMO, dragging a good team down whereas Butcher is trying to build. Whilst there's fair argument that he perhaps stripped things back too far before beginning that process, I honestly believe that we are heading in the right direction. Not as fast as we all might have liked/hoped for, but the process has been more than a little hampered by injury and luck hasn't been on our side in 2 or 3 games. I can see Butcher bringing us through this....not a vision I had when Brewster was in charge.

Good man CD, glad someone found it. Now, the $64 million dollar question - When do we press it? Interesting to see if it's the same rules of engagement for this boss as it has been for his predecessor. Shoes off by now surely? Articles in the paper from the Trust? Public meetings anyone? No. Won't be a witch hunt this time. And the difference is? Because as far as this poster can see, there is none............... Maybe people have realised that the way we treated Brewster was appalling and that no matter what, Butcher deserves to be treated with more respect. Either that or they are just **** scared of him!

Has the team improved this season? No, gone backwards. I say Butcher & Malpas for the sack. A relegation battle is hardly exciting. It will be between us & Dunfermline. Horrible feeling that we will go down. Now is the time to change management before too late. Sack Butcher and we may just survive.