Leaderboard

The draw is on Thursday - after the games tonight and tomorrow. It's the last round to be seeded, with the 8 top-ranked clubs being kept apart. We're seeded, so, who knows, given a favourable draw, we could soon be in a major quarter-final, just one game away from a return to Hampden! It's things like this that can 'change' the dynamics of a season. Some potentially really tough opponents though in the last 16! Celtic (1) Aberdeen (2) Inverness Caley Thistle (3) St Johnstone (4) Dundee United (5) Dunfermline Athletic (29) v Dundee (6) Raith Rovers (18) v Hamilton Accies (7) Partick Thistle (8) v Falkirk (17) Ross County (9) v Ayr United (30) Kilmarnock (10) v Berwick Rangers (40) East Fife (36) v Motherwell (11) St Mirren (12) v Livingston (20) Forfar Athletic (25) v Hearts (13) Hibernian (14) v Stranraer (24) Airdrieonians (27) v Rangers (15) Queen of the South (16) v Morton (23)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34031060 Hughes is determined to find a striker before the end of the transfer window but admitted the search is proving to be difficult. "The board have given me a hand, the money is there to go and get one," he said. "It's finding one. "We thought we had one coming in on Monday but we've been let down. Time's running out." Seems the issue is not the money not being there, or the board not releasing the money either, its because the right striker is proving difficult to find. Personally I prefer this approach of trying to find a striker who has the attributes he's after and who will improve the team, rather than just signing a striker. just because he's a striker.

Jon Daly is at Raith?!?! WTF?! He would have been ideal. Even on a 6 month deal. Very surprised at this signing.

While we are struggling, is it really that bad? We competed over 2 games with Astra, away draw with St J at a ground where we historically have struggled, lost at Parkhead against the best team in the country by a long way. The Hamilton game was a disappointment and the display poor but they put 4 past Dundee Utd only the wk before and for 20 mins we were all over them - if given our makeshift team we can compete and narrowly loose to a team fielding its strongest 11 who look crap then I think there is hope. I think we need to get Draper back alongside Tansey in the middle as both look out of sorts in their current roles. Bringing in a new keeper is difficult but with a contsntly changing defence there is no consistent back line to build on. We need to settle for Raven - Tremarco - Devine - Williams until Meekings recovers and Tremarco can go into LB and Williams further forwards. Goals are the problem, we dont have mobility from Lopez like Mackay or Watkins gave to chase the game and he isnt physical like Ofere was to hold the ball up. Perhaps we need to put Wedderburn up front, use his strength to hold up the ball and allow Christie, Mutombo, Roberts to get forwards and support or gather knock downs. Polworth gives nothing and should have gone in the summer with more effort on keeping Nick Ross. Even with the limitations, I think we have more to offer with a few changes, its going to be a tough season but every team who has large number of changes struggles after the summer, those doing well - Dons, Hearts have last years squads, so given time it will improve afterall we are only 5 points off 4th place!!!!

There's a bit of chat on the Dundee thread about bus issues so to stop hijacking of it I've started this one. Firstly CJT regret having to raise the bus price. However out of 14 trips last season only 7 broke even. Our costs have risen again this season so unfortunately so has the fare. We cannot afford to subsidise buses at this level so they only choice we have is to increase the cost to travel. Even at £20 a head we have a fairly high seats sold bar to hit break even. If we stayed at £15 or even £17.50 very few buses would run anywhere near a break even level. As has been stated the bus takes you direct to the ground which should be figured into comparing our price with public transport. On looking today we found the public bus at £28 and the train at £36 return. We have also tried to help families with the introduction of an u14 fare. After you are 14 you can travel unaccompanied subject to conditions. We we are going to be conducting market research in the near future. We hope that will include a survey for members on this site. We will also be consulting bus users and also Caleyaway folks that travel to awaydays by alternate means. Please can as many people take part in this consultation as are able. We also welcome suggestions of improvements to our travel club. Please get in touch if you have any ideas. Thanks

cheers Jagster and Scorpio60 - have added the sponsorships and also added northstandfan to the player sponsor group. we are now complete and will make arrangements to pay the club the sponsorship !

I know that hiring a minibus isn't much cheaper than a coach but would that be a possibility given the small numbers going on a regular basis? At least that would save some money. Also I agree with 12th Man re an annual subscription to CJT as opposed to a one off £1 payment.

Could be worse - we could be Newport County.

Not sure that the fault should be laid at the feet of the board. Funds were available which the manager chose to spend on recruiting a number of midfielders, an area we were relatively well covered for already but did not recruit a single strikers when it's been obvious for months that we need at least one and preferably two.

Looking from the outside, and with liitle information to go on, the concerning thing here is the apparent lack of planning, coupled with a perception that there has been a lot of quibbling between manager and chairman over available funds. Mckay was our only recognised striker in January and he left for a fee. This meant that there were at least 2 vacancies for strikers from then and funds should have been made available from the fee in order to get the whole thing moving at that point - there were plenty of punters coming to the end of contracts who were potential targets. I am not in the slightest bit surprised that JH is struggling to find any quality at this stage of the transfer window, now that money appears to have been found. The horse has bolted.

I like when threads just end up with people mentioning ex players and saying they'd like them back. It's why I keep coming here.

I'm led to believe the pic was taken at Raigmore.

I used to use the supporters bus whenever I could when I stayed up north. Its been a few years now but being over in Bucharest reminded me how fun it can be to travel on a bus to the game with fellow fans.