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This Raven saga is starting to remind me of when Butcher started attempting to freeze out Munro, Duncan and later Tokely. He might not be flamboyant, but a more solid, reliable, steady full back at this level you'll have trouble finding. The fact he's come out asking for a deal in the press and is still yet to get one gives me the impression that he finds Yogi someone he doesn't want to or finds difficult to speak to, something that could well give credence to the rumours that Yogi's man management isn't the best.

I am far from convinced that the league would have been so obliging if it had been us making the request....

Huisdean, You may claim some of the previous postings have been ridiculous, but your closing comment above is also just that - ridiculous! There is no 'next level' for this club. The absolute pinnacle was reached last season - it's never likely going to be achieved again! It was a one-off. Scottish Cup Winners and 3rd in the League plus European football. And we're damn lucky to have been around to see it! "...take the club up a level..." Get real.

Cry me a river. If they have called off their Development game, then there will be plenty of players from that team that will be available to fill the gaps of players that are out. Incidentally, they already had a very high injury list for this game, so tactically it would be ideal for the game to be called off - especially with another game on Friday. Caley Thistle have played many games this season without a full bench and playing youth players so if the game was called off, then it sets a huge precedent.

Saints preserve us from any one who thinks they are "immortal"! I think there's a lot of truth in what you are saying but would add that for managers who have been very successful as players, they also seem to have an expectation that they should be managing at the same level with the same success. When the team does not achieve that, they start to blame everyone except themselves. In his interview after the game on Saturday, Hughes was bemoaning the fact that poor defending and an inability to get the ball over the line at the other end cost us a game we dominated. Of course individual players make errors, but just who is it that chooses to play one of our two best central defenders at right back and our only striker on the wing? Hughes may justify the decisions based on what limited options he has, but whose fault is it that we don't have adequate cover in these positions? Whatever talents Hughes may have, it does seem that getting the right mix of players signed up on contracts is not one of them. And frankly, if you do not have the right mix of players signed up, it really doesn't matter what your other talents are, you are not going to have success. Hughes needs to demonstrate some success in getting current players onto new contracts and signing some better players from elsewhere. If he can't because the Board is cutting back on the budget then he at least needs to use the budget he has to get a better balance within the squad. He shouldn't be publicly bleating on about how limited our budget is and he certainly shouldn't be deflecting the blame onto the players. Actions speak louder than words and we need some action from the manager on the contract front - and soon.

What is happening with him? Is he on his way out? Will he be offered a new contract? Why is he not playing? Why is John Hughes not playing one of our most consistent players? He would have made a tremendous difference on Saturday and many other games he was left out of. I along with many fans want a new contract for Raven, and he has publicly stated that he wants one. If we are going to let a solid, consistent, loyal player who is extremely popular with the fans leave then I am seriously considering taking my money elsewhere next season and finding a new hobby on a Saturday. Raven must stay!!!

So refreshing to hear intelligent discussions on Scottish affairs! I'm afraid the Nats are no longer or are perhaps oblivious to sensible discussion. Can't wait until this one party state implodes as always happens when one party tries to steal the centre ground. The SNP are morphing into some kind of New Labour movement Sturgeon like Blair comes across as being untouchable and hero worshipped by her adoring legions she will however capitulate within the next 5 years and I for one will glad to see the back of her!

I said last season I was disappointed he was only given a 1 year deal, and now equally disappointed he seems to be unfancied and possibly on his way out. Don't see the logic behind it.

v Falkirk just now at Dingwall. ICT: Brill, Brown, MacLennan, Brown, Gilchrist, Vincent, Sutherland, Wedderburn, MacRae, Foran, Williams ICT SUBS: Hoban, MacArthur, Rennie, Blackett, Hull 2-0 at moment. Ali Sutherland penalty after Foran brought down in box followed by James Vincent strike

And who employs the doctor? So what if all of your keepers are suspended?

Throwing caution to the wind chasing a dream results in what happened at Gretna Bankruptcy and playing amateur football. In 21years ICTFC has made a profit on less than 6 occasions so perhaps you could go onto the board and wave that magic wand to allow the funding of a dream everybody would love . Doubt the board wants to struggle like we have this year either!

How come when we had 9 first team injured we could not get a postponement- ah we live North of Perth of course , how foolish of me not to understand central belt bias !

Given that JH seems to find it almost impossible to recruit quality players to the club I find it surprising and disappointing that he is not prioritising the resigning of a very reliable and versatile defender who is already here and who has gone on record as wanting to commit his future to us. Ifind it even more disturbing and surprising that he is not starting at a time when we are leaking the soft sort of goals we seldom do when he is playing. I hope that rumours of a falling out with the manager are not true but if they are I know which one I would rather stay....

I remember a few years ago, Rangers played their 3rd choice goalkeeper in a Champions league match. Any of their development goalkeepers would do. They have enough goalkeepers. It's all total bollocks. I hope the club release a statement about this stating it's against their wishes. (I really hope it is indeed!) Sick fed up of the club being shafted and taken for granted.

Penalty to Falkirk results in a goal 2-1 min 62 Full Time 2-1

Totally agree with Renegade here .....Also when we lose a goal why does Yogi come flying out of the dugout like someone possessed and get ripped into Ryan Esson regardless of whose to blame ......He is losing respect all round !!!

Always seem to scraping around for finance, becoming tiresome does not inspire future fans or players. Time for the board to step up and take the club forward instead of standing with their arms crossed feeling hard done by. It was them after all that accepted only half of what Ryan Christie was really worth and not to mention the pittance we got for McKay and feck all for Shinnie . Need to manage contracts so much better.

What are your thoughts on our best team and system if everyone was fit? This is mine; Fon Williams Raven Meekings Warren Tremarco Draper Tansey Storey Vigurs Doran Foran Subs: Esson, Devine, D Williams, Horner, Roberts, Mutumbo & Wedderburn

Sh1t, I'm not available for next week, not impressed. We regularly can't fill the bench due to injury but we still fulfill out fixtures FFS!!!

Wouldn't surprise me if Raven went to County the way he appears to be being treated here. They have been shipping goals badly this season. I think he would suit their style of play. That would be a real sickener. Hughes, Cameron - get this fine young player signed up ASAP.

This is where MLS has a scheme that seems to work well. They have 'pool' keepers who are assigned to a club should they suffer a GK problem. Usually these are players who train with a club and who can step in for any club when the need arises. the contract and salary are picked up by the league.

Lol, what a joke our governing body is. This will open a can of worms. Idf clubs can simply produce the old "Doctors line" to get fixtures postponed in inauspicious circumstances you're creating a system ripe for potential abuse in future.

On the other hand Storey 89 v Hearts 2-0 Horner 90+2 v United 2-2 Tansey & Polworth 88 & 90+3 v Hamilton 3-4 Roberts 90+1 Cup v Motherwell 1-2

He's the one with the limp......... As opposed to Fon Williams who has no limp, but butter on his fingers.

Good post. People have complained about the impact of injuries this season but it's interesting to compare our best current team with the team that took to the park on Hughes' first match in charge. Ross, Shinnie, Watkins and McKay were the four players who started then who have since left. In the meantime, Christie has burst into the side and has left. Vincent and Williams who were also here when Hughes arrived are leaving at the end of the season. Other Butcher signings like Tansey and Raven may also leave. Hughes (or the Chairman) has brought in new players, but of those who show even any potential to match those who have left (Storey, Roberts, Vigurs, Mutombo) none are yet signed up for next season. The stark truth is that the talent available to Hughes when he took over was significantly better than what is available now. And as things stand, we will be significantly weaker again at the start of next season.

I'm told goalkeepers are actually registered as such with the SFA. This is apparently done to prevent the "emergency loan" rules being exploited.

What is a recognised keeper?

Hearts only have one fit keeper over the age of 16. The rules state that they MUST name 2 recognised goalkeepers in the match squad, one of which must start the game. Hearts can't meet that rule through no fault of their own and there's insufficient time for them to bring in an emergency loan. All the rest of the guff about 16 players out etc is meaningless in terms of the game being called off. It sucks....but what ya gonna do?

Raven has been one of the first names on the teamsheet since he signed and is undoubtedly one of the most solid, reliable players in the squad. He was offered a deal last season (very late as I recall) and was only offered a year despite saying he wanted it to be longer. This season he's says again he wants a new deal yet seemingly has yet to be offered anything and referred was very scathing of the negotiations that took place last year. To me it sounds like things behind the scenes are in no way fine and dandy.

Woah! Whilst I think Osborne clearly spells out that the Tories have done a huge amount for the very people the SNP have persuaded to despise them, I don't think I am inclined to vote for them. Without a doubt, the Tories have put more money in the pockets of working people and have got more people back into work, and whilst that is great, it does come at a cost. The Tories by nature are a low tax party and as a result they have less to spend on public services and infrastructure. (Which suits the SNP just fine) I think we need to spend more on public services and infrastructure. The necessary period of austerity would have been less painful if those best able to afford it had been asked by the Tories and the SNP to pay a bit more tax over the last few years. Higher rates of income and more money for public services would certainly have given the SNP less to bleat about, although of course, now that the SNP have the opportunity to support public services by increasing income tax, they choose not to. All part of the "keep the pain and blame going" strategy of the Scottish Nasty Party. Whilst the Tories are clearly far more deserving of people's votes than the SNP, I think I will probably vote for a party that is willing to build on the Tories' solid foundation and which has the guts to put taxes up. It does, unfortunately, still look as though the SNP will have a massive victory. Whilst I probably won't vote for the Conservatives, I do hope they get enough representation to regularly remind the Scottish people that the Westminster Tory Government has done far more for the people of Scotland than the SNP Government in Holyrood ever has.

Can we replay the first half of the season then? I don't remember anyone saying much when we've had benches of 4 and 5 players this season. As harsh as is it on Hearts to have so many out, did we not have 11-12 players out injured at one point. We were forced to get on with it as should they. Plus they have a much much bigger squad than us. Very poor indeed

Farce. They should forfeit the points.

Disgusted

Hearts have a much larger squad than most in the Premiership and certainly much larger than ours. All teams take their chances with injury, illness and suspension in the course of the season. At one point we had close to a whole starting XI on the treatment table and had to fulfil our fixtures. Unless Hearts can produce compelling medical evidence that they don't have eleven players fit enough to play then the game should go ahead.

According to The Scottish Sun Hearts expect their appeal for postponement to be denied HEARTS will ask the SPFL to call off tomorrow night's game in Inverness after their squad was wiped out by a sickness bug. SunSport understands the Jambos' have been left with as few as seven recognised first-team players training at Riccarton today. Concerned Jambos chiefs are in talks with the governing body, but are resigned to making the journey - hopeful that at least a few of the walking wounded will make themselves available. Robbie Neilson's side could be without 16 players, including suspensions and injuries, for their trip to the Highlands

I certainly think that by allowing games to be called off through illness, there is a lot of scope for individual clubs to use this to gain all sorts of unfair advantages such as letting players rest when they have a run of games close together, managing to alter which games players with suspensions are suspended for and waiting for injured key players who are close to making a return etc. It is up to each club to decide at the start of the season and during the transfer window, how many players they think they need and then they should just have to get on with it like we have done. If a team truly cannot put a team on the pitch then they should forfeit the game.

Half time 2-0 Second half changes: Foran, Williams and Vincent replaced by McArthur, Rennie and Hull

I'm preparing to send Ann Budge an invoice for my £1 Megabus ticket.

You are not alone in your thinking !!! He was there on Sat I saw him outside with his beautiful little girl .

Couldn't agree more. In my opinion he is now our best player with Shinnie gone. I appreciate he may have a foot injury at the moment and be a couple of weeks off a comeback however we should be signing him up on a three year contract. We will be struggling enough at the start of next season as it is. This is one position we should have sorted.

If David Raven isn't signed up then I am afraid as far as I am concerned it is another nail in John Hughes' coffin.

It was the Football League Trophy Final this afternoon at Wembley in front of a crowd in excess of 59,000! Barnsley 3-2 Oxford United. Sam Winnall started for Barnsley with Marley Watkins an unused sub, and Alex MacDonald was in the losing Oxford side. I assume Marley will still get a winners' medal, so well done to the pair of them.

Couldn't agree more. Can't help but feel that a fit Raven at right back yesterday would have given us more width and penetration going forward. Meanwhile, Meekings back in the middle with Warren would have given us a bit more solidity at the back. It would be absolutely crazy not to offer Raven a contract.

It's either the Canal at Dochgarroch or the away parking for a Highland Derby in Inverness.

If David Raven is not offered a new deal it is a disgrace. One of our best performers for a few years now and a player that wants to stay. We have no one at the club who is better than him in his position and going by John Hughes recruitment so far, i cant see him signing someone anywhere near as solid and consistent. The lack of players signed up for next season is a major worry.

Our other managers have had to put up with the same conditions yet manage to make signings. I understand his frustration but his signings are questionable and why are they all midfielders? He seems to think if he signs midfielders they can cover in defence and up front but they can't. Both Falkirk and Hibs fans have said he's terrible in the transfer market and I really fear for this summer. Is our scouting team the clubs or Yogis pick? A relative of another player told me Raven will be leaving - this is a player that was asking for a new contract this year.

We weren't good today but I thought we were unlucky to lose. Motherwell surprised me both by how poor they were and how negative they were. It looked like they were playing for a draw and wasting time from the start, although to be fair to them, that was probably good tactics as a key outcome for them was not to lose against a team challenging them for a top six spot. We wanted the result more than them but we just didn't have the rub of the green. We should have beaten Motherwell today although it was not a top six team performance. I thought both Fon Williams and Storey had their poorest games that I've seen. Meekings is not a right back and seemed reluctant to get beyond the halfway line. Draper is effective when he surges forward - Yogi needs to tell him to get forward a lot more. Mutombo does a lot that is good and positive but far too often he then chooses the wrong option and undoes all the good work. I didn't see Liam Hughes at County but I thought he put in a good shift today. I have no idea why Hughes took him off when we were chasing the game and needed height in the box. My MOTM was Tremarco. Always gives 100%, put in some decent crosses and also got into great positions at the back post, Whilst were generally a bit more positive than sometimes, our problem remains that we do not get forward enough with pace and as a result we allow the opposition to get lots of bodies behind the ball. We then simply do not have the quality to open them up.

Oh joy. If Collum is half as bad as Beaton today he will be worse than terrible.

I agree. Theres a fine line between creating a siege mentality forming a close knit team and just completely selling your club short and i think unfortunately John Hughes is falling completely into the latter right now and selling our club well short. He's either intentionally or hopefully unintentionally bordering on complete blatant disrepect to the club and has been for a while now.

Bus to Dundee United Leaving at 9.45 Social Club and 10.00 from the Stadium. Usual prices apply - £20 and £10 under 14s Pick up at Aviemore, stops at Broxden on the way and Perth Bus Station on the way back. This may our last trip to Tannadice for some time! Text 07951 309504