snorbens_caleyman

It is? How?

He is Head Coach, not Manager. It's usually the case that the Director of Football identifies and makes signings (and releases players), whilst the Head Coach is responsible for the day-to-day running of the team. As we know, this often leads to tension, especially when the roles and responsibilities have not been clear-cut, or when one person wants to have more participation in the other's activities, or, simply, when the two people disagree. So I hope that Robbo and Dodds can find a productive and interactive working relationship, and I look forward to seeing what happens next season.

Is there any news of Scott Kellacher?

But is the club big enough for two Lionels, Nessie and Messi?

The ICT news releases say "head coach". Weren't the previous incumbents "managers"? In fact, Robbo and Scott Kellacher are listed on the website as "manager" and "assistant manager", under the heading "coaches" Presumably this means that Robbo will have responsibility for transfers, and the head coach will run the team day-to-day?

Agreed, although, along with the Greens, they had a few encouraging results in Engerlandshire - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/may/07/lib-dems-and-greens-make-gains-in-english-local-elections They have taken overall control of my local council in St Albans, which was one of only two English seats to kick out a Tory MP in the 2019 GE. (The other was Zac Goldsmith in Richmond.) I think a way forward at the next GE would be for Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and maybe Plaid to form a pact, promising a temporary coalition government until some form of PR could be pushed through Parliament, and then going for another GE under PR. Whether the SNP and Scottish Greens would be involved would probably depend on the prospects for independence at the time. However, that's far too radical, especially for Labour, so I wouldn't put a lot of money on it!

They won 62 out of 73 constituencies. I can only dream of being rejected like that

Spare a thought for those of us south of the border. Some of us were checking property for sale in Scotland yesterday Please get on with it before I get too old!

On similar lines, I was wondering whether it would be worth trying to sign our young prospects on longer contracts, so that we could get a year or so more out of them after they become good enough to have the spotlight fall on them, or at least pick up more money if they do move on as soon as a bigger club comes calling. I don't know what length of contract he is on, and what would be accepted by a young player nowadays. Any ideas?

And your predictions for St Albans City & District Council? Rather bizarrely, we have had literature only from the Lib Dems. We also have Con, Lab, Green and Reform standing, but have seen or heard nothing from them. There is no overall control of the council - Lib Dems and Cons have almost the same number of councillors, with a smattering of the others holding the balance of power. I would have thought that the Cons would at least make an effort to try to gain control. Added an hour later: we have just had our third leaflet from the Lib Dems. Still nothing from the others.

Well, half a trophy is better than nothing

That would just be a storm in a teacake.

On the Toddy thread a couple of weeks ago, I said... ICT and Raith cannot both reach the playoff finals (19 & 23 May), so the season for one of them will end on the 15th at the very latest. In fact the season could be over for both on the 9th. I can't see either club wanting to keep its players hanging around for an essentially meaningless game two or three weeks later. Especially if travel restrictions have been eased and some players could go and see families and friends for the first time in a long time. Added to that, if there is now bad blood between the clubs, then it might be better not to play it. I haven't looked at the contractual aspect of it, i.e. whether they might be forced to play it to satisfy the SPFL and Tunnocks.

Not if they are aware what happened last time he was here

I disagree. He hasn't made any major errors, and hasn't made any minor errors that have had consequences. That alone may set him apart from most of our squad. But he certainly hasn't won matches for us, or enabled us to reach a level which we wouldn't otherwise have obtained. To me, he looks overweight. Either that, or he has massive chest development. Worth a gamble, but I don't think he has made much difference.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I read Mantis' comment on the other thread about the number of draws that we have had. Lack of a reliable, prolific goalscorer has been our biggest problem since Billy Mckay left in 2015. Though if we did have one, we'd still have to get the ball to him!

League Cup starts 77 days from now. Lots to sort out both on and off the field before then.

Right then - now for the greatest comeback since Lazarus....

Will he get a red or be substituted? I wonder what his shortest game has been?

Who mentioned 5-0?

The attitude needs to be that a team knowing that I'm paying £18.50 to watch them on the telly At that price, I'm expecting Lineker, Shearer and Jenas round for the post-match analysis. Anyone know how they take their tea?

That's where I'd put my money! The technical quality of the system has been dire. We first of all had the AI which couldn't tell the difference between the ball and a bald man. That, incidentally, made the pages of "New Scientist" magazine and of a global forum on computer-based risks which I read, and probably much more besides. The quality of the picture is dire. I was watching on a 55 inch TV last night - admittedly from a fair distance away - and I simply didn't see the two sending-off offences clearly enough to judge them. One of the first questions at installation time should have been "where does the Sun move in relation to the pitch?". Absolutely basic. So we have had the lens flare that we saw at the start of the season, and the fog over the north end last night. I am sure that a system like this must have a replay facility built in, at no extra cost. Again, absolutely basic. I know that some of the other teams' systems require a producer as well as the commentators, and that the whole point of the Pixellot system is that it is fully automatic. But a simple function to replay the last five seconds, or to hold the last five seconds for replay when the action permits, would require no more than a keystroke or two from an operator. If we had someone manually controlling the "camera", then they could have done replays as well. The commentary cannot be blamed on Pixellot, of course, but we have all heard what other clubs can do. Having said all that, as an exile I have seen much more of ICT, good and bad, this season than in any other season. I'll miss that if there is no streaming when crowds are allowed back in.

How about a swap for Ri Chun-hee? I'd listen to her doing the commentary. "... 그리고 Carson은 핸드백 충돌에 연루되어 ..."

Daniel can!

Well, let's hope that we can win promotion and restore the days that used to be...