Scarlet Pimple

Let's hope that he is more consistent and dynamic than Lionel D'jebi-Zade who was more of a warhorse, I think, than a front running gazelle. Maybe this lad will be able to cut the mustard and thrive and a couple of rasping goals early on will help that to happen. Yes!

The Germans plays a waiting game with the emphasis on defence which is fine against stoic teams who don't have great speed in their front line. But Argentina are a team of workaholics and often very skilful on the thrust and parry. If they get thefirst goal I would not be surprised if they run up a couple more in short order. Germany will not fold,they are too good and determined and patient for that. but they could be defeated handily by this team IF Argentina can wear them down in the first half. And, of course, if the Argentinians get the first goal then we assume that the Germans will have to come out fighting? Oh well. All we can really hope for is a great gemme of fitba. The Gerries are toiugh and resilient and their tactics are worked out to a "T" before the match but the Argentinians are more scintillating, more upbeat, more colorful and more exciting to watch so....... ?

Er...Charles----- does hubris mean jealousy by any chance?

Maybe JH knows this about Billy's penalties and wants him to get the message early on that maybe he will not be chosen as the first penalty taker when the season starts. You are right, his record is less than stellar. Tansey is the man to look out for. Give him the ball and the opportunity and he will show you the way to go. What a belter of a football he is. Keepers must be shaking in their boots when he takes the penalties.

It seems as if the so-called Refuseniks are just using this type of action to hide their boredom with football and fans in general. Their loyalty must be to their own narrow visions and prejudices, not to our team from Inverness? Hopefully the last 2-3 weeks in Brazil will change all that. Whatever, it's just an excuse for them to seem important and influential. After all if they were a rabid refusenik after the merger then they have to find an excuse to keep the negativity flowing or they may lose face. Goodness forbid that they show up one day and apologise for their previous ignorance. Why are we even talking about them anyway? The future of the team and the positive flow of the energy surrounding ICT is enough for me to keep interested and if the word was never mentioned again then it would suit me just fine. Why continue to beat a dead horse--they contribute little or nothing to the forward progress of Caley Thistle so....?

Dugal of yore was a rabid, rollicking renegade. A near nutcase; and devious and hidden to a fault. Our new and improved Dougal is, well, at least consistent and does appear to be a real fan of ICT. I have wondered where our former squirrell went to though. He was clever--now you see him , now you don't. And I have to admire oor Dougal's persistence, often in the face of adversity. And staying power. The man is here to stay.

Samaras is touted to be back in Glasgow this coming season . Well , well, well, Sometimes the grass is greener over the fence after all. I guess if you are a top player you can get stir crazy once in a while.

I was thinking about him as well. Seems a likely lad.

You could be right about the winner, DD.

Dougal, If you are a squirrell then I'm off fer a Jimmy Rid.le. But you might look a lot cuter than we think, judged by your querulous quips, your quick reactions, rakish manners and rapacious wit. And squirrels are also curious, cuddly and click-aholics and you just love to be on this site. ...go on! Admit it. 'And if you don't like schoolboy humour then you are really getting old. It's those who don't lose their child-like sense of humour that don't get so stressed out and retain a youthful attitude to the upsets and vicissitudes of life. Isn't that right IHE? I learnt very early on in my youth that those who were the most ridiculously zany (e.g Monty Python) were usually the brightest guys around. And, if you ever want to become a member of the Pimpernell clan, then you will have to change and get levity in your life--it's the best defence against the cruel jibes that come your way....first of all it confuses the enemy, then they think you are either nuts or certifiable and don't know what to say next, then you rock 'em and sock' em when they least expect it, Game , set and match.First lesson of survival, like. OOOOHHHHHMMMM!

OOPS! First time I've seen a spud with chicken pox.

Showing your age Bughtmaster. You remember "Wotno!" I thought he was from my younger era, like Biggles. And Spread Eagle on the BBC Children's hour on the Home Service wireless. Gosh, at that young age I thought looking at the word Schenectady on the wireless dial meant that I was trying to tune in to a broadcaster in Switzerland. Now I know it's close to New York, U.S.A. That was in the era when I used a torch to signal messages in Morse Code from the front bedroom in Dunain Road to my pal in his house opposite on Telford Gardens. Oops! Off topic. Sorry.

Your last comment was clever, Yngwie. Laughing Hyenas? -goodness, what's next?

How long was he with Hibs?

More like a touch of youthful enthusiasm and naivety rather than anything else I think. The management of our club should contact tyhem and offer them a few free tickets to our next home match with tea and cakes in the Boardroom at half time and THAT would make a lot of friends I know.

Keep at it John Hughes. You're the man . Not happy to note that Richie has tweaked his knee. A tweak in the knee is akin to a broken rib as far as I am concerned. Except that the rib can be healed within 4-6 weeks. The knee, however,could be very difficult to heal and no doubt he is getting intensive attention from the medics. Wouldn't it be nice if we handily beat Brummie 0-5 with a team on fire and scything through their defence at will. If Scotty or Don said that we should not under-estimate the reputation of ICT down south, then that would enhance it greatly wouldn't it? Then trialists from the younger element coming up would be very keen to come North upon request.

By the way, how many of you know that today Canada is just 147 years old. It has a population of about 35 million with a square footage that is incalculable. One province alone, British Columbia, is 1.5 times the size of France. Yet we talk about stuff in any other city, (other than Vancouver) as if it is next door. Flying thousands of miles to Toronto, for example, means that we might take more time getting to and from the local airport than the length of flight itself. The Trans Canada highway stretches from the pacific Ocean to the other side of the country without a break. The differences in the physical properties of each Province is matched only by the differences in the climatic changes. e.g Tornadoes were threatened recently in Toronto when we were basking in lovely sunny weather here on the West coast. As a matter of fact, there has been some talk of merging the three cities of Vancouver, in Canada, Seattle (named See-attle after one of the past very prominent Indian Chiefs hereabouts) another large west coast port just down the road from us in the U.S. and Portland ,Oregon , also in the U.S., to form a new territory named Cascadia. The latter two cities are situated in Washington State which must be differentiated from Washington , District of Columbia, which is on the East coast.--i.e where the WhiteHouse is. That name, Cascadia, comes from the mountains in this district of the West Coast of North America called the Cascades . I think it is more fantasy than anything. All three cities would merge just dandy since we are more or less all North-Americanised and have similar life-styles and all three are beautiful places to live. But Mr Obama would have a heart attack if he thought he was going to lose these two cities. The U S also has a large naval facility at Bremerton also in Washington State here in the North West so...nah....maybe a merger of the football teams though... Last time I went to Oregon I went out in the midday sun on the lovely beaches there and paid a heavy price--sunstroke and delirium and the shivers at night. Never again. Hope you enjoy the footie on the T.V. then and let's keep into touch..eh? Scarlet

It's annual Canada Day holiday here in La La Land so my wife is off out with the ladies ona shopping binge or summat, and I'm stuck at home to watch the cup matches. Of course I would rather be out shopping but just handed over the wallet instead and called off with a bad knee... Ha! Great matches on too --things are revving up....atmospheres are fantastic. Stadiums looking good and the locals are having a....ball. Pity the underdogs don't always win , eh? Germany sure had a lot of possession yesterday but looked very strained at the end just prior to getting that first goal. I can't believe the heat there. It would be impossible to play at all without water, guys. You know that.

Watched the Germany match today. Man oh man are these players fit or what? That was some match I must say. Pulsating even.

Dougal is Laurence.? Nahh! Totally different persons. Laurence, as he frequently reminds us, was, in the past, a top Fireman who concentrated on putting out fires; But Dougal seems to have a perpetual habit of starting them --at least on here? The one thing they DO have in common, though, is that they are both irrepressible,irridescent and some say,at times, irritating.

Dog-gone it, mantis you're on the ball. With Suarez out, the other teams are all now... chomping ...at the... bit. If you can lip read really well you can make out what these other guys are saying . Like the German,whojust missed scoring..."Sh.te" he mouthed in perfect English. Looks like our native language has caught on then...?

Well these newbie teams from all points East of England are sure showing us that we no longer are the best or the most skilled. It's just amazing how the "rest of the world" seems to have caught on and caught up. And they do bring a breezy splash of colour don't they.

IHE...''I don't Twitter so...." You and me both Itchy, except the time we spend on here really which oft times could be seen to be a twittering orgy...

Starchief, in your post post 507 you said........ Agree? May I ask why? Hibs was a great opportunity for him to show what he is made of yet he also did not pull the chestnuts out of the fire. And at the end he appeared to quit--- i.e he gave up. So did he lose" the dressing room as well? And, if yes, why?

I think it is obvious that Brora are committed to moving right along whatever road they can handle, so long as it is upwards?