RiG

So were Spurs.

We should win this easily.

It's an odd one as our results have been better with Regueor in goals however I have much more confidence when I see Esson between the sticks. I think it's unfair to try and make out there is a link between our early season form and Esson being in goals. For most of the first quarter of the season our now quite prolific front line weren't scoring as much (certainly McKay wasn't as in amongst the goals as he is now). I'd probably have Tuffey over both of them if he were still here.

Celtic at home and then Motherwell. Balls.

He's still playing regular football and getting paid much more than he would have done than if he stayed with us. I don't think it's the best case to be honest although it is funny.

Why was he ineligible?

I'll be there despite earlier forgetting how I was travelling to Glasgow.

Tade vs Boyd??. Boyd > Tade.

Exactly. What else do you want him to do? Charge around like a headless lunatic chasing lost causes or be in amongst the goals like he has been throughout his career? Any SPL team would be mad not to take him if they could.

Yeah, a striker who scored lots of goals. He's mince.

499 Dons fans there apparently. So 1,668 home fans. That's abysmal.

I would complain about it. His original yellow card was a nonsense. Foran's original yellow card was for dissent and was fully justified.

More importantly, what castle is it?

Working down in Glasgow next week for a few days so I'll take this one in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/21217804#asset

Likely not...but we didn't win and the 18 year old who lost it for us was a Marsella pick, endorsed by Terry,,,and not one of the homegrown youth players. I feel for Roberts because I think that losing a match as a result of his failure is going to do bugger all for his confidence going forward....but I do wonder why he was picked to take the penalty in the first place......I really do! What makes you think that Roberts was picked to take a penalty?

Yup. It's a judgement call made by the referee in the context of the game. There's no fixed definition of persistent infringement and it's up to the referee to decide how to handle it.

Just back and there's not much I can add to ICTChris's post. Pretty gutted that we lost but especially in the manner that we played. When our most composed player Tudor Jones is forced to belt the ball long time after time you knew we weren't going to have time to settle into out rhythm and that's credit to Hearts who harried our midfield all day even when down to 10 men. Overall I thought the game was quite poor albeit eventful. Our best piece of play was probably Andrew Shinnies finish for the goal. McKay had several good chances including one in extra time when he seemed to go round the keeper but pass the ball back to a team mate Hearts threatened early on with an effort off the post and Ngoo caused no end of problems for Warrens and Meekings. I didn't see the equaliser but it was certainly deserved for Hearts. I felt ICT could certainly have prevented it if we had simply cleared our lines but, as Chris says, we have a habit of defending far too deep at times and inviting the opposition on to us which obviously brings unneeded pressure which we eventual succumb too. The red card looked like the correct call. I noticed Robinson in the Edinburgh Derby charging around like a headless chicken and he was like that at times today. It certainly looked like a dangerous lunge and I don't think he can have too much cause for complaint. Sadly, after that, you'd be hard pressed to tell which side was down to 10 men as Hearts were just as much of a threat as they were with 11 men and we didn't really create any more chance of real significance. I would have liked to have seen us really take the game to Hearts and whilst we had a couple of decent chances we never looked like we could put Hearts away. All the penalties were excellent with the exception of Roberts (obviously). For ICT I would liked to have seen Reguero at least try and get close to one of them but he seemed to be completely sold by the Hearts players taking the spot kicks. I don't know who else on the pitch I would have liked to be taking a penalty but fair play to Roberts for stepping up to take a kick but it really was a horrible effort which wasn't even on target. Overall, really disappointed that we never seemed to get going but no real complaints from me about the result. There has been little to separate the teams this season and it was the same again today. Good luck to Hearts in the final. EDIT: Foran was lucky not to be sent off towards the end of the first half. Quite stunned that Norris let him away with a clear booking whilst already on a yellow. Even if we had gone through we would have been missing about 5 first teamers in the final and would probably get destroyed. Roberts will have put himself forward to take the penalty so I don't really know how it can be classed as a poor choice. Butcher would not have forced the lad to take one.

Inverness has a bridge?

In the nicest possible way you are a total d**k!

I love how he gives a wee shout of "Ref!?" there. He's learnt that from Suarez, Ronaldo et al.

To be fair that was a comment from Andrew Southwick who runs The Away End but he is absolutely spot on. Good attitude down south with the "romance" apparently coming back into a cup competition or whatever. regardless fo what it may be they are right and they are bigging this one up big time. As Chris says, if it ended up being ICT v St. Mirren in the final it would be down to nothing more than Scottish football (apparently) being a laughing stock and the red tops would criticise everything about the game.

The least we should be looking to get from Billy is £24 million. He's better than Van Persie.

I still have that programme as well albeit not signed. Great day.

Ryan Fraser has just turned 18,Andrew Shinnie is 23 surely 5 years extra development is enough? Age has nothing to do with it. This is Shinnies first season where he has been a "real" regular in a team much like Fraser. Indeed, moving from ICT to Aberdeen isn't much of a step up compared to Aberdeen to Bournemouth. So are you saying that the amount of first team games they have both played in their careers is comparable? Not sure how Aberdeen to Bournemouth or Ict to Bournemouth would be any kind of step up maybe you could enlighten me on that one because i can't see where the step up is? If you mean doubling or tripling your wages is a step up then yes you are quite correct as for footballing terms your deluded. No I am not saying that and yes, in terms of wages, there is a much bigger step up, for now, between the clubs mentioned. You could argue whether or not there is much difference between (some) SPL teams and (some) League 1 teams.