Scotty

davieB .... perhaps I am seeming to be on both sides of the fence on this one, and thats because I am. I applaud the club for their ambition but its a risk and I am glad that its CC and GB who have to decide whether to take that risk rather than me ! This is what I posted on the "Niculae to play in Elgin" thread ...... "I can see both sides here ... and both could be right as far as I am concerned. The player has openly said that he wants to play in the SPL in the hope he will get a dream move to either the OF or to England. He therefore sees ICT as a stepping stone to that goal. In that respect it would be reasonable to assume that he will try hard, score goals and do everything he can to put himself in the shop window ..... On the other hand, here is a player, who if you look at his stats has gone from a great early career that saw him banging in goals left right and centre for both club and country and then being snapped up by one of the traditionally big European clubs to a recent career blighted by injury and a drought in front of goal that saw his career take a downward turn as he went from Lisbon to Liege and then Mainz ..... could he be a dud looking for a pay cheque or like Dargo and many others before him, could he be a player whose career ICT resurrects ? Its a bold move, and if he does what his early career shows he can do then he may well earn ICT as much as he costs with vital goals to take us to the top 6 or to a cup final .... This is one that CC and GB need to carefully consider and make a judgement based on what they see in training or friendlies rather than be blinded (or blindsided) by his credentials or the recommendations of Hagi/Popescu"

strange logic ... lets not sign him in case he scores against us in a couple of years time !!! oh, and i said another striker !

I think a lot of this has to do with nervousness ...... will he be any good, is he a dud looking for a fat pay cheque, will he create disharmony amongst other players because of his wages ....... I have an open mind about the signing but I have to say I am also nervous. As I said on another thread, if he does sign then it could go a couple of ways .... He might be a revelation, fully committed, giving 100%, banging in goals and truly be excellent with the end result that he helps us reach the top six, maybe reach a cup final and actually generates more money for the club than he costs us before he inevitably departs. In that scenario it is an inspired signing and because the player has openly said from the start that he wants to eventually go to OF or England then we cant say it came as a surprise. On the other hand, what if we cant get the best out of him and he doesnt score goals, doesnt try hard or his performances are hampered because his team-mates ostracise him either because of his wages, the language barrier or maybe even his ego (no-one has said what he's like yet - is he a team player or is he another Fetai ?) ..... then its no longer an inspired signing. Its a risk - and I trust CC and GB to come to the right decision based on what they have seen in dealings with the player and in training and maybe even a run-out in tonights game (?) As far as the club are concerned then they get :021: :021: :021: from me ..... Well done to them for finally starting to show some ambition. Whether this player signs or not, we are finally looking somewhere other than Dingwall for replacement players. 7 players on trial right now from 5 different countries and Deano already signed. This is the start of the next level in ICT's development.

In this case it would be a symbiotic relationship .... yes we would be being used by the player in an effort to get a big move, but we would also be receiving the benefit of his services (and 100% effort) as he tries to make that move a reality ..... I would be more concerned if he plays badly and doesnt get a move as that costs us more money ! Turn your scenario on its head for a minute .... would you turn down goals that maybe saw us climb into the top six ? or that took us through to a cup final this season ? Apart from potentially helping the club to progress, there is a lot of money at stake for each place higher we finish in the table or for reaching the latter stages of the cup, not to mention the higher gates for more attractive fixtures after the split if we do indeed make the top six ... if he can be one part of the complete jigsaw that helps us do that then fair play to him and good luck to him when he moves on .... Back to your scenario - If Celtic didnt buy him, they would still probably buy another striker who had the potential to score against ICT .... but hopefully Deano would get a couple to ensure we win it 2-1 :003:

Sorry PIG but somethinmg is not quite right about this one. :018: I can see both sides here ... and both could be right as far as I am concerned. The player has openly said that he wants to play in the SPL in the hope he will get a dream move to either the OF or to England. He therefore sees ICT as a stepping stone to that goal. In that respect it would be reasonable to assume that he will try hard, score goals and do everything he can to put himself in the shop window ..... On the other hand, here is a player, who if you look at his stats has gone from a great early career that saw him banging in goals left right and centre for both club and country and then being snapped up by one of the traditionally big European clubs to a recent career blighted by injury and a drought in front of goal that saw his career take a downward turn as he went from Lisbon to Liege and then Mainz ..... could he be a dud looking for a pay cheque or like Dargo and many others before him, could he be a player whose career ICT resurrects ? Its a bold move, and if he does what his early career shows he can do then he may well earn ICT as much as he costs with vital goals to take us to the top 6 or to a cup final .... This is one that CC and GB need to carefully consider and make a judgement based on what they see in training or friendlies rather than be blinded (or blindsided) by his credentials or the recommendations of Hagi/Popescu

So this is a form being sent to a guy who is not in a position to count the votes at the moment rather than a poll which is easier to secure and prevent from abuse ? If they are not ready to receive votes/emails why put it on the site ? I just dont understand that.

As I said, they are a decent side and have a few internationals - Mathis, Reyna, Angel etc. I was at the Toronto V NYRB game and it was a classic game of two halves. Toronto dominated the first half but NY did likewise in the second and ended up winning 2-1. I reckon they would have close games against any of the SPL other than the OF .... would win some, would lose some .... If I had to pick a position, I would say "Kilmarnock" - comfortable top 6 usually but can win/lose on any given day depending on which version of the team turns up.

added a new story so we can keep track of the multiple trialists !!!!! see frontpage of site : http://www.caleythistleonline.com/index.php

they are a decent side so would do OK.

What a list ...... each and every one of them is an ICT legend in their own way and thanks for the mini-resumes Charles although I think it might be a little unfair that we cant vote on Charlie as a player because he is now manager and not "away from the club". Here is the link for supporters to[url=http://www.mfr.co.uk/Article.asp?id=440108] VOTE My 5 ..... Jim Calder Bobby Mann Paul Cherry Paul Sheerin Mike Teasdale

You mean the New York Red Bull's :rotflmao: ... Incidentally, Red Bull also bought Austria Salzburg and renamed them FC Red Bull Salzburg !!

oh, in that case, it probably means that Charlie bought a romain lettuce at Tesco !!!

Lothar Mattheus played a total of 16 games in the MLS ... 7 years ago ... and I am sure he is not wrong - the quality would have been terrible as the MLS was only formed in 1994 (coincidentally) and was exactly what you described - a dumping ground for past it stars to pick up a pay cheque. Just think of how far Caley Thistle have come in the same timescale ... in our early years we were playing at Cliftonhill, Ochilview and Firs Park and our hospitality suite was a portakabin beside the wooden stand, now its Celtic Park, Ibrox and Hampden and at least some executive and dining suites in the main stand. In our early years we had international superstars like Vetle Andersen but recently we have had the likes of Juanjo, Dargo and now the possibility of Austrian, French or Romanian players of a decent calibre (perhaps) .... in other words, things change !! I have said it numerous times. The MLS does not rival the English Premier League, nor does it match up to La Liga, the Bundesliga or Serie A. However, outside the Old Firm, I think most MLS teams would give Scottish (SPL) teams a good test and unlike the SPL where ticket prices are driving fans out of the game, the MLS is growing in stature and bringing fans in in droves (as i mentioned - TFC season tickets are sold out for at least the next three years because of the waiting list they have for them and the owners are already failing to deny that they will consider building a second tier of seats round the ground or part of the ground). The refereeing is (for the most part) terrible, the commentators are worse, and some of the play can be schoolboy stuff but when you see a decent team playing it can be as good as, if not better than some games in the SPL.

He's played 4 (away) games, scored 1 goal (penalty). He hasnt made his home debut yet as TFC are in a run of 6 away games on the trot due to the U20 World Cup. Home debut will probably be against Aston Villa on 25th, Home MLS debut probably on 29th V Chicago Fire. http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/players/bio.j...tatType=current [note FC - fouls conceded, FS - fouls suffered !!] He was anonymous in last night's 0-0 draw with current champs Houston (and was subbed in 56th minute) but the same applies to all but 2 or 3 of the team. seems that Mo sent them out to play for the draw and it was painful to watch, (and listen to as it was another set of clueless commentators) especially after one of the midfield was sent off and his strike partner was sacrificed to bring on a replacement midfielder.

Have a wee look on Wikipedia at the squads of some of these teams .... and of the former "notable players" ... there's some good names in there, and although a lot of europeans seemed to go over there to retire (much like signing for Rangers or Celtic !) not all of them are retiring to the states ..... DaMarcus Beasley is going in the other direction, and so is Freddy Adu (or so they say) ... Claudio Reyna also headed to the UK before going back http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_...Notable_players

LA Galaxy are one of the worst teams in an improving league. Beckham is going there as part of the 'revolution' that will transform the team .... or so they say. Not to mention the fact that his missus wants to break into hollywood and had lined herself up for a 6-part reality TV series which has now been cut down to a one hour 'special' :rotflmao: As part of his contract he will also have help in setting up David Beckham academies all over the states !!! Beckham will find himself designated as "S-I", or senior international (a tag for foreign players of which you are only allowed so many) and will find a few other names in his team, albeit lesser known names in Europe. In the Galaxy side are American Internationals Landon Donovan and Cobi Jones, and former Portugal international Abel Xavier. The S-I tag means foreign players are limited in MLS as each team has a quota but there are a lot of Canadian and American internationals playing in the league as well as South Americans and players from the Carribean. A look at the 'rosters' brings up a few interesting names and also shows that the list goes from the sublime to the ridiculous !!! Alongside Beckham as an "S-I" (not at Galaxy) there are the likes of Paul Dalglish (ex Livi), Collin Samuel (ex Dundee Utd), Ronald Wattereus (ex Rangers), Avery John (Trinidad 61 caps), Juan Pablo Angel (Colombia 33 caps), Markus Schopp (Austria 50 caps), Danny Dichio (ex Sampdoria, Baggies and Preston), Shaka Hislop (Trinidad 26 caps), Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala 72 caps) as well as Americans Claudio Reyna, Clint Mathis, Eddie Pope and Freddy Adu ..... Having seen most of the teams play either on TV or in person at BMO Field, I would agree that the quality is certainly not Premiership standard but lets not be snooty here, most teams would hold their own against non-OF teams in the SPL !!! However, even the good games on TV seem to be ruined by clueless commentators that make the game sound and look more amateurish than it is when you are watching it in person. Toronto held their own (0-0) against a decent Benfica side (inc Rui Costa, Paulo Jorge, Manu etc) in what was a competitive match considering it was a friendly, will play Aston Villa in 10 days time and next week's "all-star" game will see the MLS select take on Celtic. The gulf in quality is there, but it is closing quite quickly and those who choose to disrespect the league because its "the americans and they dont play football" are sadly mistaken. MLS has had two massive boosts this season. David Beckham and Toronto FC. Beckham has raised the profile considerably and will probably be the best individual player in the league (I will see for myself on August 5th when he makes his MLS debut in Toronto). Toronto FC has also been a revelation, 20000+ at every game, season tickets sold out for the next 3 years, a crowd that has been described as 'rabid', 'raucous', 'european like' and all round a total success (even on the park where new teams tend not to win any games in their first season). I personally put this down to the multicultural mix in Toronto and to be experiencing it in its first season is tremendous ..... The revolution in North American "soccah" as Becks called it has started and even the indifferent Americans are starting to take a little notice of this English guy married to one of the Spice Girls and the Crazy Canucks in the north

The start of the season (Aug 4) is a far tighter deadline than the transfer window (Aug 31 midnight). We do need one if not two central defenders as cover/competition but I guess it depends on how good Charlie thinks the youngsters look and what the trialists are like. No point signing someone 'just because'. Confident he will get one or two in before the season but even if he doesnt then Hastings - Caff - Munro - Tokely are already there and likely to be the opening day lineup and we have time to get the right players in if they are available.

Ok, at the risk of stepping into a hornet's nest, let me give my tuppenceworth ..... Don - I think I see what you are saying, but its not coming across that way and I think you may even be slightly blinkered on this particular event. I too heard that initially it was meant to be a joint venture but from what I hear it is now totally a trust event but as I am not involved in organising it, I can only take others at their word on this. From my own point of view, this event does appear to be catering to the more well-heeled supporters of the club and that applies whether they are corporate sponsors (some of whom ARE huge fans of the club as well) or just those individuals with a little more of a disposable income. At 55 per head it is quite expensive for those supporters for whom money is tight (quite a few I would assume) but given the actual event itself and the costs of getting things like speakers and presumably other invited guests to attend then I would say its fair or even cheap [average price for this kind of thing is about 100 i think is it not ?]. It is certainly less expensive than booking yourself in for hospitality at a match which might be a more accurate comparison than to compare it with the bowling night. [note: a recent 'meet the players' event (drinks/buffet) for Toronto FC had a pricetag of $250 (120 pounds approx) which was beyond a lot of supporters too but those of us who couldnt go smiled and were happy because the club does other things we can take advantage of ...] The Trust is trying to cater to all levels and pockets .... a bowling night that costs a nominal sum, and where the players come along, the boxing night, and the proposed race night ... these all appeal to different demographics and like anything else in life, they will never be able to please all of the people all of the time, but at least they are trying to put on a range of events that appeal to different sets of people ....

I am sure LG, Maimie or DJS can enlighten you and all of them are regulars on this site so likely to respond if I get this wrong .... but according to the letter I received asking me to put information on the site .... "The evening, which is a black tie event, will be hosted by Moray Firth Radio’s morning show presenter Ginno Conti" so its a dinner suit and dickie bow job !!!

This escaped elephant story is funny ..... http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/235562 This happened last week a few miles north of Toronto, and for me, the funny thing is hearing the operator waiting for the punchline when the caller says that they want to report an elephant walking down their street ....

Good article and I think the assesment of absent friend is pretty good. Hopefully, now that Charlie has realised that he was taking on additional pressures that had nothing to do with him, he will be able to handle those he does have and start (continue) to flourish as a manager and also begin to turn some of the naysayers in the other direction ......

5th August indeed, Toronto V LA .. expected debut of a certain Mr Beckham in MLS, ticket now worth 20 times face value :003:

the clue may be in the name ........

Ally McDonald - defender promoted from U19s at end of season.

short answer - yes (alleged) reason why it wont happen .... no rates (or at worst - miniscule ones) are payable while it remains as it is ... the minute its tarred it will cost the club considerably more