Strathman

Butcher sounds interesting, but 'one of those sources' tells me that Robbo, Stevie Frail, John Mcglynn & Donald Park are the top 4

Why would Frail be a candidate? His record at Hearts was worse than Robbo. McGlynn fills his team with ex Hearts players and Hearts loan signings and failed to get promotion last season with a full time team. Do we really need a first time manager in Parkie? If that is the short list. Help. How is Pele's health these days?

Very sad indeed. Toff of a bloke who would not say a bad word about anyone. Very rare in football. A true gent indeed.

I have it on good authority that if Robbo was re-appointed then we would likely see the return of Park to work alongside him at the end of the season.

That would be the best possible appointment as far as I'm concerned... but why the end of the season before the re-appointment of Donald?

Robbo hasn't been on the site for a few days now....

Has he been gagged?

I would hope he has seen the error of his ways. To me it was completely out of order coming on this site when the manager was under pressure. In my opinion both Robbo and Brewster both achieved with Pele's squad and both were found wanting without them.

Hardly think you can count the time with Rix at Hearts (one month). Did well at Dundee both times (probably the closest to us for teams he's been at). He's well respected as a coach that has included time with Chelsea. Knows the game inside out, so if we got a fresh hungry young manager, then someone like Duffy (or John McCormick, Archie Knox etc) could be alongside giving pointers to the young coach.

I was not talking about Hearts. Look at their record at Portsmouth.

He got Dundee relegated twice.

Alex Smith is respected probably because he is a nice guy and the press love him but he gets sacked at every job. Duffy is in that category.

I've been saying this for about a year now. Pressley with someone like Archie Knox (as a favour for an old mate) or Jim Duffy (can't imagine him turning down a footie job) alongside. Having said that, no problem with Robbo returning, or maybe Bobby Williamson even though noone rates him (thought he did well with Killie & Hibs). Definitely one of the first two though I'd favour.

Explain why Jim Duffy is such a good choice considering his relegation record and as a number two to the highly successful Graham Rix and Peter Grant.

Robertson's record is patchy to say the least. Pele left the club at the top of the first division with a squad that proved well capable of surviving in the top flight.

Robertson did a good job in the club gaining promotion but has had no real success at Hearts, Livingston (relegation),

Ross County (jumped ship when the money ran out) and Derry (won a league cup but the league position was poor).

Too much of a gamble for me.

I think its already been said what has happened to Robbo at other clubs and his so called 'patchy record' isn't really as such

What adjective would you use to describe his managerial record since leaving here if patchy is so far off the mark?

Good, Outstanding, Diabolical?

Robertson's record is patchy to say the least. Pele left the club at the top of the first division with a squad that proved well capable of surviving in the top flight.

Robertson did a good job in the club gaining promotion but has had no real success at Hearts, Livingston (relegation),

Ross County (jumped ship when the money ran out) and Derry (won a league cup but the league position was poor).

Too much of a gamble for me.

He is the Coventry academy manager, newly appointed, doubt he would leave them so quickly but you never know.

I think that is his son Gregor.

Rioch is a class act and is not tainted by Largs

:thumb04:

EXCELLENT !

****

Quite possibly but the same could be said for Barrowman. He must be due another chance because the first team strikers are not exactly prolific.

He's had far too many chances already. Getting hooked at half-time at Cappielow was the end for Rory and i wouldn't be surprised to see him go in January.

How long as he got on his contract?

I suspect you may be right but he scored for fun pre-season and must be one of the top scorers in the reserve league.

He is 21 years old and the other strikers are not scoring. If he does not get another chance soon then it is not going to happen. I saw his two goals against Rangers the other week on Hun T.V. and his second goal was class.

I would like to see him start two games up front with Rooney. Nothing to lose.

The fact that Rory does so well for the reserves but can never turn it on in the first team suggests thst the first or second division may well be his level.

Quite possibly but the same could be said for Barrowman. He must be due another chance because the first team strikers are not exactly prolific.

...will be birling in his grave....

Histon??

Shocking result for a team that was once one of the best in Europe

Oh that Billy Bremner and there was me thinking it was about the old Jags centre half!

www.hibs.co.uk/news/more.php?id=3107_0_1_0_C

4-1 at Hibs. McAllister, Rooney 2 (1 a pen) and Gillespie were the scorers.

That's great. Hopefully Vigurs, Wood and Zander will follow.

Vigurs and Wood might but Zander has no chance.

This thread is about the Scotland U-21 squad. Not a 'lets slag Rory' thread.

It's not being turned into a thread to slag off MacAllister It's a fair point Chris has raised. Rory wasn't particularly great last season but made numerous U21 squads. By comparison, Wood, Duff and especially Vigurs have come on a lot this season and performed well so you would think that they would have been called up as a result of their performances.

A lot of the players have been picked because of their performances in reserve football. (McAllister has never had a problem scoring at that level so it made sense he got picked for squads.)

I think it is ridiculous that Vigurs, Wood and Duff have not been picked this time because they have had a good bit of first team football. Stark prefers to pick old firm reserve players. Lennon has gone on loan to Partick and can not get a game yet he has been picked. That Scott Cuthbert of Celtic always got picked and was clearly out of his depth.

wood just edged out of man of the match by imrie. thought he played a blinder up front a gave the tic defence what for all afternoon. imrie was quality today and cowie playing more like he should.

another tantrum from blackie after coming off but he needs to put the dummy back in cos at 2 down and one up front it was the right decision to take him off

Completely agree. Imrie and Wood were our two best players. Imrie had his best game since Pittodrie. Wood never gave McManus and Caldwell a minute's peace and his goal was well deserved.

Anything Dodsy says should be ignored. The man talks utter garbage on a weekly basis and it's a joke the Beeb regard him as one of the top pundits. BBC Scotland have so many lame ex players they pass off as experts. Allan Preston and Des McKeown are another two who annoy me.

Agree 100 per cent re McKeown. I cant stand him.

Funnily enough I think Preston is excellent and knows his stuff. He doesn't just state the obvious like Craig Paterson.

The point was not that he was an unqualified success but that he did not fail dismally or did you miss that bit.

I would say he was a qualified success. Chelsea were a top six team and he got a lot of games before being replaced by an England international.

Reminds me of Rougvie at Aberdeen, who went to Chelsea in the mid-80s and failed dismally

I thought this was pish so I checked. Rougvie played 75 games for Chelsea in the top flight which is about 72 games more than Russell Anderson

Alexander Sutherland is Zander Sutherland I would have thought. Is Shane Sutherland not the youth player?

Did any of the youth players get new contracts? I do not think I ever saw a free transfer list.

Classy decision that not only helps Marcus but also the club's reputation in the game.

Could you ask Ian B if he knows what McAllister's reserve stats are?  I think he has been top scorer since he came to the club. By the way well done to the kid on his recall to the under 21 squad.

I think Caley would have done fine had they got in to the league when they had a good team.

Remember when folk were locked out of McDermid Park when they did not make the game all-ticket. The ground was full.

That ground is not full very often.

Is there an official club statistician?  You sometimes see a fact in the papers that is so and so's 200th appearance.

Where does that come from?

He has been promoted to U-20 squad though.

Dale Gillespie is in U-19's. (Just thought I'd throw that in)

Good for Dale. 

Dorrans went to the World Cup in the under 20 squad, he did quite well in the first game and then flopped like everyone else. I do not think he has made the step up to the 21's like McAllister before he broke his foot.

Are you sure there is  a current under 20 squad? I thought that was one-off for the World Cup last summer.

I think he would be an okay signing but 100 grand is over the top.