starchief

He has done well in previous matches but actually you've got a point. It wasn't happening for him earlier in the season up front but I still think he's the best striker we have. Maybe time for a rethink. In fact, wasn't he even playing upfront when he had that knee knjury, which could have added to some poorer performances at the start? Yeah, push him up there alongside McKay and we might well have a partnership of hard-workers there. Worth a try surely?

Above Hibs and only two points below Aberdeen (win the game after the split and we're above them - not easy but far from impossible). Like to compare transfer budgets with those two? Also, clear of relegation, with Dunfermline almost certainly having a bigger budget. Of course you could point out that St Mirren have done well. In fact, what we did last season. If they don't manage to do the same next season, however, would it be fair of the Buddies to sack their manager? I think that would be very harsh of them, so naturally, it would be very harsh of us.

I don't think we were poor. We just don't have a striker. We dominated today. They had Griffiths and O'Connor. We had Tade and McKay. Had we a Rooney, we would have stuffed them today. But we didn't and those players are hard to find. No need to slate the rest of the team though. We were better than Hibs besides the (very important) points listed above. We got mugged by an inferior team.

It's funny how so many people were saying that Tokely is no longer good enough for the SPL and that's he's 4th or 5th choice before this game. Now, he's a must pick and absolutely has to be here next season. Tokely is the New Duncan.

Sometimes you take a chance that a player better than what we had will get over his injury blight. Was OTJ a risk too far? Depends on what you think of the risk. With GMS though, it wasn't a risk that he wouldn't stay fit. It was reality. He was going to be out for months had we have signed him. The fact is people wouldn't have come to see him play as he would have been on the sidelines getting treatment and recuperating. Also, he was offered a contract which he turned down. It's not comparing like with like.

And he had a terrible injury record. So bad that when he played one non-competitive game (which he wasn't even able to finish), he was then out for months. Depsite this, ICT still offered him a pay-as-you-play contract. GMS was so hesitant about his ability to play any significant amount of games, that he turned us down. He had no interest, we must assume, for any team in the SPL and SFL1 to end up at Airdrie. If we had signed him, he would probably have been in the treatment room and recupuration for most of the season. He'd then be coming back towards the end of a one-year contract with possibly some fine performances. I then suspect he'd reward that faith in him with a 'next season down in england or even at the old firm'. ICT saw the talent. Saw the injury record (that was ongoing) but were still prepared to offer him a chance at SPL football by a play/pay contract to prove his fitness. It was absolutely the correct decision.

Long ball is a style that's worked for many clubs. It's not simply a matter of not trusting players, just a tactic. People like Ruud Gullit and Glenn Hoddle would regularly, and would be lauded, for making the long ball. The difference was that they were usually at an unexpected moment and absolutely spot on. That said, I think a midfield that can bring in Jones, Tansey, Ross and Foran (leaving aside the wingers and the injured) is actually at it's best when playing the passing game. None of them are really the 100mph engine players that Terry wants them to be. Building from Jones at the back, with Tansey and Ross passing up to the wings is the way to go.

I'd imagne he's snap our hand off given his injury problems. Sutherland and Tade on the wings?

In that case, he'd have been reet petite.

Awww man. Not Ian Curtis. I'm not a big fan of the blasphemy laws but....

Apparently, it's all the ref's fault. Rangers dominating against 11, 10 and 9 men was all the ref's fault. Cha getting the wrong side of a player and putting his hand on his shoulder to pull him back was the ref's fault. Sure, Wallace went down easy but (unfortunately), that's the last 30 years of footie - I wish it would change but not just for one match. It might be debatable for a red card but with only the keeper in front of him (I don't buy that Cha would somehow have made up a yard within the penalty area or that Mulgrew was anywhere close to beating down a shot), it certainly looks like one to me. As for Lennon thinking it was unfair that he was sent off for telling the ref he was poor, I would love for the ref to tell Lennon he got his selections all wrong. Give him advice on tactics and personnel selection. How do you think Lennon would take that? He'd be shouting for the ref to be sacked (again). Yet another important game lost. I just don't see he's got that tactical nous about him to make a great manager. Put him in charge of a Motherwell or Inverness [shudder] and they'd be relegation candidates. The multi-millions are hiding inadequacies behind that scowling angry front.

I'm a big fan of JJ. If he had a transfer window to wheel and deal in, then maybe he could have done more. As it is, the Pars would be best letting JJ have a 5-year plan to completely remake a sustainable club. There's no point the club going short-term, if they don't catch Hibs.

Meekings, by all accounts, had some form at RB, so no surprise he kept in there. Still prefer to see Piermayr return sooner than later though.

Sometimes a kick up the rear is leadership. Other times, an arm around the shoulder. Maybe Roman's being doing the fancy Dan in training a lot and he's been told to cut it out. In that case, it might be right for Foran to do it. Maybe that kind of treatment gets Roman fired up. Seems to have worked. But I don't agree there should be no discipline within a team, just a nice smile when lack of concentration's a problem.

1. if it's sheer bad luck and nothing Golobart could do, this is the correct option 2. not correct for a captain 3. if a goal is conceded through lack of concentration and carelessness, this is the correct option - get yer act together and cut out the foolishness

Be fair. Hogg barely played. David Davis wasn't great either until he got bedded in. Over the course of the season, I'm sure he would have been our best defender. I very much doubt Butcher will keep on Tokely. Golobart might well go back, along with Williams, so big rebuilding there. Quite frightening really. I would hope to sign at least one established centre-back as first choice. Not sure who's available mind you. Hayes will be a big miss but perhaps not as big as we might think. He's been injured a lot and Doran will alleviate much of the problem. Nowhere near as skilful as Hayes but can be as effective. Giving Ross a run at right midfield could be the making of him though. Not as winger but a good old fashioned right midfielder like, say, Trevor Steven or Jim Bett.

A striker that can score is always the most difficult position. There aren't many strikers that have scored more than Tade that we could have afforded. Possibly Vernon and Heffernan. That's it (and I'm not so sure we could have afforded either of them). Tade, I think, would be a great super-sub. Imagine him coming on after 60 mins, with the defence getting tired. It would be his ideal position - even though players hate it. Hopefully A.Shinnie will be back. I also like McKay and Sutherland but we need someone that our fans deride as someone 'who doesn't do anything, except score goals'. Not sure who that would be. I'd like to see some scouting on how Rory is progressing. Was only a youngster when he was here. Also, let's have a look at the likes of Rangers and Hearts for some bargains. But it's a tough position to fill.

Well, there's Hogg who would have been first choice. Someone said they didn't rate him as Hibs had let him go. The old 'if he wasn't good enough for them...' argument. Firstly, it doesn't necessarily mean Hibs made the right choice (and, even before we signed him, I thought they'd made a mistake). Secondly, ICT have a history of signing 'has beens/never wases' and making them better (Dods for instance). And thirdly, at least he got an SPL club, unlike Munro*. If Hogg had stayed fit for the majority of the season, I just don't think the defence would have been so bad. Just my opinion. *not trying to dis Munro - I didn't want him to leave, just making a point that cast-offs aren't always useless.

Anyone know how Vigurs is doing? Always thought he had some real talent.

I think he's always going to be a player that will have good and appalling spells. Who? Look at the players that have scored more goals than Tade - how many could we have afforded? Unrealistic expectations here.

Unfortunately, nowhere near the ability any more. Harsh but true. But hey, why not get him, McBain, Munro and Bayne all back. You remember, the ones that were criticised mercilessly when they were here. Here come the short memory brigade who previously shouted about the Invisible Man, the hoofer who can't cut it anymore at this level, the midfielder that can't pass and should get to &*$! and the headless chicken who should never play for ICT again. Just have a quick look at the CTO archives if you can't believe anyone could ever say that.

He has to strengthen in central defence. Is that bloke Hogg still without a club? We also need more invention on the left wing. Maybe we could try to get Aaron Doran back again. We're desperately lacking a defensive mid. I hear Welsh international Tudur-Jones is available. All that leaves is someone capable of working a bit of magic and sticking the ball away. Didn't Rangers have someone like that. Think he's the brother of Graeme Shinnie. Andrew or something. That, combined with our current squad, should probably be chasing top six.

I don't see it as simply not producing talent. McGuire starts to become Aberdeen's first choice - goes to Derby's reserves. Allen plays a few games at Dundee United but prefers youth team football at WBA. Wilson would rather the occasional subs bench at Liverpool than Champions League with Rangers etc etc etc. Now, there's always been a percentage that would go south. The difference is that it's not rejects to the bottom and the cream to the top, it's the likes of Lee Cox going from SPL ICT to EFL2 Swindon. Doesn't matter if we produce talent, if they then try to get south to any club whatsoever for a little bit of more cash to the detriment of a better career*. *I know Cox is English but he's gone from reserves to top league first team back to bottom tier football

I've never thought it was particularly important to go to 16 teams if the money situation remained the same. All you'd have is the OF thumping 10 past Queen of the South or Ayr United or whoever squeaked through. However, it is a real chance to do something long-term. For me, two professional leagues of ten/twelve (local below that). Money shared so that all the bigger clubs can have a chance of competing. The medium sized like ours, with a good manager and the odd gem, can do something special, like challenge occasionally or win the odd cup. Good relegation and SFL1 battles without the prospect of financial collapse if they are relegated. It should partially be based on crowd size intially. If a team like Morton slips out into SFL2, the other clubs get a boost from their slightly larger support, whilst Morton struggle to keep their squad on the basis of no fans from Alloa. Geography however also has to come into play. The Highlands and the south will never have any huge teams but it's still worth representation within these areas for the overall good of the Scottish game. I know some disagree with top ten/twelve but that's based on the current wealth distribution. A 16-team SPL would mean a very poor SFL1. Although I think changing the money structure is infinitely more important than 10, 12, 16 or 18 team leagues. So, a complete reorganisation and wealth redistribution. If possibly the greatest manager in the world took over at one of Scotland's biggest clubs (i.e. Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen), there would still be a struggle to get out of the bottom six, year upon year.

The radio today claimed that HMRC are willing to settle if Craig Whyte is no longer part of it. I know this will enrage some but HMRC won't get any money if they go into liquidation. As dispassionate neutrals, it has to be the line they follow. I found it very difficult to believe that Whyte didn't have some gameplan for resurrecting a phoenix Rangers debt-free and with millions in the bank, plus a healthy sell-on profit for Whyte. It just seemed incredulous, after so many months of due dilligence, that this would happen. But, amazingly, Whyte does seem to be a complete Walter Mitty figure (perhaps even a thief). Surely, this will have a major effect on both his business standing and ability to enjoy a private threat-free life? Did he really not understand the big impact this could have?