starchief

And an SPL title to a Bottling Company - aka Neil Lennon!

Am I being deliberately mis-interpreted over Clough? My point was that saying a couple of years ago that Butcher wasn't the man for the job because he'll eventually hit the buffers, doesn't mean that aspersion was correct. If someone had said of Clough "he's no use - bet he gets us relegated", then they are only proven right if they choose to ignore all the success he had in between. I wasn't comparing success or styles of play. Simply, that you can't say what's happened at the end of a manager's reign is the be all and end all. Clough was a far better manager than virtually every one else in the game (actually, in my opinion, I'd remove that virtually). But he eventually went on the decline and got them relelgated. That doesn't prove someone who predicted that "it would all end in tears" in 1975 was correct. Butcher took us up at the first time of asking, had a year-long undefeated away run, amassed a better-than-expected points total in the first season back up, putting to shame a lot better funded teams. I believe, with a proven goalscorer and better luck with injuries, we would be higher up the table (including that Hibs match). As it is, I feel there is no chance of relegation and we will probably finish higher up than Hibs and potentially Aberdeen. Both teams with much bigger budgets than us. I'm not saying I agree with all his tactics (I don't - I think a more balanced counter-attacking approach would be best) but based on the above, Butcher deserves another season.

2 seasons ago: promotion at the first time of asking with an amazing run 1 season ago: 7th place officially, with a points total that would take us to 5th in the table.

You were against Butcher from the very start though. Butcher achieved wonderful things at ICT in the last two seasons. Where's the credit for that? You will eventually be proved right as most managers stumble at some time - even Brian Clough detractors were eventually proved right. MissICT seemingly gone and now Luke? Perhaps neither were the most incisive of posters but I welcome their unbridled support for the club amidst many men of misery. A breath of fresh air.

I just don't get how people can say he failed at Coventry. It was a major shock when he sacked as Coventry were doing well, yet bringing in money. He was sacked and they crashed into the relegation zone. In Sunderland, he was average. For Brentford and Sydney, he ony had half a season. Did pretty badly but then, didn't many ICT fans want him sacked during the first half of SFL1, when it looked like there was no way he could get us promoted with the terrible results we were having? You could argue the last two but it was a mistake by Coventry to sack him.

And yet above both Dunfermline and Hibs, whilst pushing to be above Aberdeen. Either these players aren't as bad as you're making out or Butcher's a terrific manager to get this much out of them.

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.

I dont want another Rooney situation, so it's probably for the best if we don't rely on him. Still, be nice for the bench to provide excitement and potentially a step up in the table. I know some will say playing him is more likely to get him to stay. But, either he does or he doesn't at this stage. And I'm sure the club knows which it will be.

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.