starchief

Probably his final contract as a player. Next.... ...player/coach of ICT.

Hayes has already been offered a deal I believe.

Frees up a wage for Walsall for a player that isn't going to stay for a new player that will. The age of significant transfer fees seems dead outside the EPL and the top of the Championship.

So you do pronounce the g? I wondered... Incidentally, can anyone tell me definitively whether the g in 'Gnasher' was/is pronounced? When I was a kid, the Beano readers at school could never reach a consensus. silent G.My dad worked for DC Thompson for some time, in commando comics, so he knows. D'oh! Never mind a silent 'g' in Gnasher, more of a non-existent 'p' in DC Thomson. What did your dad do?

Yeah, why would we want the best players in Scotland to stay in Scotland?

24? I'm shocked. Thought he was much younger.

Would you sell for an opening bid when you're pretty sure bigger teams and bigger bids will come in?

He'll be and has been a big loss. That's been a problem position.

Rooney, Cowie, Robson and Rankin would certainly all be welcomed back, along with Ian Black. Without Hogg, Munro too. With Esson and Tuffey, there's no need for Brown but he's a good keeper nevertheless. I'd also say Rory. Worth a punt these days, I reckon. Not too sure how Liam Fox is getting on these days. Isn't he captain at Livi?

Tokely's had some great games this season. Surprised so many people want him out. Especially with the uncertainty over Hogg. Even if he gets back, will he last?

I'd keep everyone, including Mackay, who seems to be just becoming something. It would be a waste of resources not to develop that more. I'd also keep Proctor - wages dependant. He's not the player I thought he would be but he's so useful. If he can accept that he's a squad player (though I'd love to have seen him in def mid with Cox and Jones out), then he's worth keeping. Just not at any price.

He's only just back from injury. Probably not able to last the match.

I'd suspect: Esson Meekings - Proctor - Williams - Gillet Ross - Tansey - Foran Hayes - Sutherland - Tade Phew! Couldn't have predicted that!

Just a bit of fun Alex. Doesn't even matter which we prefer. It won't translate on to the pitch. I'm confident we won't get relelgated. I'm also even more confident we won't win the league. So putting out the (presumably) favourites for the cup gives us a not altogether terrible, but far from certain, chance of getting to the final. Nothing to do with assuming ICT will win the cup, but there's a chance for the greatest achievement in our short history.

The Buddies are debt-free with their stadium deal. Plus 35,000 ain't really that much. Seems strange DU called a halt when so close for a player they wanted.

Even if that were to mean having insufficient funds to maintain SPL football? Yes. If that was what mattered I'd be supporting Celtic and Manchester City. Did you support ICT any less in SFL1 (or lower)? Are Dundee or Ayr fans any less passionate about their club? Create history on the funds available. I'd take a cup win against 10 seasons in the SFL1. What is St Mirren's greatest achievement? Finishing third? I grew up around Paisley and can't remember the year. Maintaining top league football? I don't know the years that started and ended or how long that run was for. Winning the cup? Without looking, 1987. Ian Ferguson latching on a through ball (from Abercromby IIRC) to beat Dundee Utd 1-0. I could even give you the team for that day. 'Nuff said.

I don't think McIntyre has done anything particularly wrong. He just has a squad poorer than the rest. There's no home support. They've been out of the SPL for some time, so few 'leftovers' of a better time that ICT have. Maybe it's time to look to the longer game. Use any SPL bounce to develop younger/squad players and keep their squad together, then become a better team over the longer term. Not the usual way in football but perhaps it should be.

Not too bothered about the money. If we're £100,000 down then we cut our cloth according to that. Just as long as we've got players that can give their best is all I ask. Definitely the cup. We can basically assume we and our rivals will lose to the OF. Beating the teams around us in the league and putting in a good performance against the OF should be our league task. But the cup is romance. Imagine winning it? The greatest day ICT could ever have. So, we're up for the cup!

It's very difficult for a player to shine in the Championship. Get an injury like he has had and teams won't wait. But with the OF, he'll have more of a chance. And I do think he genuinely has a chance to shine at the top - but only time will tell. I also think he's a good player and I would like the SPL to be better, so I'd like him to stay in Scotland. Hopefully with us. But there's no point decrying the state of the game here then wishing the best players would end up as a squad player at Preston North End or Barnsley. I want more Johnny Hayes-es in Scotland, not less. No matter who they play for. And I could point out some players love the Glasgow goldfish bowl, whilst plenty others don't really experience it in Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm. It's as uncomfortable or as glorious as how a player wants it to be.

Thinking about it, with no money and the likes of Davis probably going, Rangers is probably a better club for Hayes than Celtic. He could thrive there in a footballing sense. I'd rate him a far bigger prospect than the likes of Sandaza (yep, I know they're different positions).

I would say winning medals and competing in Europe is better than hoping to get into a play-off place in the Championship. Wherever he goes, he has to believe he can play in the first team. After all, if he doesn't believe in himself, who else will? Unlike Rooney, I don't think he has to strike whilst the iron is hot. If the service wasn't there for Adam, he would struggle to get noticed. Hayes seems to have a lot more about him. I thought Adam made the right choice in moving sooner rather than later but Hayes will get better and better the more he plays. I hope he stays, don't blame him for moving, even to Celtic - but it might be worth him staying for a year to get back to being red hot.

Had the potential to do something different. An occasional match-winner that had some real purple spells. He'll be an excellent choice for the last half an hour to shake up a few teams. I'd welcome him back at ICT.

Esson Piermayr - Tokely - Golobart - Gillet Cox - Tansey Hayes - A.Shinnie - Tade McKay Cox goes into the defensive mid, where Foran has been playing. A counter-attacking style away from home. I wouldn't rush Doran back. Let him come on from the bench to try to get match fit. After all, why drop Tade or McKay? 4-2-3-1 - it's a nice balance and has served us well away from home. G. Shinnie unlucky to be dropped but Gillett has got that bit more defensively and Tokely a more natural foil for Golobart (nickname Golo or Golly Mk2?).

Doesn't matter what the standard is like in general. Southend Reserves isn't a great standard but that's where we got Richie Foran from. We're only trying to see a rough diamond in there, not join the league (which isn't that far off the SPL anyway)

Way way way more in favour of more devolution (for the Counties of England too, if they want it). Independence? No idea. I don't think nationhood and patriotism is that heavily linked with governmenthood to begin with (were the Scots less patriotic in 1974 without any form of devolved government?). Besides which, is any nation truly independent? Especially when it means almost certainly becoming more involved with the EU (something I'm in favour of but doubt most people are). Then there are the costs and rigmarole of splitting up the armed forces, the civil service etc etc etc. I'd be pretty annoyed if the Tory Party decided that more devolution wasn't on the agenda but it's by far the best solution to me. 50:50 between independence and the status quo.