starchief

Youth development only works when the youth are willing to stay and be developed. Instead, the Cowies, Macguires, Wilsons, Conways etc etc etc are quite prepared to go south at the first opportunity. Often to sit on the bench of what we used to know as the Second Division. No, I don't think it's the developing youth, it's the keeping of them. Every year, Motherwell and Dundee United seem to have to build a virtually new squad as any promising player goes south to a big name club like Preston or Doncaster. I was reading yesterday about Barry Lavety being signed by Hibs from St Mirren, what, about 10 years ago?, for IIRC ?200,000. Seems a different world ago.

Yeah, I don't get it. So what if a Swiss court says so. It's nothing relevant.

Cox and Hogg lower, Tokely and Esson higher. Golobart probably higher too but it's early days. I also expect Tansey to go higher by the end of the season. I'm very interested to see how far he can go, as I think he could be a potential gem.

Well, there you go... I thought Celtic dominated large portions of the match but, just like McCoist, Lennon seems to refuse to use a substitute. Just no cutting edge. Surprised they didn't either bring on someone like Commons to cross the ball better than Samaras, or one of the central mids for a two up front. Mind you, Bangara looked nothing when he got on. Missed opportunity and the same old story.

Esson Piermayr - Tokely - Golobart - G.Shinnie Ross - Davis - Tansey - Foran Tade - McKay Maybe for the first time ever, I've gone for a convential 4-4-2. Not sure what's happened to Hogg but these seem to be the most in-form CDs, so stay in. Tempted to put Proctor in at Def Mid, but I'll give Davis and Tansey (surely the first choice midfielder?) a chance to shine. Foran doesn't seem to be the striker I expected him to be. Still a must-pick, so he switches to a more convential left midfield position. I'm wavering between, the Chip'n'Dale (remember the chipmunks anyone?) and McKay. I like the idea of a pacy winger coming on with half an hour left, so McKay just about gets the nod. Either way, it's a risk. Must have subs are Sutherland, Proctor and Chippendale. Gillet, A.Shinnie, A.N.Other (Morrison? Polworth? Greigg?) and, obviously Tuffey would be the rest of the bench.

I think it'll be to try to get SPL fans to say, "hey, there's a game on tonight, let's head on over and go to a different game tomorrow." Nope, I don't think it'll work but I won't have a dig at them for trying. If they carry on when it's not working, then I'll have a go. But if the figures are low, then at least it was tried. I will have a go at the actual fixture though. How about two teams that were a bit closer? Give the fans a chance of making an away match. Not rocket science surely.

Rooney's not a playmaker though. If it was so easy to get in a goal-scroing striker, would not Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts etc have signed one too? Can't see many goals coming from theirs either, despite their better finances. As for controlling the midfield, we've got Tudur-Jones, Proctor and Cox all out. All of these can play defensive midfield. Who could expect every def mid we've got to be injured so early in the season. Sometimes, you just have to ride the injuries out or else our next loan signing would be off Noah for his Ark.

Surprised Tansey is out but maybe he's not 100%. A.Shinnie hasn't done it but, looking at his background, he's worth persevering with for a while. Looking forward to seeing (or hearing unfortunately) Chippendale coming on. Who doesn't like to see a winger? Well, besides Charlie Mulgrew

He's had a weird career, where he seems to do well every second club. I guess if you want a battering ram, there's few better. Not much cop for the gentle passing counter attack though.

He'd be a great signing. Maybe could get him on loan until he gets a new club. Can't see us being able to afford him full-time. He'd be a terrific signing for us and a good one for Hearts. Think he's been harshly treated. Played in the right manner, Templton and Driver running the wings, with Sutton and Kyle smashing them in would have been terrifying for most SPL clubs. I guess Hearts play in a different style now. Better make sure it's not the same style Hibs adopted when they wanted to stretch themselves.

Our chances are hanging by a thread. And so they should be really. Despite the penalty, Czechs were the better team at Hampden. Only one player regualrly played for any team in the top half of the EPL last season (Darren Fletcher, although he was injured for much of it). Of the others, Hutton and Wilson barely got a game, whilst Bannan went to Leeds on loan. Levein's been criticised for being too negative. But that's how we've had our best results. Should we go negative like Brown, McLeish and Smith, or positive like Vogts or Buley? That's largely rhetorical by the way. I would say we have no strikers capable of scoring regualrly against quality. Even S.Fletcher and Goodwillie are a long way off top quality. I think the 4-2-3-1 is the right system for Scotland, although it's either Brown or Fletcher - too similar for both of them playing. I don't think we've any chance of getting anything off Spain. Surely, we would have beaten the Czechs at home, if we could beat Spain in Madrid? And I think we'll really struggle in the World Cup qualifiers. But we're still playing the right way. Maybe in 8 years time, we can have enough results to get some confdence back and be in a higher pot. It's a struggle back from the bottom.

Bullets sent to the annoying Lennon - not necessarily sectarian. Bullets sent to the annoying Lennon and Celtic's irritating lawyer (the name escapes me) - not necessarily sectarian. Bullets sent to the annoying Lennon, Celtic's irritating lawyer and the unassuming, barely interviewed McGinn and McCourt - sectarian. I can't think of any other motive in picking out those last two. Swap them with Brown and Hooper, then there might be an argument but that didn't happen.

I'd be ideal as an unused substitute if Tel's short on the bench.

I agree with almost everything you said except "the very real anti-Celtic (and no doubt anti-Catholic) intimidation that characterised last season's Scottish football" I was very much anti-Celtic last year but absolutely not anti-Catholic. Their gamesmanship that led to a referee's strike and constant whining that their multi-million assembled squad was being harshly treated smacked of the Machiavellian hand of John Reid. Under Tommy Burns I loved to watch Celtic. So Celtic did bring contempt upon themselves but they didn't bring what was, IMO, a blatant assault and death threats. I think it's important to make it clear they can be separate things. Booing Lennon and wanting Celtic to lose isn't necessarily sectarian. BTW, if you simply meant the death threats and assault, then I fully concur.

Any relation to Wilson the Wonder Athlete "this plate of extra-large fish'n'chips should give me enough energy to win that gold medal!"

Surely a 4-1-3-2 system to cope with Hearts' Mackay, Robertson and Colquhoun?

According to Scots law, "an assault may be constituted by threatening gestures sufficient to produce alarm" including jumping over a shop counter whilst wearing a ski-mask. No contact necessary.

Attempted assault IS assault. You don't have to connect with your blow, merely threaten to. They say, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Given that the penalty for breach of the peace is far lower than assault, I see no reason for someone being held on remand for that in the future. It's an open ticket to lunatics to attack. What's to stop any other manager being attacked if we don't clamp down on this? I fully expect to see Celtic supporters attacking someone this season, with potentially explosive results. Would it be a surprise for McCoist to come away with a broken nose, whilst the supporters charge each other on the pitch? What's to lose with such a small offence?

10, 12, 16, 20 or a 100 team league wouldn't make much difference I fear. It's completely and 100% to do with wealth distribution. The 80s were a terrific period for Scottish football, despite the ten-team league. Neither Celtic nor Rangers had ridiculously more money (significantly more but still within reason), so there were opportunities to get ahead with a good manager. Clubs could spend the odd quarter of a million here and there. I don't think Scotland's third team in Hearts have spent a penny on any player they've brought in. At the same time, finances were such that a player would never consider a move from Hibs to Preston as a step up. Youngsters would stick around and develop their skills alongside seasoned-pros. When the best players did go, it would be to a top club, not the old Second Division or lower. Now, they'll up sticks at the first possibility to sit on the bench at a Championship club, never becoming the player they should be and leaving the SPL far weaker. The solution? Probably a British league but there's no chance of that happening. Fans would never accept that for a start, never mind UEFA (I'd quite enjoy it myself). The only other solution I can see is to accept a decline to a lower status. Accept that any good players, like in the Irish league, would leave when possible. Once we accept that, we can then just say, the domestic league is everything. Even out the money somewhat and make it more competitive and more enjoyable (and I'd go for summer football). Perhaps the quality won't be better. It's just be a little bit more fun.

So when Terry Butcher or Ally McCoist is punched on the head by a Celtic fan, I take it he'll not be charged with assault then as long as he doesn't utter a religious-hating remark? This opens the floodgates for pitch invasions and what I would term 'assaults'. If a Hearts fan can punch a manager, why can't a fan of other clubs?

Even if they chose not to believe that and throw out the sectarian aspect, not an assault...? Really?

The jury accepted breach of the peace but rejected sectarianism, so how they couldn't do the same thing with the assault is beyond me. I've never agreed with the Celtic paranoia - even during the lying referee stage (he gave the initial decision against Dundee Utd, then got the decision right but told a white lie to his supervisor, not Celtic, over why he changed his mind) - but maybe they have a point here. Makes Scotland a laughing stock.

Bajram Fetai much?... Didn't say sign everyone from the Old Firm, I said don't write them off just because they're from the Old Firm. Who they played for is irrelevant if they can do a job for ICT. Dargo: 2010-11 32 league appearances - 3 goals...and not much to speak of before that. I suspect his time is past and we'd end up with a player a shadow of himself. A lot worse than even Wyness towards the end of his ICT time.

Yeah, cause St Mirren really suffered by bringing in Charlie Adam on loan from Rangers! That's a crazy comment Ten4 - how can you say someone is a "big time charlie" simply because they play for the champions of Scotland. Would you turn down Steve Davis as well if he falls out of favour? I'd be happy to have Rangers and Celtic rejects like Cillian Sheridan or Charlie Adam. It all depends on what they can do for ICT, not what jersey they once put on in Glasgow.

All depends if their manager, Broeken de Teekoop, will let him go.