starchief

The Old Firm over a Highland team? Never! The Old Firm over a provincial team? Never! The Old Firm over any other Scottish team? Never!

If I remember correctly Tudur-Jones played 3 times. The first, he was man-of-the-match, the second, he was average and the third, he only lasted 2/3 of the final match due to injury (and how long was he injured for in that match?). That's a bit early to be writing him off. Remember, Hayes wasn't great to start with, with Eagle looking a better player early on. I do think Terry can still blame injuries as they are in specific areas. All the defensive midfielders were injured. It's the heart of the team and dictates our play. Just look at Arsenal. Terrific world-class players - no bite. Our two wide players were injured. Chippendale is an emergency loan, so there's no reason to believe he's as good as either Hayes or Doran. He may very well be a third-choice, better-than-nothing player that will be used as fresh legs from the bench. A fit Hogg is also a better player than Tokely, Proctor or Golobart. With Hogg, Proctor, Tudur-Jones and Gillet all injured, there was really little choice in the central defence. A crucial part of the team. I know people will say Butcher should have kept Munro. Although I agree in principle, in practice, that's not the problem. It was probably Hogg or Munro - and both are as likely to be injured as each other - so it's an injury, as opposed to a player. Who could anticipate all the defensive midfielders being injured? All the central defenders, barring Tokely being injured? Both wingers being injured? I don't think we can anticipate short-term emergency loans to be of the same quality as our first choice team. The big player we're missing is Adam Rooney but no surprise really. We can't sign anyone of that immediate quality. And just because Golobart can play attack doesn't mean he's as good up there as he is in defence. I'd also say, when you're having difficulty scoring, losing goals through showboating is unforgivable. Perhaps the best thing for Golobart is to lose a bit of confidence, so he does the simple thing, rather than the extravagant. That said, I do think we have to adjust our tactics a bit to make us a bit more defensive minded. Make us difficult to beat. Once we get our defence-minded players back and a winger, then we can be a bit more expressive. But for now, something that makes us solid and counter attacking is our best bet.

We'd get hammered with that team. We can barely score as it is, never mind against Celtic. The defence would be ripped apart and the midfield nowhere near strong enough. It would start off cavalier and end up embarrassing.

In many ways, it's not that different to most leagues now. La Liga has to be the most uncompetitive. Other leagues, such as the EPL (Man City's takeover is a bolt from the blue), Holland, Serie A, Belgium, Portugal etc etc are being dominated by 2 or 3 clubs more and more. It does need the other 10 clubs to take a stand and demand a more equitable share. If the OF won't accept it, breakaway then. No chance of it unfortunately.

Malpas at right-back?!?

I wrote out my team yesterday and it was very similar to Mahonios. Everton had a lot of success with 4-1-4-1 when they lacked strikers and wingers. There'll be a lot of dissent as it will look pretty poor. But with hard work, we can get some results if we can pick off chances whilst frustrating the opposition. Esson Piermayr - Tokely - Gillet - G.Shinnie Proctor Ross - Morrison - Tansey - Foran Sutherland Proctor looks to me a natural def mid. I'd be really interested in seeing what he can do there. Tade doesn't have the strike rate, so Sutherland gets his chance with McKay his substitute. A.Shinnie might be a bit unlucky in being dropped but it's simply perm 2 from 3. If one doesn't perform, he's on. Gillet was one of our better players and can apparently play in central defence, so gets his chance. I do think this team, with Hogg, Cox, Tudur-Jones, Hayes and Doran back is capable of surviving and prospering. However, if we don't, it's Armageddon for SFL1. Virtually every player will be gone, with little chance of replacing them with quality.

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 know that feeling. I've been back in the UK almost a year but I still marvel at the rain. Can't wait for this tropical storm next week.

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?