starchief

Naturally, I want ICT to win but if it stays like this, Aberdeen are bottom. Every cloud... Then again, if you look at it fairly, you have to give Mark McGhee credit. Not really his fault. It's, like, the sun and stuff...y'know...wind and that. Can't criticise the manager for that. That's why all the fans are shouting that Mark must stay. He told me himself.

I like Brittain but probably covers the same ground as Duff. Maybe not January but I would keep a look out as to how strong our squad is in July. David McNamee is still looking for a club. I hope we can bring him in on trial perhaps to see if he's even half the player he was. RB position solved. Yeah, I know he's injury-prone but McCann isn't?

So far tonight: Rankin has scored to make it 2-0 for Hibs against Rangers, so all Lennon needs to do is win tonight at Hearts and they're top. Hang on... Lennon... Must win game... Hearts 1: 0 Celtic. L'il Ian Black sticks a rasping shot into the net.

As someone mentioned Collina... I don't know why he and other continental refs are so lauded. Every time a player gets even vaguely hassled for the ball, down they go like a pack of spuds. They've not been fouled or even harshly tackled. Yet, every time, a continental ref will give the decision against the player trying to get the ball. It's made diving acceptable and the game pretty much a non-contact sport. Give me a Scottish ref - crap though they are (prefer English refs but keep it quiet) - over these over picky stop/start European whistlers.

Mark McGhee wants us to "look at the squad we've got at the moment and give us some credit for the situation that we are in." Credit? The situation is they got hammered by their biggest margin ever, beaten by the bottom club, scraped through in the cup against lower league opposition and got beaten at home by the supposedly inferior team in the North. That's not to mention some p!ss-poor buys (only Hartley can really be considered a success) and picking up a paltry four points from 30. Slagging off his players didn't do much good last year and I don't expect it to do much better this. I'd say have some modesty but maybe I'd be talking to the wrong man...

Biased against Celtic? Of course I am - I support a provincial club. But just like the other half of the Old Firm, I support them in Europe. My real bias is against bigotry though. Celtic and Rangers support epitomise that but I also detest the homophobia other fans would shovel upon Brewster when he was our manager and cringe now that some of our fans do it. I also came on to defend Celtic a little. It appears that poppies were on sale at Parkhead. It's been stated that Celtic will wear a poppy representation on their jersey. Celtic have also said they will ban those that brought in that disgraceful banner (I suspect that might be nigh on impossible but appreciate the gesture). I know where the proceeds go to but I've never felt Remembrance Day was just geared towards either the British or soldiers/combatants. For me, it's about the loss of innocent lives in regards to the futility of war. Be that a Japanese child, a Rhodesian farm-help or a German wife. Oh yeah, or a Catholic family in Northern Ireland. In fact, if there was one song to sum up Remembrance Day and all that the poppy means, it certainly wouldn't be Land of Hope & Glory. It would be this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFXWVWNKDx8 As the person who uploaded the video said: "In memory of those on all sides,who gave up there lives in the Great War,the war to end all wars...... you will NEVER be forgotton They had no idea of the evil behind the ruling bloodlines,who sent them to be slaughtered like cattle. WAKE UP HUMANITY AND STOP FIGHTING AND DYING FOR THESE COWARDLY SCUM" Same message to those that died in Iraq, Northern Ireland and the Falklands "on all sides". That's what the poppy means to me.

I've been a linesman three times in amateur matches. The first one was , y'know, okay I guess, the second, I knew I got pretty much all (if not all) calls correct, the third was absolutely impossible. Two people go in for the ball and it skips out for a throw-in from a tangle of legs. Who touched it last? No surprise to me that refs get it wrong all the time. Split second decisions based on millimetres of accuracy, with players and managers claiming for decisions that they must know they shouldn't be getting. Refs get too hard a deal for an impossible job. As long as they're not openly biased (and I don't think they are), let them get on with the job (preferably with technology) and stop whining.

BBC is reporting that Tuffey is in the NI squad for the upcoming friendly international against Morocco...only it gives his credit as Tuffey (Partick Thistle) At least the N Irish FA got it right

That's not a bad squad - especially midfield and up front. Ross could be a real find. I hope we're handling his contract well.

They hated Calderwood for supporting Rangers as a boy, I can't see them going for Butcher. Pressure must be intense. Aberdeen have so many young players, I'm not sure how they'll react. Could be very badly. I do think they need a manager who has cut his teeth in Scotland. Aberdeen can pay decent salaries (compared to the majority of bottom six clubs), so he has to pick some key players from Scottish clubs as a backbone, rather than teenagers and lower end English divisions picks. Hartley showed how much this type of player can improve the midfield. Diamond and Considine (who I think could be good defenders alongside a leader) are desperately lacking such a player alongside them (Dods?). Ifill isn't such a player.

Shame Proctor's out as well. Both Cox and Duff prefer to have that sitting midfielder alongside them. Although Proctor rarely plays there, when he did last season, he became an essential part of the team. Good reader of the game, tidy passer, decent tackler. Not the strength for centre-back or the pace for RB. We'd be at our best with Duncan or Proctor and Cox or Duff. Doesn't really work with Duncan and Proctor or Cox and Duff.

No pre-season training as well. Both Foran and Hayes might be back from their injuries but I still expect another three or four matches to make up for this.

I suspect practically everyone's priority is avoiding relegation. But what's wrong with dreaming a little? I don't expect third place, in fact, I don't really expect top six, but while it's a possibility, why not look on the bright side? Sure, it could all fall apart but let's have a bit of optimism. Stranger things have happened.

If they're going to start complaining about unjust foreign wars, perhaps they can look a bit closer to home...say a certain chairman of their bigoted club? Honestly, most people in this whole country were against Iraq - biggest protest march ever! Bigger than the suffragettes, bigger than the poll tax. Yet, these idiots seem to think a poppy means support for the government? Morons

Come on. Be fair. There was a light covering of dew on the Parkhead grass this morning. Rory McArdle plays better on a dry pitch, so it's not really something that you can blame the manager for. Besides which, Pawlett wasn't available, so he would have made the difference between a hammering and an away win. McGhee takes none of the blame.

Nice to see poor wee Celtic get something out of a referee - the sensitive wee lambs never get anything against the smaller clubs, according to Gary Hooper

Crivvens! I knew some of their fans were insensitive morons as regards Remembrance Day. Pretty shocked to find it's supported by the Board.

I don't get the Rangers match over here, so watching Spurs instead. Gareth Bale. Phew! What a player! That was just a sensational goal he set up.

It's to note an infringement has been made. Not only does it stop players complaining to the ref that it was a foul, the ref can also book a player for multiple fouls, even if he hasn't stopped the play.

Reading what the SFL have said Charles, they're thinking along exactly the same lines. They acknowledge the lessons are being ignored and something else must be done in advance of the next Dundee/Gretna/Livi.

Yep, just drop Ross for Odi. Good first-team. Good bench. Good system.

Neither Livi nor Gretna could fulfill their fixtures, so I don't agree their punishment should match Dundee. That said, I'm still not sure Dee can survive this.

I wonder if, after that performance, a move to the blue half might be more likely. Smith's bought Celtic-supporters before (if Hayes ever was) and needs to replace Weiss fairly soon. Celtic also have McGinn and McCourt regularly on the bench, so not sure another winger is a priority. I guess we'll see when Lennon leaves at the end of the season and yet another manager tears the squad apart.

I agree with Johnboy. Scotland shouldn't have been put out of the World Cup (or was it the Euros) as it was never a free-kick against Hutton. But decisions sometimes go against you. Play to the whistle

Someone said that I was a disowned caley fan as I used to support Celtic, I didn't go to rossco's testimonial and some other stuff that I can't remember! Ach, it's pretty obvious to all on here who you support (Celtic just kidding!), so I'd ignore them. There's many, like me, that struggle to get to a single match all season (although I'll be back in the UK pretty soon but at the other end of the country )