starchief

Anyone hear the interview with McGhee before the game? "The fans aren't doing their bit." As if they can be blamed for not beating Raith over two games, the latter at Pittodrie on a weekday. I remember him doing the same at Motherwell. Can't say I'll miss McGhee if he goes. If he does, they should look to the Killie manager. He's doing pretty well.

Which player hasn't occasionally had a bad game. I also think DZ would do better in left midfield. I don't think he's ever going to be great, no matter where he goes mind you (needs to be able to deliver the ball better), so better as opposed to left-back but not necessarily the best choice. Mind you, in a straight 4-4-2? Foran's up front, so that leaves McBain or Eagle. Actually, he might well be the best choice in that system (but I wouldn't choose that system).

How I wish Killie were playing Aberdeen on Saturday. Sadly not.

Who's going to offer Butcher and Malpas all these lucrative jobs? His CV (though, I'd argue not always his fault) at first glance looks poor. Even at ICT it looks like he got a team relegated (but I don't blame him) and didn't bring them back up. I doubt he'd get an SPL job or major English job, so an SFL1 top club must sound a fairly good proposition.

Big matches next week. If Partick can take at least a point from Dundee and Ross County don't pick up full points away at Greenock, then a nice 3 points at home to QoS can make it interesting.

Spoke too soon :)

Just desperately need Ross County NOT to score. Then it gets way more exciting than I could have expected a month ago.

Yes! (anti-OF, rather than pro-Dons or Gers) 8 goal thriller and a red card. Beat that! Aberdeen should also have had a penalty for blocking a Dons striker through on goal. Actually, Steve McLean has done really well in the match. Could be a diamond in the rough. Mowbray is rank. I said that when he first joined (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=6460 on the 27th August) and have been proven right.

Spoke too soon. Celtic's lousy defence mean the Dons score. 2-2 - come on the Dandies! No doubt it's still Gary Caldwell's fault - last year's POTS to a dunderheid. Their captain to a liability in McManus. A relegated manager to someone that can put a defence together.

Celtic score. Absolutely amazing run by Scott Brown, though Fortune gets the goal and Keane the assist.

Not a great pitch in the Aberdeen v Celtic game. Aberdeen dominant so far but one goal a piece. Reminds me of a 1970s game. Bad pitch with two teams running up and down the park, instead of the heavy tactical game. The Dons seem to think Celtic are there for the taking.

Could be anything though. It might just be someone being close to the sack. However, it could also be one of the Brewster rumours perhaps? Someone accused of beating their wife? Allegations of racial assault? Someone suggesting a player does drugs? It might not be true and be potentially slanderous. Not really enough info to go on.

I think the Cox/Proctor partnership could have real potential over the next few seasons, which is why I'm sticking with that. More of a long-term thing (even if neither has a contract but then who does?).

It's more out of desperation. LDZ can't cut it and Golly's not the player he was. The other choices are a right-back, a 36 y.o. midfielder, a central mid that's never played there or a young untested player. It's not a great choice.

Esson Bulvitis Tokely Munro Shinnie Proctor Cox Hayes Sanchez Foran Rooney Like Harry, I'm putting Tokely in the middle and Bully out on the right. Tokely did well last year in that position until a mistake against Falkirk. He's getting to an age, where he may be looking to stay back more, so I can see him making that position his own for a couple of years. Bully could do well at right-back as he likes to attack. Shinnie's in there to see what he can do. If he's been no good in training, then it would be McBain. No point playing either LDZ or Golly. In fact, I'd even experiment with Eagle, Duncan or Stratford in there, rather than go back to the two more natural left-backs. I'd be looking to bring on Ross in midfield at some point. Most likely for Sanchez. I'd like to see either Hayes or Ross going into that central attacking mid position. It would be so useful to have a more midfield player in there away to the sides at the top of the division as Sanchez (whose more of a forward) seems to bullied out of those games.

I would love it if he done that tbh I'd be shocked if anything other than that happens... ...unless County get relegated

To battle against Dods, Kenneth and Wilkie? Tough call. Maybe one of them on the way out (a bid came in for Kenneth)? Or will he switch to full-back? ...oh and Webster. Amazingly, injured at the moment. Who'd a thunk it?

To come from the Celtic fans: "it was never a penalty" - even if it blatantly was. "we should have had three penalties before that" - 'coz Celtic should get every marginal decision, otherwise the referee's a mason, conveniently forgetting the amount of dodgy decisions Celtic have had. "they should have had a man sent off after 1/3/5/etc mins" for a heavy challenge that most referees won't have given a yellow card. It doesn't count of course, the challenges by Roy Keane, Gary Caldwell, Peter Grant etc etc that somehow didn't result in a red card either. "the ref's are all against Celtic", even though most teams outside Rangers think that both sets of the Old Firm get the major decisions for them (even if you can't point out the odd occasion when they didn't) Note to Celtic/OF fans: getting a soft penalty does not cancel out the OF not being awarded a penalty. Most teams don't get awarded a penalty for marginal decisions. And how many soft penalties can you count being awarded against the OF teams? Far less than are awarded to Celtic or Rangers.

I think we can get second. Spain can beat everyone but, if Levein plays the game more like Smith/McLeish, I can see us holding the Czechs. Then it's just down to who can sneak a goal. The big trick is to not lose poor goals to the teams below us. We (and the Czechs) are better than them, so as long as we concentrate, plus a bit of luck with form and injuries, then it's all to play for.

Barrowman was the first choice striker in the SPL. Rooney scored more goals than him, even though he had to come off the bench. Barrowman was a far poorer striker than Rooney and offered up a lot less in terms of being a target man or creating chances for others.

WHAT????!!!! They're even beating us there?

:D

Robbie Keane supported Liverpool and Celtic. Roy Keane supported Spurs and Celtic. Most Irish I know have a liking to one of the Old Firm and an English team. I'm pretty sure most of us have an English team too. Doesn't mean we can't support one in Scotland too (although I've no time for those that support two, know what I mean?)

They don't even need to take the first part of the sentence. All they need to do is say they are instigating a 3 or 5 year plan and: - Butcher has been offered a new contract and has accepted/declined if accepted: - talks are now ongoing with important first-team players to enable Butcher to build, whilst seeking out new players if declined: - talks are now ongoing with finding a future manager to take the club forward. On his word, player contract talks will soon begin. Otherwise, it would appear the board is fiddling while Rome burns.

Same for me. Normally, I'd say drop Duncan and put Cox in the midfield, with Sanchez in attacking mid but against Killie, I'm going to be a bit more cautious.