starchief

:oops01: yeah Wigan. Same result though.

Walter Smith and Alex McLeish managed to do alright with largely the same players. And who's talking about world class? All we're talking about is not losing 9 goals to zero against the might of Norway, Japan and Wales! Hardly world beaters!!

Oh, James McCarthy. Um, he hasn't actually played for Wolves yet, apart from one end of match substitute appearance, so best of luck on that one!

Is the Prime Minister going to start running the country again? :010:

Assuming Alex Ferguson, Davie Moyes (although he's taken an underfunded Everton as far as they can) and Owen Coyle (he's Scots really) rule themselves out (as seem likely) and we're only employing Scots (I disagree that any international team should have a foreign manager - why shouldn't the USA be able to have all foreign players from Spain and Italy then? What's the difference between a player and a manager?) 1. Craig Levein (good on limited resources but I don't think he wants the job) 2. Jim Jefferies (wonders with Falkirk and Hearts, plus keeping Killie in the SPL despite the cuts - also at the right age where he might fancy a crack) 3. George Graham (been out of it but no denying his talent) 4. Kenny Dalglish (see George Graham) 5. Bobby Williamson (did well at Hibs and especially Killie, plus international experience) 6. Jimmy Calderwood (improved Dunfermline and Aberdeen - might not be popular though with some) 7. Paul Sturrock (did amazingly well with Plymouth, with successes at St Johnstone, Sheffield Wed, Swindon) 8. Joe Jordan (thought he was a decent manager but too content to stay in the shadows?) 9. Graeme Souness (mixed track record as a manager despite big name players - not for me, unless someone like Jordan/Dalglish etc is an assistant) 10. Gary McAllister/Ally McCoist etc (be a decent club manager before international surely)

We have a bigger population than either Norway and Wales, a richer league and full-time professional teams. I think most neutrals would also say that, aside from a couple of exceptional players, Scotland has a stronger team overall than either of those. And yet... 4-0 and 3-0! Nothing to do with being world-beaters. Smith and McLeish did well with largely the same players. We're not punching our weight with Burley, never mind above it. Get going George. Have some pride. Don't wait for the sack.

Yeah but none of those points explain why we get trounced 4-0 by Norway and especially 3-0 by Wales. I'm quite sure they have similar problems.

Burley - pick a windae! Yer leavin'!!!!

I certainly don't blame Butcher for getting us relegated. He almost saved us when it looked a certainty. Tokely had been playing very well at centre-back (see the match reviews if your memory is faulty), so, not surprisingly stayed there. Does anyone know whether Mihadjuks, like Bulvitis, was more comfortable at right-back but could play centre if required? All most of us know is where he played in a few games for ICT - not necessarily where his best position was. Ross being sent off is just one of those things that makes football what it is. If we'd brought in a recently returned Mihadjuks for an in-form Tokely, would that have been better or worse? Just a matter of opinion. As for being motivated, we had a terrific run of results but were in such a dire position when Butcher took us over, we were so up against it, it would have been a minor miracle had we survived.

Hmmm...why is Golly dropped?

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Steve-P...s-up.5821466.jp "I'm keen to get back into football but I don't think I'll come back as a manager. A chairman would be mad to hire me, it would be too big a gamble that I may relapse. I think I've blown it now, I've had my time. My management career ended when I should have been coming into my prime." Robbo (Manager); Pele (DoF); Wilson (coach); Christie (coach)???? So 3 members of staff that have all been a success with ICT. Doesn't sound the worst option to me.

Dont mean to defend either of them but my understanding is that it was fans heading late towards the stadium who were picked up on the radio singing. Were they to know there was a silence in progress? ...and Rangers fans were merely pushing their seats together to give the Romanian police more room to see the game...

For me (without pointing out Adam is very left-footed): Langfield Hutton - G. Caldwell - S. Caldwell - Wallace McFadden - S. Brown - D. Fletcher - Riordan McCormack - S. Fletcher GK: Marshall looked poor when he had his chance, so Langfield gets his. Not great but what can you do? CD: I'll give the Caldwell brothers another chance. Gary, despite the criticism, is still our best defender, whereas I've heard Steven Caldwell is a better defender than either Berra or McManus. I'd like to see us play sweeper more (especially against that away match in Norway), moving Gary back and bringing in Berra but that shouldn't be necessary against Wales. FB: Wallace gets his chance but I'd also like to see Mulgrew given his, especially when we play in a back 5, where he can use his attacking instinct more. Whittaker has looked very poor recently (and I like him as a player normally), so gets dropped. MID: Riordan is way too good to be left out. McFadden can play on the right so he gets in there. It's maybe an idea though to start with the tougher tackling Robson and then McFadden in the second half, but it's only a friendly, so let's attack. ATT: No more Miller. He just doesn't score enough. McCormack's a terrific player. Riordan and McCormack could switch about to see who gives the best balance but, for me, the trickiness and strength of McCormack gives him the nod up front. I've never been a big fan of Steven Fletcher but he deserves his chance after scoring for Scotland and Burnley. I'd give Fox, Kyle and Naismith a run-out from the bench. Maybe Dorrans too but no-one else needs to be seen.

I'm hoping next time round, we go for a manager who is going to be around long-term, seeking out more longer-term players. At the moment, I'd have thought that would be the likes of Pele and Robbo. I wouldn't rule out others though. I just think they have been successful here, they know the marketplace they operate in and they would be keen to stay with the long-term plan, rather than a short-term jump ship elsewhere. If they could build the club up from ground-level by having 'Highland-minded' (sorry Celtic) staff, like Christie, Wilson etc behind the scenes, then that could be a way back on a sound footing. Go the way the likes of Ipswich went under Bobby Robson, who pointed out that he didn't have money but he did have time. And, of course, time is money. Paul Sturrock did it at Plymouth (and must be kicking himself that he left), Craig Levein looks like he might emulate Jim MacLean at Dundee United. No short-termism, even if that means a period of rebuilding.

Me too. Although if Dundee do throw the money around that they've threatened to (bet they don't) and they can gel quickly enough, then it's no contest.

...and Kevin Thomson pulls out of the squad again. I think it's time to say goodbye to this joker.

I was just thinking, if Brew had been kicked out before Xmas, then we could have had this season with: Esson Tokely Mihadjuks Munro Hastings Morais Kerr Black Imrie Foran Rooney and that's without any further buys. Given how poor the teams are in the SPL this season*, I think that's a pretty good team. An extra striker/ wide midfielder and I doubt we'd even be struggling against relegation. *I struggle to think of a poorer time for Scottish football. Motherwell, Aberdeen, Falkirk - all substantially poorer than last year.

McCormack's more of a left-sided player, or straight up front.

Richard Hastings. Played for a few clubs in and out of Scotland, plus a proven internationalist. Appears to have a brain in there too. I thought he was going to be a sensation in the early days but turned out to be a decent professional as it was.

Highest ever placing of Inverness at 7th, although with more points than the 6th placed team due to the break. Nowhere near a relegation battle both seasons he had the team (something like 30-40 points above the last placed teams). Mind you, didn't get us into the Champions League. Never even serious contenders for second place in the SPL. Not really good enough was it. :004:

Too true. The Romanians have played a number of times in Europe this season and there's always crowd trouble* *unless there hasn't been, then it's not too hard to know where to point the finger, right?

From what I can understand, Sanchez seems a bit Barrowman like. Put him in against lower opposition and he seems way too good for that level. Put him up one and he seems ridiculously out of his depth.

I think it was Lionel's as I heard someone say DZ wasn't playing as his bottle had gone ....or should I go straight to the song?...

Such as County? Such as Dunfermline? What are you talking about? He took County to the top of the table when he was bizarrely fired!

Aberdeen are having a real struggle with defenders as it is, hence Duff playing in there (and very badly, though I actually like him in midfield).