starchief

That's a disgraceful thing to say! Everyone knows it's by the hour

I agree with your last statement but they are in the minority compared with Muslim women. I'd disagree with that - at least the religion part. It's far more a symptom of poverty and developing worlds. For instance, I detest the full covering in the UK, where there are more connotations of isolation from the rest of the population but in Egypt (where a fatwa recently declared it to be non-Islamic, just cultural), it's just a type of clothing and people interact freely. Also, places like Turkey and Pakistan have had women leaders, so it's more complex than that. Basically, show me an educated family in the UK or Egypt, and I'll probably be able to show you one that has ambition for their daughters. White, black or brown. Go to some other Christian poverty-stricken developing nations and you'll find women treated badly (e.g. DR Congo, where rape in front of the mother/daughters is unbelievably common in a country where the MAJORITY have been abused). Hell, go back not too long ago in the UK, you'll find much the same thing (incredibly the book of King Arthur - la Morte d'Arthur - had a huge effect on the way England treated women). As for applauding anything sensible Griffin has to say, Mussolini made the trains run on the time and Hitler revitalised the German economy. Should they be applauded as 'some-good-some-bad'? No, the repugnant ideology overtakes that.

Being pro-free speech doesn't necessarily give you the right to appear on mainstream tv. If there's a high profile child rape next week, then I'm guessing, in amongst the condemnation, that there won't be a right to reply from Paedophiles United on The One Show. I'm also a bit worried the panel isn't full of the best orators. Griffin, as usual, will answer the questions with more questions, e.g. when he's asked how he can justify using Churchill and the Spitfire as pro-fascist symbols (the mind boggles), he'll almost certainly turn it around to 'our' brave soldiers dying in foreign shores, with deflecting manouevres, such as, asking where he's stated he's a fascist. You struggle to engage them in conversation as they won't give their honest views. They are best ignored - especially since they are anti-free speech (although again, they won't admit it).

McBain work his socks off? I think he should be in the team but he's hardly known for his 100% effort.

Seems far from legitimate with recent court cases but can I point out that the BNP have a history of trawling forums, then hijacking them. Ever wondered why things like the BBC's Have Your Say etc have such right-wing view-points? It's a target they commonly use, so it can be best to ignore these subjects, lest a few individuals seize upon their opportunity to spout their hatred in the most inoffensive manner they can (their current tactic).

Just thought I'd quickly say yes. I was in the Highlands late Jul til early Sep on a contract. Unfortunately now, only get the occasional BBC Alba of ICT (but still get the SPL matches - obviously no ICT there).

But not instigating a transfer. Just a preference. Niculae (and anyone else) doesn't have to go to the highest bidder. He can either ride out his contract or, if the club says they want rid, go to a club he prefers. No one is saying Marius had no preference in which club he wanted to go to. But if you're managing director (basically) says that he's looking to sell, then I can't see the player gets blamed for instigating.

Given how much Boro Chairman Steve Gibson has supported the likes of Bryan Robson and Gareth Southgate during poor times, I was pretty shocked to see Southgate sacked when only 1 point of the top of the league. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...ugh/8317621.stm

I think a team should change its formation according to who you're playing - even Man Utd do this. But I also don't think we've got the players for 4-3-3. Who would feed the front players when we've no passing midfielders? Hayes you've got in midfield, when he would be better placed as one of the front three. You also have a sitting front three, rather than (at least) one of them playing wide. If Hayes is to be the wide player then that's 4-2-4, but again top heavy with little width down one side and no passing midfielder.

I'd also love to see him as a sitting midfielder (or sweeper if we ever play that way). Tidy in the tackle, good vision, not strong enough in the air for a central defender but good enough in the midfield, lacks both pace and a non-stop engine. Sounds like defensive mid to me.

Christie took ICT to their highest position in the table with 7th (although more points than 6th place due to the split and 40 points above the drop zone) in 2005-06, then 8th in 2006-07 (18 points above the last placed team and 3 points below the 6th). Yeah, a real disaster. Let's hope we never get as bad as a hair's breadth away from the SPL split again. A disaster!? What would be success for you then?

I think it shows how badly Dundee United handled him. It seemed clear to me at the time, the lad had talent and I was always surprised he so rarely got a game. I don't think the committee can say "we'll give you a permit even though you obviously don't think he's good enough for your club"

You're assuming with current squads. Both the OF teams would attract massive sponsorship - Celtic being arguably the best supported team in the world, and Rangers already being amongst the richest, despite playing in the SPL and generally being less than average in Europe. Aberdeen might have the chance to cash in on it's connections with the oil companies looking at a high profile means of advertising. Hearts and/or Hibs could really profit as well due to their location - which is considerably more appealing than Burnley, Stoke, Hull, etc etc. In fact, it wouldn't be a big surprise to see a Russian magnate (not a mad one) see an Edinburgh team as an opportunity for a real coup. There's no guarantees in football but I fancy these teams could be major players eventually. And I wouldn't see Inverness v Plymouth as a problem with the airport. Plymouth v Carlisle is much more a problem.

Ah yes, the Atlantic League. You can just see the fans flock to Belgium to watch Standard Leige play Celtic for a 5th place spot after the first couple of years of novelty value. And who wouldn't want to watch Porto v Rangers if they aren't in with a reasonable chance of winning the league. A stale idea. At least Edinburgh's only a train fare away.

Spot on

...and Eriksson possibly going to that doyen of freedom and justice, North Korea. I struggle to believe anyone with the slightest hint of ethics would consider anything to do with this regime for a bit of money. I'm usually above sport and politics but not in this case. It'd be like managing Nazi Germany.

Reading between the lines, it seems to be ICT didn't want Niculae for another year. But Marius, rather than the club, arranged the transfer. If, in my completely ignorant opinion based on sheer presumption, that is the case, then the court probably got it right. Pretty poor business management that in this day and age, we can't even do a transfer - the liefeblood of football - properly.

It's a little like the formation at the end of the SPL run.

Short-termism of contracts, so we had no chance of keeping the likes of Black, Rankin and Cowie but instead let two of three go for nowt. It happened, and will happen, with others too.

So you put Proctor in as sweeper and then include Lionel, who's confidence will no doubt be shot leaving him more likely to be shakier than ever before, if that is possible.. :wacko: Yep. The defence needs shored up. We can't buy, so I'm going for a five man defence. Proctor seems the natural for the sweeper position in our squad. A back line of experienced players in Munro and Golabek. Both Tokely and Djebi-Zadi can then play a bit more freely knowing that there's extra cover in a sweeper. Your alternative? Bully back in the heart of a four-man defence that's leaking goals No thanks! How many times does that need to be played to be shown it doesn't work? The only other option is shifting Tokely inside and putting Proctor in at the right but I favour the sweeper right now. Two natural wing-backs, experienced stoppers and a stop-gap for a team that's leaking goals.

Esson Tokely Munro Duff Hastings Ross Proctor Vigurs McBain Foran Wood Subs: Allison; Duncan; Shinnie; Golabek; Wyness Only two 'foreigners' in Esson and Foran but not a bad team. Draft in Imrie, one of our many strikers (for me it's Rooney but pick from Eric, Barrowman or Sanchez), plus a centre-back (not John Terry or Mihadjuks, just a reliable SFL1/lower SPL central defender) and that looks like a stable squad, capable of doing something.

Don't see McBain as a defensive mid. He's more a touch player. Never one to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in (don't mean he's lazy, just not that type of player). Rather, he's best playing off Duncan or Cox, or out on the left.

Nah, wouldn't work having Foran as the attacking mid. Need someone with a bit of vision in there, not a striker/wide midfielder convert. Should be Vigurs but failing that McBain. Desperately need someone better in that position, so Cox can drop back in to Duncan's role.

Esson Proctor Tokely - Munro - Golabek - Djebi-Zadi Imrie - Cox - McBain - Hayes Foran Desperately need to stop the rot in the defence, so gone for the sweeper with two wing-backs that can bomb forward, with some cover. Cox is the defensive minded player, although how I wish Vigurs was alongside him. Hayes and Imrie to support Foran. We're still getting the odd goal, so that's why I think defending is the weakest part of the game, rather than the lone striker. Get us Mihadjuks or someone similar, then two up front.

Wouldn't mind seeing Tokely and Djebi-Zadi as wing backs in a back five. If we stick to a four, then, yeah Golly at left-back as he's more reliable. In that case, I'd also prefer Tokely at centre and either Bulvitis or Proctor at right. It's not ideal but until we make a centre back signing, then I'd prefer that to Bulvitis or Proctor in the centre.