CaleyP

Seems to be a few big jumps in the past, but now with football where it is now, you rarely see big teams looking to lower non leagues like the highland league to find players. 20 years ago there wasn't much money invested in youth systems so moves like Paul's back then was not that rare. It is far less likely you'll see moves like Paul Coutts's to Peterborough, now that all teams pretty much have youth systems and the money to buy from other teams. Much more impressive to get a move like that nowadays.

Rothes beat fort william 4-3 tonight.

played with paul when we were in the aberdeen youth team together, very skillful player, deserved his break.

cant think of any other story coming close to that. you get a few junior players down central belt jumping to 1st division quite often but in comparison not the same as highland league to championship.

If the six months is true then we might have been better off selling him. oh well. we won't get nothing for him now.

I don't get why people are having a go at Pavel, he wasn't offered a contract to stay.

If he signs for dundee it's because they offered him one.

Why is it people on here totally love to slag a player off if he doesn't play for the club anymore, they blow smoke up their arses when they are here, then, if for some reason they move on whether it be to better themselves or for financial reasons our fans start ripping into them, it's a joke and frankly it's immature. Why can't we just be happy for players and hope they do the best they can whether it be for us or someone else.

Second Accies bid rejected - Press & Journal

From what Butcher is saying/not saying, it looks like a 3rd bid is being made which will be acceptable to us.

I honestly can't see where you're getting that from

He's said that he could be available if it benefits the club from selling him but I think Butcher realises a piddly fee like ?100k isn't going to get him anyone who will make the same impact with so little time until the start of the season. Imrie might leave but I wouldn't let him go for anything less than ?250k... I don't really think he's worth that but from the money they received from McCarthy & Easton we know they have plenty in the bank so we should be keeping a poker face for the moment

Not a chance we will get quarter million for dougie, i think we're pushing it at a 100k.

Hamilton would just go for someone like Arfield if they were gonna spend that much on someone.

depends how much you value getting back into the SPL

If it was any other SPL team I would probably accept ?100k but it is well known exactly how much money Hamilton have made recently on 2 of their players... why not hold them ransom?

Yeah they have a bit of money but they won't sign players for more than what they are worth. Obviously the more we can get the better but I think we would only get around 60k - 80k for Imrie if we are lucky.

I think we would be better of keeping him anyway, not a huge fan as i think he is very over rated but none the less has his good days.

Second Accies bid rejected - Press & Journal

From what Butcher is saying/not saying, it looks like a 3rd bid is being made which will be acceptable to us.

I honestly can't see where you're getting that from

He's said that he could be available if it benefits the club from selling him but I think Butcher realises a piddly fee like ?100k isn't going to get him anyone who will make the same impact with so little time until the start of the season. Imrie might leave but I wouldn't let him go for anything less than ?250k... I don't really think he's worth that but from the money they received from McCarthy & Easton we know they have plenty in the bank so we should be keeping a poker face for the moment

Not a chance we will get quarter million for dougie, i think we're pushing it at a 100k.

Hamilton would just go for someone like Arfield if they were gonna spend that much on someone.

Rig's outlook on the season is becoming as grey as the granite thats bombarding him with radon from the leaching uranium within.

No RiG is realistic as to the challenging facing ICT this season and is well aware it is not the walk in the park that some seem to think but is looking forward to it all the same :P

You are a rather negative person! I think you need help with that.

I have no way of backing up my point of view so I can am going to resort to insults instead.

I agree with you RiG, a lot of the comments made on here about our team could be said about most of the teams in the league, so with that said i think it's going to be very tough for us indeed and that a lot of fans on here might not realise and be in for a big shock.

I think we have the same chance as anyone else does in the league, but, we must show respect and not underestimate anyone, if we go into this season with the attitude that we will walk this then the outcome will be probably be the complete opposite.

One thing I will say though, with the loss of Black, Vigurs, Morais, Pavel and Cowie and I guess Kerr also, we are definitely not a stronger team this year.

Fair comment mate, its very rare that any team which looses its status, finish as champions the very next season, I hope im wrong!!

You ain't wrong there buddy, it's very rare indeed.

Rumour Mill for this until something a bit more reliable comes out.

BBC reporting that Accies have bid ?100k for Arfield. Very promising youngster, U21 international, 4 years of his contract still to run.

On that basis IF they bid for Imrie it wouldn't be enough to tempt us, would it?

Your right, if they are offering 100k for Arfiled, they would probably offer half of that for Imrie. As Imrie probably at best is half the player Arfield is.

I think we need to keep him, i didn't think Dougie was ready for the SPL last season and i think his inconsistency proved that. he isn't the best player we have but we can't loose any other players at this stage, i think it would be short sighted of the club to let anyone go at this stage if we want to go straight back up, we need a team that is settled.

I think Dougie would only leave for a bigger team anyway, however, I doubt that will happen.

1. Dundee

2. Partick Thistle

3. Inverness Caledonian Thistle

4. Dunfermline

5. Ross County

6. Queen of the South

7. Greenock Morton

8. Ayr United

9. Raith Rovers

10. Livingston

I hope we we finish top but im not entirely convinced yet. Cox looks like he will be our main player this year, we need him to perform for us to have a chance i think, but it's a lot of pressure on the young lad.

We weren't good enough?

Forgive me if I was watching the wrong game, but did we not win? As far as I am concerned that's good enough, and if you can play poorly and win then it surely it only serves to suggest that we'll win more convincingly when we start playing better?

Some people are in dire need of a reality check or it's going to be a long depressing season for them...regardless of results!!!

well yes we won the game but only because we were playing a part time team, we weren't good enough and we must improve if we want to do well this season nevermind win the league. starting of slack and argueing amongst team mates and management and scraping past on pens was not good enough. reality check...so anyone you disagree with is in need of a reality check...who do you think you are?

Thank f*ck for that.

Not the most of encouraging starts, but then again, I suppose we've been playing highland leaguers all pre-season, this woulda been a step up from what some of the new boys are used to.

not really...highland league teams have been the better when facing sfl teams in pre-season this year, only ourselves and ross county have won their games, peterhead, fofar, brechin, stenny etc have all fallen to highland league teams this pre-season, so lets not make excuses, we just weren't good enough, we must improve.

squad looking very healthy, cant wait for the season to kick off. we should still keep our feet on the ground though, we can't expect to walk this league, but we certainly have a good chance.

that's a easy one...larsson with out a doubt, won the league for celtic several times, man utd and barca, the guy was world class, then bellamy, but still doesn't touch or come close to larsson.

Im not sure if this correct or not, but i heard from a close friend of morais that he has completely left the club now and will not be signing, he isn't even doing pre season with us anymore.

Does your friend read the newspapers by any chance?

he probably does read the papers RiG but it was after a conversation with morais that he told me this. there is no chance morais will be with us next season unfortunately.

Im not sure if this correct or not, but i heard from a close friend of morais that he has completely left the club now and will not be signing, he isn't even doing pre season with us anymore.

I went with Esson, I would like to make Rossco captain but I feel it would honestly be a distraction to his game. I wouldn't make foran the captain, he needs to concentate on his own game to get the best out of him.

Well with Richie Foran signed, and Odihambo also in place, I think we can go all the way back to SPhell. At the moment with all the teams taking shape, think it will be just betwwen us and dundee at the end. Livi will struggle if they even start the season. Cant see county, ayr, raith, morton pushing us to far, QOTS will maybe be top 5 or 4. Plastic whistle and Dumpfermline will try and keep in touch but doubt they will have the staying power this year. So ICT AND dundee. I actually think it will largely be down to hits the ground running in the first 10-15 games. Everyone knows that Caley Thistle might have a wee bit of a relegation hangover, and Dundee are unlikely to gel quickly. So heres to Terry's motivational skills to get our noses in front of the money grabbers. Any ideas as to how we can motivate the boys before a ball is kicked

lets not get ahead of ourselves now, the first division is no easy league to get out of, we must show a little respect to the other teams especially before a ball has even been kicked.

play him where he has played the majority of his career....right back.

Brian has just a couple or three years left in this game. He had to live of his savings for nine months before coming to us. Why shouldn't he capitalise on what skill he has before finding a new career. He done well for us in his time and doesn't deserve to be abused for choosing to support his family.

i agree, i think people on here don't realise that football is a very short career and for most footballers isn't the best pay, i don't think people should hold it against any player for parting from a club to better their income to support their family and themselves. Brian did what is best for his family, anyone would do the same in their job so why not in football.

stokes had never made an appearance for Arsenal either .... before going to Falkirk and scoring something like 14 goals in 16 games ..... If he proves to be good enough - and some of the anecdotal evidence suggests he might be - then he is old enough !!!

Exactly.

would rather of seen someone with more playing exprience at first team level come in but hopefully he can make the grade. lets not hype him up or put him down before he has even kicked a ball.

i played against him when i played in the sfl. played against him a good few times, not that great, 2nd division player i would say.

Interesting comment....

Are you still playing CaleyP?

injury put me out the game unfortunately mate, not nice at all. not played for two year's now.