IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

I sincerely hope that somebody who was at the game is going to tell me that I am wrong but we will survive this season, we may well get a cup run and end up top six but it is NOT going to be entertaining.

Has anyone else ever had a fall out with the Sun ?

Could be a case of Finniganbeginagain

Yogi made a fine speech to the waiting media after the game yesterday.

One swallow does not a summer bring.

Good Cod. He would never go that plaice.

From a psychological perspective his latest offering is impressive. He may be appearing today down our chances but that could not be further away from the truth. If you read the recent quotes from the players Top Six is the least expected and I agree.

To be fair to Caley D he is one of a number of the more positive posters. He does however be the more eloquent of the defenders whereas there used to be a degree of critique. There are also quite a number on the other end of the scale. But that is life. I have been oop Norf this week and have chatted to a few of the players - two of whom are usually very direct. I don't usually post but to a man they backed Hughes and his system. One went into more tactical detail and I can see the potential. But it is far more defence minded than I would personally liked. I can see now what they were trying at Brum. I suppose I concede that they were taking on a Championship outfit but I now think that it could work, there are a number of players who could pull it off but I still think that it may go over the heads of a few. The first few games will be interesting. I feel that we could be or should be top of the league after 3 games. But that may depend on whether we go for a Plan B and I cannot see that happening away from home unless we go 2 down.

I truly yearn for the lower league days. Plus Naelifts there are many on here, including my good self, who were only too prepared to support Yogi and still are. Personally I get worried by his rhetoric and the samples of the system that I have witnessed. I worry that we may become hard to beat but lose the entertainment value. We are soon going to be enlightened.

As davie states this is far, far too early to pass any judgements. What both puzzles and encourages me is that the players all appear to be positive about the change in system and we have been able to hold together a very strong squad who all knew what the Hughes vision was going to be. It could well be that we have all been brainwashed by the Pele era and the years of more entertaining and attacking systems. I think that we have the class in midfield to carry off the system but our defenders do not equate. I am all for parking the bus but I fear that the system has been so well publicised and see through that we need a Plan B

The match report in the Highland News is truly incredulous.

A few mentioned that - there were a couple of Yogi chants during the game which he must have heard but chose to ignore for whatever reason. The usual came across whilst a few needed to be reminded. It is those type of little things that can a big difference. And Butcher was the Master of that.

I simply feel that we have the squad to be Top Six again. I am also confident that we will have another good Cup run.

This would be my team even if it ain't right !! Esson Raven. Meekings. Warren. Shinnie Watkins Tansey. Vincent. Doran Christie McKay

I certainly ain't writing off our chances. I am however concerned that we do not possess the players to execute the apparent favoured system. Hopefully what the players and coaches did gleem from yesterday is that we have to consider doing a bit of change work. Pre seasons are all about experimenting and learning so let's hope we see the "fruits" next Saturday.

Yip - There is nothing wrong with the system it is just that we don't have the players to fit in to it. Yogi is beginning to get as rigid as Butcher. Personally I would like to play a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1. My big worry yesterday was how McKay was played. Has that been the same all pre season. He was almost played like a traditional centre forward and there was little evidence of him running the line or going wide, pulling the central defenders and allowing midfielders to utilise the gaps. That would be ideal for Christie and others.

Understand where you are coming from and admire your positivity but ball players are usually naturals and ball playing defenders are rare. What we have are good defenders who are not adept at passing. What I was hoping for was to be no nonsense at the back - akin to Yogi when he was playing - and try to make the most of ball players like Tansey, Christie and Doran, play with width and sharpness. Let the defenders defend.

Well here I am in the sober light of a new dawn and I am afraid that my angry impression post match has changed little. I am not going to bother with the smileys as they would have been paltry and Shinnie and Tansey would have been the only two who may have sneaked 3/5. I take it that Brill has been told not to kick the ball out. To be fair there would be little point as McKay is the only one to aim for and Watkins is not much use in the air. But that just cries out fer the option of the big man up front. So instead we were treated to 90 minutes of the ball being rolled out and 7-8 passes across the back line. Our back four tried to stroll about like Beckanbauers and the final pass was usually to a retreating midfielder. And we made four big mistakes doing that and were lucky not to have conceded more. Our defence also was very square and that is crazy against pacy forwards. There was one moment late in the second half when Shinnie must have been in 30 yards of space hugging the touch line, steaming fer the ball, and guess what. We had five players across the middle and I couldn't make out what formation that they were playing in. At times it appeared that they were attempting to be interchangeable and it didn't work. At times it was embarrassing. Shure wee Christie,, Ross and company displayed some fine touches but never looked like playing a killer ball. Tansey may well have not abided by orders becos he at least put his foot on the ball and looked around to seek out forward movement. And what have we done to Billy McKay. Where has his movement gone ? The old saying of the centre half having him in his pocket was spot on. Every time he got the ball one of the big centre backs was towering over him. It was not much of a surprise that our goal came from a dead ball position. And in the end we could have sneaked a draw and then came another reminder of last season. The simple ball through the middle of our standing defence and a goalie who has no pace leaving himself in no one land. I presume the tactic is to lull teams out but we are talking about Scotland and not the humidity of Spain or South America. We will get murdered at Parkhead and most other away grounds. I was hoping to see more width but got congestion. If I was boss of Hamilton I would have sussed us out by now. I was looking at optional systems and again was disappointed. We may well not concede many but I can envisage a lot of 0-0, 0-1 this season with the occasional hammering. Let's hope that I am wrong. What I have just written was the feeling of many yesterday. please correct me otherwise. The only fan that took positives out of yesterday must have highly tinted spectacles.

I MIGHT put a match report on tomorrow but today was DIRE and I am seriously worried about this season. Even OFF the park was subdued as - IMHO - that was the WORST Caley Jags Away performance in a long time. Brill and Tremarco are simply NOT good enuff - our first half tippy tappy play was TERRIBLE. Shinnie was wasted, Christie was wasted and poor Billy was TOTALLY ISOLATED. In the second half we went more positive - we scored and then we went NEGATIVE. We were wholly NEGATIVE - I was planning Hamilton and Well but I am going to (sorry) save my money and see if there is an improvement.

Och never

I have just syringed 40 satsumas.

We get in at 1005. Will probably look for a Wetherspoons on the like like might be open for beer and brekkie. I see the Wellie is open from 1000. Do you know if they do food? Spotted dog sounds good but if it is a walk we might need a put stop on route. What time are you leaving Glesga ?

HERE WE GO

I think that we may all be on a Sticky Wicket if we go to the Wellington and may end up leaving with a Yorkshire Blonde. Muka - Met some of your lads in a pub in Chorley before the Bolton game and watched it on telly. Must have been the same feeling as we experienced when Draper scored the penalty in the Cup Semi.

Told that we have two trialists at Brum - any info ?!