IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

Is there an answer ?

It really depends on what the Board are looking fer. They gave him a long contract and they are evidently going to await the outcome of next season. That I am afraid is the bottom line and why I am emphasising that there - hopefully - is a lot of experimenting going on. I fer one really hope that we do not sneak into Europe as that could feck us up from the off.

We can't even enter into Europe as nobody would be able to understand a feckin thing that Hughes sang.

I wasn't exactly criticising as in many ways the yoof have to be tested. BUT my point caller is that the psyche suggests that we have basically given up on this season and preparing for the next. In my view that is unfair on the paying public.

Exactly what is his role ?

Caley100 in Section D ?

Who do you put in McKay's place ?

That really really felt that we were thinking of next season and that is not acceptable - IF we had picked up the three points that we should have, and given the other scores, we would have been in a much stronger position.

But this was NOT the game to start it - BUT it may help - I would put Foran back to central defence beside Warren to begin with.

That team is suggestive that we are preparing fer next season - WHY ? - Later on maybe.

We could call ourselves the ***** of the North !!

Here is a wee peep in to the future - Hibees go down and Butcher blames all and sundry except of course himself. He goes down a division, picks up a few choice players from down south and romps the league - hail the feckin devious messiah.

Think that I was rounded on fer mentioning that some of the players had marked him down as an ersehole and a troublemaker when he played fer us. Looks like I may just have been vindicated.

I wouldn't sell Brill or chuck him at the end of the season plus he is under contract. Perhaps one of the problems is that he has nobody to challenge him. I have to admit that the last keeper who made me nervous was Reguero. Again had some great games but lacked that bit of stature and composure. Esson has taken more and more of a back street so we need to sign a keeper anyway.

I am surprised that Richie has not been tried as an out and out striker.

I was asked for my opinion and I have it - warts and all as ever !! And I have probably been as defensive of and as complimentary of this side as I ever have been - and they deserve that level of support generally. I also have confidence that we will continue to achieve on the level that we have been and that we have the right partnership in control. It is as much a defence that keeps clean sheets. I had reservations about him from the off and I do feel that he has made more than the "occasional" mistake. That saps the confidence of those in front of him - perhaps wrongly expressed by Foran recently. I also agree that we have had a very, very challenging run of games both in regard to the quality of the opposition and the frequency. I also agree that things may be clearer and improved prior to the split and then as is said - anything goes and any team that goes on a run at in with a shout of top three alongside Cellic. Possession football is the name of the game and to me what we have been lacking in is both the ability to attack rapidly and from deep and a worrying lack of support to Mckay when we do. I also feel that we have been utilising the long ball to McKay too much instead of looking to attack from wide positions! seeking out ( or even seeing) some of the fine runs that McKay has been making. That is where we miss the likes of Rankin in the middle and Shinnie in the hole? Playing three in the middle in such circumstances is folly I do not feel that criticism with rationales is summat that should not be posted - and there have been some tactically well driven ones of late - although the personalised "told you so" crepe is futile and embarrassing.

Well he is a bit of a more upmarket and more consistent goalkeeping version of Lionel as far as I am concerned. All keepers have their jittery moments but they are usually flashes in the pan. There are games that I have extolled Brill - especially the Cup Semi-Final BUT I still have doubts / concerns every time that I see him play. The bottom line is I suppose two-fold. He makes errors on to frequent a basis and if he does not inspire confidence in moi what are the defenders feeling ?

Dean Brill sponsored condoms.

In no specific order but 4-3 defeat by Falkirk was sheer entertainment - beating Cellic 3-2 And 1-0 in the cup - Rankins winner against Rangers and the final whistle at the league winning match.

Having studied the Well game I agree that there are a few tactical faux-pas and bizarre selections. Personally I have always had reservations about Brill - he has really good games but his bomb scare moments are not just now and again they are becoming regular. That does not instill confidence in those around him. I can see Esson being drafted in the near future and the acquisition of a keeper has to be one of the summer priorities. I also agree that there appears to be a degree of trying to put a system - especially in midfield - to fit specific individuals. I am surprised by the recent selection of wide players and a lack of consistency in identifying support fer Billy - I am even more surprised as I suspect that this is as much to do with Latapy as it does with Hughes. I will continue to reserve judgement until next season. I just hope that this is a honeymoon period for Yogi and Latapy and that they are bedding in and looking at what extra is needed fer next season. In many ways our current position may actually be good fer us as we now have a bit more leeway to experiment.

We should have chosen him in the first place. Perhaps we should sack Hughes tonite, bring in Hartley tomorrow and sack him at the end of this season.

Should Hughes stay or be sacked is the ultimate question !! Answers please on separate threads using similar but slightly deviating terminology.

Changing my mind - perhaps Yogi is subconsciously affecting all our psyches - Sack the ****.

How many of those are you? The paranoid one, the schitzophrenic one, etc etc!! Who said I was paranoid ? Who has been talking about me ?

I wouldnt worrytoo much........Aberdeen will be wondering where 30 000+ of their supporters have gone It's all relative, SMEE. They had around 35% of their Cup Final crowd attending, as did we. However, they're parading a cup around Aberdeen today and likely 'capturing the imagination' of a few interested observers. All great Public Relations. Actually, to be fair, they increased their attendance on their previous home game v. Kilmarnock. Unfortunately we didn't with our crowd vs. Partick Thistle. An indictment indeed, but particularly embarrassing for us, as I will explain. Although a hackneyed topic, attendances are very relevant to a club's health. What I cannot fathom is this: Just picture being at the Partick game back in October. At the Sunday lunchtime kick-off, when we'd not even played our League Cup quarter-final at that stage, you turn to your mate and query... "looking at my crystal-ball, the next time Partick come calling, it'll be a more traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off: We'll have a new manager who'd likely appreciate a big crowd to spur the team onto his first home league win..." "We'll have all our key players signed up by then on extended contracts and we'll have just secured our 2nd consecutive top-6 finish..." "Oh, I forgot to mention, We'll have, just 6 days ago, played in our first major cup final (!!!) and taken nearly 8,000 fans to Glasgow!" "One last thing, the club will have put an incentive into place (as if it was needed after our pervious weekend's cup final), whereby major discounting incentives, free admissions and concessions will be aggressively advertised to entice the fans in." "So...let's just speculate that, what I've (probably unrealistically) prophesised, somehow came to light..., then surely we'd expect a higher crowd than today?" Answer: Obviously, YES, naturally, of course!! (swear words removed). Reality: NO. Sadly, part-time football will be the reality at this rate. That is exactly what I said