IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

Mikey has picked up the "virus" from Mark Brown in respect of commanding his area but has gradually improved. His kicking is superb at times.

Would milk shakes not be better.

Well most fans of wee clubs also follow a big team as well.

It always has been.

Looked offside - terrible goalkeeping - hope he was booked fer the celebration. Wonder what GSP TV stands fer ?

I suspect that the squad that we have is good enuff to survive but we need a couple more experienced players if we are going to anything other than survive.

It has always tended to be Brews fave system has 4-5-1 but you need the players to gel in such a system. Barrowman and Imrie could be the missing links. We have played some great stuff with the 4-5-1 - Who was at Tannadice when Black, Cowie and Rankin tore the Arabs apart. If Barrowman had been up front that day we would have got a barrowload. We have simply swopped Imrie fer Rankin - now looking like a good move - and Barrowman fer the greedy Mercenary - an even better move. Hamilton is going to be very interesting to see how we will turn out - Ya can play the 4-5-1 at home against the Old Filth but nobody else really. So who are we going to drop or do we go to a 4-4-2. That could be highly dependent on whether Rooney arrives or not. I just hope that we stick to the systems this year instead of feckin about - should be OK now the Romanian clown has gone though. Our main problem is going to be injuries and suspensions - the depth has dropped out of our squad.

At the end of the season ?

Downwards and Eastwards I hope. Barrowman is the viable option becos of Rory's inability to assume such a role - However I feel that Rooney could hold down such a role as well - albeit probably not as effectively as Barrowman - perhaps Wood may also be able to in the future.

Would prefer the gypos to remain in the lower places of the division - that would make the already stinkin, sweating population sweat even more - but may force them into a situation to unearth another little gem. Three cheers fer Ross County - The best feeder club in the world

Yip - the problem last season was that we only had one political option.

Like the sound of that Mary - I am looking forward to seeing Barrowman - That is another thing that we lacked last season and that was the centre forward who stayed up front and provided movement and effort - It sounds that Barrowman does not have the touch of the mercenary or the headless chicken approach of Bayne - but it does sound as if he may well be something in between - which would be good enuff fer me - and a goal scoring touch as well - and a bit in the Wyness mode ? You dont need oodles of skill if ya know how to stick chances in the onion bag mun. The rest sounds similiar - and hopefully Brew has enuff spondoolachs to grab that feckin extra defender or two. It is difficult fer the likes of Cowie and Imrie to always support away from home - but both have the pace and the engines to do so - and that is another reason why Royster may be invisible away from home but he does a hell of a lot of covering and supporting.

I did consider it by I aint tempting feckin fate - Lets just enjoy the moment.

Another mercenary around the feckin corner - Lord feckin forbid. That departure is the main positive in the pre season. Perhaps I am being over cautious but I would be happy with getting out of the releagtion zone as soon as possible first - a top six finish can wait till later - but I am also more keen on having a cup semi-fonal to savour this season. I agree with the tight knit spirit and this may well return again as we have to play as a unit again and not pander to the needs of individuals.

I think that you may not have appreciated my drift. To back the team ya have to back Brew. It is going to be very interesting to see how we fare and how the spirit develops this season without the distracting side show of over favoured Eastern European mercenaries. But if Brew does not learn from his mistakes last season and continues to make howlers - then we can criticise fairly - IMHO it should be based on performances this season rather than historical perspectives.

Cheers mate. I suppose that I am hoping that we vary the formations this year but I have always felt that we are alwatysuch better with a 4-5-1 type situation away from home - using pace, width and movement from midfield - and we appear to have that with Cowie and Imrie. That leaves a problem if we do land Rooney as I would look at it as either Barrowman or Rooney up front away from home and both at home in a more conventional 4-4-2 system. I suspect that Proctor may well replace Maguire next week but I still have my doubts about his propensity to play in central defence. I am glad to hear that Duncan played well and I have always felt that he is more suited to away from home, especially when he has ball players, like Black, along side him. Royster is so feckin inconsistent it is untrue - hope he is the one who warms the bench at home.

Well - You have to doff yer hat to Mr Brewster and the lads this morning. At last we win the first game of the season, we beat the Aberdire in their own back yard and get the monkey off our back - And we are topof the SPL fer the first time in our feckin history. Still one swallow does not make a summer - but if he manages to get Rooney and pulls an experienced central defender out of the hat - then he will be going a long way to make ammends. The good thing as well is that the team, at the moment, feels a bit like the one that came along in our first SPL season - and that year it was the spirit and the effort that pulled us through. When our yoof are going to be called upon ya can imagine that they will be playing from their hearts as many are ICT born and bred. The Hamilton game will now take on extra significance. These are the games that should be down as "must wins" - Lets see how we fare when we are the favourites and we have to set the pace.

Its a feckin Smileymometer RIG Thanks fer the feedback - What formation did we play ? 442 or 451 or was it a 4-1-3-1-1 (I hope) Duncam sitting deep and Imrie in the hole behind Barrowman ? All in all it looks like we just about deserved it and the only one missing out on any praise was Maguire - correct ?

They are holding the accounts back becos they originally calculated them in Euros rather than sterling - plus they have to be scutinised by the Orion Group to ensure that they are valid.

I am concerned that many are confusing Barrowman and Bannerman - **** me Charlie is at least two foot smaller. Can the boys do a mans job - NO - they need experienced role models.

From the Stoke Sun: ADAM Rooney has bagged two goals in three games on trial at Inverness Caledonian Thistle to strengthen his chances of a loan move ? and of emulating Irish compatriot Anthony Stokes. The 20-year-old Dubliner soon found the net on Caley's week-long trip to Denmark to bolster his case for a season-long move north of the border. And a season in the Scottish Premier League will invite comparisons with Stokes ? his fellow Irish under-21 striker ? following his success with Falkirk to earn a big-money move from Arsenal's reserves to Sunderland. Rooney packed his bags for Scotland to seek the next stage in his fledgling career following loan spells in League Two at Chesterfield and Bury last term. ?I think I will join Caley Thistle,? he commented, ?and I really enjoyed my week in Denmark with all the team. I spoke to Tony Pulis about this season and, as they got promotion to the Premier League, they want to strengthen their squad. .?They want to bring more experienced players in, so it makes it more difficult for me to play. Last year I was in League Two and, although it is good to get games, I think the SPL is a better standard. ?It would be good to play in it, especially as there are big teams in it such as Celtic and Rangers. ?I don't think Stoke are pushing me out, they just want me to get experience and games. The more I play, the more I develop.? Rooney, whose contract at the Britannia Stadium expires next summer, would gladly settle for a repeat of the 14 goals in 16 games Stokes managed when on loan at Falkirk two seasons ago. ?I got into the Irish set-up at the end of under-17 level and moved all the way up to the under-21s. ?I played up front with Anthony Stokes for the Irish team and he did very well for Falkirk. ?He went to Scotland and did well and I would like to do the same as him. He scored a lot of goals and then moved on to Sunderland. ?I know a couple of players in Scotland, Jon Daly and Sean Dillon at Dundee United, as my brother Mark played with them when he was younger. ?I also know Celtic's Jim O'Brien and Darren O'Dea from the Irish team and they all have good things to say about the SPL. ?Hopefully I can come up to Scotland and score goals and that would put pressure on the manager at Stoke to have a better look at me down there Contract ends next summer - That may be the push as well fer the 6 month loan period

Aye ya have a fair point there Don - We are congratulating him for doing what he is being paid fer _ I suppose that it just feels good to hear that the **** has a human side after all - or maybe he is a Tony Bullock - I should add that it is cockney rhyming slang fer Bonnv Good Luck.

Dont worry - It would be against me anyway. Apparently I know too much and anything I say on here may be considered to be slanderous.

You are becoming too militant Don !! Is this the first time that we have been sold down the feckin river ? My man from Stoke wants to keep Rooney as a loan out but he tells me that it is all down to spondoolachs and agreeing what percentage of the wage is down to Stoke.

I agree with the Canadian Dick.