IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

Dargo is miles ahead of Deano and yards ahead of the unfit Niculae. Dargo had pace and passion. Dargo was a predator and the perfect foil fer a target man.

I will be very interested to see how he performs on his home debut next week and the reaction of the fans. I have read on several threads that he is "class" and has played well. Well I would say BOLLICKS as he has not impressed me in the least. The hysteria has blinded some fans. He is NOT fit and should not be starting - He should NOT have got 90 minutes today - he was clearly fecked. He may well improve and I would love to see what he is like behind the scenes and at training. He is either going to improve and be the Messiah or he is going to take us down. He has that air of arrogance but does he have the heart and the committment. He strolls about the pitch, caressing his hair,he looks lazy and has no sign of pace. Good players have a presence about them, they do 1-2 things in a game that take yer breath away or something that sepeartes them from others. Juanjo had that quality, so had Bingham - Niculae doesnt. Sure he has good touches but not awe inspiring. He doesnt run the line - he is not a penalty box player - he is a target man. Bayne is evidently not the partner. And the goal today - bad mistake by the full back who slipped - superb cross from Niculae but Cowie's run was the "class" in the move.

There were three occasions, at least today, when a quick throw was on but it was left to Granty. We have wasted time as Dods is a captain and an out and out defender - Dargo is a pacy, goalscorer, who gets in the box. Both should have been replaced and havent. Too much of being feckin nice. :018:

FRASER :011: :011: :011: Blameless again for the goals - need to see the second again tho - so frustrating how he stays on his line at dead ball situations. TOKELY :011: :011: :011: Pretty good game. Always made himself available. Terrible lapse of concentration for the first goal. HASTINGS :023: Has evidently lost his confidence. Got a few more bollockings today. Hooked !! CAFF :001: :001: He just isnt up to it - a shadow of the player 3 seasons ago. Appeared to have been told to stay stuck in the middle of the defence and to pass it as quickly as possible to the nearest person available. That made him look a bit better although. to be fair, he did put a few good tackles in. GRANTY :001: :001: :001: Tries and tries. Fairly solid as ever but is he trying too hard or is it that he is too busy looking after and covering fer Caff and Hastings. I would seriously relieve him of the captaincy. COWIE :011: :011: :011: :011: My MOM - not difficult tho !! Another engine like McBain with a fair bit of skill and pace attached. Brilliant run fer the goal. BUT where was he supposed to be playing - it certainly wasnt right feckin midfield. DUNCAN :011: :011: :011: Solid enuff but was practically the playmaker for long spells. Sprayed balls a la Ray "The Crab" Wilkin. BLACK :011: :011: :011: Made mega space today and got a lot of passes to his feet which he dealt well with. Appeared to be playing to far forward - almost off the front two. I have never seen him do that before so I take it that it was tactical. Hooking him was ridiculous. RANKIN :011: :011: :011: So promising but fails to deliver - what a waste of a sweet left foot. Actually lookede the part at left back. :024: BAYNE :011: :011: The target man - which basically meant that we had no threat going forward as his touches were either going back into midfiel or into Midden territory. NICULAE :023: Not feckin impressed at all. I will deal with him elsewhere. :008: To be honest as EWS said Midden were garbage and they still deserved to beat us. We played well in spells but we are toatally devoid of ideas 30 yards out. We had no width and everything was going to Bayne and Niculae. Bazza did make a bit of a difference but this was the day to try Zander. Wyness should have been on a lot earlier. The never ending change of the system in the second half evidently showed that panic was setting in. Every time Midden broke ya felt our defence was leaky. Bayne + Niculae doesnt feckin work. Am I pissed off or what ?

:001: Mannesque perhaps ? But mow the time is nigh and we head to Paisley with a mixture of hope, passion, anticipation and dread in our hearts nand as Walt Whitman once lyrically read to me: As the time draws nigh glooming a cloud, a dread beyond of I know not what darkens me. I shall go forth, I shall traverse the SPL awhile, but I cannot tell whither or how long, perhaps soon some day or night while I am singing my voice will suddenly cease. O book, O chants! must all then amount to but this? Must we barely arrive at this beginning of us? --and yet it is enough, O soul; O soul, we have positively appear'd--that is enough. Amen to that.

Lets get this thread back on track - Tomorrow is a big, big day fer CC. Lets wish him all the best and all I can suggest is that he contemplates the words of Dr Napoleon Hill who once said to me: "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve"

That was a bit of a racey comment for you Tonald.

Bad news. He must have been getting super fit as I am reliably informed that only true athletes suffer Achilles tendon problems.

If Marius needs help we can always loan him out a submarine and perhaps Mike Smith would be the perfect bait to drop into the depths of Loch Ness.

Maybe so but it cant beat hearing it from the man himself.

:001: For once the "pressure" is there for everyone to see. The last time that we were in a similiar position was in the first SPL season - we changed our tactics and the "Dogs of War" camaraderie got us out of a big hole. Not that bad yet and this time there is a bigger, and on paper, better squad to pick from. I would have thought that it was also clear that this is CC is well under the microscope and the next few games will hopefully prove that he is up to job in terms of selection, tactics and motivation. The Huns game was about the worst we have played for a long time, there was an improvement at Well but there was also on-going concerns. Injury has played its toll but that is not an issue now. We have an experienced SPL squad - we should be climbing up the table soon. As the inimitable Hans Seyle once said to me: "Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life. Without stress, there would be no life?. However, just as distress can cause disease, it seems plausible that there are good stresses that promote wellness. Stress is not always necessarily harmful. Winning a race or election can be just stressful as losing, or more so, but may trigger very different biological responses. Increased stress results in increased productivity --- up to a point. However, this level differs for each of us. It's very much like the stress on a violin string. Not enough produces a dull, raspy sound. Too much tension makes a shrill, annoying noise or snaps the string. However, just the right degree can create a magnificent tone. Similarly, we all need to find the proper level of stress that allows us to perform optimally and make melodious music as we go through life.

Fantastic - does this mean that the Dead Pool is back ?

I think that what I am alluding to in this thread is that poor old CC is on a hiding to nothing. BUT on this occasion he has several difficult decisions to make and the performance as much as the result will be the deciding factor on post match comments.

As my good firend Nelson Mandela once whispered to me: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our dark that frightens us the most. When we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same"

It is the feckin tactics, formation and personnel that will ensure that we get the three feckin points. :crazy07:

Saturdays' team selection an tactics are going to be extremely interesting. IMHO this is the most important challenge faced by CC so far in his managerial career. Nobody can second guess the line up as it is based on information behind the scenes but hopefully not "political" pressure. Does he throw Watt into the deep end ? Depends on how fit he is; how has he gelled in training; are there pressures from Swansea? Will he replace Hastings ? Depends on his view of the last two performances, especially at Well. Does he leave it as it is ? Can he ? Does he persist with Cowie or draft back Bazza ? Is Bazza fit ? What would Bazza's reaction be if left warming the bench again ?? Hart was tremendous against the Huns ? Does he start or go on the bench or is he on his way out ? Duncan / McBain or both ? Leave Rankin on the bench again ? Do we need the running and covering power or a bit of extra craft ? Does he change the system to 4-5-1 ? Does he really pull a surprise and include Zander ? Does he start Niculae ? Is he really match fit ? Has his fitness levels improved ? Is he under pressure to start him ? Does he play him up front alone ? I would very much doubt it but ? Is Bayne match fit ? Can he play with Niculae as they appear to both be target men ? Does he go with the trusted Bayne and Wyness ? Does he drop them both and bring in Deano ? And the only real way he is going to "win" is with a good overall team performance and probably a win. In all sincerity - good luck CC - and a quote from the bible to comfort ya: Johndo 4:23 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

Is that not slightly extreme fer a game of football ?

You have far too much time on yer hands ya Dosser ******. :001: And that report provides us with plentiful feedback in regard to the performance of Steven Watt - he played 90 minutes.

Hey Scotty - ya could get yer old Cellic scarf out as proof of admission, cross yerself at the door and if ya want I can remind ya of the words of Sean South. :001:

Ive got a big one.

After lengthy discussion with my family and friends, in the face of the recent torrents of abuse directed at my good self I still dont give a feck. :rotflmao:

What pub are we going 2 then ?

It is the posting of these doubting words that create all the friction at the club. I sincerely hope that CC, his family and friends are not looking at this. :008:

Here is a recent Swansea piccy: Steve Watt Profile provided by Andrew Thomas Steve would have been the bookies favourite to have been on the released list last June, but that was prior to Kenny Jackett's departure and Roberto Martinez's arrival. Originally signed from Chelsea, Steve played very little football for the club before an injury at Nottingham Forest sidelined him for a long spell. Then, after apparently falling out of favour with Jackett, Watt was once again injured. Having been given a reprieve, and the departure of Izzy Iriekpen, hopefully Steve will be able to demonstrate the class which prompted Jackett to sign him originally. 2006/2007 Profile provided by Andrew Thomas After signing on an 18 month contract from Chelsea during the transfer window, Swansea fans have seen very little of Steve, due to a painful shoulder dislocation suffered at Nottingham Forest. However, during those two League appearances, Steve showed a lot of class on the ball, as well as great reading of the games in which he played. It is hoped that he will be far luckier this year, and should become a genuine asset to the team, providing competition for one of the centre back berths with Austin, Monk and Iriekpen. Following his time at Chelsea, Steve is unusual for a footballer in not naming pasta as his favourite food. Steve Watt - Soccerbase.com