AJS

I have to agree with RiG...Bamba really is a bit daft.

I for one would welcome him back...but didn't he leave to get away from Inverness? I sure think him and Granty would be good...and who knows it may mean McGuire will up his game :thumb04:. If we get him and Wagaluka is wanted then i think that will be a decent season in the transfer market overall.

If he walked out on us i might. But i blame Brewster for loosing Rankin. He was well settled here and playing the football of his life for us....then a sudden clash of personalitys leads to Rankin being in exile. Brewster then tells him he is free to leave. Then decides to keep him...but by that point Rankin has already prepared to head back down to the central belt. Brew faffed about with the player and ended up gettin kick in the teeth by being told Rankin wanted out. In my view Brewsters lost us a good player. Sure we got a good fee and a half decent replacement in Imrie but Rankin was one of our best.

Wouldnt suprise me Imrie gets dropped next week. He was awful and Djebi-Zadi looked ok when he came on. Barrowman and Rooney were unfortunate as our service was pritty poor throughout the game and a pub team could have defended better for Nishs goal. What did please me was the move for Cowies goal, excellent link up from Barrowman to Black and Cowies turn and shot was very smart. Also that we finished the game really strongly. We did look the more likely to get a win further towards the end. Promising signs but things still needing corrected.

You obviously don't listen to the BBC then! Apologies. I had not heard your interview until just a few minutes ago.

As i recall he gave an interview saying he would remain as a player by contract in case of a striker injury crisis.

I wonder if perhaps Brew will be cruel to Duff and put Hastings at centre back and big Lionel on the left. And that has to be one of the strongest Under 21 line ups ive seen in a long time. Alot of promising players in there.

Thats what i heard as well. Did he never fully recover from that groin injury or something?

means defender And MFR are the only ones to report it. Official site has nothing.

Esson Tokely, McGuire, Hastings, Djebi-Zadi Sutherland, Black, Cowie, Imrie Barrowman, Rooney subs. Fraser, Duff, Proctor McBain, Vigurs McAllister, Wilson

I was more taken by Ryan Esson and Lionel Djebi-Zadi on Monday. Hastings and Fraser never really had anything to play for last year with Mikeys competition being a desprate reject and Hastings been McBain. Would like to see at least Zadi play against Hibs. Woody did look pritty good though the other night. Although Rory was impressive at times too, may finally becoming more of a player.

Would like to have seen more of him the other night.

What shocks me though is that he only has a one year deal at the moment. Him and Zander are probably our best young prospects yet Brew gives them probably the worst offers in the team and gives the better one to McAllister . McBains contract is up at the end of the year which is intresting. Brewster may want to cut the age out of the team with Barry planning on hanging up his boots. Don't get me wrong i like Roy McBain, terrific professional and has been a great servant to the club....but you do wonder if its may'be time for somone like Vigurs to step into the breech...afterall he had a great game last night and looked tremendous in pre-season. His goal agianst County springing to mind. With all the recent youth influx into our team, i can see us doing what Hibs do and thats play our best young players in the first team regularly.

That has been one of our problems for the last year. Our defensive awareness. We conceded a few goals because we simply weren't concentrating and simple long punts up the field turned into goals. The one on Saturday was a perfect example but there where a few of those last season. If your playing SPL you have to be focused 100% at all times and at times that just ain't the case. I also feel are experienced centre-backs in paticular (McGuire especially) dont have the proper physical strength or height to compete with other teams target men e.g Colin Nish, John Sutton, Lee Miller...thats where i think we get undone alot.....i say get Blobby back up here asap . If Duff can learn from this and put it behind him i feel he could be the answer to our lack of height or real strength in the backline.

What annoyed me on Saturday was the positioning of Dougie Imrie. Brew played him wide right in the first half and he kept trying to get the ball onto his left foot which Hamilton players never really gave him an opportunity to do. Second half he gets put on the left so he can swing some regular foot crosses in but then he kept trying to cut on too his right foot....why????? Totally agree on the winger thing but why doesn't he use Zander? He is a fairly competent set-piece taker and he has speed. He also has quick feet which is something we lack....yet he wasn't even on the bench.

Have you watched the BBC highlights yet? At one point in the second half, McGuire heads it straight to a Hamilton player, who's then through on goal, but fortunately he pulled his shot wide. I've no idea what Brewster sees in him, but whatever it is, I've certainly never seen it. I admit McGuire will never be an ICT legend and in general i don't think much of him either. But at this present time he is the only experienced centre half we have due to Munro's injury. And after Zadi signed i recall Brewster said he wouldn't sign another defender. Although after Saturday i hope that will change.

zander made his league debut a year before that against Falkirk. He also played another game before that against Dunfermline...i remember that because he megged Sol Bamba

I have to say for me McGuire was reasonably impressive yesterday. I thought he had a real no nonsense approach to the game and i didn't see any bloopers from him...and he was the only one that attempted to comfort Jamie Duff after the goal went in. Duff is young and that will have been a real learning curve for him. If Munro's out next week we may see him again although i'm sure the pesimists will have something to say about that. Theyd rather see lanky Lionel no doubt. But Duff will grow. I remember one of Christophe Berras errors as a 19 year old gave us a penalty which won us the game and look at him now...he's been called up to the Scotland squad for the third time and is one of the best touted defenders in the league...it just shows what a bit of growing up can do as a player.

They won't have seen him even train yet. Unless Brewster hauled them all in this morning after their less than convincing performance on yesterday. For a guy needing a work permit 3 months is hardly a good idea.

I think perhaps everyone should be given some time. There have been alot of changes over the summer to the squad and even they must find it hard with all that. And too me every player looked a bit slouchy yesterday. No one was at there best. And Brew defnitely got a thumbs down for the formation. I think provided he gets the service (another thing lacking) Barrowman will get us goals.

Brewsters 6 ft 1 so i would say Rooneys may'be a couple of inches taller. Also it says on sky sports that the fee could stretch from ?50,000 to ?75,000. If thats the case that would make him our record signing wouldn't it? Also says Stoke get a percentage of the sell on fee.

Round of applause for Grassa and Brewster really needs to come out because they really have pulled of a good deal here. Pleased that he has come to us, hopefully he can replicate the form of Anthony Stokes only the good bit is we don't have to send him back in January . Hopefully we will get to see him in action tomorrow. Overall a good day for ICT.

Surely Hearts must have an illegal squad to field? I thought you weren't allowed more than 3 non E.U players in a first team squad? :thumb04: According to the P&J Brew wants to see Bechan in a game but can't? Thats why he has gone back and its very doubtful he will return. I hope Wagaluka is ok because if he isn't then alot of these trialists really will have been a waste of time..apart from Rooney. But it was the same with trialists last year.

I don't think Hastings is bad as a centre back...more unperdictable. I would like to see how Zadi is in a league game because i only ever saw him once in pre-season, plus thats why we signed him so McBain wouldn't have to play at left back. Has Rooney actually signed for us?

My first reply on this.