Sorted

And of course he was so wrong as they have both gone on to have such glittering careers!!

I'm surprised at you coming out with something like that Charles - you being a staunch Wee Free. Due to the lack of permissible entertainment, they are by far the worst :cdn-flag: !

Taxation is only relative when measure against disposable income. For example, our minimum wage is a third of that in Sweden, their direct taxation being around 38% for someone on that wage and ours around 22% (including NI). Their indirect taxation is also slightly higher but their state provides so much more. Who is better off? How can students in Malmo think nothing of paying ?7 for a pint? Everything is relative.

All this clamber to replace the present incumbent ( a guy who based on his track record could not get a job anywhere in club football for a considerable length of time) with another unemployed (or is it unemployable) coach (who based on his track record can not get a job anywhere in club football for a considerable length of time). Can't see the wood for the trees? Or is every club in the country with a managerial vacancy now or the recent past wrong for not rushing to give many of the CTO posters "prodigal son" their post?

Personally, no I dont think he has a future at ICT under Butcher or anyone else. As you say he's 36. I doubt very much that he can be kept in a coaching role. The club couldn't afford it. The bit that always annoys me is that its always the club that get the blame. It was ICT's fault when Blackie went for 3 times what we could pay him. It was ICT's fault when Cowie went, when Rankin went and when many others went through the years to try and better their career's. Many people harp on about how the club failed to cash in by not giving those players longer deals. Nobody ever stopped to think that maybe the players themselves wanted short deals because they intended to move anyway and didn't want to run the risk of being held back by contracts. Footballers move on. They get too old. They fail to fit in to particular styles and systems. They fall out with managers. Thats the nature of the game and the way of every club. Surviving in the football league means being ruthless about how you go about your business. Every club needs to have that streak. There's no room for sentiment. Alex, it's pretty clear to me that your above post answers the question you pose me in your previous post and makes it clear that you agree with me despite doing your best to disagree.

Just been on Radio Scotland the a swap deal has been struck between Rangers and Chelsea. This sees Boyd heading to Stamford Bridge and Cole north to Ibrox. Figures have not been realeased but it's understood that at least 10 bags are involved!

Our current system, at least in a UK context, if one of the poorest examples of democracy in action. The SP elections are better but still far more complicated than need be. Tend to agree with the federal approach myself and interestingly, this is the tried and tested method of the great majority of EU positive states. Our local governments do little but tinker at the margins with the vast majority of funding they receive being already legally committed to statutory routes. Far better to allow us to be able to allocate and fund for our needs. As always, we are light years behind the Scandinavian countries (he said awaiting a lecture on high levels of taxation :004: ). The Federal States of Europe, with a direct place for Scotland, can't come soon enough for me!

Listening to Radio Scotland this morning with Asmah Mir (how sexy is she?!!!) and the topic of the country's smallest policeman was being discussed. Since the minimum height requirement was abolished we apparently, not being a nation of giants, have a number of very short officers. Discussion centred on our shortest (no height given) and ended by telling us that he is known by his colleagues as laptop as he is a small PC! :004:

Far too many guys on here with romantic ideas on life under Castro, Chavez et al. Next we'll be hearing what a great place to life that China is. Bottom line, communist state, military junta or fascist dictatorship all have the same consequences and, in reality, similar methodology if not ideology. Oppressed people and an elite with privilege. Bet when Chavez troops were out shutting/reclaiming the shops on the streets that there was plenty food on his table? Democracy, real democracy and all it's flaws is the only way. We may on occasion elect a ****** but that's our choice. Even those who whinge and refuse to participate as "they're all bent" or "makes no odds what I do" have the choice to do so. Come the revolution!

This may well be true but at the same time, team selections would suggest that he is at least half way down the corridor!

I think this is a stick on. No compensation and the man that ET tried to get on several occassions before he died. Big pressure on baby grocer to deliver Dad's man!

Made a lot of money out of Celtic and is detested by many. How many chairmen get booed as you unfurl the champions flag? Daft thing is he was the only one who wanted to play, delivered and still got pelters! Fans are strange.

Is a top bloke, who has been at Birmingham for over two months now. Worked with McLeish at Hibs and he also took him to Rangers before he joined us. Was also with McLeish as a youngter at Pittodrie before being forced to retire. Rated very highly by McLeish and by SAF who has had him down at OT several times. Still, what do they know :P ?

The bit in this whole saga that I can't understand is some peoples willingness to totally ingorne boyd's treatment of our nation. Most of us would do anything for the opportunity to play for our country yet this bampot decides when he'll play, who he'll play for and many don't see this as an issue. If your neighbour popped over the garden fence and dumped on your doorstep would you invite him in for dinner if he was the best pie eater you knew?

Your new to football aren't you? Not particularly. The point of my post, clearly lost for which I apologise (clarity can be a weakness on my behalf) was to possibly identify those who play in a similar position, who have yet to stick one or two petulant fingers up at our country and its supporters. It would, in my opinion, be "better" to provide opportunity for these guys rather that doff the cap and grovel to a pompus ass who has treated us with such contempt. This was cemented by my obviously unreallistic comment (I have no genetic link to Bertie Vogts) to suggest playing a six man midfield. Will be clearer next time. Sorry.

At least the head of state in the US doesn't have to defend anyone's faith and religious leaders aren't appointed to legislature. Spot on Chris. It is also possible to be head of state and a Catholic in the States unlike Great England/Britain.

Depends how you define "better". In addition to Ronnie for me it would be "better" to play Kevin Kyle, Garry O'Connor, Leigh Griffiths, Chris Sitter, James McFadden, Lee Miller, Derek Riordan or a six man midfield than Boyd. Add to the list anyone else who has not ridiculed my nation and I will be quite happy. For the record, Boyd has an unquestionable history as a goalscorer against teams of a certain level. This changes as the opposition gets tougher. It could be argued quite legitimately that any of the above could have the same impact given the opportunity afforded Boyd.

Someone, anyone, who has not turned their back on the nation and regards the honour of wearing the dark blue just that, not a poor substitute for light blue. I'd play Ronnie from the Corries before this Judas.

Don't get to away games much, none this season. I have to accept that, as advised by those who were there (not all of them mind :angry: ) that we have performed very well away from home to date. Maybe there's a theme going on, maybe I should stay away from home games too!

CD -"since Charlie Bannerman was a boy" :D We agree to disagree somewhat and both support our team. That's if Alex hasn't had me put on an exclusion order :P

CD your point is very valid regarding loyalty and giving people a chance. You will see quite clearly that at no point in any post did I mention their removal, dismissal or similar. I do not believe this is correct for our club. With regard to CB being given a chance, if I recall correctly, he was afforded the opportunity to sign Fillepe, Pavels and Byrne then sacked a fortnight or so later. Quality. Also aside from letting two of our best prospects go for free, what has TB down to turn things round? The point I have been trying to make and will continue to make is he and MM are not the Messiah and JTB. They are at best good football people with a reasonable grasp for the game, at worst incompetent coaches who belong on the TV or elsewhere. The adulation and sycophantic hero worship afforded TB in particular is repugnant when compared to the abuse dished out to his predecessor. And why? Because he played 300 games for England with a stupid bandage on? Because he helped Rangers win nine in a row? Because he's a great after dinner speaker? I want a good coach. I will only judge TB on what I see on the pitch not what he achieved as a player. His managerial record I have documented and aside for picking up on the good work that Billy Davies started at M'well and keeping it going, it is shocking. Disposing of two young guys like Vigs and Woody does not help. His treatment of Dale Gillespie was also shoddy at best. Finally, I am very, very uncomfortable with this dual role he occupies as I see absolutely no benefit for ICT and plenty downside.

Thanks for the support JB. Surely your not suggesting that CD has now become a pillar of the establishment are you? ;) Now I better stop :angry05: as I have been advised that this is inappropriate behaviour and will result in having your thread closed!

As Souness would have said ....For sure!! Unlike Saturday I would like one.

So he has done well has he, relegation says it all, he had chances to keep us up but quite frankly blew it good style. Since then he has failed to identify the squads deficiencies and make signings to address these failings, instaed he has concentrated on signing unexperienced and untested youngsters. His wage budget could have been spent more wisely. What experienced players could we get for free though? Robbie Winters maybe. I cant think of anyone else for free that is experienced He wouldn't have had to sign so many if he hadn't let two like Vigurs and Wood go!! A considerable amount of TB's problems are self inflicted as I see it.

CD my concerns are far more elementary, not budget dependent or based on expectations but simply on the ability of our mangement team to judge a player, select a team, train a squad and more fundamentally their desire to do so. Boardroom nor budget had anything to do with the release of Vigurs or Wood. They were purely football decisions by TB and MM. Nobody else carries any of the responsibility for the consequences. Signing what, based on what I have viewed to date, I would deem to be inferior players as replacements with additional costs such as relocation, accomodation and what I understand to be, higher wages. Tactical decisions such as the very controversial treatment of Pavels at the end of last season and his switching with Tokes when recalled could be viewed as costly enough to put us down. I have yet to find anyone with any understanding of the game who sees/saw any nerit in theis decision. This again is nothing to do with the boardroom nor budget, purely a football decision. Final example is LDZ, who when signed for the club was the subject of much ridicule by many, even though at that time he was viewed as a short term squad fix. Now, awarded a new deal by TB and MM he is viewed as the first pick LB by TB and MM, ahead of Dick and Roy despite having a wealth of top flight/division 1 experience between them and in Dick's case international recognition. How a defender of such stature as TB fails to see the catalogue of errors that LDZ is is beyond me and as my daughter put it, it doesn't matter how many nutmegs or goal line clearances he performs if he costs us two goals a game! This again is nothing to do with the boardroom nor budget, purely a football choice. Esson, dropped for Ike at a crucial time, I could go on. I worry we are too ready to offer excuses for TB and MM because of their playing stature and Butcher's undoubted media skill. For the record, I do not make this judgement based on one game having shown concern which is well documented on this site from day one. Where we can point the finger is the decision to appoint TB being taken by the board room and that as a consequence, after what I believe is the most humiliating defeat I have witnessed as a punter at TCS, we have no manager in attendance. This is the consequence of a board room decision.