CaleyD

I've not seen any booing of him on this thread....as I pointed out else where, the "before anyone does" stance quite often makes a situation look far worse than it is. What I have seen is people who have genuine concerns over his ability to step up to the plate this season and do the job which was previously done by one of Wyness, Niculae, Bayne. I've yet to see anyone defend that with anything other than a "stop getting on his back" or a "he's young and will come good". Let's be honest here, he's not set the heather on fire in the last 2 or 3 seasons when he's been given the chance (despite scoring regularly in reserves and pre-season), so what makes people all of a sudden think that after a few weeks off and a handful of (meaningless :tic01: ) pre-season games that he's suddenly going to turn into a 10 goal a season striker? I'm as desperate as the next person to see Rory and the other youngsters come good...because the outcome for the coming seasons doesn't bare thinking about if they don't. Harry, do you want to give us a list of the players who you think we are allowed to be critical off and the ones we aren't? With the possible exception of Alex Macleod, who isn't capable of criticism towards the club, staff or players :tic01:, there's not a person on this site hasn't been critical of a player at some point or other and had someone disagree with them....you included. As far as booing the player at matches...I don't condone that, but that's not what we're discussing here. We're discussing the ability of Rory and the other Youngsters and when they should or should note get their chance and when it becomes time to call it a day when a player isn't making the grade. As I said above, I think most people in this thread have given justified reasons for their doubts, so it's not as if it's mindless abuse....if you want to give an argument for why you think he will make the grade this season then feel free....I learned as a youngster that standing going "your wrong, your wrong, your wrong, I don't like your view, your wrong your wrong your wrong" doesn't really get you anywhere and you have to give your reasons if you want people to listen and consider an alternative viewpoint.

If those citing Rory as the next big thing believe that a few people doubting him on a forum is going to result in a crash and burn scenario...how on earth do you expect him to handle the pressure of, possibly, being the man to lead our front line for next season? Also, let's not forget that the goals he's scored in previous seasons have been when he's had someone more experienced alongside to support him....unless we find a top player willing to come and play here for peanuts then, as per statements made by the club, he's not going to have that support. Serious question here.....how many goals do people think Rory is worth in the coming season based on him starting every game?

Looks like I might not have been too far off the mark..... Clicky Clicky

Why waste the stamp? And as I said, it would be folly to not register someone who may, if the worst ever happened, be able to pull on a pair of boots and do a turn for the team? You never know when we might land in the situation where the risk of injury outweighs the need for him to take to the field. Really, as much as I agreed with you about the risk of him being injured, I think your clutching at straws on the subject of him looking to include himself in the squad with a view to playing in anything other than extreme circumstances. It does no harm to have him registered "just in case", but you'd be among the first to call in to question him not being registered if injuries left us with very limited options up front and he was unable to even consider playing as he wasn't registered.

His registration from last season will not expire until the end of August....and to be honest, anyone capable of kicking a ball who is on the staff should be registered as a player IMO.

They're only meaningless until the person calling them meaningless wants to use them to prove their own point :004:

Going for a run is hardly the same as playing a game of football. For a start, you are in total control of what you do when you go out for a jog...feel a twinge and you can stop, and you don't have other people to factor in to the equations. During a game of football, Brewster might be able to temper just how hard he might challenge, but he can't factor for just how hard someone might challenge him. Whilst I agree with Marty's logic in regard to the risk of injury still exisiting regardless of the level of the game, Brewster is unlikely to be able to commit 100% in a competitive match and the opponents are more likely to try and take advantage of that which increases the risk of a "not so accidental" collision. For that reason I doubt we'll see him pulling on the boots in any competitive games unless we have no other options.

Every player is different and I don't think you can set an age or length of time on a blanket basis. Those who have seen Rory more often in the reserves have probably seen the best of him and I just keep waiting and hoping that he can make that final step up to becoming considered a regular started in the SPL....I honestly believe he's not far off it. However, I've been waiting for him to make that final push for the past 3 seasons and he's never been able to show he's capable or deserving of a run as his consistency has been somewhat lacking for the first team and their comes a point where you really have to doubt if he will do it for us, playing in the systems we play. It's all fair and well saying give him a run of 5 games...but in the SPL 5 games can be the difference between survival or languishing a long way off at the bottom of the table and without someone alongside to carry a player (if need be) then it's simply not a luxury many teams can afford. Last season, we saw a few glimpses of decent play from Rory, but it was when he had Marius or Brewster on the pitch alongside him drawing the defenders away and giving him space to play....we're not going to have that this season unless we sign a proven striker or one of the others gets off to a really hot start and opposition start having to mark them out of the game and leaving Rory the luxury of space. That's the reason why I think this could very well be the make or break season for Rory in terms of extending his career at ICT, and with it looking like he's going to have guys just as young and less experienced alongside him then it's going to be tough as he could very well find himself as the guy being expected to take the lead up front...certainly at the start of the season. That's a lot of pressure for a seasoned and prolific scorer, let alone a young lad who's yet to really make a mark on the game. So, I agree with those who say that it really is make or break time for the lad....and I wouldn't necessarily argue with those who say he's perhaps looking at a season he might not have proved serving off. As for other youngsters....Zander is probably looking at this season as his chance to secure himself a regular place on the bench and get some time on the park and possibly a couple of starts.....how he does from there we can argue over in 12 month. Vigurs and Woods are probably in a similar boat. The other young lads will benefit from training with the "big boys", but I don't think we should be expecting anything by way of pitch time until nearer the end of the season or if injuries dictate otherwise...that's not to say we won't see them, if they're good enough then bring them on, it's just that they shouldn't be judged if we aren't seeing them as stepping up from the youths to first squad doesn't mean they are ready for a starting slot.

It might work Alex, and my fears could be proved totally wrong...but what happens if I'm not? It's not as if we can afford to pay over the odds to bring in players in the winter window if things aren't going to plan. It's not just about the youngsters, it's the fact that one of our biggest strengths has been the relative continuity of the team, the "whole being greater than the sum of it's parts" if you were. Messing with that and playing players out of place and chopping/changing did, IMO, do us harm last season....and going in to this season we will have a totally new front line, little/no improvement at the back and a midfield that can do nothing as they watch the ball sail over their head time and again. Nothing makes sense at the moment. We've got rid of our top scorer and the rest of our front line, Marius was sold on the basis that we were freeing up wages to bring in 3 or 4 players to strengthen the squad....yet after he's sold we're told we can't afford to bring in strong players as we can't afford the wages....we're throwing away money on loan deals for young players who will be able to walk away with no return at the end of the season and selling players now so we don't have to let them go for free. Everything that the club say/do seems to contradict itself right now, we don't seem to have a plan and things seem to be operating on some kind of chaos theory. We've been treading water for far too long and it seems that some people are starting to go under and if we're not careful they will take the club with them.

Being totally honest birdog I think that unless we bring in a couple of quality players yet then we are at high risk of relegation, if we get relegated then having players on higher wages and extended contracts would cripple us and perhaps place us in freefall. I don't buy the excuses that the finances at the club are anywhere near as precarious as is being hinted at....the last set of accounts I saw showed a very healthy 6 figure sum in the bank. Whilst I don't think we should be blowing money for the sake of it, I do think that we MUST do everything possible to maintain SPL status for the next couple of seasons when the improved money from Setanta will kick in and decrease the financial burden. So whilst I agree that we should be looking to tie up our best players on improved contracts, it has to be balanced with the need for improving, or re-establishing the strength we had at the start of last season...as a minimum. If the money is not there to do that then the last thing we should be doing is upping the wages of a few players and giving them contracts of more than 2 years because without improvements to the squad then I think we are entering next season at with the highest risk of relegation we have ever faced. I could be wrong and I hope I am, but I just can't see our squad as it sits now being anything but cannon fodder next season. That's no disrespect to any of them as individuals, I just don't think that as a squad/team we are currently strong enough....or that we have someone at the helm with the ability to utilise and get the best from what we have.

If what I heard is correct then this is just Black being the first of the players who were promised improved contracts if/when Marius was sold coming out looking for what they were promised. Cowie was allegedly offered a deal earlier in the year but rejected it as the wages weren't high enough and he was told that the only way we could match his demands was if we sold Marius, furthermore he was told that if a new contract couldn't be agreed then he would be sold as we wouldn't risk losing him for free next summer. I have a gut feeling we could still lose either Black or Cowie before the window closes.

It's not exactly a one way system, but a taxi would have to go up and around Bridge Street and Union St to take you on to King St, whereas walking you could cut that corner off. If going the other way then the Taxi would still have to go round Wapping St to bring them back round on to Guild St before heading round and taking Park St off the roundabout. Might not be significantly shorter to walk, but it is shorter.

So we've gone from a stance at the club where we were selling Marius to free up wages to bring in 3 or 4 players to strengthen the squad to one where despite selling him we can't afford to spend and of the capital on transfer fees because we can't afford the wages!!!

Further by Taxi as it has to go round the one way system

Have to register to view it....any chance of a cut n paste?

About a mile and a half walking.

Are you saying that ICT have officials over in Denmark who are just there for a jolly? Scandalous :015:

I think it was Tongue in Cheek....This is a decision that will have been made elsewhere and as the letter says "Mr Graeme Bennet, our Vice Chairman has asked me to write on his behalf"

Just when you think it can't get any worse.....someone does this!!! Poor Taste IMO....!!!

The accompanying story seems to suggest that there's been some kind of dispute (in the media?) with regards to the completion of the transfer which is why they have published the documents as proof. Perhaps it's not all as clear as we thought? Would perhaps explain the fact that ICT have failed to make any comment thus far?

Anyone else find it a bit strange that it's been 24 hours now since the news broke and there's not a comment to be had anywhere online or in the press from the club....not even on the official website :024:

I normally give up reading about Phase 9 when the Sociology Experts start getting involved and throwing about nonsense statistics....now be careful you don't cross the line or you'll end up on a warning :blah01:

With Marius having been funded by additional investment in the club then surely there's no need to "claw back" anything to keep the club on an even keel. If the Finances are heading down the pan then it isn't due to Marius having been at the club. The Investment by Orion was to fund his being here, so take Marius out of the picture and you take that Investment out of the picture. Marius will have added to the clubs finances with the money we have received for him being on International Duty at the Euros...so in effect the club SHOULD already have made a net gain from the deal. Plus the fact he was funded for 2 years means that they will still have the budget for his second year "in the bank" as it were. The club will have to work harder to spin the alleged downturn in finances than just pointing the finger at Marius. ?270k to fund him for 2 years. Even if he got ?70k of that as a "singing fee" then that's ?100k we should still have in the bank, plus the ?50k (ish) from him being at the Euros, plus whatever the bottom line is from the sale...let's say a very modest ?250k. That's a ?400k gain from him having been here for the season.....Sutherland reported a ?500k "hole" in the accounts...and my question to that is....what the feck have we blown ?900,000 "extra" on in the last 12 months as it sure as **** ain't Marius???

With ICT being ICT then I'll believe it's all a done deal when they put the news up on their own website :023:

It's partly down to the Board as they didn't have the balls to tell David Sutherland to feck off and leave the running of the club down to those voted in to do the job. As for the "number crunchers"....well, if the decision had been down to them I doubt they'd have gone for selling him in the knowledge that he couldn't be replaced with anyone even remotely as experienced for the same or less money and that the net gain for the club in selling Niculae was, at best, negligible.