CaleyD

The whole police thing does seem a bit baffling, you'd think they would be more welcoming of a situation where they had a few thousand people in a controlled environment rather than swanning about the City.

I just can't help but feel that it is TV that has brought about many of the problems we now face. None of the huge financial issues ever existed before Football became such a big thing on TV, crowds were bigger, atmosphere was better, people actually supported their local teams and went to see them instead of just buying the strip and watching them on the box and never setting foot in their "teams" stadium. You will never get rid of the problems TV creates because clubs have become dependant on the income it provides and are too quick to sell out to the highest bidder for the short term gain instead of thinking about the fans and the long term. As has been stated, an ICT match may have very little draw overseas for TV viewers, but it is the same here, the more they show of other teams on the TV, the harder it is to attract new and young fans along to TCS. I am glad to see us playing SPL football, but it now appears that the cost of that is selling the soul of the club to the TV companies, not just for us but for nearly all teams outside the top 4 in Scotland. What seems even sadder still is the fact we are powerless to do anything about it. We simply have to sit back and watch as the heart is ripped out of everything it means to be a football fan in Scotland. And with everything else that is going on with these FBO's etc it's no wonder people are happier to sit at home and watch a match than they are to get along to the stadium. Where does it all stop??? As a club we managed to balance the books last season and have a bit left in the bank, even with the additional costs of the new stands and the USH (which we paid a part of). Do we really need the extra revenue from the expanded TV deal and are we willing to pay the cost of tht with diminished crowds and dwindling atmosphere. Are we becoming the victims of other clubs financial mismanagement and being drawn into these deals because other clubs are in such a bad way that they have to take every penny that is offered just to survive??? The whole feckin thing has gone mad, TV money is like a drug to many clubs - it is out of control and the only thing that is going to reverse the trend is when it hits rock bottom (and it will sooner rather than later), until then it will just be one short term fix after another.

Think you misunderstood what I said - I was not talking about stopping live matches being televised, just not domestic matches - i.e. No Live Scottish games shown in Scotland, no live English games shown in England etc etc. Scottish matches could still be transmitted live outside of Scotland which is why I said their would still be a viable commercial basis for televising games. It wouldn't necessarily stop the issue of moving games etc, but it would be one of the many things which could be done to increase attendances, including the suggestions for a revamped league structure etc.

Stop televising live domestic matches and the problem is solved IMO. If people in Scotland want to see a game in Scotland then they can get off their erse and get along to the Stadium. There is a big enough market outside each respective country to still keep the TV companies going with income from Live Games and still encourage crowds to attend.

Not so intelligent as to realise if the ball isn't coming to his feet then perhaps he needs to do a bit more chasing. I have come to wonder if his old injuries are taking their toll and he somehow thinks he proved himself last year and doesn't feel he needs to risk pushing himself so much this season.

Offered my services for free on several occasions in the past but never had even the slightest interest in the offer being taken up. The powers that be seem to have some fear regarding giving the mic to someone who actually knows what they are doing incase they accidentally create any kind of atmosphere at the stadium.

Have to agree with the comments about Dargo not appearing to chase near as much these days as he did last season. Kind of reminds me a bit of Juanjo when he first arrived at ICT and expected everything at his feet. As soon as he dropped that attitude and started getting stuck in he had some great performances and we need Dargo to start doing that again. It's all fair and well saying he would be a great player if he was getting this kind of service, but he isn't. 2 options, change the midfield and forward partnership to suit Dargo, or, hook Dargo and replace him with a player who is capable of playing the system, chasing balls and creating their own chances. Bottom line is that our current form is not down to any single player/area of the pitch but the inability to put everything together as a single slick unit.

As Bonzo has just touched on, Rossco is better supported on the right when he makes a move forward. Given the smae support/link-up on the left I am confident Hastings would prove more effective when going forward, as it is at the moment when he does go forward he is almost always on his own. As for Rossco's goals, they more often than not come from set pieces or scrambles in the box which he manages to tuck away, something which is as much down to his height and build which give him a certain edge in these situations. I think some people still hold some kind of grudge against the guy for the manner in which he departed previously and just aren't willing/able to admit he is many times the player now that he was back then. Not only has his performance on the park improved, but his whole attitude seems to have changed for the better. As for the argument about needing a better left back, IMO, their are other positions which are in far more desperate need of strengthening and Left Back would come way down my list of priorities.

Make my mind up about what? His current position is Left Back, he should therefore not be judged on how he performs when he pushes forward as, at the end of the day, that is the job of the winger. I disagree that he is woeful when he does push forward and believe that he could do a job on the left wing, you just can't expect him to be doing the job of 2 players when his main priority is being a left back, if we want to see him making more moves forward and making consistant crosses in to the box then he should be played on the left wing before judging him on his perfromance there. To criticise the guy for what he does when he gets forward when he is playing as left back is like criticising Dargo for being a chit defender. Judge him on the job he is there to do and save the criticism for those who aren't performing their own role and relying on someone else to do their job on the pitch. Credit should be given to Hastings for getting forward and at least having a go whilst the left wing are off wandering elsewhere or standing with their finger up their erse. Better Hastings in there trying than nobody at all, regardless of how you think he performs when he is doing so.

I used to be one of the biggest critics of Hastings but am the first to hold my hands up and say that he has been a reformed player since he returned to ICT. "Mr Consistancy" is probably the best description as he rarely seems to have a howler of a game these days. Who gives a flyin feck if he is making lung busting runs up the wing or not, and who cares if his final cross is bad (I don't agree they are) as that is not his job, he is a left back and his job is to break down attacks on that wing - anything else he does is a bonus, especially with our left wing and if our left wing not performing as it should be. If Golly was fit and up to the task of playing at left back I would be calling for Hastings to be given a shot on the left wing as (from what I have seen in the past) he does a better job on the left wing when he does push forward from the left back position than our left wing players have done of late.

Rumours of ICT and C*unty merging used to do the rounds regularly in our earlier years but I have never seen anything to suggest they were any more than that. Are you sure the question was regarding merger and not groundshare? That is something which I know for a fact has been discussed between the clubs on several occasions but now seems to have dropped off the agenda since our promotion to the SPL.

If you read the article properly you will see that rather than selling off Tulloch Construction, it has been used to purchase a "significant shareholding" in ROK PLC. I forget the name of the last company Sutherland/Tullochs did this with, but they eventually ended up with the majority shareholding and eventually the whole thing (if memory serves me correctly). Think it was a North West England based building company of some description.

As I have said before, some things should not be "about the money" and personally I don't give a flying monkeys if clubs are going to be making more out of games being televised, not when it interfears so heavily with everyones willingness/ability to go along and watch the match. The SPL sold their soul (what was left of it) to Setanta with this deal and as usual it is the punter who suffers.

I think he still has a bit to go to "mature" as a player but I don't think CC should be doing anything to dampen his terrier like approach to the game. All he needs is a bit of guidance in properly channeling his energy. OK, so he's picking up a lot of bookings and I think he now faces a suspension, I don't think thats all that bad and so long as CC properly manages the situation and does as he did yesterday (hooking him before he got the 2nd yellow) then I still see him as an asset to the team. We have ample adequate cover in the middle of the park and so long as these yellows don't become straight reds then I don't see the need to worry. As a player much of his strength is in his attitude and approach, maybe it is "wee man" syndrome, but take that out of him and he would be walked all over in the middle of the park.

If you check the league table again you'll find we are 9th and nearer to 3rd place than we are to 12th in terms of points and Goal Diff. The true fact of the matter is that everyone is taking points off everyone else in the league this year and apart from Celtic, nobody is creating a safe top 6 position for themselves yet. With the possible exception of Motherwell who seem to be having an absolute howler of a season so far a top 6 is there for any of the other teams to take and there is a long way to go yet so no need for panic or wholesale changes to the team.

The "They're worse than us, so that makes it ok for us to misbehave" argument is a load of BS, IMO. I don't know the full story or exact reasons why this person was ejected from the stadium or why he is up in court facing a potential FBO, but justbecause the OF fans or any other fans are worse or participate in these things on a larger scale is no excuse for smaller clubs to be let off. I disagree with the FBO system and how it works, but lets not get into the mindset that exists among a lot of the OF fans where they try and justify their actions by claiming the other half are worse. The argument here is not about which other teams fans are any better/worse or did anything more deserving of action, it is about whether the person in question acted in a way which justifies the action and potential penalty he faces. Like or dislike the fans of other teams, they are all in the same position as us with regards these FBO's and pointing the finger and saying they are more guilty than us serves no purpose when the problem lies in the system itself. I have no doubt that their are elements among most teams supports that should be brought to task for their behaviour on matchdays - perhaps this person deserves what is coming to him, and perhaps he doesn't. Either way, saying that the Hearts fans did this that and the next thing and nothing was done to them serves little or no purpose. The game in Scotland is in rapid decline, you have managers of teams coming out and asking supporters to get behind the team, to make a bit of noise and gee themselves up for matches. You then have men (and women) in suits who have likely never witnessed a match from the stands introducing laws which rip the heart out of the one big thing that keeps people coming back to matches week after week - TRIBALISM. Following a team and going to matches is about more than sitting there for 90 minutes watching the team on the park, it's about the banter between opposing fans, a bit of harmless baiting and shouting at each other, it's what gets the blood flowing and the adrenaline pumping. Take that away from the matchday experience and we would all be aswell sitting at home watching the game on the TV (and a good bit better off with regards the pressure on the wallet, but thats a whole other argument) Plenty has been said on here about how quiet our fans can be on a matchday, is it suprising many people are like this when they have these ridiculous rules hanging over their heads and the very fact (as has been witnessed on several occasions) that whatever they say or do could be misinterpruted and lead to them being evicted from the stadium and now, with these new FBO's, find themselves banned from matches altogether. I'm all for weeding out the real trouble/troublemakers, but going to matches is becoming far too clinical, who gives a stuff if you hear the odd swear or witness the odd rude gesture made to the opposition fans, it's not a Sunday School Picnic, and so long as there's no racism, sectarianism etc involved then I see no real harm. I'm not the smallest of people and I was cursed with red hair (I really didn't have much going for me) and I was subject to Fat and Ginger jokes all through my childhood, if I could cope with it every day of the week, I'm sure a player can cope with it once a week from opposition fans without the need to go crying about it. In fact, I'd like to actually see some figures on how often players do actually report directly (without press leading them for a story) on being upset by whats shouted at them during games, I would bet everything on it being a miniscule figure, and nowhere near the issue these "Public Servants" would have us believe. These claims of behaviour that "Incites Violence" I also think are a load of tosh. Unless someone actually lays hands on another person then their is no excuse for them to react with violence, if they do then they are worse than the so called "offender". Flashing your erse at someone may not be the most pleasant thing to witness, but it's hardly inciting violence. People need to learn to be a little more tolerant and live and let live. The problem in this day and age is that everyone feels they have to justify their existence, Stewards think they have had a poor day at work if they haven't ejected a few fans, police have arrest targets to keep up and courts, despite being stretched to the limit, seem to want to give themselves more and more work.....none of it makes any sense to me and I truly think the whole country is going berserk.

No

I'll likely still go, but the reasons not to are fast mounting up. With not finishing work till 7:30 and starting the next morning at 6:00 it really is tempting to save myself the £15 and go home for a decent kip!!! We don't have the biggest fanbase in the world, and I understand the need to make the books balance, but their is only so long you can bleed people in this manner before they decide enough is enough.

I often get the feeling we are trying to make the team fit the game plan rather than getting a game plan that fits the team. Week after week certain players come under criticism for having a bad game when, IMO, they are being asked to fulfill a job or execute a strategy that isn't working for us. Whats the point of having these "creative" midfielders if they are constantly left out of the loop with long punts up the park, and whats the point of having a player like Dargo who is most effective when receiving the ball inside the box when he is expected to collect the ball from 25 yards out and then do something with it. The players are never going to shine unless we have a system that works to their strengths. I'm happy enough with CC's performance as manager and he has to be given time to work these things out, it may just be a case of trial and error with a touch of him wanting to stamp his own mark on the team but he has to be careful he doesn't become too blinkered on these things and keeps in mind what worked for us so well last season. It's early enough in the season yet and considering the teams we have played to date I don't think we are doing as badly as some might have us believe. So, in answer to "Whats Going On??" - CC is learning his trade and pushing the players to develop in the process. What the outcome will be is anyones guess, either the players will click with the current system or CC will have to re-think and perhaps get back to basics. I don't think he should be too quick to abandon whatever it is he seems to be trying so long as we can keep ourselves away from any relegation tangles, but that is a decision that can be taken once we are through the first round of games and have a more realistic view of the bigger picture. It may not be too exciting for the fans, but if their is some kind of longer term benefit then so be it. We criticised Robbo and Brewster for being far too one dimensional, so I don't think we should be so quick to criticise CC for trying something new.

Brewster basically told Wilson to shape up or he would be shipped out, if you all think back you will recall that their seemed to be a bit of a rift between Brew and Bazza at the time, but Wilson finally decided to listen to what Brew had to say and knuckled down to getting back in shape - it hasn't gone unnoticed and provided he keeps it up then he will be an asset to the team for a season or two yet.

[retorical question]So you were just complaining for the sake of complaining when you were questioning why he wasn't even on the bench on Saturday???[/retorical question] As I said, you just can't win with some people!!!

Your the one wanting him on the team sheet :017:

Ummmm....hate to burst yer bubble and all that, but Brewster has already gone!!!!

With regards to the "Experienced Manager" argument. Appointing young and ambitous managers to take us to the next level has worked thus far, so I see no need to change a formula which is working. As for the idea of playing in Europe, I see no reason why we couldn't play there, however, we are far from being ready to compete on that stage. A few European matches will do us no harm, but they have to be seen as part of the learning/growing experience, and that is not only for the team on the park, but the manager off the park and the whole club setup. I would far rather see the club continuing to make gradual progress than jumping in and "going for broke" only to see everything crumble around our ears. IMO, those who are looking for the European glory etc etc here and now are starting to sound like the OF fans, as all they ever do is mump and moan about how they should be doing this that and the next thing in Europe, when the truth is they themselves (at the moment) are nothing but small fish in the big European Pond. Lets enjoy what we are doing at the moment, it's not all that bad if you take your head out of your erse and stop living in cloud cuckoo land. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being ambitous, but not to the extent that it has you knocking current achievements and getting on the back of the team, manager and club who have done us proud to date.

Alex said "Served Alongside" not "Played For"