ictchris

Financing the wealthy? How much money do you think Romanov makes out of Hearts?

:022: I'd love to have seen Marius and Dargo up front together and think that we should sign a pacy forward to play alongside him if he's here next season. Our problems on the pitch this season are that we concede goals far too easily. We have conceded around 1.75 goals/game thsi season. In 2004/05 we were at 1.23, in 2005/06 we were 1 goal/game and last season it was 1.26. That translates to conceding an extra 19 goals a season.

What did Charlie say to Bone? Would we really have gone bust if we hadn't beaten Celtic in 2000? Did John Robertson really threaten to resign if we didn't sign Jim Hamilton?

I thought Blackie was suspended, so sub Vigurs for him in my XI.

The ever-reliable Highland News says today that the progress of Sutherland (nominated for Division Three PotY) and Wood (eight goals in twenty-four games) hasn't gone un-noticed and they could get new deals.

Could Watt get a chance in the first team (at last)? -----------------------Fraser--------------------------- --Tokely----Proctor-------Watt------Hastings---- --Cowie----Duncan-----Vigurs-----McBain-------- ------------------------Imrie-------------------------- ------------------------Niculae---------------------

I've always thought that Brewster was the right man for the job but we just don't look like getting out of this hole at the moment.

Interesting line up! Is Vigurs playing in midfield with Black and Duncan? Proc, Munro and McGuire at the back with Roy and Ross as wing backs?

Brewsters record with Caley, both spells: Played 80 Won 29 Lost 30 Drawn 21 A win percentage of 36.25 Our only other manager who managed us solely in the SPL is Charlie who had a winning percentage of 37.11, pretty much the same. A few other SPL managers win % in the SPL: John Collins at Hibs - 42.5% Craig Levein at Dundee Utd - 42.4% John Hughes at Falkirk - 32.07% Gus McPherson at St Mirren - 22.72%

Since we came into the SPL we've always been a side that builds its success on runs of good performances - we pick up results when we are doing well but are also capable of going on runs where we do almost literally nothing. Last season just before Christmas we had a run of games almost identical to this one - nine games, four draws, five losses, six goals scored (three in one game agaisnt Killie) and fifteen conceded. The run culminated in a game against Dunfermline at East End that is one of the worst performances I've ever seen from us, dreadful stuff. We managed to turn it around though. I think the difference in our performances this season are that we don't have the strong spine we did in every season up until last. From January until June we lost Mark Brown, Darren Dods and Craig Dargo. Fraser has stood in well for Brown, despite a few jitters that most keepers get from time to time. However, the big factor that has made this season more disappointing than previous ones is the fact that defensively we don't have the solidity that we previously did. Put simply we aren't difficult to score against and we can't grind out results. We are losing games by the odd goal and not turning enough narrow defeats into draws. For example, we have drawn three matches this season. In 2004/05 we drew 11 games - 7 of which we came from behind to get a point. In 2005/06 we drew 13 games - 5 of which we came from behind to get a point. In 2006/07 we drew 13 games - 6 of which we came from behind to get a point. I don't get to as many games as most people on here but does anyone think that when we concede a goal we're ever going to get back into a game at the moment? We seem to be in the grip of a mailaise during this run - losing away to Hibs, Motherwell, Celtic is excusable but being scudded by a rotten Hearts side at home isn't. Of course, the flip side of the coin is the form that we showed before Christmas which has made our season. During that period we staged an absolutely amazing come-back against Celtic and showed amazing character, skill and courage. We also showed great character at Tynecastle in one of our most memorable performances in teh SPL. Bar a change or two we have pretty much the same side that achieved this. We can turn this around. Regarding Brewster, I supported his comeback and I still think he's the best person for the job. The facts of the season are when he came in we were terrible and he has been in charge of the team during the games where we've picked up points and pulled ourselves out of the mire. If you are going to chastise him for the poor performances we have to congratulate him on the good. I do think that he made a mistake getting rid of Rankin. With him tucked in behind Niculae we seemed to have found a system of play that was working and his set piece delivery was extremely important. If you have a player who can get a dangerous ball in the box or the danger area you can conjure up threatening situations from just about every dead ball in the opposition half. We don't have that now and it's not really surprising that we are scoring fewer goals. I think that Brewsters selections in midfield should be simplified - he should play players where they are most comfortable. Playing left-sided players on the right is a valid tactic as it poses the defenders different problems and gives a side a different slant. however, given the lack of confidence we are playing with we should keep it simple and have Cowie on the right and McBain/Imrie on the left. Let players get back to basics. We are short both at the back and up front though, a legacy of previous management decisions not to replace players we knew were leaving well in advance. A pacy striker and a solid centre half should be top of the shopping list for June. In the meantime, I think that giving Proctor a shot in the centre of defence is a good idea - he will be fresh and has done well for us there in the past. As for up front, it's really two of Niculae, Bayne and Wyness, not something that will fill the opposition with dread. Niculae is obviously a good player but I'd lovet o see him paired with someone like, whisper it, Dargo.

Beeb says Zibi just came on, is Mikey injured?

According to someone on P&B the rules state that: Gretna will probably limp on until the end of the season, propped up by the SPL and the fact that it takes a while to push through the whole process.

Will they be the first teamin Scotland to be docked ten points?

I think we were ?2-3m in debt. the money was all owed to Colombian drug lords who have now been 'taken out' by Ross Tokely so we're sweet. You can't blame Gretna or Dundee Utd fans for not going to that. The game had been cancelled twice in a week, it's very short notice to get an afternoon off work for, or in the case of most United fans, steal a car to drive down in. Gretna are absolutely friar tuck'd. Lets hope they limp on to the end of the season as we will lose six points if they go under.

Their other strikers are absolutley stinking. Christian Nade, a lumbering fat four goal a season man Callum Elliot, up-and-coming :015: :015: Ricardas Beniusis, a joke of a player Benny-useless.

I'll be hunted down by Andy Anderson now!

Journalists, especially football hacks, hear dozens of rumours regarding all sorts of goings on with all clubs. You can't expect the Courier, or any other paper, to publish the rumours that surface on unofficial websites like this one. To publish a story in a newspaper you need to be able to back up your claims, to have sources, quotes etc.

If we look at the fixtures remaining, here are those for the sides vying for the top six: Falkirk vs Hibernian 27-02-2008 Falkirk vs Motherwell 01-03-2008 Inverness CT vs Falkirk 15-03-2008 Hearts vs Falkirk 22-03-2008 Falkirk vs Kilmarnock 29-03-2008 Aberdeen vs Falkirk 05-04-2008 Celtic vs Inverness CT 27-02-2008 Inverness CT vs Hearts 01-03-2008 Inverness CT vs Falkirk 15-03-2008 Kilmarnock vs Inverness CT 22-03-2008 Inverness CT vs Aberdeen 29-03-2008 Gretna vs Inverness CT 05-04-2008 Hearts vs Rangers 27-02-2008 Inverness CT vs Hearts 01-03-2008 St Mirren vs Hearts 15-03-2008 Hearts vs Falkirk 22-03-2008 Hearts vs Dundee Utd 29-03-2008 Kilmarnock vs Hearts 05-04-2008 Aberdeen vs Motherwell 27-02-2008 Rangers vs Aberdeen 01-03-2008 Aberdeen vs Gretna 15-03-2008 Aberdeen vs St Mirren 22-03-2008 Inverness CT vs Aberdeen 29-03-2008 Aberdeen vs Falkirk 05-04-2008 Who has the advantage? Home games: Falkirk - 3; ICT - 3; Hearts - 3; Aberdeen - 4. Form: Falkirk have won only one of their last six; ICT won one of the last six; Aberdeen have lost five of the last six; Hearts have won three, drawn one of the last six. Difficulty of games: Only Falkirk have no games against the Old Firm; ICT have one game against Celtic then play the rest of the bottom six. Misc: Hearts are apprently close to losing their best striker to Viking; Aberdeen have the come-down after a Yoofa Cup run and also have signifcantly poor goal difference than the rest. It's very difficult to tell. We are a side who play in runs - since we got into the SPL we have relied on taking advantage during our good periods punctuated by runs of games where we don't pick up results. For example, in 2004 we were still deep in the relegation race in the New Year but went on a run over January, Febryuary and March were we won four and drew two games to pull ourselves clear. In 2005/06 we went on a horrible run culminating in a dire 3-0 scudding at home to Falkirk - over the next nine league games we were unbeaten picking up results against Hearts, the Old Firm, Hibs and Aberdeen. Last season, after a poor start we went unbeaten in six (four wins, two draws) to get some points on the borad before going on a horror run of nine games without a win. this season we had our dreadful start but since have had some good runs, obviously the best being the five straight wins in November and December. Hopefully we can produce another good run between now and April and secure a top six spot. On balance, I'd think that Falkirk look best placed in terms of position, Hearts have the best form and Aberdeen probably have the best squad on paper, although their terrible form counts against them. What we need is twofold: to tighten up and stop losing stupid goals and to have one of our strikers hit some form. So far this season Wyness and Niculae have had good scroing runs, we need that from one of them again over the next period.

A good summary, although I thought Bayne did a bit better than you say. he won a few headers and chased well.

Denzil is a player who, in the SPL, will always score in bursts. He is a confidence player I think. He scored six in six games earlier this season and when he first came back he had the run alongside Dargo when he scored eight in nine games. Bayne has a lot to offer, if we play him right - targetmen need good service in terms of crosses and support from the middle of the park. From what I've seen Markus is good at coming in from a wide area and attacking crosses, in a Lee McCulloch stylee.

My flat.

With regards to signings, Brewster has a good record. Even at Dundee Utd! In his first spell with us he signed: Alan Morgan - Fair enough didn't work out, he was a young player proving himself. Craig Dargo - Obviously a very successful signing. At Yinted he signed: Noel Hunt, Craig Conway, Christian Kalvenes and Lee Wilkie all of whom have been good signings. He probably would've taken Dods there too if he hadn't got the bullet. Since coming back he's brought in McGuire and Proctor, both of whom have done well. McGuire definately had a settling affect on our defence and Proctor has shown he is a very handy player both in terms of versatility and ability. Also, on first impressions Dougie Imrie has shown promise coming up from the First. I'll draw a veil over Zibi!

-----------------Fraser----------------- --Proctor--McGuire--Munro--Hastings-- ---Cowie---Duncan--Black---Imrie--- -----------------Niculae/Wyness-------- ------------------Bayne--------------------- We always seem to lose out to Rob Jones when we try to hit our strikers against Hibs. I think if we had Imrie and Cowie down the flanks we could try and pull them out of position and capitalise. Also, get Wyness or Niculae a bit deeper to act as a link man to Bayne, who can chase balls into the channels and challange lost causes. I think we might be on a hiding to nothing as the likes of Fletcher and Sheils seem to be doing very well for Hibs. At least a goal would be nice in my home game!

The team that went on the five game run was: Fraser Defence of Tokely or Proctor right back; McGuire, Grant or Proc at Centre back; Hastings left back Midfield of Cowie, Black, Duncan, McBain, Rankin Up front: Generally Niculae on his own. Disappointing to lose tonight but we have been pretty poor away from home this season and Motherwell have been playing well, both throughout the season as a whole and for the last few games. Not easy to see us taking much from Hibs and Celtic away.

Gretna have been stripping back for most of the last year. They stumbled over the line in the First Division and have now released practically all their half-decent players - Danny Grainger to United and McMenamin to Dundee, putting Bingham, Paatarlu and others out on loan and releasing (deep breath) Martin Canning, James Grady, Tony Caig, Ryan McGuffie, David Graham, Allan Jenkins, David Cowan, Niall Henderson and Colin Scott. These guys have all been replaced with, for the most part, 18 year old loan players from England. I think what has happened is that after having a laugh with his team through the Second and Thrid divisions Mileson, or those around him, realised that to put together an SPL quality squad and upgrade raydale would require serious, serious money - he wasn't prepared to go for it and has been slowly running down the club since. Sad for the Gretna fans but probably inevitable.