Renegade

I think his loyalty to Malpas plays a major part. *Allegedly* this was one of the key factors in the breaking down of the Barnsley talks. He wouldn't go there without Malpas, they didn't want him. Butcher's autobiography apparently didn't go down well with Rangers fans well at all. He talks in it towards the end about how much he resents the baggage that comes with them, and also referred to them as a new club prior to us playing a phoenix club last year.

Good idea IMO.

We were a better team when Greenhalgh was out wide and Ross was moved into the centre. We should start like that on Saturday IMO.

Brill Raven Warren Meekings Shinnie Draper Foran Doran Ross Greenhalgh Mckay Subs - Esson, Devine, Vincent*, Agdestein, Polworth, Williams, Watkins* * - If Vincent or Watkins is injured, bring Tremarco onto the bench. If both are out, bring Pepper on as well.

What we've got to do now is take the way we played yesterday and the other home games this season, and play like that away from home as well. It worked against Dundee United, but lately we've gone back to lumping it up the park in the away matches. We should be keeping the same mentality that we have at home for all games no-matter where they are IMO. They are sweet! Am I imagining it (quite possible) or did we have similar nets in the past at some point? Edit- Spellin' Correct. About a decade ago we had ICTFC woven into the white goal nets IIRC.

A good performance, though I have seen us better this season! While Vincent seemed to be putting in a better shift this week as opposed to the last three games, I did think that we seemed to play better without him, with Ross down the middle and two out and out wingers on the field. Mckay was good once again and on another day could've had four or five, while I thought Ben Greenhalgh (who didn't look up to much the last time I saw him play against Celtic in a reserve match) was outstanding. Pace, distribution, work rate were all very good. Overall, a good win and a hundred times better performance than Tuesday night in Dundee!

Cove Rangers had squad numbers but no names when I saw them (Roy McBain had number 14!). Think I heard somewhere that Lossiemouth do the same as well.

I was thinking Murrayfield, but that might be a bit too big. Tynecastle or Easter Road would be good though, as long as it's not an Edinburgh team we're playing!

I believe it was changed this year, and now Championship teams can have names and squad numbers, just squad numbers and no names (like Falkirk tonight), or can go 1-11. Strangely, the Highland League has the same rules! Names and numbers are compulsory from next season in the Championship though I think.

Vincent was poor against Kilmarnock and Aberdeen and was pretty useless last night. Time he was taken out with Ross moved into the centre IMO.

A couple of changes for me I think, and a switch to a straight 4-3-3 - Brill Raven Warren Meekings Shinnie Draper Ross Foran Doran Agdestein Mckay Subs - Esson, Devine, Vincent, Williams, Tremarco, Pepper, Polworth

That performance, beyond all doubt, proves that changes need to be made and need to made for the Hibs game. The first of which, is taking Vincent out - he hasn't played well for weeks. I'm also not convinced that Nick Ross is winger. If I were Butcher, I'd be trying out Ross in the "Shinnie Role" on Saturday and have Williams, or if he's fit, Watkins on the wing in the place of Vincent.

Dean Brill was outstanding, but the rest - what a load of garbage! Thank God that didn't go to extra time!

The Scottish Sun are reporting that Butcher's going to go with an unchanged side tomorrow night.

TBH, I would be disappointed if Butcher didn't try out a new formation/set-up/tactics against Dundee and then onwards to Hibs. Sadly, I can see him doing nothing.

Am I right in saying that with him picking up a yellow yesterday, he'll miss the Hibs game? I heard someone saying that at the game yesterday.

Absolutely. We miss Andrew Shinnie IMO and while Vincent is a good player, they're not the same type. In some ways, Vincent playing there is akin to playing Russell Duncan in there; plays OK, but it's not his natural role.

Brill Raven Warren Meekings Shinnie Doran Foran Draper Greenhalgh Agdestein Mckay Subs - Esson, Devine, Ross, Allen, Vincent

Overall, a draw would have been a fair result, but Aberdeen probably created the better chances throughout. There was no-one out there today who necessarily had a bad game, but only really Shinnie, Draper and Foran put in anything like a good performance, while Brill made some good saves. But here's the thing people; what happened to our slinky possession-based stuff from the first few games? Now we seem to be back whacking balls down the flanks to people to chase. Tedious and often ineffective. Should have sent Brill up at the end as well. Also, have we become too predictable? Has the time come to maybe take Nick Ross out, and try out more of an unknown quantity from the off? What about Williams, or even Greenhalgh? And where's Allen? I don't think he's injured anymore. And where's Conor Pepper?! And finally, substitutions. Now I know we have a settled team and things have been going alright lately, but there's been times where we need to make an earlier change. I was surprised that Ross wasn't hooked to be honest, while Polworth (who did look alright to be fair) coming on for Mckay just runs down the clock for Aberdeen. Also, if we're needing a goal surely Mckay (and I'll concede this wasn't one of his better games) is the man you want out there? One moment and he comes alive, and that could make the whole difference. On the plus side, I heard some ICT fans saying that Butcher was stupid to do his celebration thing when we'd gotten beat. Personally I thought it was a good way to thank the travelling support. I also thought his trolling of the very angry Aberdonians was also quite funny!

I suppose if we went to stripes all the time, for a bit of a change, we could change the shorts to red some seasons and have a play around with the socks as well.

£10,000 for Williams IIRC.

Whether it's the 20th anniversary or the 100th anniversary, it should always be stripes IMO. The first kit in '94 really looking back, was a disgrace for a merged club. It really was nothing more than Caledonian kit and while some of the more recent kits still are too blue dominated and don't have enough red (IMO), they're all still better than that first one. I wouldn't be keen on a recreation of that first kit.

IIRC Tansey's goal tally when he was here was three or four. One of which was a free kick and the other (possibly two) was a penalty. From what I remember from when he was first linked with us, he was billed a great playmaker, who could open up the game and whack a shot from outside the area. Out of the thirty odd games he played for us, I can't really remember him doing anything of note at all, which kinda sums up his invisible performances over that season. Good on Football Manager, rubbish when he was here!

How could I forget Niculae?! On a massive wage, but bar a short spell in the winter, was never really that great. How he got called up the Euros I'll never know! Cox was good in the First Division, but had a terrible time with injuries and finding his form when we got back to SPL, before leaving for Swindon. He wasn't a bad player though. The reason Tansey isn't in it is because it's a mediocre XI and not a worst XI. He was utter rubbish. There was a couple I considered but didn't put in due to them not being here very long. Alex MacDonald for one (apart from that time he scored with his first touch), while Jamie Duff was quite young at the time, despite a few good performances. Forgot Dani Sanchez as well!

We've done best and worst elevens to death, but what about a team of players, who were just alright. Not terrible, not amazing, just ok. For me, in a really bland 4-4-2 - Tuffey Piermayr McCaffrey Hogg Gillet Z.Sutherland Jones Cox McBain S.Sutherland Bayne Ok, maybe a couple of harsh ones there in McBain and McCaffrey, but while they were decent players and good servants over the years, they were never both amazing, though not terrible, just alright. Fire away folks!