Renegade

Latest story in the Courier seems to suggest that Ofere is very keen to stay. I think with a proper pre-season behind him and getting really up to full fitness he'd be excellent.

Given the status of both players, I doubt Horner is on megabucks. If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the lowest paid player in the first team squad. Could we say the same for Kink? I actually wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the highest.

After the story about Blackman came up the other week, I had a look at Talk Celtic to see what they said about him. Most said the same as us - decent player but a complete ned. I did see this cracker though! Aye...that'll be it!

At least Mckay and Rooney, even when things weren't going their way, looked interested in the game. Kink has been anonymous each time he's come on and the one appearance I did see him play 90 minutes in the U20s, he looked no better than some of the teenage players. Going by his Wikipedia page, he hasn't played the equivalent of a season's worth of games since 2010 and I've a few comments from his time at Middlesbrough that suggest his lack of effort is a fairly regular occurrence. Can't say I'd be shedding any tears if he left us.

Exactly. Seems like a waste of a wage to me. A luxury signing if there ever was one.

I'm essentially resigned to losing Watkins now, but I'm relieved that it looks like we have at least some chance of retaining Ross, Devine and Ofere. I also wouldn't be against retaining Polworth for another season. Can't see the reasoning behind retaining Horner and Kink though. The former seldom makes the bench, while the other one looks rubbish!

I see Aberdeen have released Andrew Driver. Granted he didn't seem to do much when he was there, but we seem to have a knack of rejuvenating players like his careers. Should Watkins go as well, I think he'd the type of player to fit into our team as a replacement quite well - wages providing of course.

*Allegedly* we have offered him a deal.

I hope we retain Baptie for another couple of seasons. He's got potential. Presume Ferguson will be kept on as well.

Rubbish. Shinnie's agent was blabbering off in the media as soon as he turned down a new deal, a couple of months before he signed for Aberdeen. I've read some nonsense in my time of here (a fair chunk written by me!) but saying that we should drop one of our best players and thus not field our strongest team for our biggest game ever, just to spite someone's agent is up there with the biggest amount of garbage I've ever read!

It's a closed shop I think. Rangers weren't promoted in, they were invited to compete.

I see Kane Hemmings has been released by Barnsley. Worth a look? I think he could be.

Talk on Twitter is that we've now past the 10,000 mark.

If the Yes Campaign can continue to have a shop in town six months after the referendum (which then moved into bigger premises), I'd like to think that ICT could at least maintain some sort of presence.

Don't go on the General Election thread then whatever you do!

I have to agree with the earlier post about playing Cameron Mackay on Saturday. Now I've seen him in the U20s and he looks steady enough, but I'd have thought a first team game would be a different matter. I mean, say in the final it's 0-0 after twenty minutes with Falkirk creating loads of chances and then Esson goes off injured. Do you really want a teenage goalkeeper, with no first team experience coming in for such a crucial game? I'm sure I won't be the only one to admit that it'd make me a bit nervous. We've got nothing to lose on Saturday really, so I think it's best for everyone if we let him have this one and give him some game time.

That was the point I was going to make. Clach for example had Puma recently (maybe still do), but they've simply bought a bulk of white kits off them. They haven't negotiated a bigger deal than what we have. Also, Errea aren't some wee company. Norwich use them, as do quite few teams in Serie A (Genoa being one I think). The biggest gripe in my experience, is not the quality or the designs, it's the fact that they always seem to be pretty late announcing/delivering stuff.

Someone on Twitter is saying that after two days of sales, Falkirk have already sold 7,000 tickets.

Doran in The Den?

I suspect that Watkins would be better suited to the role. I do recollect Danny Williams having a decent game at left-back last season so that's another option.

I felt the 4-4-2 formation we used against Celtic worked that day, but for it to work again we need to have Draper in the middle (or Foran if he ever comes back). As good as Danny Williams is, he isn't the midfield enforcer that we need in the set-up to make it work.

Had you been at the game today you'd have seen that we lacked an attacking, direct threat big time. Draper should also get his place back. Time to go back to two out and out wingers and bring Christie back in I reckon. Esson Shinnie Warren Meekings Tremarco Draper Tansey-----Christie Doran-----------------------Watkins Ofere Subs - Mackay, Devine, Williams, Ross, Vincent, Polworth, Kink

OFFICIAL Butcher is boss of Newport.

I think one of the reasons for shipping goals and fairly regular gubbings is the fact that every week seem to put out something resembling an U17 squad......and Lewis Horner. The fact that you're now allowed five overage players, with other teams presumably using it, probably won't help either. Since the return of the U20/reserve/Development League you could go to a match and in wasn't inconceivable to see Esson in goal, Devine and Tremarco in the defence and Nick Ross, Ryan Christie and Liam Polworth in the midfield. Even then, there'd be U20 players who'd been at fairly prominent previously; Matthew Cooper at Aberdeen, Joe Gorman at Crewe and Adam Evans at Burnley for example. Now surely getting gubbed every week can't be good for youth development or confidence.

More than four times anyway.