Caley Stan

It may not be the strongest of squads but there's a decent first 11 in there. Darren Barr and Kris Commons! Didn't see that coming. And Callum Davidson. When last did he play for Scotland! As for Caley Thistle players, i don't think we a player of that class just now. Maybe Blackie or Cowie in a couple of years. At least Burley has showed that he's willing to give players from smaller teams a chance by picking Barr. He's also picked David Clarkson ahead of O'Connor and McCormack. Leaving out Maloney, McCulloch and Dailly takes balls - but those players haven't been performing for club or country. Fair play to you Mr Burley.

Ooh Aah Dave Ca'well say Ooh Aah Dave Ca'well

Aye, but i think Chris was the only person writing in that thing that had ever seen us play. This is the Herald's take on our playing style: "To his great credit, Brewster has cultivated a short-passing game which, when it works, can be aesthetically pleasing and very effective. His unflustered manner is central to such an approach, ensuring that he does not automatically revert to more direct tactics when the more intricate style isn't working."

Tonight's story directly contradicts the quotes from Grassa in Saturday's P&J: "A fee has been agreed and we are just sorting out the paperwork. It is a straight deal although Marius is entitled to a percentage of it. It represents a good deal for the club and the player. It was a slow process with them but we finally agreed a deal." I did wince when i read the phrase "straight deal". From a fans point of view there has been nothing straight about the affairs of this club since we first heard the name Marius Niculae.

It looks like our first choice back 4 will be the same as last season's. The 4 that played against St Johnstone and Nordsjaelland: Tokely - McGuire - Munro - Hastings We can all see that this is the area that needs to be strengthened most of all. But Brew doesn't see it. If we start the season leaking goals all over the place then he will have to stand up and take the blame. Until then, we'll just have to give those 4 another chance.

Which accounts are those? It's amazing that some people manage to be so negative about a player we know very little about. This guy will provide some much needed competition for Hastings whose place has been safe since Golly left. He says Brew was "looking for a left back who could go forward". Well that's something we've definitely been lacking for some time.

Germany and Klose. The Germans are favourites for a reason - they have an easier passage to the final than any of the other big nations.

There are an awful lot of people on this site who like to moan about people moaning. I realise that i'm now taking this to the next level by moaning about people who are moaning about people moaning.

Brewster talks a lot about 'comfort zones' and 'getting a reaction'. I assume his thinking is that some players will offer more if they are playing for a new contract (see Bazza) but the lack of job security offered may impact negatively on the player's confidence or lead to them looking elsewhere for a longer-term deal (see Denzil). In the case of the younger players the policy makes a degree of sense - we don't know yet if any of these players (Rory, Zander, Vigurs, Kerr etc.) are going to make it and if clubs do come in for them then the length of their contract is, as Caley D says, irrelevant because the Bosman ruling only applies to players over the age of 24.

This moment and all the drama that followed it. This game just about made up for all the pain involved in watching us away from home this season. [img width=500 height=332]http://www.caleythistleonline.com/gallery/albums/upload/match_pics/2007_08/20071222_hearts_pp/normal_20071222_hearts_pp_007.jpg

Equal worst moments of the season for me came within 4 days of each other in February- going 2-0 down inside 10 minutes at Motherwell and then going 2-0 inside 5 minutes at Easter Road. Sitiing there watching the team without any confidence or organisation. It was horrible.

Speaking as a Caley fan this is great news, but a Scotland fan i find it a bit worrying. We haven't produced a top class striker in since i've been watching Scotland (since 1990) and this batch don't look like changing that. Last November, i watched the under 21's destroy Lithuania at Easter Road with a really exciting front three of McCormack, Fletcher and Naismith. I really hope these three manage to build on the promise they have shown because there isn't much to get excited about in the forward line picked for this squad, least of all Rory, who may yet have a contribution to make to ICT, but certainly doesn't look like a future Scotland cap.

A month ago i was screaming for Brew to GTF. We were on the worst winless streak i can remember and he seemed to be alienating players and fans with a series of dodgy decisions (both tactical and man-managerial). Aided by the split and the state of Gretna things have stabilised since then and he deserves some credit for that because a month ago we didn't look capable of beating anyone. The 'player-unrest' stories were starting to spiral out of control at that time and if Brew had a hand in sorting that out then well done to him. So from that point of view he deserves the chance to make changes over the summer and we'll see how we get on at the start of next season. He still manages to p1ss me off even after a 6-1 win though. That comment about two more wins giving us our highest ever SPL points total was just stupid. You'd think he would check before saying a thing like that.

Dennis isn't asking for the earth and nor should he be. He still hasn't proven that he can score goals regularly in the SPL. I'd like to see him given a another year or two though, and another chance to play alongside a striker with pace.

Why? We shouldn't assume that just because the man has ideas that they are neccessarily good for the club. Savage wanted to develop the current stadium while the rest of the board (under the influence of Sutherland) felt that a community stadium in the Bught is the best thing to look at in the long term. Savage wanted to "introduce boutique football to showcase other players", whatever the feck that means, but the board rejected the plan. That's why we have a board. I'd be more concerned if they just went along with whatever Savage was suggesting without questioning it.

"I certainly wouldn't say we are about to go through a big transitional period in terms of the playing staff. I think it will just be about the normal change over of personnel" George Fraser It could be a slightly busier summer than normal in terms of players arriving. Craig Brewster Two quotes in the same paper on the same day. Looks like we still have a few communication problems. Get a grip.

Sutherland interview on Sportsound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Based mainly on away matches: FRASER: 6/10 Looks too casual at times and has made some terrible mistakes. However, bearing in mind that it's his first full season, he's been reasonably consistent. Save against Celtic was best moment of the season. Deserves respect for recovering well from disasters against Killie and Aberdeen. ROSSCOE: 5/10 How do we solve the Rosscoe problem? He's really important for us going forward, he drives the team at times with his energy and commitment and is a true ICT legend but without doubt, Tokely's poor positioning and inability to get back down the park when he loses the ball is one of the major reasons we've defended so badly this season. HASTINGS: 4/10 Gives his all and is a good athlete but not a footballer. Needs replaced. PROCTOR: 5/10 The jury's still out on Brew's golden boy. Has been an eager deputy at right-back, centre-half and right-midfield - never letting the team team down wherever he plays. Is he a centre-half? I'm still not convinced and hope Brew doesn't gamble on it. He's a great guy to have in the squad though. MUNRO: 6/10 Has struggled to recapture the form of the last two seasons without Dods by his side. Still our most composed and commanding defender this season but that doesn't say much. With the right partner, Granty can be a great ICT captain. MCGUIRE: 3/10 Had a steady start but lost the plot after New Year. Doesn't win enough in air and suffers from lapses in concentration. DUNCAN: 7/10 Initially picked up from where he'd left off last season in scintillating form before dipping in the last few months. Away from home, the importance of Russell Duncan really comes to the fore as we have less of the ball and he does a great job in stopping teams going forward with it. I do have sympathy for season-ticket holders who watch him giving the ball ayay every weekt though. BLACK: 7/10 I thought this would be the season for Blackie to really shine and show himself to be one of the top midfielders in the SPL. It didn't quite happen that way. He's our best player, the best passer of the ball, the most intelligent footballer and should be the heart of the team. At times though, his heart hasn't been in it. Fair play to him for cutting out the silly bookings but in doing so, his edge has been blunted a little. He's also failed to pose enough of a threat going forward. Early in the season, Brew tried to play him further forward but he didn't deliver there. Has been comfortable since then in the 4-5-1, but doesn't control games as he should. COWIE: 8/10 Outstanding first season. Agree completely with the decision to move him inside. Passes and moves better than most of our attacking players so shouldn't be stuck out on the wing. Would benefit greatly from having pacy strikers in front of him. MCBAIN: 6/10 Victim of most ridiculous team selection of the season when Brew played him on the right against Rangers. "Good players can play anywhere," said the gaffer but he was wrong - Roy is a good player but he can't play on the right. Nor is he at his best on the left. Has performed well recently in the centre of the park and deputised ably at left-back when Hastings was injured. Another good guy to have in the squad. NICULAE: 7/10 Wasn?t fit for the first three months and shouldn?t have been playing. Is coming onto a game now and it?s great to watch such a classy player playing for ICT. WYNESS: 5/10 Started the season so well and hasn?t had a run in the team following injury. A ?confidence player? with no confidence. Needs to play alongside pace. BAYNE: 4/10 Had his chances and didn?t take them. Great effort as always and but doesn?t dominate in the air and can?t score goals regularly at this level. And on the fringes: MARKUS and RORY haven?t done enough to deserve new contracts. BARRY MUST STAY BREWSTER MUST GO

SFA say Blackie's suspension is for the reserve league. BBC don't have him in the squad. As for McGuire, he won't be missed.

Brewster did an interview with Charles Bannerman which is on BBC Sport. The most interesting quote from Brew was this: "I haven't a clue." Well done Craig, it's good to finally hear a bit of honesty from you.

Malky has spoken

"None of the players we watched, judging by their performances on Saturday, would make an impact with Caley Thistle." Brewster in the Courier.

L_G mentioned this recently on another thread. That is NOT the way this deal has been presented. A number of people from the club from Brewster to Grassa have talked about "the chairman picking up most of Marius' wage". If that's not the case then it's yet another example of our board treating the club's fans and players with total contempt.

Colin Hendry, Paul Lambert ad Richard Gough.

No. The whole affair has comprised the ethos of our club. A businessman imposes a player on a manager. The player earns five times as much as the rest of the squad He then plays for months contributing very little while clearly unfit. Over time we see how classy the player is - he improves his fitness and makes more of a contribution, but still it's too late - the club and its supporters have lost more than they have gained from the presence of Marius Constantin Niculae.