ALSY

F*ck sake. Kind of glad I wasn't able to go to this now. F*cking Vigurs as well.

Are you referring to Celtic's famous 4-2 victory over the mighty ICT? Naturally... the brainwashing department at work has finally got to me. :D

We're back in the first division... it's the third round of a national cup competition... the game will be played midweek... surely it's got to be Celtic away? All the stars are aligning... Otherwise, Midden away would probably be my choice, for ease of travel and also because they don't look any great shakes this season and we're probably better just now than we were for most of last season.

It was Scott Davie - a Raith Rovers supporter who usually has the Pittodrie beat on Sportsound. I always find his reporting pretty irritiating, tbh - never seems to have any enthusiasm for the game.

FT 4-0. Still very early days, but the last 2 cup results, after such a shaky start against Montrose, are very encouraging - suggests that the team has a lot of hunger and that the new players are really trying to prove themselves and cement their places. Good result for County tonight too though, unfortunately. On the other hand, Partick are having a pretty horrible start to the season - hope they don't start finding form a week on Sunday.

Bulivitis! Interesting collection of scorers tonight. Edited to add: Tokely booked already, ffs.

Only changes from Saturday's line up are Tokely for Proctor and Rooney for Sanchez - Scott Davie on BBC speculated that Sanchez may be carrying a knock.

Just to echo what everyone else has said, a cracking game with lots of passing football and chances created by both sides. What a contrast from last season. Munro looks a far more composed player with Bulivitis beside him. I feel that some of the criticism of Eagle is a little harsh - he wasn't particularly bad yesterday and may develop more confidence with more games, although he does look a little lightweight. Mind you, I do think it should be him rather than Hayes who makes way when Imrie returns. Two particular pieces of praise: Terry Butcher. There were a few question marks over some of his tactical decisions towards the end of last season, but the passing game he has tried to implement this season and the spirit he has obviously fostered in the team are really encouraging. Also, he appears to have done two crucial bits of business in unearthing Cox and in persuading Foran to stay. These were our most influential players yesterday, both demonstrating intelligent, direct attacking play and tremendous workrates. The away support. By all accounts it was excellent at Dunfermline, and it certainly was yesterday, singing throughout the game and all the way down the street afterwards. I find it hard to tell by looking, but I'd hazard a guess that we had 3-400 there yesterday - definitely more than we took to the majority of SPL grounds last season. Quite rightly, Butcher made sure the players acknowledged the support, and the gesture was appreciated. By the sounds of things County were woeful yesterday, and if our team can combine the same sort of attacking play with the spirit it showed yesterday , than ICT should have a great chance of a win. Hopefully the home support will also show the same sort of backing that the away support showed yesterday. If so, it has the makings of a great occasion.

This was inspired by a comment RiG made in the pre-match thread on P&B, which got me thinking... There have been plenty of threads asking people to list their dream ICT team made of players from all eras, but I don't remember this one having been done, or at least not for a while: of the teams we have had at different times over the past 15 years, which was your favourite, and why? There are a few obvious contenders: the Feb 8 2000 team, the promotion-winning team, the team that finished 7th in the SPL, but my own favourite is the 2002-03 team that Pele took to the top of the league before leaving and Robbo took to our first Scottish Cup semi final. Mann, Wyness and Robson were fantastic that season - Robson in particular, having been quite a frustrating player previously, began to fulfil all the promise he'd shown in the past. For those that may not remember the full team, the squad for the Scottish Cup Final was: Brown; Tokely, Mann, McCaffrey, Golabek; Hart, McBain, Duncan, Robson; Wyness, Ritchie. Subs: Bagan, Christie, Fraser, Keogh, Munro, G. Stewart. Don't think I've ever enjoyed football quite as much before or since, although the following season was obviously euphoric. Thoughts, anyone?

I'm happy! Would have preferred it to be the semi-final, mind you, and on a Saturday so I could make more of a day of it.

Will be there with CaleyStan and Arbroathawayday. Belated start to the season for me - missed Dunfermline for family reasons and still a bit gutted about it.

I'm pretty certain that this issue was raised with the club last season by someone on here and that the response was that the club has 'no plans' to introduce a smoking area. As far as I know very few clubs do offer this facility - Aberdeen is one which does, and possibly also Kilmarnock? Perhaps it has something to do with this notion of being 'health-promoting clubs', although that is undermined a little by the type of food sold at most grounds! IMO, as long as smoking remains legal and cigarettes are sold in this country, it's discriminatory not to provide a ventilated area with ashtrays where people can smoke without others being affected by second-hand smoke or discarded cigarette ends. However, the majority of those with the power to make these decisions seem to disagree and I don't see this changing.

Sorry, but I must be one of the people who isn't seeing this. What are the BIG problems we have? Relegation? Obviously most of us would prefer to still be in the SPL, but equally, most accepted that relegation for a club of our size was likely at some stage and would have seen five years in the top flight as a respectable achievement. Relegation doesn't necessarily represent the start of a terminal decline in the club's fortunes. A difficult title race? The fact that we may not go straight back up should not be blown out of all proportion: we are no more an 'SPL club' than Dundee, Partick or Dunfermline - in fact you might argue that given their histories and bigger core supports they are more 'SPL clubs' than us - and these clubs have all invested in players and management that they hope can take them up, and have already had a few seasons' experience of trying to get out of this league. Absence from the SPL has perhaps meant more financial struggle, but it has not been disastrous for these clubs, and we should not assume it will be disastrous for us either should we fail to go up at the first attempt. The apparent lack of cutting edge in the team? Do we expect a remodelled team to start getting it right on the park straight away? Remember, we have lost a few players, have some injuries and suspensions and Butcher is building on the foundation of a team that failed last season. Why should we expect the team to look like title-winning material straight away? Inevitably some of the signings won't work - the same is the case with every manager and every team. Others, however, will probably become more effective once they are better settled, and the fact that Cox and Bulivitis are already popular with the support and contributing well to the team is encouraging. The structure of the club? Many people may still have concerns about how the club is run at boardroom level, but the is relative financial stability, no drop in season tickets and there seems to be more harmony around the place in general than there was at this time last season. BIG problems, IMHO, are those faced by Livingston currently, or Gretna, Dundee and Motherwell in recent years, and ironically the problems tended to be caused by unrealistic ambition and exacerbated by knee-jerk reactions to fan opinions. By comparison, ICT are in a healthy state. I think we all fear that we could have an indifferent season, but the fact that many are prepared to be patient and continue to support the team through disappointing performances like today's does not mean that they are demonstrating an ostrich mentality towards the difficulties the team may face this season. What, after all, will booing and demanding line-up changes at this stage actually achieve?

FT 0-0. A little bit disappointing. Obviously it's very early season, but I wonder if a lack of cutting edge up front will turn out to be a problem for us? Hopefully Odihambo and Barrowman will provide us with decent options when they're available again.

Really encouraging crowd - really hope the team can score, go top and make people want to keep coming. Need a few more goals across Div 1 or my predictions are going to take a right kicking. Unfortunately Robob can't see where the goals are going to come from in our match.

Heh. County down to ten men - Gary Miller straight red for violent conduct.

Wonder what IHE makes of this? I seem to remember Everton being his second love.

I think that's quite likely if Hayes doesn't work out there: it took Butcher several games to switch Foran from wide to up front last season, and once Odihambo is fit we will have more options up front than in midfield. Personally I'd far rather see Foran up front, but he can still do a job for us playing out wide. Edited to add: I suppose another option would be to play Eagle wide right and either McBain or LDZ wide left.

It's between Whittaker and McAllister for left back I guess, with either Berra or Steven Caldwell in the middle. I'd be inclined to go with Whittaker and Berra.

Tomorrow lunchtime. I want Albion away because i've never been to Cliftonhill. Alloa or Forfar away for the same reason - preferably Alloa because Forfar will be a b*gger to get to midweek. Wouldn't mind going back to Cliftonhill either, but the way Albion have been going in the cups we might be on the end of a wee upset...

Hi K. I know how negative I sound, but it's based on a few factors. First: of all the sides likely to be challenging this season, we know less about our opponents than any of the others. True, they don't know us well either, but I don't think we necessarily have the quality to surprise them. Second: although I was impressed by Cox in particular against Utd, I think the midfield will miss Ian Black badly, and I think the sale of Iain Vigurs was also a mistake. This means we will either be relying on a midfield that is almost enitirely new forming an understanding quickly, or else we will be relying on two of our less effective players from last season - Duncan and McBain. Third: the defence is still a concern. Bulivitis looked strong against Utd, but Lionel is questionable defensively and Grant Munro has not performed as well as he is capable of since Darren Dods left the club. It will, understandably, take him time to form a partnership with Bulivitis, and I don't believe TB is right in thinking that Tokely is an adequate replacement in central defence. Fourth: how quickly will we find the best partner for Foran up front? From what I saw last season, Odihambo is the most skilful striker we have; yet Rooney was our highest scorer last season; and yet, Barrowman has the best overall record as a striker in Scottish football among our players. If we start the season badly, to what extent does TB keep faith with his original choice and to what extent does he mix and match? Fifth and finally: it might sound like superstition, but the fact is that no team has come straight back up after relegation since Hibs almost 10 years ago. Why should we be any different? History suggests that the players in any team need at least a season to reacclimatise to the new environment when they are relegated to Div 1 and I don't think we have the quality to buck that trend. Anyway K, having written all that, I think you might be absolutely right about us having a stronger squad than last year - I just feel that it may take more than one season in the SFL for the squad to realise its potential. And purely selfishly, as a supporter that goes primarily to away games, I'll happily take a couple of seasons in the first to break up the monotony of going back to the SPL grounds.

No, no, no. Would be delighted to have this thrust back in my face next May, but no.

Quite enjoyed their album myself. Saw them in Snafu in Aberdeen about a year ago. Decent. Girls Aloud are a fantastic pop act. Anyone who says otherwise is just wrong. There is no debating this issue. I think we should run out to "Something Kinda Ooh!" or maybe "Long Hot Summer". Tssk. "Biology" is clearly their greatest song. I always felt "Moving On Up" by Primal Scream would be a great song to come out to when we were still in the lower leagues. Why not take the opportunity now during our brief :( return to the first?

Tonight was the first chance I've had to see any of the new signings; took quite a while to get used to watching a midfield featuring three players I didn't know. All of them showed up well at times, but inevitably, with the players still getting to know each other and facing a strong Utd side, there were a lot of misplaced and misread passes. I came away from the game with two thoughts persisting, one hopeful and one a slight concern. Positive: Cox, Eagle, Stratford and Sanchez (assuming he signs) all look like quick, tidy ball-players, which suggests that Butcher has no intention of setting the team up to play long-ball football this season. There were a few punts from LDZ and Granty today, but for most of the game the ball was played patiently to feet, and there were a few nice moves, including the build-up to Sanchez' goal. I think pretty much everyone on here wants to see attractive football played next season, and the signs were there tonight that we might get that. Concern: with the squad pretty much in place, is there a danger we are going to lack strength in midfield and risk being over-run by more powerful sides with more experience in Div 1? Stratford, Eagle, Sanchez and Ross all looked a little lightweight at times tonight. Cox showed a bit of dig, mind you, and once his arm has fully recovered it will be easier to judge whether he could be the new Blackie. One final thought. With Richard Hastings getting fewer and fewer games for the first team, the support is being denied the opportunity to sing one of its favourite songs, viz "We all love Dick..." However, with Cox potentially becoming a lynchpin of the new ICT side, it would take just a subtle adjustment to Richard's song to give Lee his own anthem...

Decided to come up for this one. Sorry if it has been mentioned somewhere else, but could someone tell me whether it's just the main stand that will be open tonight?