absent friend

I know as much about tennis as I do about football and I am about to prove it! I think he, Murray, is not an instinctive player and therefore plays his game well back to allow sighting of the ball and then use his spin. He is only at the net if he has to run in to return a well played drop shot. His lack of aggressive net play and tonight, his first services being less accurate, allowed his opponent the upper hand, although his opponent played really well. Always next year - he's a young laddie yet. .

The drop may be big but the alternative must have been frightening for the smaller SPL clubs. At least with being on TV they will have an income from adverts around the ground that would have brought in next to nothing without TV. Don, I take your point, so big a gap both financial and in wealth of talent of players, cannot allow true competitiveness within the SPL. I do think we will realise that this year with the 1st div being so much closer in team ability and finance and therefore points. Am I correct in thinking that with maybe 70% of the games played last year, the gap between top and bottom was so tight that the 2nd bottom team could have been 2nd top if the results went right for them one Saturday. Can't ever see that happening in the SPL except in the first few games. .

Is this the Setanta deal that disappeared when they went t.ts up? If it was did he have an involvement with Setanta? If the above blushes are from the Setanta deal and he had nothing to do with their demise, why is he at fault? I thought the Setanta deal was voted on by the SPL clubs and they all voted, including ICT, for the Setanta deal over the Sky deal as the former offered more up front cash. The only clubs, I understand, that voted for Sky was the OF and Aberdeen. How the other clubs must now be kicking themselves for opting for additional cash over financial strength. Maybe the three that voted for Sky had financial background advice from their advisors, no doubt at a cost but in hindsight, a small price to pay. Now a lot of water has gone under the financial bridge since that vote, including a large loss of advertising revenue and to obtain any funding for our diddy league, at this time, must be a feather in the SPL cap! .

Man management is very difficult at the best of times but to man manage youngsters, who probably have an inflated opinion of their own ability and get the best out of them behind the scenes, as well as on the park, without creating friction, must need special skills. It is easy therefore to accept that this role could have an impact on a players output on the field. I do remember a top premier club captain who went over the top, I can see him on the edge of the park, questioning a decision, with very angry attitude, all caught on closeup TV but I can't remember his name. They stripped him of his responsibility and he was able to concentrate on his playing again. This additional responsibility is second nature to some and therefore TB will have been watching players with this in mind since he came here. I do feel we need Grantie the defender, with no other baggage but Rossco can sometimes be guilty of deserting his post and he sometimes needs a call to return but his enthusiasm is infectious. I favour the old Aberdeen system where Miller was the captain but McLeish was the mouth piece on the park for shouting at the players. Miller dealt with the referee and the press. We all know about his on park spats with referees but he also dictated that every press man had to put cash in the kitty for photo shoots and all players received a share, not just the 'stars' - a captains role taken to extreme! So maybe Grantie/Duncan or Esson/Grantie or Grantie/Rossco etc. - a task shared could maybe create less armband pressure. .

"Never knew Jacko was a big West Ham fan - apparently they are playing their anthem at his funeral." :015: You are a wicked man--But I like you!

Point at their own watchless wrist when asking the time. Act as if holding cutlery when asking if we are going out for a bite to eat. Unable to hold their hands steady when describing a spiral stair.

I think the blame lies with the supporters - they took off their shoes many weeks too late!!

''The problem with petrol prices in the UK is, the oil is in the North Sea, but the Dip Sticks are in Westminster. '' You forgot the commodity brokers in the City!!

I think we have a fair idea from his SPL Aberdeen career.

My simplistic thinking relates to older people in Scotland. My two lots of grand parents had a total of 9 children between them. My parents then again produced the average, at that time, 4 children. We, in turn, have produced 8 only, instead of the expected 16 as per our historic family production. That 8 have only produced 3 to date - this figure should be 64 if we had all followed our historic production levels. Now if we look at my family as being the norm with lowering birth rates, the situation unfolds as follows. Grandparents had many offsprings making money to support the system they needed into old age. Parents had no great problem. We, however, will have bread and water unless we tax the poor working souls at 75% to pay for our bum wipes, improved medical treatment, etc. So, the solution, bring in the immigrants, redress the balance, have them work, pay tax and 'hey presto' my water is turned into wine! Good, eh! Anyone reading the above and suggesting a blue pill at 60/65 to solve the problem - think hard about that - the demise of your favourite football team. If all the sweetie rustlers got blue pills the club support would reduce by 50%, this would not really affect the catering profit but loads of 'pennies' would be lost. The noise level would be greatly reduced, no more sweetie rustling and all the excellent constructive comments would no longer be heard ''Babsie Grant would have had a hat trick by now'' ''Where's Juppie when you need him'' ''Rodwell would have threaded that one through that gap'' ''Jimi Jabi? Give me Jimmy Hogg anyday'' and lastly ''In my day the players all worked for a living! This lot.... bloody pansies.........!!''

Like Lewis Hamilton is a sh.t driver because he has not finish well this year!! It will be how well TB does with the players at his disposal. I think we will do well to keep him for the full year, that is not negative, as he could be noticed and be in demand even if we are not top of div 1. Getting the best out of his team is the key, the team can be so much better than the individual players skills if managed correctly. This, I believe, is the basic reason for the ICT curse when players leave!

I would suggest that he is viewed by TB as 'work in progress' It was noticeable and remarked upon by the commentators, on a televised game, that he was receiving encouragement from the management staff all the time and even then, on losing possession, he followed the ball/man right across the front of the defenders, trying to rectify his fault. I do think he is potentially a very good player, with an acceptable level of skill at this time and will get better but needs leadership and direction on the park. He has improved with match practice and will continue to so do but his position will be up to TB and the playing staff at his command. The players he will be up against, in the main, will not be of the same class as in the SPL so it could be a super year for him to hone his skills.

Stevico1 You will perhaps know better but the report on TV said two 15 year olds were arrested and I watched them going into custody. The gun I have not read about but they would have to be mindless to have a gun in the first place. I have also seen the houses with the broken windows, as well as the church hall, so are you suggesting that this was the work of the Loyalist Army and they are now improving their standing in the community by throwing stones? Bombs? Guns? No we just throw some stones now!!

I was very much NOT being serious!!

I do not think the above is well put at all!! The 'Loyalist Nutters' are two 15 year old boys and were doing things some 15 year old boys do! If they cannot find a grannie to mug, lets do the Romanians. To then give them any handle other than mindless laddies is a bit over the top. I suppose in a land where all the people have strong religious ties, like the OF supporters, someone had to bring up the camp to which these boys belong and use that as a brand image. Thank Heavens it was not one from each side, a reporters nightmare over there. I have had first hand experience of both sides of the devide and believe me, if you are comparing their degrees of badness, as they say here in Aberdeen, didna bither! One is as bad as the other. It is a small number of people on both sides, along with the press, that create the atmosphere. The people of N Ireland are remarkably untarnished and try to lead a normal life.

"In regards to being able to "take it", you can be sure that if someone wants to make justified and constructive criticism of anything I have to say then I'll happily listen" I again apologise for my selective quoting but at no time did I refer to you being/not being able to "take it" if you re-read my comments you will note that I am referring to the fans, plural. I have no recollection of you ever using muppets when referring to the board! The point I was making, quite simply is, if you tease a dog often enough don't be surprised if he, at sometime, snaps back!!

"And finally...."not complaining in public about the mud that is thrown" did you miss the public outburst aimed at the Chairman of the Supporters Trust back at the turn of the year?" I read the above statement on here so often but I am surprised that someone who is continually referred to as a MUPPET had only one outburst, public or otherwise! I rather doubt if I could be so in command of my emotions over such a prolonged attack, right up to this day. I feel we, the fans, can only give it if we are willing to take in return. Can I take it then Don, reading your above reply in full, that you along with IHE are keen on some sort of fans confrontation with the current Board?

OK Alex, i'll correct you,Callum Mellvile is not in the building trade but is involved in your world ,him and his brother own Cosalt marine supplies to the oil and gas industries.He is currently negotiating with John Bennet a united director (who came over the road to be on the Dens board for a short period and assisted financially to help us out of the mire) to purchase back Dens. Thanks. I did read that he was a Dons fan and a friend of Milne. I also read something about the Tannadice link with Dens but couldn't understand that one. Callum Melville is on record stating that it is the personal abuse Stewart Milne receives from the Dons fans and he felt that, being a local lad, he also would be subjected to and that made him invest in Dundee instead of his home club. Food for though there maybe for ICT!! Please invest with us and be labelled a MUPPET. John is/was the leading light at J & E Shepherds, the national surveyors, with their head office in Dundee and was, as you say, a knight in shining armour when Dundee were financially up against it.

Well, Sir, if this was already in the public domain, I for one did not know this nor did the above posters! If this knowledge had been shared, by you, earlier, a lot of negative posting could have been avoided as the lack of info from within was fueling comment. Now there is substance, posters will get their heads round it! No doubt Monday could also offer further info.

At least by November, trial time, his involvement with ICT will be a memory and, let's hope, the headlines will have him at Ross County instead.

Going screaming over a cliff, unlike my pal, peacefully passing away in his sleep, whilst driving the bus!

Just to establish my reason for the reply and taking your above post as a template: 'I think its owed' are your words hence my emphisis on the I. The 2 goals, in my opinion have a lot to do with it as this margin sent us out of the SPL and created much of the neggies being posted. Like Scotty, I would also suggest there are three camps and most are in the middle one but I have sympathy for some who wander into the first camp on reading the neggie posts on here. I would also agree totally that it is your perrogative to be frustrated with the current situation, (join the clan) and I can only hope, after this week-end, we can begin to see a way forward. I think the activity in Dingwall and Dundee has also created a feel that we, if anything, are going backwards but they are looking towards the new season and this is difficult to accept at this time. .

Yep, so she corrected her statement. Faultless is lifeless, so they say!