CELTIC1CALEY3

Stuart has had a good year scoring goals. Lets hope he breaks our goal drought as well as stopping the likes of Ginger.

Professor RIG, My theory is this. When we joined the SPL our drive was that we had to prove Speirs and the other doubters wrong that we would be relegated. In year two it was very much the same but with extra drive to prove we could punch above our weight and reach the promised land of UEFA. This year began badly but we were then driven by Brewster's misfortune and until he was sacked that acted as a major driver in our performances. Now that he has gone we have achieved nothing. The fear of relegation did not motivate the players against Motherwell. This week we have openly fought amongst ourselves. Hence my belief that the curse may be operating in reverse. Somebody has to find a solution to turn it back in our favour. CELTIC1CALEY3

Since Craig Brewster was sacked the curse has been on the whole of ICT and Charlie. We were doing well until he got sacked.

It looked fair to me but I will reserve judgement until I see it on TV.

Ian Black didn't get booked though.

We didn't! Three critical points lost. Maybe the spectre of relegation will ease the sluggish play.

This time we will be waiting for St Mirren. Presumably Chick Young will now spend Hogmanay in Hootenannays? Presumably Rossco and some of our loyal supporters will then pick him up and carry him through the harbour area to the game singing him a range of Rod Stewart songs on the long painful journey.

Well tie me kangaroo down sport, no sooner has Ivanaukus sped off down the A9 than we welcome the 5,000 SPL goalscorer. This is a game we must not lose and hopefully our forwards remember their role is to score. As for the back five, their job is to stop Skippy and co and hopefully the referee will clamp down on Skippy if he starts diving like a salmon in a billabong. Come on Dargs give us a goal. Richie my friend, if you start, bury the ball. Barry my boy, you've played well this season but why can't you pull out a cracker for Christmas?

What a bunch of whimps!!!! Berra, 21, is becoming used to the weather in the Highlands after a similar goalless encounter in March. He said: "Inverness is always a difficult place to go. "They are a hard-working side and no team in the country is going to get it easy. "We kept a clean-sheet and that was positive after the things which have been going on and it is something to build on. "I remember last season when it was 0-0 and the conditions were terrible - it was like playing in a hurricane. "There was good weather in the first half on Saturday, perfect for football. "But, in the second period, it started to get rainy and windy - I think they turned the wind machine on against us. "However, we kept a clean-sheet and that is a positive."

Does his granny not come from Glasgow?

Yesterday was a very entertaining game. For a spell before half time we created some significant opportunities but Britain's best goal keeper stopped us scoring. In the second half there was plenty of incident and entertainment. Mark Brown had one major save to make and he was alert to Hartley's drive. Two of Scotland's finest goal keepers at their best. Even the Hearts fans were in awe of Mark Brown chanting 'Scotland's number one'. There was drama before the start. Would Pressley return? He did, so did Ivanaukas and baby Romanov and Big Daddy. Grassa calling stewards in to escort the paperazzi from under Romanov's nose. Iain Brines warning Hearts players from the kick off about diving. Ian Black booked rather unfortunately I thought. Then Donald threatening him with various tortures if he picked up a second booking. Hearts packing their side with Scots - more than usual. Romanov's Mole plus McCann plus Wallace all coming off the bench. Fan power for one week. Dargo and Denzil giving Berra the skitters. Dargo kicking a chunk out of Berra and getting booked for it. Richie Hart in a cameo appearance sending a left footer wizzing past Gordon's post - Gordon a mere spectator. There was masses of entertainment. Don't believe everything you read in the press or on the radio. Oh, and Rossco's tackling was ballistic.

Motherwell should be a cracker next week. And on a lighter note, I have to say Iain Brines had a very good match today. Craig Gordon once again stopped us winning - the big question is not whether one of our players will score the 5,000th - that sadly went to the diving Skippy - but who will score our next goal after three blanks.

He's also an unsung hero and Russeldinho as a nickname has real meaning: Selected for the Brazilian Under-15 side when aged just 14, Ronaldinho lined up in midfield against a Scotland side which featured Paul Gallacher of Norwich City in goal, and Hearts' defender Robbie Neilson. At right-back was Russell Duncan, the Inverness Caledonian Thistle player who might trade some banter with Neilson later today when the pair line up against each other in the Highlands. Duncan later played for a Scotland Under-16 team that defeated an English side boasting the likes of Alan Smith and Scott Parker 5-1. But he saw little in the kid from the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre to convince him he was sharing the park with a future winner of the World Player of the Year award. Ronaldinho wasn't even the best player in Glasgow's southside that evening, with Jim Paterson, now at Motherwell, scoring Scotland's winner in a 1-0 victory. "I remember Andy Porteous put in the cross and it came skidding past a few defenders," says Paterson, who was thrilled yesterday to hear Ronaldinho had played that night. "The ball came to me, and because I hit it with my right foot everyone thought it was a mis-kick! It went through a defender's legs and squeezed in past the keeper." Coincidentally, former Motherwell player Willie Pettiegrew handed in a programme from the game to Fir Park a fortnight ago. Paterson remembers skipper Keith Brown as being the star at the time rather than Ronaldinho. Signed up by Kenny Dalglish for Blackburn Rovers, Brown's career didn't hit the heights expected and he is currently playing in Australia after a spell at Berwick Rangers. John Paul Dow went on to become top scorer in the Victory Shield that year, out-gunning even Michael Owen. On the books of Celtic at the time, he is now playing junior football in Greenock. By contrast, Ronaldinho's whereabouts are tracked constantly by photographers, with a Maria Chuteira (Maria Boots, as football groupies are known in Brazil) likely to be on his arm. Of the Scottish players who played that night, three appear to have slipped out of the game. A further two, John McClelland and Alex Notman were later forced to retire through injury, although the latter is in the throes of a comeback with King's Lynn in the BGB Premier Division. "I just remember them all as being very small and skinny, although with good technique," says Duncan. "No-one really stood out. Certainly not like Ronaldinho does now. I can't wait to tell my team-mates that I played against him, though. Graham Bayne [inverness striker] is with me just now, and he's pretty impressed. 'No-way', he said, when I told him earlier. I think I still have the programme that was produced that day somewhere in the loft. I will have to dig it out and check out his name next to mine."

Valdas Ivanauskas will not be there because he is preparing for his court case. Suggestions that he would be driving the team coach as opposed to driving the team as coach have been descrided as unlikely. A driving ban in the UK does seem more likely than an appearance in the UK. The big question remains whether Vlad will turn up to back his players. It would be even more interesting if he donned the tracksuit and spent the game in the technical area shouting obsenities at the fourth official only to discover the SFA had pulled a fast one and given that job to their only Russian speaking referee. Regardless, we desperately need to start winning points again.

I am sorry to hear that your new manager and Malofeev both feel Craig Gordon should have saved the shot against Rangers today. We think he's a dodgy keeper too! We welcome your reserve keeper at the Caledonian Stadium. You probably note we have a thread headed 'Ask the Chairman'. Unfortunately this was not put up purely for you to provide 100 answers. We hope you enjoy your visit to Inverness next week. With the sea at your back you will get a warm welcome. Is Mr Pressley likely to return to his northern roots next week? Being an Elgin boy he will be keen to play.

If Mark moves on, he thoroughly deserves it. Great to see him making a minor improvement to his international record.

E-bay have two cabinet trophys at £0.99p at present. Should we not rally round for the County as a goodwill gesture?

He lacks his old spice.

Well done - now watch you don't get relegated!

We've had players leave and fail. Managers jump for big money and fail. Now we have Stan Petrov saying his career in Scotland ended in the Caledonian Stadium. "A game at Inverness Caley Thistle late last season brought it home. I couldn't get motivated. The spark wasn't there. I spoke to [O'Neill's successor] Gordon Strachan afterwards and he said he totally understood. I said I wanted to leave. He tried to keep me but he knew where I was coming from." We've had various theories about the hidden powers under Tommy's Turf but can anyone explain this phenomenon? Ever since Chick Young first set foot inside the ground we've had mystical powers? Did he place a spell on things? Answers to Jim Traynor on your call.

Some may well go on an earn the right to wear the shirt as well.

Russell should be able to handle Scotty Brown better than Blackie. Thomson is a problem as is Beuzelin so there has to be graft in midfield.

Not Saddam's information minister but someone with the same skills. The new man in the spotlight, and selected to preview this evening's CIS Cup match against Hibs, was Alex Kozlovski. Kozlovski, the former Dinamo Minsk player, is called "sport director" on the Hearts website. Asked what his role entailed, Kozlovski, : "Everything that can help to improve our football." Asked what that meant in practical terms, he stated: "In practical terms, I'm giving interview right now." "There is no role for Riabovas. He is here for professional improvement. He came to see us training to improve for his team in Lithuania. ''I only met him for two minutes.'' Ten minutes later, speaking to the written press rather than the broadcast media, he had a slightly different story. He was asked if he had worked with Eugenijus Riabovas at training. "And could you say who is that?" he replied. "I don't know him. I don't know who is this guy." "I met him just for five seconds. I don't know him."

Bayne was probably up for the hook. Having seen TV tonight Rossco looked a bit sluggish for the goal. Having said that he missed a lot of early games because of his injury and I thought he was a rock last night against some very good attackers. Dargo will be fresh Saturday as will Bayne. Dargo will be angry so here's hoping Hibs go to extra time tomorrow and then lose at the death on a terrible penalty miss by Scott Brown.

If Craig had not got cocky he would have covered up his lack of basic intelligence. It now explains why he could never get the upper hand on Calderwood. He couldn't step back and assess his 'mentor'. Having said that, the Dons have a very good squad out tonight.