davie

I'm still trying to understand that one. How we were not three up by half time is beyond me. We weren't that good, and yet United still had no answer to us. McKay and Shinnie (from the Hayes free kick) could have both added to the score before McKay did and we would have been cruising. However, as soon as United got one back we struggled, although it was the second that killed us. Even then, it could have been different had Golobart netted his header just after. Contrary to what others are saying, I thought Roman Golobart had a great game today. He held the defence together when Hogg went off and he had no choice but to go for the ball when he got the OG. Russell was waiting behind him, and he had been lost by Tokely. The cross from Armstrong should never have got there, but Hayes gave up the chase on that one. I'd agree that there have to be changes - Ryan Esson needs a rest, he's not half the commanding prescence he was last year - and a back line of Piermayer, Meekings, Golobart and Gilet might be on the cards here, despite an utter lack of experience. Tokes was ripped to pieces in the second half to a degree where it was quite painful to watch. The midfield were the most culpable, in that Tansey lost the ball far too often and Cox fitted in just like a man who had been out for a good while. Foran simply needs rested in the same way as Esson does. Nick Ross coming on was baffling. United had shown how to react to this type of game, willo flood being as effective as stevie wonder against a powerful ICT unit. The game changed utterly when Russell came on to match that, and what did we do? bring on our own version of flood. There is something worrying in this team in that there seems to be an inability to deal with any kind of adversity on the pitch. When it goes wrong, the heads go down and TBH you could see us losing as soon as they scored. we really are that fragile. Time to go for broke next week Mr. Butcher, after all we are expected to get nothing out of the game. We need something before we face Aberdeen on Christmas Eve in a game that now becomes massive, and which I have no great confidence that we can win.

No, can't be a connection. Only one of them's full of hot wind.... Happy birthday pal!

Really great to be able to hear these interviews and a good insight into the players and Terry as well. Well done everyone involved. Thank you. Lizi. I sat beside these guys at the game, they are first class! It's amazing what you can do with the interweb when you point it at a subject you love (footie for these guys) and have the talent to front it. I've told them they have to come and see our Irish contingent in situ some time, and they sound tempted. Cracking.

we won because this was the first time this season I'd seen "the scarf" on P&B predict a bad feeling and a 2-0 loss. He needs to do it again.

great, great result today which made the utter dreadful drive back up the road worthwhile. well done Mhairi. We were good value today, could have been 2 or 3 up by half time and defended well, by and large. Roman Golobart was immense, Billy McKay put in a good shift and Esson made some fantastic stops. Make no mistake, St. Mirren are a good side and this was a great three points.

Terrible news. It's a sad fact that people, for whatever the reason, feel the need to leave this life early. Read the RIP thread on pie & bovril, which is sadly being destroyed by an ICT fan called 10CCICT. Words fail me.

Should be OK until some guy called Vlad mugs you on the way out.

Wish we had more fans like him! Well done Donnie.

He doesn't look to see where the ball is and leads with his arm . DC what are you on about ? this is your gawd knows how manyeth post justifying the sending off, and you are still wrong. Of course you are going to look and see where your opponent is before you jump to challenge him for a header - there's no point in challenging otherwise. You can even check again if you have time. If you can see where the ball has been passed from (or in this case lumped up the park from) as a professional you should be able to judge the flight of it, and where you/ opponent and ball intersect. Tansey did. As for your "interpretation" of the laws of the game, they are just that - laws. There is no interpretation. Law 12 (fouls & misconduct) lays them out perfectly well. The referee can only send Tansey off for either "serious foul play" or "violent conduct" There is no such offence as "leading with the arm" I can see no evidence of either of these offences in the highlights. He could only caution Tansey for "unsporting behaviour" which again there is no evidence of. He could have awarded a direct free kick for any number of described offences, including "jumps at an opponent" in a manner that the referee considers "careless, reckless or using excessive force" That is the offence that you have described, and that is the proper outcome according to the Laws of the Game. As my dad would say "gie's peace", but I won't hold my breath for you having the good grace to change your mind.

Why does Greg Tansey "looking for" Samaras indicate that there was intent? Tansey was merely orienting himself before going into the challenge, and therefore has to spot who that challenger would be. He doesn't "lead with his arm" If anything, he tries to leverage off a taller player to get something on the header. Some commentators refer to it as "using your body" There is nothing in the laws of the game to preclude that. If others on this forum want to interpret it as violent conduct, that's their business but they are wrong. Categorically. The card should therefore be appealed.

Celtic were given a present today by the referee, who would simply not have allowed them to lose. The sending off offence wasn't seen by the referee, his view was blocked, but he made the decision anyway. The assistant, who had a perfect view, said nothing. Samaras is actually above Tansey, and to elbow him in the face was a physical impossibility (unless you're inspector gadget) Samaras conned the referee and thereby cheated in getting a fellow professional sent off. He should be reported. Throughout the game, Celtic players were petulant, getting at the ref at every opportunity. Why wasn't Majstorovic booked when Foran was? Why wasn't Mathews (I think) booked for booting the ball into the stand? The standards of officiating were shocking today, and merit protest to the SFA. As for the game, it was ruined by the above. I think there was a real lack of quality, Inverness being dragged down to Celtic's level. I got the feeling that Ryan Esson might have done better at the first goal, but it was inevitable after all the chasing we had done. After all, if they hadn't scored they would have got a penalty. Sick of it.

water bottles suffer. There's your three words. As for the rest of it, I'm sick of hearing the bleating that comes from them as well. "It's a long way" - after Sion, Rennes was a long way. Did you complain about that? Thought not. "It's not a nice place to play football" Neither is the east end of glasgow. In fact if there's anywhere else that does post apocalyptic ravaged cityscape roamed by mutants better, I've yet to see. It's not a nice place, Chris. "They are a long ball side" Pleeeeeeze. Have you seen us play this year? Thought not. Let's see what you make of Foran, Tade and Hayes today, and let's see who resorts to industrial football. Won't be us, that's fer sure. 2-1 Caley Jags - there's another three words (nearly!) GIRFUY Lennon.

Aye, but you're still getting the pies in on saturday. Happy birthday dude

It was. A good value 2-0 win after extra time between two really well matched teams. It has to be said though, that East Fife's goalie kept them in it and it always looked like ICT would win if they took one of the numerous chances that came their way. No.s 2 and 10 scored (I apologise for not knowing their names) but all round much, much better than watching sterile international friendlies. Could Spain have played like that against us instead?

I tentatively agree with Dougal. Gobsmacked.

Depends on your take on what should be legit tackling. Plenty of ref's might have sen it as reckless and ordered him off, but that's an interpretation thing - he certainly went for the ball. TBH, the question wouldn't have arisen had the well player not knocked the ball too far in front of himself. As for the OP, Andrew Shinnie looked a real player yesterday and he might turn out to be one of the best signings Butcher has made.

Utter rubbish

Seething. If we have played better in a long time, I'd love to see it. Passing was great, appetite was there and passion in abundance. Motherwell are an excellent side, but we more than matched them today. As for the goals against, You couldn't legislate for Lasley's strike, it was brilliant. The free kick was farce from the moment it was awarded - yes, a free and a yellow, but Tokely was behind Hogg and it was not a goal scoring opportunity. In fact the only reason that the resulting free kick did score was by smacking Hayes in the dish and deflecting. So a sickening double whammy created from nothing. Inverness were great all over the field, but Andrew Shinnie and David davis were absolute stand outs for me. All this talk of "dodgy defence" etc, is nonsense - Hogg, Tokely and Meekings were excellent. On another point, it's also becoming obvious that the moron in the main stand section behind the dugout who keeps giving Butcher the verbals, no matter the score or performance, is treading an increasingly sticky wicket. That Butcher is reacting increasingly is evidence that this chap is getting through, and distracting the management team. Is it possibly time that Butcher asked to have the guy removed? Great display, great game ,wrong, wrong, wrong result.

One of the best demolition jobs. Ever. Balotelli "why always me?" was a stroke of genius.

Welcome back Laurence. Wotcha on about?

If anyone (including A96) thinks that Russel Duncan or Grant Munro would have made any difference yesterday, they are deluded. All Granty would have done would be to contribute to the very aimless punting upfield that others are accused of, and what people on this forum moaned incessantly about when he was here. TBH I didn't see too much of that yesterday, but what I did see was a team that is desperately short of the width needed to create openings in the middle for Tade and Foran. They don't have the ability to create these for themselves, but they are getting hold of the ball (which just makes it more frustrating) We really need Hayes and Doran back. Now. Defensively, Meekings has given us a choice and surely to God Hogg will be back at some point. If not, it's time to rehabilitate Golabert and put Proctor in a position where he isn't as exposed as he was yesterday. Piermayer being outy next week will create that opening. I think his only fault yesterday was not taking Buchanan out before he reached the area. The real fault lay with the two players who lost the ball in midfield when the game should have been shut down. Midfield wasn't great either yesterday TBH, Tansey and Davis seem too much alike. Cox should make it better. Onwards & upwards. edited - spelling

I could cope if this was just a rant in the same way as Hislops, but his slant actually comes over as a pretty dispassionate analysis of what I watched today. Hislops assessment is right, these guys came across as a buch of journeymen on short term deals who were just claiming a wage. No commitment to the club or the community that supports them. I'df only disagree about Rosscoe because he looked embarrased. Foran was a liability. He is off form, is suffering from the captaincy in the same way that Munro did but has not of Granty's humility. I see no merit in mouthing off at half of your own team when your own performance rates as dreadful. I also don't know how long we can tolerate managerial post mortems that start with "blimey" and claim to not know how it happened. Terry, you should know and you should be sorting it. Just dreadful.

Just back from Alicante, had a much required kip and thought I'd post. Quite a brilliant game. Spain were simply unbelievable and it was a real pleasure to watch Xavi, Silva etc. There's no way Scotland could have done any more (well, maybe Goodwillie could have squared the ball instead of lashing it just after the penalty) but it was fantastic. Spaniards were great fans too so a quality footie experience.

Nice link. I like that.

Couldn't agree more with the OP. Thougt he was immense at the back, and by the same token it was good to see Andrew Shinnie get MOTM after some of the stick he's had. Both brilliant.