bauhaus

We do not have a god given right to come straight back up, but who have we got next season. Butcher and Malpas will be a driving force to get us out, and we will likely start as one of the 4 favorites. However, I do hope we get better refs this year as we were outdone by some "simulation" in several games in the spl. Lovell went down like a sack of turnips today when Rossco put his hand on his shoulder. And you could tell Toks had been done by the look on his face." Anyway players will come and go at all the clubs over the next few months at all 10 clubs, but what will we be facing in Countys league. LIVINGSTON are in dire straights financially- a lesson those wanting to spend money on players should heed. They will be unlikely to challenge over the season, if they get to start in the 1st division. AIRDRIE UTD or AYR UTD will depending on the playoff result probably look to survive, not having strong enough squads to go the distance. RAITH ROVERS will be hoping to get mid place security, although a good start may push them along onto the fringes of the top 3 or 4. GREENOCK MORTON not the easiest place to go often, but cant see them getting a squad together that will get into the top half. ROSS COUNTY will provide stiff opposition to us purely because of it being a derby. Although we might think it 12 points on the board, they may actually be our 4 hardest games. Cant see them pushing for the spl though, but could be the strongest team in the league next season if you know what I mean. QUEEN OF THE SOUTH difficult one this, wonder if Barry would still be there. Think they under performed for most of the season, cup final hangover and high expectations maybe. Lost Dobbie which might leave them in the lower half. DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC will be no pushovers, and showed potential this season. WILL be one of the 3 pushing us I expect. PLASTIC WHISTLE oooh I cant stand them, but I rate their wee manager in this division. Podgie McCall does know how to knit together a good team at this level, just hope them fall short again. DUNDEE FC our main rivals I think. Hope they dont get a sniff of Foran and Kerr, as I would think they would improve their lot with them. Jocky Scott is quite a shrewd guy at this level. Biggest team we will face, but weight of expectation keeps them from shining. If we trim the squad down, keep the main guys who have been important over the time since January, get Vigurs, Rooney, and some of the younger ones good experience we could have a wonderful season. Barrowman might start scoring again at this level and I hope we are the full package. We will need to be motivated from the start though, and theres none better at that than Terry. The emotion in his voice after the game today told me he wants to be here, and I for one want him to get us back where we belong.

We all know he money will be much tighter, but for Kerr and Foran, I hope they show some loyalty to Butcher, as he has shown he was prepared to help save their careers. I think the two of them could be extremely important for us next year. Having had poor times after leaving Butcher before, do you think they will be so keen to go out into the big bad world again, or happy to stay where a manager likes you plays you and believes in you. Remember neither of them had a pre season. Butchers boys will burst the first division next year

There are a lot of what ifs, and half to say Butcher and Malpas have done everything they could. We were down and out and January, and we got to the last day. Going down with a record points total is no concellation, but we didnt lie down. I would say that we have had some shocking referees this season, some very dodgie decisions go against us, but it is what it is. Relegation. But what can we look forward too, Butcher and Malpas are a good team together. We have a core of players who can and have excelled in the first before. Signing up some of the players with talent and fight will be imperative. Munro, Tokeley, Pavels, Kerr, Duncan, Morais, Foran, Rooney, and we have a good start. Others would be worth keeping too, as it will be a hard fight to get out but one which we can win. Looking forward to seeing the real fans turn up next season, hope we do keep good numbers as that will be vital income. Winning a lot more games than we lose. Seeing a few more of the youth coming through, as we do have a few decent players coming through. Standing at away games, brilliant. However I will miss some of the SPL quality players coming here, but not the twisted sisters fans.One thing for sure, WE WILL BE BACK. Board has the right team managing, just want to see their ambition to get back up there. Interesting few weeks ahead

have to admit, I only held my breath a few times yesterday. Some one must have told him " hoof it " if your near your own box.

we could offer them Skoda's and a Wartburg.

Our fate that is. We are the one team who will influence the relegation battle the most. Hamilton, St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Falkirk each have two games each against teams in the bottom half - before the split. They also have 3 against top half teams. It pans out as follows. Hamilton v Dons away, Buddies home, Celtic away, Arabs home, ICT away Killie v ICT away, Well home, Hearts away, Bairns home, Arabs away Buddies v Accies away, ICT away, Gers home, Hibs home, Well away Bairns v ICT home, Gers home, Celtic away, Killie away, Hearts home CaleyJags v Killie home, Bairns away, Buddies home, Dons away, Accies home. therefore it looks like we have the more winnable games. Bairns the most difficult games with them playing the top 3. It also means that as we play 4 of the bottom half in the next 5 games we have got all of the more difficult games out of the way. Pesamistically we should get 6 points and optimistically 11 points wouldnt be beyond us. If I were an accies fan Id think 2 wins poss, Killie fan 1 win 1 draw, Buddies fan 1 win, Bairns fan 1 win and a draw. We should be able to pick up the most points out of the next 5, aslong as we keep working as hard with hunger to stay up. We are also the only team left with 3 home games against the bottom half. If we get just 7 points the table may read Bairns 28, Buddies 32, ICT 32, Killie 33, Accies 38 so it will be down to the bottom 4, but Accies do have half the team injured now.

Is it not usually 1 game only for non violent, 3 for violent, unless ofcourse you are over the points threshold. But is it only for the scottish cup the ban????

not many scots thought of a best! Did Cannigia ever play against us? What about Craig Gordon, as a Scottish Goalie, or even McGregor. It would be interesting to list a best of all players who have graced the Stad de Caley, from keeper, manager and supersubs. Have to say one player who usually tore us apart was Russel Latapy

Hmmm. After todays defeat at Rangers we could add Hamilton to the list. Not because of the result, but more because of the injuries. Offiong will be a big miss for them, as I think he leads the line very well, and they got three other injuries to add to the two that were misssing anyway. The players missing may well drag them back in if they go on a bad run. Lost last 3 or 4 now.

just a thought, but if he is still under contract at Ventspils until December, we could first sign him on a pre contract at the end of the season and negotiate with Ventspils from there - ie Watford and Don Cowie, Ian Black and Hearts. SOMETIMES they will let the player go, sometimes not, but that will be where we have to start especially as Pavels clearly wants to be here! And as far as money is concerned I think he will be earning a lot more than at home.

Where has the confusion come from? Caley announced at ther time that Pavels has signed on loan until the end of the season. Perfectly understandable under the circumstances at the time. Bottom of the league, on a terrible run, not knowing if they were to be relegated bringing its financial impact. I do however think that the first indication that we are to be safe, we approach the Latvian club to purchase the player who has made the biggest impact out of our new arrivals in January. I say this as we arent losing goals again, where as we were still scoring. The main difference in team play is the more attacking tactics, but the most improvement is our defence.

I have to say that I do get fed up with people slatting some of our players. What do we know? It is opinion, and I do think that Russell is excellent at breaking up opposition play. Sure he doesnt get the tackle and ball every time, but my god he doesnt do too bad really. Where his weakness can be is his distribution, and I sometimes think he is then too ambitious with his planned pass finding opponents feet or in the way. Maybe he should just win the ball and then keep it simple. personally I would rather he is in the team than not. However one thing I do know is that Steve Paterson, John Robertson, Charlie Christie, Craig Brewster and Terry Butcher all know more about players abilities and contributions than 'us' supporters, otherwise we would be earning a living out of the game. Every one of these superior football brains have played Russell week in week out. I know other teams have looked at Russell and considered bidding for him, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Notts Forrest and Ipswich come to mind. So if he is such an indifferent player why do the managers pick him. My thoughts are that he is a players player, that s one that his fellow players appreciate being on the pitch as he has more strengths than we appreciate from the stands.

Falkirk, Caley Jags, Killie and Budddies. Anyone from 4 to go down. Awin against Killie and we will have pulled them and the Saints into the fight. We look to have the more winable games before the split, and there will be the odd unexpected result, but with Saints and the Bairns going to a semi, who do you think will be sweating at the end

Any one agree with Yogi Hughes thoughts that Falkirk were the better team!! I personally thought we battered hell outof them when we were down to 10. Scotsport highlights showed this by some way, we did all but score really, and with a bit more luck ,and a stronger ref, could have pulled it off. If I were Yogi, I would not be looking forward to playing us with 11 players. We need to beat Killie, and this might be a godsend, as it gives the boys a kick up the area to be more determined next week. It would be good to go to Falkirk with a 4 point gap, and see how desperate they would be. Killie might well be involvedin the dogfight then if we drag them in, and St Mireen going to Hampden may get them into trouble double quick.

like some of the bairns werent shot by the Army sniper in the north stand today. Who is the bigger cheat, as you cannot say they werent hoping to get an unfair advantage by extending the truth. Russel looked to get us back on a level pegging player wise, an unfortunately for the tv cameras the Falkirk player was milimetres short, still pushed Russel over though contact was chest height. Anyone prepared to say the Falkirk player didnt gain an advantage by out foxing and out witting Lionel D-Z, as he jamp both his feet of the ground at the same time. Is it ok because he won the penalty, I dont think it was actually. Russell I would have tried the same.

lets hope that he has enough faith in us. If he likes it here and we stay up, I dont think anyone in th board would say no to Terry face to face. Something would be worked out.

they have had arrangements with letting agents in the past, as I had been to some to do maintenence on the before and after, although that was mainly trial players. 3 of the U19s live in a house round the corner from us now, so I assume that they have enough contacts to get players settled

According to one of the youth players tonight, Kerr was leaving stadium when they were arriving, and said he had signed. Did nt say if permanent or what though!

anyone tod Kenny Dalgleish there are plenty of golf courses up here, and has Kev Keegan gone into hidding back up this direction. Seriously Id love to see Bruce Rioch here long term

Colin Calderwood - NOOOO. Same style of hump it up the park as Brew GARY MCALISTER - respect but took Leeds from promotion certainties to absolute also rans this year TEL BUTCHER - Think he would be good. Cant think of WHY NOT. ROBBO - Only thing against him is its going backwards again. But him and Brew were different entirely and we played better football with Robbo. Remember how well he did at Pittodrie wih us BRUCE RIOCH- Experience, driven, successful. Little knowledge of SPL. I would not say no though. JIM DUFFY- I would be delighted with him taking over. Experience and respect. ERIC BLACK - A big gamble. certainly has potential, but is it time to put your last ?50 on an unknown quantity at the bookies. It could work. CRAIG BROWN - Absolutely NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! ALEX SMITH - Desperation JIMMY NICOL - Might be convinced. Didnt do to bad at Raith but it was a long time ago JOHN BROWN - Think it would not be the worst to pick. Big enough name to get players up here I do wish that we had CRAIG LEVEIN available. We missed him by 2 weeks when he got the utd gig

Both had a good run of games at Hibs if I remember right. Both have a seasons experience in Scottish game if not more. Anyone know if the are left or right footers as I cant rcall. Both left i think. If they stop us losing goals they will do for me, aslong as they are prepared to scrap and fight.