Kingsmills

I think the January speculation may have got to Billy a bit and his downturn in form is no coincidence. Hopefully, once the window closes tomorrow, he can get back to goal scoring business with Sunday no better time to start.

Come short as usual? ICT's ten year rise to the SPL. Challenged for a European all season last season despite one of (if not the smallest) wage budget in the SPL. Challenging for third again this season. In the Semi finals of a major competition for the second season in a row despite the aforementioned small wage budget. I don't like your definition of falling short! There's no doubt that when it comes to semi finals we tend to fall short. Sunday is a chance to stop that trend.

If we are going to bring on a 'keeper with an unsurpassed record of saving spot kicks purely for the penalty shoot out then I suggest that we get Jimmy Calder registered pronto...

Whatever you think of the rather strange managerial appointment, you have to give the board great credit for being proactive and securing the bulk of the first team squad until at least the end of next season.

Given that Foran didn't feature, I doubt we will see him on Sunday at least in the starting eleven.

Many fewer than last year.

I suspect that Hughes will be a failure here as he has largely been elsewhere but, given that he is the man who was appointed for whatever reason, he deserves to be given a chance. At least until the end of next season By that time he will have had the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong. If he does so we will all be delighted to admit we were mistaken if, after a season and a half, we are still moving backwards, it will be time to admit the mistake and move on. In the meantime, as supporters, we should be prepared to put our reservations to one side and give the manager our support. Again, he must have said something different in interview other than the tired platitudes and cliches he trots out in public and the board, who are shrewd businessmen, must have seen something that he is able to project in private that doesn't come over in public otherwise he would never have got the job.

I am getting increasingly concerned. We have been largely poor since the new manager arrived and the players are becoming less confident. Hearts, on the other hand, seem to be coming onto a bit of form with a good performance and result last week against St Johnstone and an even better one this week against Ross County. Unless we are fully focused and committed we could be in trouble.

I couldn't understand why we chose Yogi over Hartley at the time and I still can't especially as it seems the latter's 'domestic issues' were not a factor. That said, despite his mediocre record and poor start at ICT, we still need to give JH a chance. Surely the board saw something in him other than being the cheapest option. They wouldn't be that short sighted.

Ah well. Given our history this season after going behind I think I'll give Open All Mikes a miss for the second half and do something less depressing instead.

Better still if it was played in heavy conditions but abandoned after 70 minutes.

Somewhat bizarrely, I was chatting to the cricketing Odhiambo, one of two unrelated Odhiambos currently playing international cricket for Kenya in the summer . Neither are related to our Eric. The surname is, seemingly, common in Kenya and in East Africa generally. Not convinced that the Eric Odhiambo capped for Kenya was the one who played for ICT.

However, there would be a fatter pay packet.

He is a good player and, even if he does sign a pre contract with Hibs, we should still utilise him if his form justifies it otherwise we are just wasting his salary and cutting off our noses to spite our face.

Can't help wonder whether Elgin would have been better staying in the Highland League than constantly languishing near the foot of the Third Division.

The reason for the rescheduling was not primarily to generate cash. Hearts might be in administration but have no critical cash flow issues right at the moment.

Would be a disappointment but we are well covered in midfield and have coped with losing better than him in the past. That said, would much prefer him to stay.

There is a suggestion that Hibs, having lost out on Rooney, are after Gregory Tade...

But, of course, he won't be playing in the re-arranged game. Doh !

We would survive. Munro and Tokely overthebridge was worse.

He went for a bit more money. Wonder if he regrets it now.

Karma should dictate that Stevenson gets sent off and there's at least one lost to injury.

Last season Hearts bent the rules to sneak (in every sense of the word) a victory over us. This year I hope we use the fact that they are again manipulating matters to give them an unfair advantage as an addition incentive to stick it to them. I have to say, I can see very little difference to the set of circumstances that led to Elgin being stripped of the Highland League title.

Sounds very encouraging indeed.

Coventry, at the time TB was in charge would also have been 'bigger' than Hibs.