DoofersDad

After not beleiving for most of the season I am pretty confident now for a lot of reasons. Last season the team had been all but safe having been well behind and then blew it at the end. That will really hurt and there will be no complacency this time. We are currently the best team in the league by some margain. It is not just that we are top, our goal difference is also a good indicator of that. As a result the players know that if they play to their strengths then we will not drop too many points. We are very much the form side over quite a prolonged period with 5 consecutive clean sheets. There is no reason why the players should feel particularly nervous. None of the teams that could pip us are playing well and there is no reason to suggest that any of them are going to go on a good run. The league is very competetive and all the other teams are going to drop points. To be honest I think 3 wins and 3 losses for us and we would still be champions and therefore there is some margain for error here which must also give the team confidence. I think we are in a position where we will win the league with a couple of games to spare.

Two Highland derbies in 10 days. It could be 10 years until the next one!

I'm surprised Barrowman wasn't playing today given the strong wind. I was worried that the wind might deflect his shots way off course and divert them goalwards.

The sending off may have been harsh (couldn't see from where I was) but when has being 1 man down made such a difference in a match. We were simply different class. The second goal was a fabulous run from Jonny before skillfully putting it on a plate for Eric. County barely threatened at all with Esson more at risk from hypothermia than the County attack. There was less urgency from us in the 2nd half but despite that there was good build up play although the ball didn't quite run for us. We were certainly at least 3 goals the better side. It was cold though - I had to put my shirt back on for the 2nd half. Fans were brilliant. Non stop siging throughout the match - well done lads!

If we go on the sort of run we did at the start of the season we will not win the league. But why should we go on that sort of run? We are a very much better side now than then.

We are the form team at the moment and the poor form of others must give the team confidence. We have taken 14 points from our last 6 games. Dunfermline have taken 10, Dundee and Queens 7 and County only 6. If that was to be repeated for the next 6 games, we would have 66 points with one to play, Dundee would have 58 with 1 to play, Dunfermline 56 with none to play, County 50 with 4 to play and Queens 50 with 3 to play. In other words, if current form is maintained we could have the league sown up with still a couple of games to go. Based on current form, we could be 8 or 9 points clear at the end. Beating County on Tuesday would put us 11 points clear of them having played 3 games more and the title would be ours to lose. It's a huge game but the way current form is going a draw or even a loss (perish the thought) would not be a disaster We have been showing consistency for some time and are the form team. It is therefore realistic to think that based on the current form we should now be favourites to take the title. I didn't believe a couple of months ago, but I believe now.

Isn't Walter Smith out of contract at the end of the season? Obviously it ain't going to happen but it would be interesting if it did.

County are expecting a lot of travelling support. As a result I understand arrangements have been made with Scotrail for a special train. http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...%26tbs%3Disch:1

Andy Barrowman had several chances against us on Saturday without ever causing Esson a problem. From the report of County's fine win against Hibs tonight it seems they have managed to win despite Barrowman being at his usual inept worst. "and lone striker Andrew Barrowman scuffed one wide after good work from Scott Morrison." and "The Highlanders responded with a Barrowman header at the back post that looped over a stranded Smith but bounced a few feet wide," and "following an almighty scramble, which saw Smith save at the feet of Barrowman." Whilst it is encouraging that he hasn't lost his ability to send the ball out of play further from the goal then where he actually hit the ball, there is an inevitability of him getting lucky and finding the net at some stage. I just hope it will not be on Tuesday but, with the jinx county seem to have on us this season, I fear it may be.

I think the Forum is quiet due to nervous anticipation. The recent form table is interesting and shows why people may feel that way. Points from the last 6 games played are:- Dunfermline 16, ICT and Ayr 12, Morton 9, County 8 Partick, Dundee and Queens 6, Airdree 5 and Raith 3. This is a really unpredictable league and the title is there for the taking. Consistency is the key and we seem to be the most consistently reasonable team in the last couple of months. Believe!

The game for me was summed up by the contrasting games of Rooney and Barrowman. Rooney worked hard but hardly had a sniff at goal. Barrowman did not work as hard but had several chances / half chances from which, as usual, he made the ball boys work far harder than the goal keeper. The point here is that County created far more than we did and always looked the more likely to score except for a good, but brief spell in the 2nd half. That's 3 league matches this season that we have been a clear 2nd best to County. With Dundee and QOS both faltering a draw was a good result in the circumstances but it does mean that the game on the 30th really is a huge game for us. If County dominate again and get a win then I cannot see us finishing above them.

I am happy with a point due to the other results in the division but the performance today was dire. There was a good spell in the second half for 10-15 mins or so but in truth, we were lucky to come away with a 0-0. Long ball football for 80 minutes and it was boring to watch, county were the better side and will probably feel that they should have won. We are lucky not to have lost ground today but if that sort of performance continues then you can kiss promotion goodbye!

Excellent news. We've now got enough players to enter a 5 a side league next season.

I don't think it suggests or implies everyone 'supports' one of the Old Firm, but as in most either/or scenarios people often have a preference. True. But it's like asking whether you would prefer to have typhoid or cholera. Both options make you sick.

Not sure that's right is it ? The more times a coin comes down tails doesn't make it any more likely to be heads the next time. Yes, but what's the chances/odds of you flipping two heads in a row? After you flip the first head the odds are 50/50 on the next one, saying that though there are far too many variables in football to make a comparison to flipping a coin which can only ever have three outcomes per action. Flipping a coin is a 50/50 chance as long as it is not weighted. Regardless of what has gone on before there should be a 50/50 chance each time it is flipped. Apart from the traditional way to decide who kicks off, football is not down to statistical chance. The longer Morton go without a draw the more likely it becomes that there is a reason why they don't draw games and therefore statistically a draw becomes less likely. I think their proven ability to lose matches will result in them losing yet again.

Dundee have 48 points from 25 games. If they carry on at that rate they will end up on 69 points. To get 70 points we need 28 points from 11 games. 9 wins 1 draw and 1 defeat is a tall order and whilst possible is, I think, unlikely. We need Dundee to falter a bit and I rather think they will. I didn't think I would say this after watching the first County match, but I think we've got a real chance of winning this league.

I'm all for innovations that will produce more attacking football and give advantage to attacking football but I don't think this is the answer. The through ball bisecting the defence and beating the offside trap is one of the joys of the game and I think that doing away with offside would radically change the way in which defences were organised. What I would like to see done to promote attacking football is to outlaw the practice of defenders shepherding the ball out of play. I would have thought they way this is done was technically obstruction but defenders get away with it. Also it is common practice for defenders to obstruct and hold attackers in the box and they constantly get away with it. If the attackers do something much more minor in the box and score as a result, the "goal" is almost always chalked off. In the English league cup final, near the end, Dunn nearly got on the end of a cross with a despairing lunge and whilst the commentary focussed on his effort I was wondering why Heskey had not made an effort to get it. On the replay it showed Neville, I think, not watching the ball at all but just watching Heskey. When the ball came over and Heskey went to jump, Neville took hold of his arms and physically held him down. This was on the 6 yard line right in front of goal and neither the linesman or the referee saw it? The referee also failed to send off Vidic early in the game when he gave away a penalty and was clearly last man. We don't need radical ideas to improve football as a spectacle, we just need referees to apply the laws of the game as they currently stand.

I can't see those with the financial clout wanting to increase the number of teams if it meant reducing the number of times the old firm play each other. What I can see is the introduction of play offs. On the one hand it can seem very unfair on a side that finishes a clear 2nd only then to see the team that finished several points behind get promoted. However, it does keep interest going so that most teams have something to play for until very late in the season. There is no doubt the concept has been a real success down south, particularly with play off finals at Wembley. Keeping 12 in the SPL with the bottom club going down and 11th joining 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the 1st division in play-offs would seem to be a very realistic option and one that I would certainly support.

It's good news because we need some stability in order to get more players signed up. Personally I am glad it's a one year deal and not three because whilst there has been steady improvement through the season, there are still a lot of question marks over TB's judgement of players. I still maintain that he has arrived at the reasonably settled line up we have now more by default than good judgement. Remember, at the start of the season he was playing Lionel, Stratford, Eagle and Barrowman rather than anyone but Lionel, Proctor, Hayes and Rooney. But credit where credit is due. The team seem to be playing much more as unit these days and playing with more comittment - so much so that we do have a realistic chance of winning this league. The improvement needs to be maintained and I am yet to be convinced it will be. Seeing a slump in form and falling to mid table mediocrity or worse next season would be a disaster if TB and MM were on 3 year contracts.

The best Scottish teams seem to emerge when the English do well. There was tremendous pride in the Scottish team when they defeated England in 67 and became unofficial world champions. In order to act as an impetus in producing a great team again, the best thing for Scottish football would be for England to win the World Cup. Support England - just don't buy any English newspapers!

Fair comment OCG. The important thing you said there is that you do not wish England ill - but sadly there are some who do. I think it entirely reasonable that some would support Brazil or France or whoever because of the style of football they play or because they have players who play in Scotland etc. What is sad are those who would rather support teams from countries with dreadful civil rights records or teams who play dirty and excell only in gamesmnanship. Just what point are they trying to make by supporting teams like that?

But there's a difference. Like it or not, England and Scotland are part of the United Kingdom whilst France is not. People from other countries find it difficult to understand why the four "Home Nations" have separate football teams rather than a single UK team as we do in the Olympics. It is a very strange arrangement and really we all ought to be behind a single UK national side. But for some reason the UK is allowed to field 4 sides and as part of a so called "united" kingdom, it is not unreasonable to expect that the bonds that unite the 4 nations would mean that we would support each other. As things stand, England is a part of the same political state as Scotland and by supporting England you are supporting a team that is part of the same political state you belong to - that seems a reasonable thing to expect people to do. If Scotland was an independent nation then things would be different. Believing Scotland should be independent is a good reason for not supporting England but is not a good reason for wanting anybody else but England to win. Of course the English media go OTT on the the hype and that can be irritating - but so what? Let them get on with it and good luck to them. If Scotland had a team with any chance of a good showing on the world stage there would be just as much hype. If you can't wish your neighbours well it is a little bit sad. After all, we're more than neighbours -we share the same house!

It is difficult for the club to know what to do when the weather forecasts are so unreliable. Yesterday I checked the BBC 5 day summary forecast for my post code and it came up with it being sunny for all 5 days - not a hint of a cloud, let alone any white stuff falling out of one. Now they have weather warnings of 50cm of snow! A feature of this winter is how consistently the met office have got the forecasts wrong. It would be interesting to know if the club rely on the BBC forecasts or whether they contract with some other agency. If it saves them putting the USH on for a couple of nights then it would be money well spent.

[/ To me that reads as though Niculae wanted to go and the club were not standing in his way. The fact that clubs from various parts of Europe had submitted bids suggests that someone other than ICT had put word around that he was available. It will cost the club to appeal the FIFA ruling but I feel it is a bit too easy just to say the appeal is being lodged to save face. If that was the motive then to lose the appeal would result in more loss of face than ever. If the club do not feel they have a strong case then they would save face and earn a bit of respect by saying "OK, we got it wrong, we have to accept it, cut our losses and move on". The club will be taking the decision on legal advice. It would be interesting to know whether the club has taken legal advice on this independent of the legal advisers who drew up Niculae's contract in the first place. It would also be interesting to know the basis on which the legal advisers are paid. It would be very wrong if lawyers were being paid to persue a hopeless case resulting from a poorly drawn up contract if they themselves drew up that contract and recommended the appeal. For now, I feel there is so much detail we do not and cannot know that we have to accept the club's position on this and support this decision. However, should the club lose the appeal, we can expect a full explanation from the club on the affair.

Maybe this is a stupid question as I am not up with the technicalities here, but is there any reason why covers cannot be used with the USH? Covers on their own will protect depending on the material, thickness, temperature, extent of wind and the time the freezing temperature persits. But if used with USH then presumably they would help prevent the heat escaping and therefore might allow thawing even when the air temperature was a lot colder than the usual limit for USH. It's the same principle as heating your house - if you have no insulation then it is hard to keep the house warm and hellish expensive to do so. As is often the case, the problem on Saturday was only with a small part of the pitch sheltered from the sun, so depending on the state of the pitch it should be possible to target certain areas for heating and/or covering. If this dual approach is possible then covers could allow the USH to be on for a minimum of time thereby saving money.