DoofersDad

Where will it all end? Technology for deciding whether someone is off side or if it is a foul or who the ball came off for a throw in? Just keep it simple, keep the game flowing and keep all the contoversial decisions. It gives us something to talk about and an excuse for when we lose.

Are there any car parks in Airdree?

And u think shipping in some Fijians/Samoans/(watever crazy idea it was) would have better ball control than the current crop? <_< Tim Cahill has excellent ball control. I wasn't aware we'd signed him.

There isn't the tradition of big time football in the Highlands and it takes years to establish. Look down south and you see teams like Bolton and Blackburn regularly pulling in 20,000 even though they are close to the big Manchester and Liverpool clubs and have populations of only, I guess twice that of Inverness, if that. That tradition was built up when there were fewer things to spend money on and it was what the working man did every Saturday. If crowds are going to increase there probably needs to be a significant decrease in gate prices and more entertaining football. We don't necessarily need more people going to watch the team, we need those who do go to sometimes to go more often.

His actions were totally inexcusable but don't you just wish we had someone who could cover the length of the pitch that quick.

And the boo boys should go on a 3 hour coach trip during the game.

Worse the Voghts! Then he must be sh*te. But at least there seems to be improvement with Burley whereas Voghts inherited an OK set up and then made it worse

The real problem for Scotland is the lack of quality players. Is there anyone in the current Scotland team who would get into team GB? I think not. Given the pretty average players at his disposal, Burley has done a not bad job. The excellent perfomances in the last 2 games suggest he is capable of getting the best out of mediocrity. The one class act in Scotland is Boyd as his scoring record for Rangers proves. I am sure if he had been playing, Scotland would have qualified for South Africa. Of course, Burley must take some of the blame for that and maybe his future will be decided on his failure to control his best players. But the real problem for Scotland is the lack of top quality young players coming through. Extend the school day by 2 hours and devote it to football is my answer. Training for an hour in the morning and a game in the afternoon. It's about time the education system got its priorities right.

A more positve game plan from TB, more willingness to shoot from the players and more willingness to support the team from the fans. Is it any wonder the players don't have the confidence to be positive when some sections of the club's supposed support groans and even boos them when it goes wrong. Better to have 3 shots landing in the car park and one in the back of the net than no shots at all. Lets applaud a positive attitude and encourage them to try again rather than boo a poor bit of play. Maybe those who boo'd Lionel can buy a ticket for the other end of the ground next home match and cheer for Partick - that won't have such a negative effect on our players because it won't be obvious that some of our own so called support is actually helping the opposition.

Very excited. I think Foran and Odhiambo has a good ring to it - like Wyness and Ritchie, or Stewart and McLean...... Me too. I don't know that I'm convinced with Foran but I think Imrie and Odhiambo have the potential to pull defences all over the place and that should create space and opportunity for Rooney (preferably) or Barrowman to start getting on the scoresheet regularly. Once they start scoring and get their confidence going they will score more.

To get back to the subject of the thread, yes I do think England look the business. They have often suffered in the past due to lack of depth in the squad and the failure to score as much as they should. They have also played too cautiously. They may still be a bit vulnerable at the back but they look very strong in front of that. With Barry, Lampard and Gerrard they have got players of real quality and presence, all of whom can get forward and score. Lennon, Wright-Philips and Young are all players who can torment a defence whilst Rooney, Heskey, Crouch and Defoe can all score and are very different strikers offering different options for various circumstances. In Capello, they have a manager who is tactically sound, makes sure his players know what is expected of them and who adopts a positive attitude. Perhaps they are not the best in the world at the moment but they are up there and can win it on their day. Football fans will want the World Cup to be all about great football and if their own team has not reached a particular stage will want to see the teams who are playing the most exciting football progress into the next stages. If England are one of the teams playing the best football, as they may well be, then support them and hope for more great football in the next game. All the silly people out there should understand that the World Cup is the greatest football competition in the world and should be a celebration and festival of all that is good in the game. Instead of supporting your own moronic prejudices, how about supporting football?

Will Golly be able to play? Is he cup tied or does the deal with County have a clause which stops him playing against them?

Man of the match goes to whoever took the video. Top stuff. 3rd save by Esson stopped what was a welll struck penalty. I think he moved before the Partick player started his run up but if the ref saw nothing wrong with it, that's good enough for me.

Quite a few contenders here Makes Roscoe look like a pussycat. Whilst it can be compelling watching these, the sad thing is that many of these tackles were or could have been career ending events for the victims. Sometimes, as with Germany's Schumacher, the perpetrators get away with not being sent off or even booked. Whilst we want players to show passion and be committed (and sadly this sometimes results in serious injury) we need the authorities to be really hard on those who cross the line and go in with clear malicious intent.

No. It was his feet that were the problem.

Well...my name's not actually Robert...it's Chris! I understand what you are saying about Butcher's career stats - he has not been particularly successful at numerous clubs...although interestingly enough with a little research I have found in his 26 games in charge of Caley spanning from and including the 0-0 draw against Celtic he has won 10 drawn 8 and lost 8. More of a winner then for us! As far as the squad goes - of course it's down to everyone: the players, board, managers, etc, etc whether we were to get relegated last season...and of course Butcher has to be partly responsible for that too...but we needed a change at the time and it's very, very easy for us to sit a theorise who would have been better now that we are actually in the first division, or even which decisions to make after the game has ended! Incidentally, we also lost a couple of players because they wanted to go (Morais, Black, Kerr), and despite cutting our trading losses from ?432K to ?113K last year (in spite of the recession), that is still a loss. Not only that but a loss at a club which has mostly lead by example in Scotland in how to be successful on a tight budget. Our playing staff was never going to be as good as we wanted it to be this year. It's hard enough to keep players if you're relegated let alone bring new, quality ones in. Besides, I'm fast becoming a fan of a couple of the new players (Hayes particularly). Thing is, we did get relegated and for now we do belong in the first division and there is a good chance we will struggle (apologies for all the italics!). Hard as all that is to take we have to accept it and be patient. We have - in the lower divisions - had some fair success in the past and when that didn't transpire in the SPL a lot of us became pretty negative (as did the football in the last couple of seasons). Personally, I choose not to be that way, even if I do get pissed off sometimes (last Saturday for example. Lost my voice shouting). We've a long season ahead of us and we're gonna be stuck with who we have for a while yet. Butcher still has my support. Look on the bright side: We've a chance to win the Challenge Cup again! Are you sure your name's not Terry?

Far too early to make comparissons just yet. He is rebuilding the team so let's see what the results are like by the end of December. Then compare his results with other Division 1 managers. I don't like what I'm seeing at the moment of the way he is going about things but I hope I am proved wrong.

I think Rooney has promise. It's all about confidence with strikers and he can't have much if he doesn't start even when Imrie, Barrowman and Odhiambo are all out injured. What's that all about?Yes, he has missed some one on ones when he should have done better but at least he has got himself into these positions. When he is on the park he always looks likely to score. When Barrowman is on you just hope the defence plays well so we can scrape a goalless draw. Barrowman has had a good run in the team and has scored only 2. Tokely has a better strike rate than him with Munro not far behind! Rooney should be told he is getting a prolonged run in the starting line up. I think various combinations of Rooney, Imrie, Odhiambo and Foran could do pretty well for us and could lift some of the current gloom. No doubt TB will carefully assess his options when players are fit and play Barrowman as a lone striker.

Butcher's given too many players the chop and what's left is mince.

Nothing like as clear cut as the one in the crunch Falkirk game last season. Anyhow, these decisions are not easy for the refs (well, the 2 handed push in the back in the Falkirk match should have been)and they tend to even out over the season. The intersting point for me is, who would have taken the kick?

I'm speechless - that's why I'm having to write this down. Can't blame Hastings for wanting to leave given that TB seems to prefer LDZ's bungling performances to his honest efforts. But exchanging one defender wanted by a premier division side for one not wantd by another first division side does not inspire me with confidence.

Good one DoofersRenegadesDad. Sure that strike partnership will work wonders.. Why are we only starting 10 men btw? Does Tokely count as 2 players in the lower league competitions.. :P Well spotted - Late fitness test on Barrowman Then whether he's fit or not we'll give Hayes another chance.

Esson Tokely Munro Duff Hastings Cox Duncan McBain Foran Lionel After Saturday Lionel's confidence as a defender must be shot and as we haven't got a striker who can score goals, offering him a career change might be the making of him. He scored a cracking penalty against Montrose. If fit, Barrowman could partner Munro at the back. When Barrowman's in the box the ball never goes in the net. Seriously though, Duff put in some good performances in the SPL and deserves another run.

I know why Lionel kept giving the ball to County players - he was following TB's instructions. TB said to him "Lionel, when you pass the ball make sure you give it to someone who wants it!"

I note a couple of folk are saying things might improve when Barrowman is fit again. Doesn't such desparate sentiments just sum up how awful we were yesterday. Barrowman is meant to be a striker but has scored just 2 goals in 34 appearences since signing for us. That's a worse strike rate than Tokely. However, having been critical of a couple of absolutely dire performances it is too early to call for TB's head and it was wrong for some sections of the crowd to boo LDZ yesterday. The team needs the supporters to support them and not add to their lack of confidence. TB and MM watch these guys on the training ground and know what they are capable of. Presumably they see things in training which suggest they are potentially better performers for the club than proven performers like Hastings, Duncan and McBain. If they can perform better than these established players then I would be delighted to be proved wrong but from what I have seen from the new signings and from TB's continued faith in the woeful LDZ, I am really concerned about his ability to judge a player. Keep supporting the team and give them and the manager time to prove themselves. But let them be under no illusions that we expect much, much better than we have seen so far this season.