Yngwie

Maybe its something to do with the new catering contract? Lindleys will need staff for the kiosks, as well as mince for the pies.

It's pantomime season and Barry was the perfect villain.

He signed for Livi when they were our 1st Division rivals.

My thinking too. Without Esson this season we might be anxiously looking over our shoulder at Ayr/Airdrie/Morton.

Why do you think that? Because - they are good players who would rather not be languishing in the middle of Scotland's 2nd league - most are out of contract at the end of the season (I think) - other, better teams will want them - we won't be able to afford to keep them on. Our playing budget next season is going to be slashed, let's get used to it! We gambled this season on living well beyond our means to get back up, it hasn't worked.

Awful record against the decent teams, not acceptable. In the last few weeks Dundee have gone to County and Partick and won both times, whilst we went to the very same places and got nothing.

Well yes, but they'll be away by next season (apart from perhaps Eagle).

I see we "subbed the sub" today, Sanched getting just 9 minutes.

Likewise :P

Ross has some skill but is a total lightweight and will never make a tackle in his entire career. Maybe that's something to do with it! OK I'm exaggerating a bit there, but you get the point.

For a midtable side to go away to one of the top teams and get a point has to be considered a decent result. and must be a good effort to hold on for that point with 9 men.

Bougherra is Algerian isn't he? Karim Kerkar (ex Clyde and Dundee Utd), definitely is but I'm not sure if he's still in the national team.

Does any other team have an easier group? Spain or Italy perhaps.

Beckham told Charlize Theron yesterday that England want Switzerland from pot 4.

I'd find it easier to believe he was once a goalkeeper rather than a striker! He's done well to abandon ALL of his attacking skills and instincts, and focus on his midfield role.

With the draw about to take place in South Africa, we're getting to the stage where the World Cup (and England's involvement in particular) will be mentioned almost daily on the news. Every reference to North Korea will be followed by the mandatory "who last qualified for the World Cup in 1966. And we know what happened then!" I can exclusively reveal that the draw has actually been made in private and England's group will be: England New Zealand Greenland Isle of Man OK so I'm bitter that England always get easy draws and Scotland aren't there. Although I'm not sure if there's a single team in the draw that I'd expect (Burley's) Scotland to beat. Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia

Nooooooooooooooo! The times I've seen him there were catastrophic. One at Tynecastle makes me shudder.

We need to find out which joker thought it would be funny to bring some Kryptonite to training.

It's an advance payment of prize/participation money.

Excellent highlights, which perhaps confirm that we really shouldn't have lost. No defending of the throw in that lead to their equaliser, what was going on there?

That's what wins leagues.

It's certainly true that our best players will be off at the end of the season, along with the management team. There will be a huge rebuilding (or salvage) exercise needed in the summer.

Disastrous draw. Not happy.

I was at a Scotland U21 game v Lithuania a few years ago where we needed 3 points to win the group ahead of Germany. 0-2 with 10 minutes to go, got 1 back then Stephen Hughes scored 2 in injury time to make it 3-2. But in the Pele days at ICT, that sort of thing was not uncommon. You never batted an eyelid at going behind, whereas these days you know it's pretty much over. Come to think of it, when we take the lead you suspect its over too.

Unlike us, of course! I'd like a nice easy tie against lower or non-league opposition. We'll save the moneyspinners for later rounds.