Caley Mad In Berks

ICT away for home look for attack on the counter - with Proctor,Black,Rankin and Cowie we have that in abundance. But play them and you need a lone striker - a striker who is mobile, harrasses defenders, gets stuck in, holds the ball up, makes space fer the attacking midfielders - Marius has not got all those qualities - neither does Bayne but he has more strengths away than Marius.  

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Haven't we played that system at home as well recently, when Marius has been excellent against Hibs and Celtic?  I still don't understand why you feel he can't do it away from home.

from Coventry

I'd take 8 points. 2 home wins and 2 away draws.

My feelings exactly.  Any more would be a real bonus

Niculae should NOT play away from home - is he still being played fer contractual reasons ?? He is a protected species - Black must be feckin fizzing.

I didn't see today's game.  But I did see last week's on Setanta and the week before's (Hibs) live. Niculae was good, or better, in both. I've only seen him once away from home this season, and thought he did an OK job.  I'm not trying to wind you up, so can you explain to me, as someone who sees ICT more than I, why it is you think Nickulae is cr*p away from home. I've not seen him enough to make that judgement, but it seems stange that any player, let alone a foeigner, should only seem to perform at his best at home.  I get the impression from the many posts you've written on him, that you've always seen him as an expensive luxury.  

lovely sisters

Middle age(d) men who die their hair.

I just hate dead hair, don't you?

Don't know when the cut off point is, but if it goes as far as 26th, Manager of Month must now be a straight fight between Brew and Yogi.

Ya beauty!  That was some last 5 mins!

midsummer night

sparsely attended

Will Hart and Caff be following him out the door next month?

I would think so.  So that would be 3 out. How many in?  McGuire's loan made permanent, I expect and one other good one I hope. 

aye good luck but hope they lose v rangers and we go top six on sat and hump them on the 2 nd

I'll drink to that!

I walked back to the town centre with a Hibs supporter after the game a couple of weeks ago.  He was seriously moaning about Collins, saying he never knew what his best team was and was for ever chopping and changing.  He won't be sorry to see him go.

Personally, I hope he doesn't get the Scotland job.

on heat

lob wedge

Sadly I think Broonies days are numbered at Parkhead. He has been consistently mediocre for them in the chances he's had in the first team, and I wouldn't be surprised if they sign another keeper in January.

I agree, and there are rumours Borac is leaving, so Mark had the opportunity to have the no. 1 shirt, but I feel he hasn't taken it.

AIDEN McGEADY will miss the Ne'erday game at Parkhead against Rangers because of suspension.

Suspensions don't start for a fortnight, which means Celtic will be missing their most influential player for the visit of Walter Smith's men on January 2

Serves him right.  Too mouthy by half, with a nasty streak in him I thought.

Yes Charles, as Miss Cuthbert always used to tell us, "A preposition is a bad thing to end a sentence with".

She must have been some teacher....

Isn't "with" a preposition..?

:024:

She also had a sense of humour,  and recognised irony!

... judging by the AWFUL grammar you subjected us all to earlier in this thread ....

".... to which you subjected us all"!

Yes Charles, as Miss Cuthbert always used to tell us, "A preposition is a bad thing to end a sentence with".

More to the point, who had that horrible feeling that the 'penalty saving maestro'  would actually save one?????

I said that on another thread. When I saw the penalty I wondered how on earth Brown didn't save it to be honest!

Likewise. I felt Brown should have stopped it!  It wasn't a well taken kick.  But I'm firmly in the 'who cares?' camp re the decision.  We were overdue a good break on the refereeing front.  To get two good calls (what with the offside goal) on one day was a real bonus.

If Brown and Thompson are worth millions, then what about the likes of Black, Rankin, and Cowie?

I said on my matchday thread reply that all those 3 far outclassed Scott Brown today.  Surely a Scotland cap can't be long in coming for one (oe more) of them.

.

I've defended him all season, and he's now really starting to look the part. He might well have no pace, but his skill more than compensates.

Me too.  He has taken a while to come good, but I too think he is a class act for the reasons mentioned.  Hard to pick a MOM for me today.  Anyone of Black, Rankin, Cowie , Fraser, Marius.  No failures at all.

Brewster will be getting mentioned soon if his current run continues!!

Niculae played his part, he is not an olympic sprinter but he workrd his socks off today and like Cowie, ran himself to a standstill.

Absolutely right.  As I said on the matchday thread, he missed a couple of decent chances, but he 'won' us the penalty (well done ref!), and this I think was his best match for us, let alone him scoring 2 goals last week.

Play like we did today and 15 is a distinct possibility

Your spot on there Alex, today was THE performance of the season so far.

I quite agree.  If we can maintain, or even come close to today's 2nd half performance, then we have nothing to fear from any of the next 5 matches.  Bring them on!