Caley Mad In Berks

I'd be against a winter break. Football has traditionally been a autumn/winter/spring game. I think the football season already encroaches too much into the cricket season!

Just about the most sensible three paragraphs I've read on any post in this forum in a very long time.

I agree, 100%. Surely there can't be many other contenders in this category. I also think that Johnboy's assessment of all the categories is pretty well spot on. So obviously I haven't had enough to drink yet. Still, the night is young...

I'd keep him. He's raw, but shows some potential, plus he scores the odd goal. I'd consider moving him to Right Back, dropping Rossco, and look for a centre half in January.

I wish him well but he wouldn't have been my choice. However, I appreciate that the job itself is a poisened challice, and we can think ourselves lucky that anyone at all will take it!

I'm sure 'heart' is ruling 'head' for many fans on this one. I'm afraid I'm in the 'no' camp, for the simple reason that I can't see him adding anything to the squad as a player anymore, and we already have an extremely expensive management team. Adding Barry to this team, unproven as he is as a coach, doesn't make sense to me. Spend the money on a centre half.

Personally, I see Lionel replacing Golly as an improvement. I've seen Golly 5 times now as Lionel's replacement and would not rate him more than 6/10 on any of these occasions, and on at least two of them down at about 2/10. Only my opinion of course, but at least give LDZ a chance.

I didn't see that one coming!

That's not his first absolute craacker this year, either. Wish we still had him!

Just home after another long, and again disappointing 'away' day, where we proved once again that we just can't hang on to a lead. I thought we were worth a draw today, though. Couldn't see Partick's goals because of the fog so don't know who, if anyone, was culpable. We played some tidy football at times, and finished the game strongly, but in truth, for all our pressure, didn't really create more than half chances. Mid table finish for us this season I fear.

No. I'm sure he'll go at season end if we don't go up.

Just got my flights booked. Hope to make it to Munns by 2ish if plane is on time. Really looking forward to a repeat of last week's first half, only lasting a bit longer this week.

Just got back home, disappointed, but nevertheless moderately encouraged. I haven't got time to read 10 pages of this thread, so forgive me if my comments are repeating what others have said. Absoluely great first half - should have been 4 or 5 up. Hayes magnificent. Douglas made a couple of outstanding saves. Gave it away in 2nd half. Didn't initially spot that their first goal was og from Bulvitis!. All three of their goals came from attacks down Golly's side. I think that says it all. If Lionel had been at left back he would have been held solely responsible, but I'd venture that there has been little criticism aimed at Golly. Imrie foolish, but I don't think it was worth a straight red. Other than that the ref had a good game. Good to see a few faces I recognised in the Tulloch, plus met one or two I hadn't known before.

9am inspection not much good to me and any others flying up from London. I'll be half way to Edinburgh by then. I suppose I can ring the ground from Edinburgh airport, and until then just keep my fingers crossed.

We'll play it in your back garden then!

As a poster, although only occasional, for many years, I can say that I have noticed quite a change in the forum over that time. There seems to be less 'fun' these days and much of the banter now seems to have an edge to it which wasn't there before, which I find regretful. This seems to coincide with the influx of new, younger posters, many of whom have no old Caley or Thistle loyalties, which in itself used to contribute to a lot of the banter in 'ye olden days'. I'm sure this new breed of supporter is the future of both the club and the forum, but it doesn't mean old dinasaurs like me have to like it. Maybe I'd be more tolerant if their posts indicated that they had at least attended school and learned to speak our language. But, perhaps as they mature and develop a culture of their own, things will settle down and the forum may return to a style of 'reasoned debate', rather than the current abuse and name calling which prevails at present. In the meantime I can only add my thanks to the administrators and moderators who carry out a thankless task with patience and, in the main, good humour.

I'm flying up to Edinburgh on Sunday morning, arriving 10ish. I'm hiring a car to get to Perth. As the trains are so bad, if anyone wants a lift from the Edinburgh area to/fro Perth, then just let me know. Contact me by PM.

Presumably Robbo and Ossie Ardiles will have their applications in by now!

Its just gone to the top of my Xmas present list. I see you can pre order it on Amazon for ?14.99 incl delivery.

I think you must be going soft with your advancing age, IHE. I never thought I'd hear you make excuses for a manager. So Butcher is in the same boat as 90% of the rest of the managers in the UK in not having enough money for new players. Would he recognise a good player even if he had the money? Judging by most of those he has brought in perhaps the answer is 'no'. Its his job to motivate and get the best out of the players he has. He 'talks the talk' off the field by all accounts, but it would seem that this is not transferring to the team's perfomance in the big games. Coupled with a clear lack of tactical know how, its easy to see why many supporters now think he should be offski.

I could live with that, as long as Malpas fecks off as well. For once I hope your famous powers of reading the teacups are correct.

Hope somebody saves them. I'd hate to see them go under. I remember some titanic battles against them in my youth, when Clach fans were hated by Caley fans as much as County fans seem to be today.

Yes, amongst many others I guess. Have had to log on to the 'B' site since about 7pm.

Usually after about 45 minutes!

Butcher has been cr*p at most clubs he has been at. For us, the signs were apparent at the end of last season when he started effing about with the team, by dropping Esson and playing others out of position when all the hard work had been done in previous games to keep us up. He blew it then, and he has shown little improvement this season. His tactical nous is non existent and his signings have, in the main, been poor. All he seems good at is the after match chat. I say ' Get him out', even though, no doubt his contract is written in such a way that it will cost us a fortune. But, for me, we should bite that bullet now.