Caley Mad In Berks

Yes, good luck to him, but I can't help feeling its a bit sad seeing some of our former heros dropping down the leagues, looking for a level they can cope with these days. A lot to be said for retiring gracefully!

The fish seem to be biting well tonight. Maybe I'll get the fishing rod out, stroll down to the Thames (less than half a mile away) and see if I can catch anything.

Sounds as if those crying out recently for Sanchez to be played have been proved right. Thank goodness for that. Still sounds like a pretty inept display though.

H/T 2-0 F/T 4-1 ICT Ross Elgin Sutherland Crowd 2501

It is unrealistic for a club our size to hang on to our best players for ever. You can't blame the younger ones for wanting to move onwards and upwards. After all it is a short career and they need to maximise their earnings while they can I have been tremendously encouraged over the years after losing 'star' players (Robson, Brown, Rankin, Black, Cowie etc) by the way we have overcome it and sometimes replaced them eventually with better players (Esson for Brown, Hayes for Cowie as examples). I just wish our Board would be a bit more bullish in the fees they negotiate for our top players who leave. Other clubs seem to be able to command huge fees for very average players, while we seem to get relative peanuts. So Board, show me you can do it and don't accept less than 500K for Rooney if he has to go.

I wonder what pressure (or incentives!) will be placed on the 4 dissenters between now and 17th Jan. I just hope they remain strong and see this crackpot idea binned.

Couldn't agree more. There is potentially a huge banana skin waiting for us here if we take it lightly. I'd field our strongest team possible. No fiddling about!

H/T 0-1 F/T 0-2 ICT Rooney St J n/a Yellow Duncan Crowd 3995

I think if we're honest, looking at our last 5 games before they came about, we'd have thought 4 points not a bad haul. That is, lose to Celtic, Rangers and Hearts, beat St Mirren and draw with Killie. So we're only a point worse than that. It is just so disappointing that we saved our worst performances for last 2 home games. I agree with IHE that the tactics need to change. 4-5-1 against St Mirren was negative in the extreme. I also agree with Bronson's opening post where he questioned Rooney's scoring record. I tend to think his scoring to chances ratio is not great (forgetting the penalties of course). I'd also like to see Gillet back in the defence. Having said all that, wouldn't we have accepted this position at the start of the season? I think so, and if can hold things together reasonably well in the second half, top 6 is still a distinct possibility.

Likewise, I don't want Esson to go, but the 'good business' argument carries some weight. Esson is probably the second best keeper in Scotland right now. If McGregor is worth six million, surely Esson is worth at least one million.

You have answered your own question - agents - just about the worst thing that I've seen happen to football in all my years.

H/T 1-1 F/T 2-1 ICT Ross Killie Sammon Yellow Duncan Crowd 3151

After a bright start, it sounds as if we're lucky not to be behind! Come on lads, get a grip!

H/T 2-0 F/T 3-0 ICT Foran SR M Higden Crowd 3851 Yellow Duff

Here are a few more - Putting (and icecream) at Bellfield park The Ness Cafe The cafe in the Islands McPherson's sports shop in Ingles Street the sweet shop in Hill street near the Crown school Dan's shop in Old Edinburgh Road (near Hilton) Hetty's shop at the top of Castle Street

A man, passing a pet shop, sees a cat in the window with a sign round its neck which says 'Genuine Amsterdam tabby'. So he goes in and asks - "How Dutch is that moggy in the window"?

H/t 0-1 F/t 0-2 ICT Rooney Hearts Skacel Crowd 11501 Yellow Black

Having been around longer than most of you, I've seen every iteration of organisation in Scottish football since the early 50s. None has been sillier than the current set up with the SPL splitting for the last 5 games. The one I remember most fondly, from my youth, was a straight 2 divisions (A and B it used to be then)of about 18 teams. There was no automatic promotion from non league in these days which I think was a mistake. I'd now favour 2 divisions of 16, with play offs, with regional non league below that with a north v south play off between the non league teams at the end of the season for one place in the 2nd division.

Well worth the draw. We absolutely controlled the first half and should have been more up. The Hayes 'goal of the season' was absolutely sensational. Under the cosh for long spells in the second half and our defence stood up well. Well done lads. Even with so little possession we produced a couple of good chances. Softest penalty I've seen in a long time. Beattie (who clearly has eaten all the pies) blatantly dived and should have been sent off. Good save by Esson althouth it was poorly taken. Hayes was my 'Man of the match' by a mile. He really showed his class today. As did Mcgreggor for Rangers, having to prove many times why he is Scotland's no. 1 keeper. All in all a decent result even though I feel we could have nicked it.

H/T 1-1 F/T 2-1 ICT Foran Gers Miller Crowd 6501

Pardew's credentials for the job are impeccable - OK at Reading, poor at West Ham, even poorer at Charlton, just as poor at Southampton, plus a few months on the dole here and there. Well worthy of a 5.5 year contract in anyone's book. Still, I'm sure he is not worrying unduly. He'll walk away from Newcastle with millions in closer to 5.5 months than 5.5 years I would think.

Chris Hughton's sacking is an absolute disgrace imo. I guess Ashley wants a higher profile name to be in charge. Maybe he should try Shearer or Keegan again. That would see them slide down towards the relegation zone at a rate of knots, which is where I'd now like to see them end up.

H/T 0-1 F/T 0-1 ICT Rooney 'tic n/a Crowd 45501

Elgin, Deveronvale and Buckie That shoud net me a cool ?1300 or so!

I'm very pleased for him. I hope that will give him the boost to go on and start knocking them in for us on a regular basis.