hislopsoffsideagain

That was fun!

We did enough to deserve that result; periods of the second half were spent with our back four forming a perimeter around our box, but Aberdeen didn't create very many chances. I can't speak highly enough of Grant Munro today, he was absolutely magnificent and could be seen cajoling and urging his teammates as a captain should. It wasn't always sophisticated, but it was fantastic. Further up the pitch, the boy Barrowman showed his predator instinct to tap in Rossco's superb cross, and then worked like a dog as a lone striker. Imrie should have had a goal but worked tirelessly, and he uses the ball really well, putting the likes of Smith and De Visscher in the shade. In the first half, he combined really well with Rossco who put in a series of great crosses before the opening goal. Duncan also had a great game, getting in about them with Black and winning an awful lot of tackles. I was going to slag off Roy for having one of his quiet days but then he did what he does best - running full pelt when everyone else is knackered - and a goal with his right foot is a collector's item. The away end made a racket today, and the place went flipping mental when the second one went in.

Anyway, it wasn't the perfect performance by any means, but I've no complaints with Brew today after that. Great stuff!

Certainly Grassa and the board couldn't organize a p**s-up in a brewery.  All the good work done when Marius bigged us up throughout the Euros is rapidly going down the pan.

The only way this could get more embarrassing is if a member of the board got photographed by the News Of The World having an illicit encounter with Margaret Thatcher.

There was a sad inevitability about this.  I'm gutted that he's gone but it was always going to be the case that we cashed in on him if he did a good job.

The question now is what we do with the cash?

If we don't sign at least three decent players, for cash, by the end of August, Brew and Grassa have some talking to do...

Farewell Marius, perhaps not the greatest player we've ever had, but certainly the one with the best first touch, and (if only for jumping into the Bridge End vs Killie) surely a bit of an ICT legend.

Certainly, in the case that Ike got injured or sent off in a match, I'd rather turn to the bench and see Esson getting his gloves on, rather than Zibi or (at least for a few years yet) McNulty.

Not a bad move at all, I reckon.

Jeez, does nobody just watch football for the entertainment, win or lose?  Of course I'm gutted when Caley lose, but all I want is some enjoyment.  As far as I was concerned, the 3-4 game with Aberdeen was the best I saw last season. 

Now if people aren't renewing their season tickets because the footie has been dull, or because it's too expensive, then fine.  I find it somewhat difficult to empathise with those who have other issues.

And if last season was a disaster for us, then what does that say about the likes of Hearts and Kilmarnock, or lower down Dundee, St. Johnstone and Dunfermline?  Some perspective, please.

I've sent a match report on the Locos game to CaleyD.  If nothing else, the players all look in much better shape than they did last pre-season. Outstanding performances from Tokely, Duncan, McBain and in particular Vigurs, whose lob with the outside of his left boot was freaking genius.  He was outstanding.  Andy McNulty demonstrated that his ball skills are about as good as we've come to expect from our keepers...

Spain 0 Germany 1

Bonus 1: 0-0

Bonus 2: Germany

Bonus 3: Germany

Bonus 4: 48900

Cheers, Andrew, I've had a good laugh with this as well.

Germany 1 Turkey 0

Russia 0 Spain 1

Bonus 1: Germany

Bonus 2: 71 minutes

Netherlands 3 Russia 1

Spain 2 Italy 1

No goals

According to Euro 2008.com - MARIUS STARTS!

Portugal 2 Germany 1

Croatia 2 Turkey 0

Bonus: yes

France 2 Italy 1

Netherlands 0 Romania 1

Greece 0 Spain 1

Russia 1 Sweden 1

Bonus: none

Switzerland 1 Portugal 1

Turkey 2 Czech Republic 1

Austria 1 Germany 3

Poland 1 Croatia 1

Bonus: six yellows

Italy 1 Romania 0

Netherlands 2 France 2

Sweden 1 Spain 2

Greece 1 Russia 1

Bonus: Netherlands

Czech Republic 0 Portugal 1

Switzerland 0 Turkey 0

Croatia 1 Germany 2

Austria 1 Poland 1

Croatia v Germany

According to the Herald, UEFA are paying clubs 3 grand a day for use of their players.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/football/...ish_success.php

This must be a nice little earner for us!  It'll certainly budget for a decent chunk of his salary.

Romania 0 France 0

Netherlands 0 Italy 1

Spain 2 Russia 0

Greece 0 Sweden 0

Bonus: no

Switzerland 2 Czech Republic 1

Portugal 1 Turkey 0

Austria 0 Croatia 2

Germany 3 Poland 0

bonus: Switzerland

There's a bit of a lesson for the club here.  When was the last time that ICT fans felt acknowledged, let alone appreciated, by the club?  Yet, this little gesture by one of our players is bringing a bit of joy to the supporters and it certainly makes me feel a little bit better about supporting Caley Thistle.

If the club could find ways to make us more proud of the team and the players, then perhaps we buy more tickets and more merchandise and give more money?

It's a thought, anyway.

Anyway, what a touch of class from Niculae.  Come on Romania!

In light of a) Scottish football's continued failure to implement a proper pyramid system, and b) the rather unimpressive candidates looking to replace Gretna, wouldn't be an idea to just not let anyone else in?  I know the odd number would be a little tricky, but I'm sure it would be workable.  Considering the less than impressive progress of Elgin City since joining, who are now destined to stay alongside East Stirling, Albion Rovers etc. as a side who do nothing but prop up division 3, shouldn't some effort be made to streamline the whole thing?

I was watching it earlier - it's Motty's greatest moment when he screams "it's in!  It's Alfonsooooooooooo!"

I like your thinking.  The only issue is over whether, with so many pictures taken off the internet (mostly cut and pastes from google images, plus the UEFA website and national FA websites), it's okay for me to properly "publish" these on the internet, rather than just sending them out by email.  If there are no legal objections I'll put them up no bother.

If anyone is interested, I'm putting together guides to each team at the Euros for my mates - three microsoft word pages with squad lists, stats, likely tactics, pointless trivia and a few fairly amateurish pictures.  My friends think they're a good laugh and it saves them having to track down and pay for proper guides for the tournaments.  Each squad takes up about 100kb.

I've already finished Group D (because most of those squads were named a while ago) and am putting the finishing touches to Group C (including ROMANIA!), with the rest to be finished by next week.  So anyone who wants them emailed, send me a PM with an address and I'll pass them on.  Then I'll await the inevitable barrage of complaints about bits I've got wrong...

World Soccer magazine has their lineup as:

Lobont

Contra

Goian

Tamas

Rat

Cocis

Chivu

F. Petre

O. Petre

Mutu

Marica

However Ovidiu Petre is now out, so I think Cristea may fill in.  Alternatively, Mutu could come into the hole with Nicolita on the wing.  Or I might dare to dream that Marius might be considered for Petre's position.

Methinks I might buy a Romania shirt now!

Cue the sports question being asked in pub quizzes all across the country for the next month:

Q: Which two SPL clubs have players competing in Euro 2008?

A: Celtic and Inverness

And cue lots of Central belt football fans arguing that "that f****** answer can't possibly be right, ya dobber!"