PerfICT

DD is spot-on for me. Goals win games and entertain crowds and we were not prolific last season (if highly successful). We have a squad packed with midfielders and light on attackers, with few options at left back in particular. Spare a thought for Vincent and Polworth who will barely get a sniff this season and will follow Ross out the door, together with Draper. I think this might be tough.

Here's my guess at the league table at the end of 2015/16: Celtic Aberdeen Dundee Hearts St J ICT Dundee United Kilmarnock RC Motherwell PT Hamilton That said, I think that positions 3-12 are totally up for grabs and we could easily end up in a dogfight at the wrong end!

Wow - I'm astonished by the absence of Draper in all these suggestions. I haven't seen Wedderburn yet and I understand that Draper was poor in the home game against Astra, but he was a rock last season and one poor game shouldn't condemn him to the bench. I'm for: Fon Williams Raven Meekings Warren Williams Christie Draper Tansey Doran Foran Lopez If Roberts is fit, I'd play Draper and Tansey holding and have Foran on the bench, with Doran and Roberts wide. Whatever way you look at it, there's a lack of balance in the squad at the moment.

No LB and no strikers are probs we knew we would have since Jan and no solutions found. This could be a disappointing season ahead.

Ooooooohhhhh, come on lads!! Absolutely massive opportunity if we can turn this around! Please turn it on, guys!

Really disappointed to have missed this, but was a shocked as anyone by the starting line-up. Throwing a brand new keeper in at the deep-end is always a risk - communication with the back 4 is a fundamental role for the keeper and takes time to develop. The only explanation for the Meekings right back decision is that Raven is still recovering from injury and wouldn't have lasted. Lopez starting ahead of Roberts exposes our biggest weakness (recognised by all) - no match-fit strikers. Presumably, Tremarco is also not fit to challenge Wedderburn for left back - there is no point in playing Wedderburn, Tansey and Draper in midfield - too similar. Sounds like Williams is the shout for left back, if you ask me. All of that said, the performance sounded decent and there is still hope, despite committing the cardinal sin of conceding at home. I fear, however, that the away leg could be a very frustrating affair without an effective strikeforce.

Eh? This is just a load of garbage. Has somebody got silver and gold mixed up? Hamilton Accies have a great youth system and it is fair to say that The Adams Family and their successors have been prime examples of "buying in journeymen of dubious quality" to save their skins over the last 3 seasons. I hope ICT are taking the SFA to task about this ridiculous mis-representation.

I don't blame the BBC for this one. They've just quoted what the tw@t has said. The buck stops with Mr Grey. His facts are inaccurate and he chose the wrong team as an example (not that a specific exsample was really needed!)

Caleyboy's points are partly true - in terms of some individuals with no real chance of making it through the system being included at the younger age groups to make up the numbers - but the system he suggests would definitely reduce the number of boys who make the grade. Why? The issue is that the lads all develop at different rates - the concept that the boys who shine at 10 years old will have all the ingredients (dedication, hard work, physical development, staying off the booze, girls and drugs) to make it as a pro is completely flawed. Equally, some of the guys who are small and lack physicality at that age might well develop late and turn out ot be the stars when they catch up. So, yes, there is a terrible attrition rate (~95% don't make it), but the only way to make sure you catch the few is to trawl many IMO.

This is very misguided criticism. The point is not how many Scottish players teams have, but how many youth development players have made it thorough the system. IIRC, we had 5 products of the ICT youth development system playing in the match against Celtic at the end of the season - I'm not sure any other team could match that (except perhaps DUFC?) To level the criticism at JH and Latapy is also totally unwarranted - I'm not surprised they refused to comment. The majority of the non-Scottish imports were brought in on TB's watch and have been very successful. What is JH supposed to do - turf them out overnight and replace them with home-grown talent? I have no doubt Charlie Christie is spitting feathers about this. I have witnessed first hand the youth development system at ICT and it is no better or worse than the majority of other clubs on a very meagre budget. The real story here is that the likes of Clyde have seen fit to entrely ditch their youth development system - now that really could have catastrophic effects!

Really sad to see Nick Ross go - I hope we don't regret it! I thought he looked the real deal this year when he came on - worked hard tracking back and was no longer bullied off the ball (semi final against Broon springs to mind). I also think that Nick wanted to move for personal development reasons, which is understandable too. I'm sure his game time would have been limited again next season, so what choice did he have? I don't think our squad looks weak, but it does look very thin, particularly in attack and full back. I think we're late to the feeding frenzy and once again will need to be finding a couple of gems from the lower leagues

Clubs employ accountants to minimise the amount of tax they have to pay, and private limited companies tend to produce accounts containing the least information legally required. To give more than that would be commercially naive. ....except Rangers, who are allowed to ride rough-shod over all regulations because "we need them back in the top flight".

..he'll get off, though!

Blue Brazil fans hardly gushing about him on P&B. Sounds like he needs some work to get him anywhere near Premiership standard. I presume he's cover for Tansey and Draper?

Centre mid/centre half? Surely our strongest positions already....or is this confirmation that Ross and Polworth are offski? Sad to hear Ofere is not joining us. Hope there's a plan B.

I saw Kink come on in a few games and he offered absolutely nothing that I could see. I also wonder whether he'll fit in with our tight-knit bunch. If we've offered him a contract, I'm very surprised and he must be showing something in training that we've not seen on match days!

...why don't they just say "richest wins" and save the bother of playing the tournament? This cr@p drives me mad - all a stitch up to try to manufacture the desired outcome for the sponsors (e.g. Barca v Chelsea in CL). The same is true in the World Cup: of course, we all love to watch Brazil v Germany......but not every tournament! You'll note how slowly these numbers change to reflect performane: English clubs have had a pretty poor laast couple of years, but it's OK because they still rest on previous laurels and the country coefficient, so they retain the 4 CL places. P!sh.

Scott McDonald Someone said he was going to Wigan? If not, I think he's exactly what is needed.

Wow, that's some sentence, Kingsmills!

Excellent - so that gives us more depth in defence and midfield + a striker (to go alongside Ali Sutherland). Would still like Nick Ross to sign and for us to get an experienced goalscorer to help our two young boys along. Then we're not too far away, especially if Williams becomes our left wing-back, with Tremarco as an alternative.

If the guy doesn't want to snap up the chance to come to the 3rd best team in Scotland, then "on your bike, son". The team spirit has been built up on a group of guys who have embraced the club and really want to be here.

Horses for courses - if we need resilience at the back, go with Tremarco; if we want to be more progressive in any given game, go with Williams.

A pity, but better than losing another one to a rival in the same league!

I'll tell him you said that!