Council Juice

I'd play Christie up top with Lopez in behind at the moment. Christie has the enthusiasm and the anticipation to at least attempt to get on the end of balls. Plus he has always come across as an intelligent person and player. Which should make it easier for him to adjust to the role. He's also got the pace and some finishing ability. Lopez on the other hand might have the type of game to pick out passes for him. The typical Spanish flair. He could be the new Sanchez / Juanjo. I'd use Mutumbo as a winger type to use pace and power to stretch the defence. Him and Williams or Roberts or Doran... Depending who's fit. Need to use Vincent properly again also. Playing Christie as a striker might allow for this. He's never been a winger. But I don't see these players in training on a day to day basis. I still think we should wait until the end of August before hitting panic buttons. Perhaps a influx of shirt sale money will allow for another player to come in.

Probably out around 4 months if it's his fibula. Depends on the muscle lossage etc. Bobby Mann available?

Looking at that, if you include Ferguson we have a first team squad of 22 (if I can count). Can't really see much more business unless someone special becomes available.

Oh why can't Yogi play football manager like the rest of us. Then he'd find that hidden gem! Where's the next cherno Samba when you need him?! (he's recently retired in real life)

3 games played, not looked like scoring. We should have done our best not to finish 3rd. So often a jinx position . So often the team finishing there having a woeful following season. (I think Aberdeen are one of the few exceptions). Reckon an earlier league start is the only way forward to help teams with early euro qualifiers. It always seems to be a hinderance on the league campaign. I'd be happy with mid table and getting the lads who are out of contract next summer tied up on new deals.

Could it be said that Lopez perhaps compares unfavourably with Mckay in that he doesn't have the same type of run himself to the ground work ethic?

Can we give him another call. Reckon him and Andy would make a deadly partnership...

We've been spoiled the last few years with the class of Shinnie. Losing him will take a while to recover. I'd go as far to say he's one of our best ever and certainly the best we've produced IMO. Tremarco suffers due to having to follow in his footsteps. Aside from the cup final gaffe, he's a solid dependable left back. He's just not the same caliber as Shinnie. But that's no slight on him as Shinnie is a good good player. It's a comparison pretty much all SPL full backs would come out unfavourably. That's not to say I wouldn't take another left back. I'd like to give Ferguson the chance before bringing in another striker. - And if worst case scenario occurs we can always offer Mario Balotelli an alternative to Qatar.

Good to see Graham Bayne has found a profession outside football. A fine piper indeed. Apologies to anyone who this actually is for the comparison  Still cheers me up a little to know we'd have beaten a team that drew with a mid table EPL side who can afford to splash millions on players, if we had a goal scorer.

but that doesn't fit with the old Barca ideology. 4-6-0. Wouldn't mind the new Barca front 3. How much you reckon that'll cost use. Get the squad to skip a chippie on the way home after the next away match? Sounds like we don't have anyone who is a natural poacher. But everyone wants one.

The Highland Horde. And for the Family section The Nessie Crew. ;-)

I think the team I'll go with is - Esson* Raven - Meekings - Warren - Williams Draper - Tansey - Wedderburn Doran - Lopez - Christie * I think Fon Williams will start. I'd play Williams at left wing back thus allowing Christie to tuck in and directly support Lopez. Doran would be a more orthadox winger. Wedderburn and Draper filling gaps for full backs forward runs. Tansey pulling strings.

Kevin Kyle still able to move? I wouldnt turn my nose up at a fit Jon Daly. But that's the issue is it not. Keeping him injury free. I reckon wait until the season is under way and see how we start. If needs be players will be available on loan up till deadline day and available for free beyond that. There's no point jumping in if the current forward line is capable.

I think it will be a transitional year having lost key players in Shinnie, Mckay (who was temporarily replaced by Ofere) and Watkins. In saying that we've kept most of the rest of the squad together which is very good considering our success. Holding onto Meekings etc. I think aside from left back our squad is near complete. I wouldn't be opposed to a loan striker near deadline day (often when a lot of loans are arranged) but if we've got Andy and Lopez we might just have to see how they fit in. Any loan player would likely be an unproven kid. I think we have cover enough at centre back, i saw Eagle4Caley mention it but Draper and Tremarco can fit in there too. We only have space for 2 centre halves. We dont have the resources to have players idling as a 4th choice centre half. We just need to be flexible. Wedderburn could probably operate there too in a fix. Personally I cant see us replicating last term. Top 6 would be good I think. This in not fault of the manager or his new signings. I just think last season, finishing 3rd and winning the cup was near top end for us in my opinion. Aberdeen should finish 2nd again. It would be surprising if they don't. Dundee United and Hearts I think will challenge for the top 6 too. Many teams with be trying to fit in that 3-6 place group. I don't see it as a huge failing if we miss that one year. It'll be a fight.

If I remember correctly Billy Mckay was hardly prolific at Northampton Town. Something like 13 goals in 74 games according to wiki. He was more a hard running work his socks off type as opposed to the goal machine he turned into. Even then it took him a while to become a regular scorer.

Perhaps we're getting more cash up front from an exclusivity deal than RC. We don't know the terms of the deal.

There are advantages to keeping transfer dealings secret. All very well keeping the dealings secret. But that's different to not even announcing it once it's all been signed.

jinx

Connor McGregor is from RoI OR the United Kingdom according to the BBC. So desperate were they to claim him.

I think Fon Williams would be signing to start, not as backup, if he does sign.

Probably not. I imagine due to licensing issues from Uefa. Always worth trying to stream it.

All this changing of the league names. Jeez I can't keep up. Ha ha! I'm not saying there's a "spot on" measure of comparison. Just as a rough guide relating to the source of a lot of the Scottish Premierships outside talent which generally comes from below the top 2 leagues in England. Because most of the teams can't come close to affording the wages of English Championship or Premier league players, so they have to look beyond that. Now if the clubs in the top flight can't afford much in the way of wages then it's even more drastic in the case of the majority of the league below. Therefore if outside talent comes from lower down in the English leagues. The defenders. And they step up a level to the SPL then I would imagine JJ Hooper, if deemed good enough, maybe has the potential, at 21, to be able to bridge the quality gap pretty quickly. I don't think he'd be coming up against a whole new level of defender. Though one never really knows.

Did not see this coming. It's on BBC Uefa qualifying live feed too.

firstrows . com .eu. I've heard, on the grapevine, in the pub, allegedly, show many games on line and has been used for desperate measures by folks.

What part of Midlothian refers to the pi*her or said action as the thingwie? Bog I've heard. never thingwie. Or lan.