Council Juice

A shout out to Celtic Towers in Gent for putting the game on for me. Life savers!

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/fifa_blattner_en_loc/?sXwOVbb There's a petition going to get Blatter out. Its probably a forlorn hope that it'll have any effect but ordinary fans should have their voices heard.

Hailing from Edinburgh myself. I have many Hibs associations (bit rich to call them friends though eh ;-) ) and it would be a treat knowing we'd have won more Scottish cups in 21 years than they in over 100. I'll be in Gent, Belgium in a sports bar watching the game I hope. (Message to the bar looks promising) and cheering the boys on. To then train to Bruges later, probably a little tipsy, with a joyous smile on my face. Be a great day. I believe.

If I was a millionaire I'd buy the remainders and give them out for free...but I'm not. If we take 15000 we should be well pleased. That's more than double our stadium capacity which even when full takes substantial away support for that to happen. Its a 3rd of the cities population. Given the amount of people who, don't follow football, don't attend games, support other teams (County, Aberdeen, Old firm and others), then 15000 is probably out maximum threshold at the moment. People also forget that we are a young club. Just shy of 21. Can't even drink in the states yet. Therefore our support comes from the fusion of 2 older clubs and then new supporters. We don't have an ingrained generation to generation fan base. Many are 1st generation. Falkirk like many others (even county) have longer history and an deeper historical fan base. This helps boost numbers in small towns and cities I think.

Sunday 24th - The repair shop. Oops.

Maybe the numbers are really low so the club don't want to announce it...

Bjork - Quiet. Its all so peaceful until.... Or just go completely quite. Not a peep. Confuse everyone.

I'm sure Qatar pay above the going rate to sort friendlies.... Would have been a good game to see him involved in. If any player in the league deserves a call up it's him. Captained his team to a cup final and a 3rd place finish (and European football) whilst also being in the nations team of the year. If he was playing anywhere else there'd be uproar. Its probably one reason he's moving on. He'll maybe get a look in at Aberdeen. Reynolds is in because let's face it, we're not exactly overflowing with even decent centre halves. And Hanley's out too. Its by far our weakest position. Who'd have thought that when first McManus,Webster and Kennedy broke through and then later Wilson too.

Alas, I'll be missing out on this. Going to be somewhere in Belgium probably. Gutted! But I want 15000 of you to make up for the loss of my stature. Hop to it!

Celtic haven't done anything this season. They should be winning the league at a canter given the massive berth in budget between them and the nearest competitor Aberdeen. They play well within themselves and winning the league is the bare minimum requirement for a Celtic manager at present. So for any player to be nominated they have to be a massive step above the rest. Ryan shone as a young breakthrough player in a small provincial team and was a key part in helping them finish 3rd (well about what their size and budget suggests they should) and reach a final. Thoroughly, thoroughly deserved. Well done Ryan!

As to Kink, whilst he hasn't contributed much, a lot was made of his lack of fitness when he signed so maybe a little early to judge on game displays. If he's offering something in training we don't see then perhaps a 6 month deal till January would suit, both us, and him as he'll then be able to join a club in his homeland ready for their summer season. Am not just a pretty face...

Driver might be worth looking at. Providing he's fit and wanting to get going again. Had potential before our governing body brought in a new rule specificity for him (though they insisted it wasn't) only for him to get a long term injury.

As a top European club now we should really be looking to fork out for the big stars in the world....I hear Mosnhi is leaving rangers! Sorry, couldn't resist.

40000 you reckon? We only managed 7000 last year. If that doubles it'd be great. Maybe nearer 25000-30000 would be my estimate.

I don't really care who makes it. I just want stripes. A shirt identity. And stripes are slimming too...

Ofere seems, at first glance and early showing, that he can be a replacement for Mckay. Really hope the lure of European football and continued potential success can persuade likes of Raven (who favourited my tweet when I suggested such ;-) ) and Watkins to sign on.

We're really starting to miss wee Billy. Priority in the transfer market this summer me thinks. Hopefully we can get into Europe and provide a draw for players of good calibre to move up. European football might mean having a poor season next term, as opus often the case with early season starts for many spfl teams. But its the aim so we have to go for it.

So is it a dislocation as well as acl/MCL or just the former?

Well if Manchester United can't get Bale then I'd fully expect the money to go on a multi million £ move for Shinbone, obviously at a deflated value due to his contract situation. Around £30m I'd expect. Enough to fund a big money move for a suitable replacement for him and Mckay.

From the wording of Hughes latest interview it seems likely that Mckay and Shinnie are likely to depart at the end of the season. I'd love them to stay obviously. But such is football. If we can get Watkins, Meekings and Raven signed up, followed by Ross, Devine and Polworth and obviously find suitable replacements for the 2 above (as seems ever increasingly likely) then I could be content with that. Wouldn't be chuffed seeing Shinnie lining up alongside Rooney and Hayes mind.

If he feels he's been too loyal (perhaps) to some then maybe he'll give Nick Ross a run out. For someone he's always saying he rates highly, he's rarely anything but a late substitute.

Good to see him get recognition. Though it still seems that unless you play for the old firm (even in the 2nd tier) or Dundee United, Scotland don't want to know. He's been pretty regular for one of the form teams in the country. You'd think he or Shinnie would at least get a look in.

Wasn't that Italian, Scalla or something, who applies for every job in Scotland also linked...mainly because he applies for every job.

Any chance of being able to get a top sans sponsor? If goes against my believes to advertise bread................. Or at least i reckon it'd look better without it.

Going back to the OP. Seems to me that Hughes is essentially saying, and to use a Hughes catchphrase here, that we won't rest on our laurels. We do indeed need to do the talking on the pitch and pick up the points there to get into the top 6. We cannot ever think that because we have finished top 6 before we are somehow entitled to remain there. You have to work hard just to stay at the same level. If we start believing our own hype then we'll start to get like Hibs. Forever thinking that because they are one of the best supported and biggest clubs in the league they somehow have a god given right to just turn up and win. It rubs off on the players and they end up getting caught out.