Bombabim

Apologies for the repetitive topic. My nephew is over from Germany (caley are his big team, Bayern Munich is small one ;) ) and wants to spend his holiday money on a Caley top. Is there anywhere in town he can do this or is the only place the JD Sports at the retail park?? Couldn't remember if the pop up shop in the Arcade was still there or not? Cheers

Agree. Spot On. While our start to the season sucks and is a real downer from the end of last season (still smiling :) ) there is still a lot of football to be played. I don't feel we can really criticise Hughes too much at this stage and he deserves a bit of leeway in my mind anyway now. Outside of Celtic and maybe Aberdeen no other squad in the SPL could cope with the amount of injuries we have and done any better. If once we have some players available again we are still not scoring goals and the defence still looks shaky when we have more than 2 defenders on the park then I'll begin to worry and question but for now there is supporting to be done to help the team through it. Happy Clapper? maybe but who cares. We are a wee club and I am always proud of how well we have done considering that fact. Supporting the underdog is more fun anyway.

For PFA Scotland Young Player of the year. Well done Ryan!

Fantastic News! congrats lads.

yep, sounds like we are creating chances just not taking them. wonder if there will be many changes at half time

rave off injured(?), horner on. presume that means shinnie goes full shift round to right back again? sounds like we are a bit un-protected at the back

Team seems to be: Brill Raven Meekings Warren Tremarco Shinnie Polworth Watkins Christie Ross McKay Wasn't expecting that, expected more of what I think the team will be next week. i.e. draper, tansey and vincent in there. not necessarily convinced they should be mind but on the way the team has been laid out. either way interesting and perhaps a chance for ross and watkins to stake claims

Can only echo what has been said from the Game. First half we looked confident in possession and passed it around easily limiting them to breaks. Which is fine. but felt we didn't create enough clear chances and looked vulnerable to the break. Its possible that against better opposition we'd be punished but also against better opposition we would probably have more space to play in as they wouldn't sit so deep all of the time. Have to see how it looks when the season gets going. Second half much of the same but with a change in personnel. I say much the same but i actually thought we looked much better and definitely more fluid than in the first. cutting through the defense more and creating more clear cut chances. Billy missed a one on one while Christie and Doran had a few pot shots before the goal. Still looked vulnerable though. Would really hope Christie gets the start ahead of vincent, I just feel he is more direct and definitely has a bit of a goal threat about him. Raith were solid and Nade does a great job of holding up the play and getting in about the defenders. I feel we could do with a similar type of player for days when Billy's subtleties and mobility aren't called for. and as a viable alternative of course. All in a good day, plenty to feel good about but still plenty of questions.

Not surprised given the noises about funds etc. Although it is hard to imagine what he expected given the current sponsor funding dearth in Scottish football and falling crowds at Celtic Park. I notice the fans are already calling for Lawell's head as he isn't giving enough money to the team to strengthen. But if the money isn't there you can only live within your budget or you go the way of the other side of Glasgow. Unrealistic expectations as ever in Glasgow football.

always had a soft spot for Munro's last goal for us after being told he wasn't getting a new contract. Beauty of a left foot volley against Celtic at the Bridge End if I remember right. Always thought he had another season in him with us, was a bit gutted for him then but that goal was special. Also, any one of the 7 against Ayr in Promotion Part Two, just for the spectacle of it all. can't really remember any of them for some reason :)

We finished top six for the second season in a row and made a major cup final for the first time in our history which we only lost on penalties. Our player of the season (at least who I voted for) came through our youth system and is often captain when Foran is out. We have two local youth team players on the fringes who could go on to great things if given the chance. Nick Ross's equaliser. For the fiist time in as long as I can remember the majority of the squad is signed up for next season (these are the same players who played so well at the beginning of the season, it can happen again) We are not Hibs. We are entering our 20th year of awesomeness! It has kinda felt to me that the season has been over since Rooney's penalty in the final. Yes there has been a lot to play for but the generally feeling about the club (players, fans and management) has been that we are limping to the end. We don't have the squad to compete at the top for the whole season. I'm okay with that, 20 years on from the beginning I'd have never thought it possible.

If the club could afford it I'd be all for a Fifa standard 4G or hybrid. I've played 11s (not at any great standard) on both surfaces over the years and always reckoned the standard of the games played was far higher when played on a decent new 4G pitch rather than on grass. No dodgy bobbles or massive mud patches to negotiate meant you could concentrate on what you were going to do when you got to the ball and not have to worry about whether it will reach you and if it does take a first touch to control it. the most modern of pitches don't leave burns when you slide and feel just about the same to run and pass on. Obviously better players than myself, and there are millions, would have the skill levels to be able to cope with these fluctuations in pitch quality. but imagine they didn't. imagine they could play a game on one surface as they had on the last. Would the overall quality not improve? if we lived in a country where our pitches (at all levels) could be guaranteed to stay good throughout the long season then grass definitely. But we don't and games can easily get cancelled and end of season games can descend into a farce and be won and lost by a errant bobble just when it matters the most. The EPL have a good standard of pitches through the season as they have the resources to keep them that way. We don't and we should make use of the technology that is available. the first option should always be grass but where it can't last the season artificial is just as good.

There is no Vs here. Should be &. Get them in the team for the rest of the season (a bit drastic I know) and they can get a wealth of experience that will serve us well next year as we will have a more 'experienced' squad to play with and will hopefully be less likely to suffer a second half dip as we have the past 3 seasons. We are safe in the top six. Don't have anywhere near the form to challenge Motherwell and Aberdeen so might as well use the rest of the season wisely. Plus our players are knackered at the moment, rotation really can't harm us. They both look they can be big parts of our future so the future might as well begin now. (also agree with others, would also like to see Ross back in the starting team)

Brill Raven Devine Meekings Shinnie Draper Foran Ross Tansey Williams McKay Bench: Esson, Warren, Tremarco, Christie, Polworth, Vincent, Watkins

Okay, ridiculously ecstatic right now!!!! Warren and Meekings both harshly sent off we can all agree. Meekings may get an appeal to a Yellow. But the general consensus is that they are both suspended for the final. Yet, Hearts played mid week thus making Stevenson un-suspended for todays game. So how are our centre halves not suspended for the next two league games rather than the final???? One rule for the lesser rounds and another for the final? Can someone clear this up?? Either way today was awesome! but if we don't have them it'll be Devine and Foran at centre back against Rooney.