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Not really. It was a stop on the Reserves' tour of Scotland which, incidentally, culminates at New Douglas Park tonight. As I've mentioned, seven of the lads who played have first team squad numbers. In case you missed it the Premiership kicked off on Saturday and Liverpool are hoping to mount a serious challenge this year. Did you really expect to see the likes of Gerrard or Torres trotting down the tunnel on a wet Monday night in Inverness? If the committee had had something like that up their sleeves we'd have heard something a bit more juicy beforehand, even just a hint, no? We beat the Liverpool reserves 5 nothing whilst fielding a few guys who might be described as past their best. It was an entertaining evening, far more so than the crud served up on Saturday afternoon. Good enough for me, I don't need the fairies at the bottom of the garden (besides the buggers play havoc with me tatties).

Ian Black :thumb04: I thought that was funny, in a quick-fire stylee. Is po-faced the new black? :015: Dan looked good for the spell he was on last night, but Brew's reported comment doesn't sound promising. Thank **** we never ran up against a team managed by Snow White when Grey'ead was playing, he'd have gone right to pieces. Actually - for once, my comments were not directed at the Immortal one :018: I guess I ran into a hidden post ;)

Oh ello, Voice of Reason the Second - thought you'd taken the last train for the coast (btw I still owe you lots of beer and will make good in the Innes this season). Don, someone (probably you or one of the mascots) should have been covering for Jamie when he had to make that clearance in row F of the South Stand, end of story mate. Baffled that you can't see that. Oh aye, forgot, you're blind. Still, a quick swim home, eh?

Ian Black :018: :thumb04: I thought that was funny, in a quick-fire stylee. Is po-faced the new black? ;) Dan looked good for the spell he was on last night, but Brew's reported comment doesn't sound promising. Thank **** we never ran up against a team managed by Snow White when Grey'ead was playing, he'd have gone right to pieces.

I was very disappointed. As I was explaining to my "occasional" neighbour that we would get beaten by a few, but would score at least one. That is the way of these things. If only they had chosen a side with a bit more class, someone like, say, Hamilton Accies! I did start singing "Are you Gretna in disguise" at one point, before the withering looks you attract in the main stand if you raise your voice above a whisper shrivelled me to a crisp :thumb04:

We didn't get there in time to participate in the farce that is car parking at ICT, so got soaked walking to the car but made it away from the stadium about half an hour before those who paid two quid for the privilege. I agree that the stewarded approach was better - at least there was some sort of order to it, and you knew that it took about the same length of time for everyone to get out, instead of the present situation which bears more than a passing resemblance to Dunkirk. Still, I remind myself, at least we have a car park, a bus from the Caley club and plenty of 'unofficial parking' within jogging distance which the police and traffic wardens turn a blind eye to. Imagine what it'd be like if we moved to the Bught...

Still with East Fife isn't he? Hmm, or maybe not - not on the squad list as far as I can see.

I take it no players that we actually have heard of are coming up then? Liverpool promised in the contract to take a minimum of 2 first team players to the game so it was understand by the caley end 2 firnge first-team players but infact they have just talen the reserve team very disappointing :thumb04: Seven of the guys they fielded tonight have first team squad numbers i.e. they've made the bench even if they haven't got off it. Eccleston is an England youth international. I don't think it's any massive disrespect to Barry to play the reserve side of the club who were recently champions of Europe - and to thump them with a number of players who might best be described as mature. I certainly don't think their manager saw it coming

Transfer window's still open... Unfortunately Bobby's move was more to do with geography than history or economics, wasn't it? As always, I'm baffled why Paul chose Brechin and accountancy over just one season in the SPL. Really good entertainment tonight, just a shame Barry wasn't on his top form - maybe he was counting the crowd to work out what he can buy with the proceeds :thumb04:

Well I think it was 'that bad' in the first half. . You should try supporting Elgin

It really wasn't that bad guys. I wouldn't buy another season ticket on the back of it but the seeds of a decent season were there, and we already have three more points than we had this time last year. Jamie made a complete arse-up and they scored. He also played pretty well. They had another few chances, but in the second half we had around the same number of openings. Rooney and Barrowman need to get inside each other's heads - when a centre forward puts a bending cross in towards the back post and his strike partner runs *back* there's something not quite right. Barrowman also needs to watch the line better, which may have been the problem. Russell is struggling with a hamstring problem (and if you wanted a reason why Richie Hart should have been kept on there's it for you on a plate) so there was never going to be much driving through central midfield. Losing to the Accies is no shame - and we didn't get pounded 3-1. I do wonder why we went with a lone striker at home, when the supposed replacement for Niculae has just been welcomed in, but he shook things up after half time and on another day we'd have had at least a point. If we're saying the same things in a couple of months, then I'll be worried.

Nothing new, unfortunately - this has been going on for much of our time in the SPL. Given the confidence most of us have in most of our wonderful match officials I find it baffling that the defence remain so optimistic, but there must be fifteen or twenty times each season where the back four are caught looking like something out of a deodorant advert while an opposition player closes in on goal and the flag stays firmly down. And that's just at home games.

If the Beeb's to be believed we didn't 'pull off' anything - we wanted him on loan, but Stoke wanted to offload him. Whatever, I agree, got a hunch he'll turn out well for us.

Have to say I was expecting it to be a fair bit more than the 50k quoted. Maybe that's just his wages :thumb04:

Got him for ?50,000 according to the BBC transfers page. Could turn out to be a very good bit of business indeed.

:018: :thumb04:

Come off it Marty, I've gone for a few jogs in the decade since I knackered my knee but I'll never run in competition again cos I quite like walking. Brew might be able to run about on the pitch and kick a ball but muscling someone else off it isn't an option any more, as the man himself has said. Now off ye trot and wind someone else up :016:

You mean that first-team competitive match I must have missed? :017:

Last I heard, Brew's shoulder is completely shot, end of the road, no chance whatsoever of him playing again - and that was from him.

Regardless of what goes on between matches or in the dressing/board room, I'll say again that what Brewster needs to do is to take a leaf out of Smith's book and watch at least the start of the game from the stand. You don't play chess with your chin on the table.

Times must be hard if we're paying players in food these days - or do we have a sponsorship deal with Duncan Fraser? :016: I haven't seen the lad play, just seems a bit strange that Ferguson would recommend him, unless his opinion of ICT is that low...

It's a shame some of them don't use

Quick idea - was it ?70,000 per place in the SPL? If so, with 3,000 season tickets sold, you could offer at least ?23 discount per league place to existing season ticket holders based on the last twelve games, provided they renewed before the end of the season. The prospect of around ?75 off for next season's ticket could get a lot more people shouting the team on, and if the incentive worked and you got the money in the bank before the summer, you'd make a fair bit back in interest. You might even get enough season books sold to be able to outbid League One sides at the start of the window :rolleyes02:

A decent signing or two would do a better job than ten thousand phone calls. You're bloody good at sales, Ang, but I'd hope you've already pointed out to management that even you can't project the USPs, benefits and innate value of a solid, low-energy, non-volatile, two-to-one merger of the hottest properties on earth to the Eskimos. We already like football and are already devoted to ICT, but for the last couple of seasons the product has been pretty crap, and there's no promise that it's going to be better this time round.

I can just see you climbing over her to get to the pie stall :016: Can't remember the last time I bought the Sun (it was probably the 'Super Caley Go Ballistic' day), but that's one for the scrapbook. I've been going back over old programmes and I can't find many strips I like less, but I don't wear 'em...