Confidence running high

[Snow]

Get yer feckin passports ready fer next season boys.

Is Niculae getting married? Are we all invited?

Nope we are forming a group and singing the feckin caley rap at Eurovision.

What's the group called? Johndo and the Muppets?

This entire exchange:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I have already contacted Snoop Doggy Dogg fer a suitable song - I have suggested that it should be entitled "Shoes off" but I will accept the band title of Johndo and the Muppets ;)

[chnwh]

Confidence should be high in the camp after the 2010 the players have enjoyed so far. I would still have survival as the main goal, then to finish as high as possible and then maybe top 6 if its a wonder season. Anything above 12th should imo be deemed a success.

[MorayJaggie]

I think with the team we have an excellent mix of youth and experience and the fact they all have a full season together under their belts (bar new signings). We should be looking at 7th place minimum. What other team last season matched our run outside the old firm. The gap between the spl and first division is not as big as people make out just look at all the splsides put out by first division opposition in the cups.

[Harry Chibber]

I think with the team we have an excellent mix of youth and experience and the fact they all have a full season together under their belts (bar new signings). We should be looking at 7th place minimum. What other team last season matched our run outside the old firm. The gap between the spl and first division is not as big as people make out just look at all the splsides put out by first division opposition in the cups.

ffs... minimum? so in your opinion if we finish 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th it will be an unsuccessful season?

[Allyb]

It is going to be tough but I think that Terry and Maurice will make the adjustments and improvements required as the year goes on - we can expect a good run in the cup this year!!

[SanMiguel]

Anything above 12th should imo be deemed a success.

Bingo!

[Alex MacLeod]

The way things are looking for many clubs this season, including the OF, I think we have the best ever chance to be in the top half come the split.

My prediction at the split is:

Dundee United

Celtic

Rangers

Hearts

Hibs

Inverness

St Johnston

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Hamilton

St Mirren

Kilmarnock

I see United keeping the momentum going from last season. Celtic just edging Rangers. Rangers downfall will be the loss of so many key players and their financial position. I dont see anything to suggest much improvement from either Edinburgh team. St J look to be the best of the rest at the moment. Aberdeen have done nothing to better their posotion and I think Motherwell have the edge over them and McGee could well be the first SPL sacking. Killie, sadly, are in no position to strengthen and look the most likely for the drop.

[chnwh]

Do you think Dundee will hang on after the split?

[Ronaldo]

I'd be delighted with 11 place and for the next few seasons to come until we can increase our average gate/income amd then press on

IMO we should have a target mim of 500O for every home game and no reason we can't achive this even given the currnet climate.

Our club/football needs to be "sold" to the public.

[Alex MacLeod]

Do you think Dundee will hang on after the split?

Personally I feel the four at the top will fight it right to the wire but that one of the Glasgow two will come out on top.

I'd be delighted with 11 place and for the next few seasons to come until we can increase our average gate/income amd then press on

IMO we should have a target mim of 500O for every home game and no reason we can't achive this even given the currnet climate.

Our club/football needs to be "sold" to the public.

We had five seasons in the SPL. If that wasn't enough to sell the club to spectators then I can't see anything changing. Until the offspring of OF supporting Invernessians see the error of their parent's ways our crowds will remain as was.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Alex MacLeod

[SanMiguel]

IMO we should have a target mim of 5000 for every home game

Reduce the prices by 10/15% and have the cheapest gate price in the SPL. Family club. Value for the average family, all that jazz. I mean 29 bucks for the main stand for Celtic.

[Libero]

IMO we should have a target mim of 5000 for every home game

Reduce the prices by 10/15% and have the cheapest gate price in the SPL. Family club. Value for the average family, all that jazz. I mean 29 bucks for the main stand for Celtic.

I agree that pricing needs to be looked at, ?24 for a junior ticket in the main stand against Celtic, thats way too much if you ask me.

I would say i'm more optimistic rather than confident just now about our chances this season, once we sign a left back and maybe another midfielder then i reckon i would be reasonably confident that we could get a placing of around 7-11th

[alternative maryhill]

The way things are looking for many clubs this season, including the OF, I think we have the best ever chance to be in the top half come the split.

My prediction at the split is:

Dundee United

Celtic

Rangers

Hearts

Hibs

Inverness

St Johnston

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Hamilton

St Mirren

Kilmarnock

I see United keeping the momentum going from last season. Celtic just edging Rangers. Rangers downfall will be the loss of so many key players and their financial position. I dont see anything to suggest much improvement from either Edinburgh team. St J look to be the best of the rest at the moment. Aberdeen have done nothing to better their posotion and I think Motherwell have the edge over them and McGee could well be the first SPL sacking. Killie, sadly, are in no position to strengthen and look the most likely for the drop.

I'd love it if you were right about this. Can't see United maintaining such a strong challenge for so long, however. I think they'll miss Webster in particular. I wouldn't be surprised if Celtic won the title by some distance this season.

As for ICT, I agree with those who think that 11th would represent a good season for us, but I'm cautiously optimistic that we can do a litle better. The squad looks stronger than it did in our last couple of seasons in the SPL, notwithstanding the absence of Black and Cowie, and Butcher is a far better motivator than Brewster and also, if last season is anything to go by, more prepared to change his approach if something isn't working. Top 6 does look a bit of a stretch though. Motherwell have a lot of good young players and a shrewd manager - I'd expect them to be up there. Despite losing McArthur, Hamilton seem to have kept signing players and looking to improve and will probably hit the ground running faster than us. St Johnstone have also god quite a few good young players and I wouldn't surprised if they push on in the way Hamilton did in their second season in the SPL. At the moment Killie and Aberdeen look weak and St Mirren are a completely unknown quantity. I'm guessing the SPL will finish something like this:

Celtic

Rangers

Dundee Utd

Hibs

Hearts

Motherwell

Hamilton

St Johnstone

ICT

Aberdeen

St Mirren

Kilmarnock

Edited July 21, 2010 by alternative maryhill

[clacher_holiday2]

Having seen the squads every team is fielding in pre-season friendlies (including the Old Firm) and having watched a couple online, I could honestly see us doing well next year.

Rangers won the league last year and will line up something like this..

Alexander

Broadfoot

Weir

Webster

Papac

Naismith

McCulloch

Edu

Whittaker

Fleck

Lafferty

What sort of crappy midfield is that? Whittaker and Naismith going to get stuck in are they? And people say our defence is slow.... I'd take Roscoe, Munro and Innes in a 100 meter sprint over Broadfoot, Webster and Weird anyday,

So... can we win the SPL this season? :022:

I'd be gutted if we split the Old Firm, theres no Champions League for 2nd this time.

[Ronaldo]

Interesting point Alex in response to mine.

Indeed you do see to many gers and celts tops around town, youngsters, or certainly a bigger percentage of them, should be watching and supporting their local team.

[caleyjag10]

Indeed you do see to many gers and celts tops around town, youngsters, or certainly a bigger percentage of them, should be watching and supporting their local team.

I live in Lerwick and it's the same here, nearly all of my friend support the Gers of Celts with the odd aberdeen supporters and most of them don't even come from Glasgow.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Indeed you do see to many gers and celts tops around town, youngsters, or certainly a bigger percentage of them, should be watching and supporting their local team.

I live in Lerwick and it's the same here, nearly all of my friend support the Gers of Celts with the odd aberdeen supporters and most of them don't even come from Glasgow.

you'll find most Aberdeen supporters are odd !

[starchief]

Having seen the squads every team is fielding in pre-season friendlies (including the Old Firm) and having watched a couple online, I could honestly see us doing well next year.

Rangers won the league last year and will line up something like this..

Alexander

Broadfoot

Weir

Webster

Papac

Naismith

McCulloch

Edu

Whittaker

Fleck

Lafferty

What sort of crappy midfield is that? Whittaker and Naismith going to get stuck in are they? And people say our defence is slow.... I'd take Roscoe, Munro and Innes in a 100 meter sprint over Broadfoot, Webster and Weird anyday,

So... can we win the SPL this season? :022:

I'd be gutted if we split the Old Firm, theres no Champions League for 2nd this time.

Don't know where you get that line up from. That's dropping McGregor, Bougherra, Miller and Davis from the line-up entirely, not to mention Smith looking to buy wide players as a priority. So you'll actually have a backline of Whittaker, Weir/Bougherra/Webster, Papac, with Broadfoot filling in as and when. I have little preference as to which of the OF wins (I'd far rather Hibs, Dundee United etc etc) but that seems a pretty formidable defence to me.

[Pedz4king]

The way things are looking for many clubs this season, including the OF, I think we have the best ever chance to be in the top half come the split.

My prediction at the split is:

Dundee United

Celtic

Rangers

Hearts

Hibs

Inverness

St Johnston

Motherwell

Aberdeen

Hamilton

St Mirren

Kilmarnock

I see United keeping the momentum going from last season. Celtic just edging Rangers. Rangers downfall will be the loss of so many key players and their financial position. I dont see anything to suggest much improvement from either Edinburgh team. St J look to be the best of the rest at the moment. Aberdeen have done nothing to better their posotion and I think Motherwell have the edge over them and McGee could well be the first SPL sacking. Killie, sadly, are in no position to strengthen and look the most likely for the drop.

Please, oh PLEASE tell me that you're taking the ****!

[Alex MacLeod]

And would you like to enlighten me as to what part may be 'taking the ****!'

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

And would you like to enlighten me as to what part may be 'taking the ****!'

I'd hazard a guess its because you have Dundee Utd top of the league and maybe ICT in the top 6

[Alex MacLeod]

Well I believe that, if anyone is going to break the OF dominance, the signs are that this season will be the best chance to do it. I think it will be a very close run thing at the top, up to the split. It may well be that DU cannot sustain a push but if they can continue the momentum of last season and build on it then who knows.

I also believe we have a team that can challenge for a top six place this season. Thats based on having last seasons backbone and a few good signings to bolster them. The others in the league are not adding anything more than squad players and I think that the management team have it in mind to do with us what they done with Motherwell.

But then, of course I'm taking the ****!. After all, at 53, how can I be expected to have a better understanding of the goings on than a 14 year old.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Cant wait for the split now to see if 14 year old Pedz4king or 53 year old Alex is correct .

[clacher_holiday2]

Don't know where you get that line up from. That's dropping McGregor, Bougherra, Miller and Davis from the line-up entirely, not to mention Smith looking to buy wide players as a priority. So you'll actually have a backline of Whittaker, Weir/Bougherra/Webster, Papac, with Broadfoot filling in as and when. I have little preference as to which of the OF wins (I'd far rather Hibs, Dundee United etc etc) but that seems a pretty formidable defence to me.

I have to admit I'm not a keen follower of their goings on but as a casual observer I was under the impression that Bougherra, Davis and McGregor were all leaving, even Miller was leaving at one stage.

Apart from being deliberately over the top, my point was that the SPL is one of the worst leagues in Europe, the quality is absolutley abysmal. Any team willing to put a bit of effort in should do very well.