Scottish Football Discussion Thread 2010/11

[martyngnr]

I expect Rangers to line up at CP with: McGregor, Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac, Broadfoot, Edu, McCulloch, Davis, Naismith and Miller.

 

For once, I don't think you're that far off the mark there. Infact, I think that's what the Rangers team will be.

Do you not fancy Weiss to start, surely his talent is ready-made for games like that?

 

In other news, Somehow Chris Maguire has been awarded the young player of the month award

 

BBC Clicky

 

No wonder he is shocked - bar the goal against Rangers he has barely contributed anything.

[Daaaaaad!]

I would expect Weiss to play in the Celtic game ahead of Broadfoot in a more 4-4-1-1 formation, mostly due to Broadfoot's current injury.

[Chaka Demus]

I expect Rangers to line up at CP with: McGregor, Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac, Broadfoot, Edu, McCulloch, Davis, Naismith and Miller.

 

For once, I don't think you're that far off the mark there. Infact, I think that's what the Rangers team will be.

Do you not fancy Weiss to start, surely his talent is ready-made for games like that?

 

In other news, Somehow Chris Maguire has been awarded the young player of the month award

 

BBC Clicky

 

No wonder he is shocked - bar the goal against Rangers he has barely contributed anything.

 

At Ibrox I would have said yes. But I expect Walter to use the Champions League tactic he's using just now at Parkhead because anything other than a defeat is good for us.

[The Cum Doctor]

It's looking really fucking grim at Dundee at the moment.

 

Dundee appear 99% certain to go into administration after the football club failed to pay players and staff outstanding wages on Tuesday.

 

It appears that only a late injection of cash from benefactor Calum Melville will prevent administration for the second time in seven years.

 

The Division One club are discussing a

[Stylin_and_Profilin]

It's not looking too clever for them.

 

Debts are 367k to tax man, 200k to bennet, 265k to brannan, cash to melville and other outstanding amounts to various creditors that come to 150k.

 

That was from one of the Dundee fan forum sites so cannot be taken as gospel but looks about right. They are lucky in one respect that John Bennett (who is mentioned above) actually owns their stadium and leases it back to them. He is a decent bloke so i cannot see him forcefully calling his debt, likewise Brannan who was one of the guys behind saving them last time they nearly went to the wall.

 

It looks like the mythical

[gary v1]

The people runing football clubs really are idiots. (Clyde management included obviously.) Does nobody sit down at the start of the season and work out a proper budget based on seaosn tickets sold, projected crowds, expected hospitality sales, sponsorship income etc and figure out what they can afford in wages? Then actually, you know, stick to the pay structure that you've put in place when handing out contracts, signing players and so on. If you don't get as much money in as you'd hoped you sell a player or two and have to cut back even more next season. Don't factor in any cup runs etc and any money from something like that is a bonus with which to get a new player in. It really shouldn't be rocket science to not get a club like Dundee, who actually have pretty decent attendances, approx

[martyngnr]

Dundee were gambling on getting promoted last season. A gamble which obviously they lost.

Had they been promoted the money they would have got from playing in the SPL (as well as the money they would make from Celtic, Rangers and even Aberdeen coming to town) would have justified the risk.

 

I've got very little sympathy as they once again have tried to live beyond their means while other clubs are struggling to get by on a strict budget.

[The Cum Doctor]

Dundee were gambling on getting promoted last season. A gamble which obviously they lost.

 

This was pointed out to their fans last season over and over again and they didn't listen. I'd go as far as to say I have little sympathy for those fans who decided to lord it over everyone, claiming that those pointing it out were "jealous" of the new found fortune at Dens Park.

 

Morton are beginning to run more realistically now. Douglas Rae thought that the crowds would come swarming back when we were in the first division and planned accordingly, but that hasn't happened. Now we have cut the wage bull dramatically. There's still a couple on big contracts, but I'd imagine they'll be off soon enough.

 

I'd rather see Morton find their level as a second division club than go through the near death experience of last time.

[Bettencourt]

I can't say I have any sympathy for those running the club. Surely the executives and those involved in allowing Melville to come in and splash the cash remebered what happened 7 years ago?

 

Am I right in thinking Dee For Life is a collective stakeholder in the club? Surely they had some say.

 

All I can say is that the executive board members have recieved and will recieve what they deserve by not learning from their mistakes (albeit a different regime 7 years ago) and not rejecting Melville's advances.

 

However let's hope they don't fold or drop down too many divisions. I like my close away matches.

[bAzTNM Fan]

So, on the train this morning, I read in the Metro that Ian Black is due to apologise to Nikica Jelavic over the harsh tackle he made during Saturday's game.

 

What?

 

I'm aware that the game can do without players like Black, who is a dirty thug of a player and I don't condone it at all - but if I'm not mistaken, did Jelavic not play on for about 5-10 minutes after the worst tackle in Scottish football history? Of course he did, because Rangers were chasing a winner.

 

A bit of perspective required, I think. The media has made what was no doubt a late and very reckless challenge into a damning witch hunt. I haven't heard Smith's opinion on it yet, but I specifically remember him saying that the ref booking Lafferty for his assault on Andy Hinkel on the 3rd January this year was enough punishment. Is this not a very similar circumstance?

[The Cum Doctor]

As far as I can remember, Walter Smith didn't say anything about red and yellow cards, but did say that the tackle was nasty.

[InvertedSmiley]

Walter definitely tried his very best to defend the tackle. I think the words he used were "it was a forwards challenge" and "it isn't the first time that sort of thing has happened in a football match." I think he backed the referees decision to book Lafferty.

 

I think that Ian Black's was a horrible tackle made by a horrible man. He probably didn't intend hurting Jelavic, but it was a reckless tackle and hurt him is what he did. That tackle actually looks tame by Black's standards - no raised studs, no lunging in out of control. He's done worse. Definite red card offence.

[The Cum Doctor]

Scotland team to face the Czech Rep.

 

McGregor, Hutton, Weir, McManus, Whittaker, G Caldwell, D Fletcher, Dorrans, Morrison, Naismith, Mackie

 

So for all of Levein's moaning, The Sun got it spot on, and if they're right, it's a 4-2-2-2 of sorts.

[FUM]

Scotland team to face the Czech Rep.

 

McGregor, Hutton, Weir, McManus, Whittaker, G Caldwell, D Fletcher, Dorrans, Morrison, Naismith, Mackie

 

So for all of Levein's moaning, The Sun got it spot on, and if they're right, it's a 4-2-2-2 of sorts.

 

In fairness Levein's moaning is about why The Sun are releasing the team information which helps no-one except our opponents.

[The Cum Doctor]

I found that to be a bit rich who has announced all of his teams the night before the game anyways. Who does THAT help if not the opposition ?