SPL Discussion Thread

[drinkfeckarse]

Whats the odds of Vlad naming himself manager at start of next season?:D

The mental thing is that you could see that being a possibility:eek: There's always been plenty of rumours as you know that he picks or has picked the team on occasion.

[londonirish17]

Seems to me that Mr Romanov behaves a bit like "the Tsar of St Petersbourg"...
How many more managers is he going to consume?

[eirebhoy]

2-1 to Celtic. McManus with an excellent header and Maloney with another freekick. Boruc made an absolute howler in injury time to make it 2-1.

[drinkfeckarse]

Boruc made an absolute howler in injury time to make it 2-1.


It seems to be becoming more common with him, certainly not as reliable as he was for his first 5 months at the club. Still rate him though.

[tetsujin1979]

Maloney's quality free kick here: http://media.putfile.com/ASF_0017

[Junior]

Boruc has made quite a few howlers of late, luckily for him not all of them have cost us. Marshall must feel very frustrated as all he can do is wait for Boruc to get injured or make some howlers, he's doing the latter but Strachan is sticking by him. As the title is all but wrapped up, I guess there is less pressure on Strachan to make a change.

[eirebhoy]

I think Marshall will get a run in the team when Celtic get the 2 wins. I'm getting worried that Lennon will be offered a new contract. He was the best player on the pitch last night. Nakamura was pretty good too. It was a terrible match tbh.

[geysir]

I'm getting worried that Lennon will be offered a new contract. He was the best player on the pitch last night.
I think that statement needs a correction or an explanation. :)

[eirebhoy]

I think that statement needs a correction or an explanation. :)
I'd prefer this to be Lennon's last season.

[Junior]

Lennon is very underavalued IMO. Not at his prime and at times frustrating ( with the backwards ball) but his work rate and ability to breakdown opponents play is essential.

I think he deserves a one year contract, which may involve him playing a bit part role next season. Im sure Lennon would do it for less money as well, afterall he's "A Rich so and so...."

[Hibs4Ever]

Just a small update for those of you interested.


WELL DONE DEANO:)


http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/more.php?id=1404_0_1_0_C

[Junior]

fair play to the lad. Couple of questions.

1) I guess he's Irish from the article, has he been capped at any level for Ireland?

2) It says they would prefer to wait until the end of the season before having a replacement eye put in - what has he got there at the moment??? (Medical ignorance im afraid!!)

[eirebhoy]

fair play to the lad. Couple of questions.

1) I guess he's Irish from the article, has he been capped at any level for Ireland?
Northern Ireland.

[geysir]

Lennon is very undervalued IMO. Not at his prime and at times frustrating ( with the backwards ball) but his work rate and ability to breakdown opponents play is essential.
I think he deserves a one year contract, which may involve him playing a bit part role next season.
From the 4 games that I have seen, I'd agree with you.
If there is a bit part for Lennon, who would play the lead role?
How far is the team from a decent showing in the CL group.?

[stickyjoe]

How far is the team from a decent showing in the CL group.?

IMO, a brand new back 4 is needed. Punt Balde if possible, the guy is on ridiculous wages for what he is producing.Also a new centre midfielder is needed(presuming RK leaves) if GS can stretch the budget that far

Hartson seems to be on the way out as well, a replacement should not be a problem there using the Hartson fee and his wages.

[Junior]

From the 4 games that I have seen, I'd agree with you.
If there is a bit part for Lennon, who would play the lead role?

Good point. Keane will hopefully still be around next season, though no guarantees. We do need another ball winner in the squad. Pearson, Petrov, Nakamura, Maloney, McGeady are all creative, attacking players. We have a youngster Lawson, though I haven't seen much of him to be honest. Thompson will be off in the summer I reckon, though he was the most likely to fit that sort of role (too erratic and ill disciplined though)

At the moment it looks like Lennon / RK - job share:D



How far is the team from a decent showing in the CL group.?

Still way off Im afraid. Strachan has had a good first season despite the awful start, but in all honesty he's had some luck on his side, the competition has been poor and inconsistent, Burley leaving Hearts also played in our favour. Don't get me wrong we are by far the best team in the SPL but way off being a decent CL performer. Added to this, next season we will have a few new signings in Caldwell and Miller who will have little time to settle in to the team prior to some big games.


IMO, a brand new back 4 is needed. Punt Balde if possible, the guy is on ridiculous wages for what he is producing.Also a new centre midfielder is needed(presuming RK leaves) if GS can stretch the budget that far

Back four has played much better of late and Caldwell is still to come in next season. Wilson looks decent and will hopefully be at Rightback next year. Leftback is the problem spot at the moment, Ross Wallace has done ok, but still has a lot to learn in his new defensive role. (EDIT: just remembered the youngster Mulgrew on Loan at Dundee Utd, having a good spell at LB, might be his chance, though CL football is a massive step up) Whilst I tend to agree bombscare Balde can be extremely frustrating with his misplaced passes etc..The Celtic defence has been much more solid with him in there. I suppose it depends on what offer we got whether I'd want us to punt him or not.



Hartson seems to be on the way out as well, a replacement should not be a problem there using the Hartson fee and his wages.

Don't forget we have Kenny Miller coming. Im not particularly happy with that and I hope Hartson stays with us, we miss him when he's not in the side.

[geysir]

IMO, a brand new back 4 is needed. Punt Balde if possible, the guy is on ridiculous wages for what he is producing.

This article may explain some of Balde's form since Novemberhttp://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=829&id=468372006

Sutton has been injured almost non stop since his departure. Some wages saved there at least.

[Junior]

This article may explain some of Balde's form since Novemberhttp://sport.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=829&id=468372006

Probably explains in part, but in all honesty he's just not a footballer. Big, strong, dominant in the air and athletic but ask him to pass to another person wearing the same colours as himself and you have a 50/50 chance of success.

[QUOTE=geysir]
Sutton has been injured almost non stop since his departure. Some wages saved there at least.

Fabulous player for Celtic and Larsson apart, IMO was our best & most important player over the last 5 years. I think we parted company at the right time (for both parties).

[hamish]

Interesting article on Gretna's owner in Guardian of 31st March.
Janey, the town is about half the size of Beeslow.:eek:
Their Cup semi-final v Dundee is on BBC Scotland today at 12 noon.

Mileson's Gretna maintain roots in the village and a toehold on Europe

Millionaire owner who helps out in the ticket office leads his club to a cup semi-final this weekend

Lawrence Donegan
Friday March 31, 2006
The Guardian
If you walk into the office of most professional football clubs and find the owner counting out used £10 notes it is probably time to give Lord Stevens's bungs inquiry a ring. At Raydale Park, Gretna's ramshackle home, the sight of Brooks Mileson sorting out the receipts for a big game is nothing out of the ordinary.
"What other club would let me help out in the ticket office?" says the devoutly Christian, animal-loving, pony-tailed multi-millionaire behind one of the most unlikely football stories of this or any season, the progress of the newly crowned Second Division champions into tomorrow's Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, where they will meet Dundee.
What kind of club would let the owner help out in the ticket office? It is a good question, but a better one is this: what kind of club owner would want to spend Wednesday afternoon separating Bank of Scotland notes from Bank of England notes, because the tellers at the local bank like it that way?
After an hour in Mileson's company, the answer begins to take shape: the kind of club owner who actually believes in the quaint notion of football clubs contributing to the community around them, as opposed to paying lip service to the concept; the kind of club owner who spends money giving the club's young players the basis of a university education so that if the manager decides one day the kid is not good enough to make it he will have something to fall back on; the kind of club owner who finances drug education programmes and employs five full-time coaches to tour the local schools using football as a teaching aid; and, finally, the kind of owner who has made somewhere in the region of £50m in the insurance business and, after two heart attacks, one broken back, one removed kidney and a nasty case of ME, has decided it is time to share the wealth.
"Getting involved with Gretna has been like therapy for me," Mileson says. "The excitement has given me a boost. I'm feeding off the energy. My health is a wreck and this has put years on my life."
Gretna's ascent from English non-league football, when the club was attracting gates of around 60, to a Scottish Cup semi-final, for which it has sold more than 4,000 tickets (not bad in a town with a population of 2,075), may well have been therapeutic for Mileson, but it has been like a bad dose of flu for its competitors. Scottish football is a small, and small-minded, world. For every person who admires the transformation wrought during Mileson's three years at the club, there is someone else who describes him as a Scottish version of Roman Abramovich, content to buy success with little thought for the wider game.
A Sunderland supporter by birth and inclination, the 58-year-old bought Gretna in 2002, after initially sponsoring the club's youth development scheme. He was introduced to the club's manager Rowan Alexander, developed an affection for the man and institution he was trying to guide through troubled times and was then offered the chance to buy a majority shareholding. "The club had a lot of debt - for them, anyway," says Mileson, whose first acts as owner were to clear the debt and take the club full-time. It is safe to assume he will also be providing the cash for a new stadium for 6,000 people.
"I told the people at the club if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it properly. Sure, it has cost a bob or two. And no, I'm not going to tell you how much. It's vulgar to talk about money where I come from because we never had any. All I will say is that I have had a lot more back in pleasure than I paid out in cash."
As for the suggestion that the club has bought its success, it is just about the only thing guaranteed to stir Mileson's otherwise benign persona. "That is a load of complete and utter ********," he bristles. "The only reason we are successful is that we have a good manager who has brought in older players who weren't wanted at other clubs and moulded them with our young players into a good team."
This may be true, but it is also the case that Gretna's players enjoy better salaries than virtually every other team outside the Premierleague. They also benefit from more scientific coaching, courtesy of the computer software made available to Alexander by Mileson's money. They are feted and pampered like SPL players: club suits, trips abroad and so forth. The same cannot be said of those who play for Morton, who stand 16 points behind Gretna in the Second Division, or St Mirren, First Division leaders and vanquished quarter-final opponents, or tomorrow's opposition, Dundee, a club that has spent most of the past three years in administration.
If preparation and professionalism decided football matches, then Gretna are in the final. Already. And if Hearts beat Hibs in the other semi-final and finish second in the SPL to secure a place in the Champions League, then Gretna will be in Europe. And if Gretna are in Europe, then Brooks Mileson will be in heaven.
"There's a lot of ifs in there but you never know," the club's owner says, laughing at the daftness of it all. "I wonder if Uefa rules would allow us to play here at Raydale?" If they do, then it is safe to assume the first name on the sheet for ticket-office duty will be Brooks Mileson.

Gretna in numbers
75
Mileson's estimated personal fortune in millons of pounds
750,000
Gretna's wage bill in pounds (approx)
418
Average attendance 2002-03
1,339
Average attendance 2005-06
2,705
Population of Gretna (2001)
6,000
Future capacity at Gretna's Raydale Park
3
Cost of stadium expansion in millions of pounds
75,000
Record transfer fee paid by Gretna

[hamish]

See the above has been moved to this thread. I didn't post it here 'cos I thought that this was for the Scottish premier League only but no probs anyway.

[hamish]

Apologies amigos.:o Have BBC Scotland loaded in my "other channels" part of the SKY thingy but just have discovered that it's not to be viewed outside Scotland unless it's on Freeview, Cable or Analogue.
Presume it's to do with rights or something.:confused:

[Plastic Paddy]

Come on Gretna, here's hoping you get to the final. GFC for Europe! :D

:ball: PP

[Poor Student]

See the above has been moved to this thread. I didn't post it here 'cos I thought that this was for the Scottish premier League only but no probs anyway.

Sorry Hamish. I know it says SPL but it's mean to mean all Scottish football. Don't worry about it.

I've never had any trouble watching football on BBC Scotland.:confused:

[hamish]

[QUOTE=Poor Student]Sorry Hamish. I know it says SPL but it's mean to mean all Scottish football. Don't worry about it.

I've never had any trouble watching football on BBC Scotland.:confused:[/QUOTE

No need for apologies kind PS - just me be8ing my usual confused self but I clicked on BBC Scotland and the above post is what comes up on the screen.

See Gretna are now 3 up*. I believe their top scorer Kenny Deuchar is a working doctor.
13,000 at the game - Jeff Stelling is just on about it now.
*own goal for the third.

[sligoman]

Maybe this thread should be renamed "Scottish footie thread" from now on so we don't confuse people like aul Hamish anymore:D :p.

[hamish]

Maybe this thread should be renamed "Scottish footie thread" from now on so we don't confuse people like aul Hamish anymore:D :p.

Ah, you know befuddled ol' me, have to ask directions outta bed these days.

[pineapple stu]

Well, almost. Facing Hearts in the Cup Final, and guaranteed a spot in the UEFA Cup if Hearts can hold onto second in the league. For a team who four years ago were playing non-League football in England before joining their own national league, it's a huge achievement, albeit with Brooks Mileson's money. Potentially handy draw (relatively at least) for Derry or Drogheda if they make it past the First Round of the UEFA Cup?

[Poor Student]

Potentially handy draw (relatively at least) for Derry or Drogheda if they make it past the First Round of the UEFA Cup?

Won't Gretna have only the Scottish national co-efficient points (having earned none of their own) leaving them unseeded. Also, given that they're 1 step away from the SPL and in this hypothetical situation would be in Europe and have Mileson's investment, they could be better than any eL side.

Yeah Hamish, Deuchar is a doctor. Has a great scoring rate.

[hamish]

Yeah Hamish, Deuchar is a doctor. Has a great scoring rate.

Janey, Poor Student, imagine having Kenny as ones GP:D - we footie fans would be in for a check up every week:eek: - just to have a good football chat with the man.:cool:

[Poor Student]

Only if you have a medical card Hamish.;)

[hamish]

Only if you have a medical card Hamish.;)

LOL - think I'll stick with the VHI* PS

Voluntary Hamish Inspection:D

[Poor Student]

LOL - think I'll stick with the VHI* PS

Voluntary Hamish Inspection:D

Quality.:D On second thoughts, I'd pay consultative fees if he could teach me how to finish like he manages.:cool:

By the way, I'm delighted to see Gretna in there. I just love seeing the little teams go far, even if they've had a helping hand. What I love about the English FA Cup is its sheer enormity and the way it stretches down the levels.

[hamish]

Quality.:D On second thoughts, I'd pay consultative fees if he could teach me how to finish like he manages.:cool:

By the way, I'm delighted to see Gretna in there. I just love seeing the little teams go far, even if they've had a helping hand. What I love about the English FA Cup is its sheer enormity and the way it stretches down the levels.

Agree with you PS and what I like about the bloke who's funding Gretna is that he supports local footie in the Gretna area by sponsoring players to go into the schools to coach. Despite the jealousy from other Scottish clubs, he's certainly no Abramovich.
Wonder could the FAI/EL do something similar with regard to EL players doing likewise in their area. Great way to connect youngsters to their local clubs. Maybe it could be built into their contract or something.
I know Shels were doing it a lot and I'm sure other clubs do to - I think Galway United did something similar during DonO'Connor's reign - correct me if I'm wrong Galway fans.

[Poor Student]

You're spot on. He's not in it for a hobby type millionaire plaything way. At least I think not. If I recall what I read right, he was sort of gradually roped into it by the locals. He sits in amongst the fans and he is teaching his son about the day to day running so he will take over when he moves on. As far as I see it, there's no harm in someone lending a helping hand a la Lennox at Cork. If you can build a club up a level in the short term and generate further interest yet maintain a good structure to ensure the club can be stable without you. I think Abramovich realised this and brought in Kenyon to ensure that Chelsea build themselves up to self sustaining someday. But yeah, it's great that he's building a club for the community and integrated into the community. And hey, he's put Gretna on the map for something other than dodgy elopements!

[hamish]

And hey, he's put Gretna on the map for something other than dodgy elopements!

You're not telling us something there Poor Student, are you by any chance???
LOL:p :D

Yeah, he's a good bloke, in poor health too as the Guardian thingy I posted above mentions.

Clubs like Morton, Raith Rovers, St. Mirren etc seems to have a biggish core support too - be good to see them getting up a division as well.
Wonder what the population of Inverness is? The seem to get a decent enough home crowd without being massive. I'm sure Inverness can't have more than, say, 50,000 - including its hinterland????
Sadly, Livingston appear doomed. That town is thriving business wise with a lot of Sky TV business there plus Edinburgh not to far away.
But, how in God's name do the likes of Elgin City, East Sterling, Stenhousemuir and co. survive???
I see that a Guardian bloke has a new book coming out soon on East Sterling called something like "A year with the UK's worst club" - somehting like that anyway.
One thing I do every Saturday is check Sky and BBC text to check out the crowds for the UK leagues.
I see the Welsh clubs are now giving crowd figures too and that LLanelli FC are doing fairly well. Has Catherine Zeto Jones put that one million into the club yet as reports sugested a few months ago?? Crowds are usually very small at Welsh games - you can see it in that weekly footie programme on that Welsh language channel in the Sky set up. They seem to have decent facilities with bars/clubhouses for an after match pint.

[Superhoops]

............He's not in it for a hobby type millionaire plaything way.......
He appears to be a real football fan and has used his good fortune to help other clubs as well as Gretna. I am sure I read he donated £600000 to the Carlisle trust fund, £10000 to the Berwick Rangers trust fund and he also donated to Dundee United. He is also reported to have offered Denis Bergkamp £10k per week to play at Gretna next season.

[hamish]

He appears to be a real football fan and has used his good fortune to help other clubs as well as Gretna. I am sure I read he donated £600000 to the Carlisle trust fund, £10000 to the Berwick Rangers trust fund and he also donated to Dundee United. He is also reported to have offered Denis Bergkamp £10k per week to play at Gretna next season.

Superhoops, what was the story about him and Pats/Hoops/Shels a few months ago? He denied it - was there any semblance of truth in it??

[Superhoops]

Superhoops, what was the story about him and Pats/Hoops/Shels a few months ago? He denied it - was there any semblance of truth in it??
Last summer Mileson and another guy from up the north of England, Brian Quigley were involved in a takeover of Shamrock Rovers but they pulled out after discussions with South Dublin County Council over the new stadium at Tallaght. Apparently Mileson/Quigley wanted control over the stadium and the advertising revenue and to pay SDCC a share of the profits, but SDCC refused saying they wanted to run it themselves and give Rovers use of it to play their games.

I think there was some speculation a few months later that Mileson was linked with a bid for Pat's. This was denied by Roddy Collins, who is a pal of Mileson's from RC's Carlisle days. Mileson apparently is also big pals with John Courtnay, who runs Umbro in Ireland and is also involved with Carlisle.

[hamish]

Cheers for that Superhoops - terrific summary of the situation and a lesson to the likes of me who tend to waffle on a bit.:)

[Junior]

As for Hearts-Hibs;Crowd 43180....Pathetic crowd, especially given neither club, especially Hibs. sold-out their allocation. Next time, all parties should swallow their :rolleyes: 'pride', play in Edinburgh in front of 68k & minimise inconvenience for all parties.
According to Terry Butcher:rolleyes: "3-4,000 Hibs.fans haven't even bothered to turn-up?". Fair play to those that did, though I guess they wish they hadn't after that embarassing performance.

Wheres H4E??? - I thought this was gonna be a max 52k crowd no probs?? Always sell out their Hampden allocation, blah blah blah.....Large empty sections behind the the Hibs goal, much larger on 75 mins!!

Very disappointing performance, would have liked Hibs to get to the final. Not sure what it was, nerves, missing Riordan perhaps but they were never in the game really.

Hartley has been excellent all season, a hatrick is pretty impressive from a midfielder.

Hibs inconsistency will mean their season will wimper out now, despite great performances against Celtic and Rangers, this means feck all if you drop the points they have against mediocre sides at Home.

Celtic can clinch the title tomorrow night at home to hearts, in doing so we would also give Rangers a massive lift in getting the 2nd CL spot, with them just 3 points behind Hearts with 6 games to go.

[pineapple stu]

Won't Gretna have only the Scottish national co-efficient points (having earned none of their own) leaving them unseeded. Also, given that they're 1 step away from the SPL and in this hypothetical situation would be in Europe and have Mileson's investment, they could be better than any eL side.
I don't think any Scottish side bar Celtic and Rangers have any points of their own worth talking about, so Gretna would be about as well off as the other teams, which means being overseeded on the basis of all the points Celtic and Rangers have gotten the Scottish League. They'd get a bye into the second round and be seeded there - almost all teams who get a bye are seeded in the round they enter. So an eL team could well face them in round 2.

Given that I wouldn't expect any eL club to be scared of any Scottish club outside Celtic, Rangers and Hearts, they'd have to fancy their chances. Add in a club playing First Division opposition in the run-up to the game, with no previous European experience at all and probably weaker than most of the SPL teams (remember, they have yet to meet an SPL team on the way to the final), and you'd have to say it's the draw you'd want. Not a handy draw necessarily, but about the handiest draw you could imagine at that stage.

[Hibs4Ever]

Still gutted from Sunday.

Disgraceful attendance from the Hibs support:mad:

Worst on the pitch performance I've seen from a Hibs team in a LONG time.

Missing top players didn't help, no Deek, Scott Brown, Boozy, Killen, and the recent sale of O'Connor.


Sproules sending off was a disgrace and hopefully Mogga hits him with a hefty fine.


As for our goalkeeper, I can no longer defend Zibbi, and reckon Simon Brown will get his place back til end of season, then Mogga should get Alan Combe.

2 must win games coming up tomorrow and Saturday, although now we have even MORE injury problems with Whittaker, Murphey and Stewart



Will take a few more days to get over this result


COME ON THE HIBEES:ball:

[Hibs4Ever]

Yep, the injurys keep on coming:( :(


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/4875748.stm


http://sport.scotsman.com/football.cfm?id=521332006

[Junior]

Aye, its not looking good at the moment, but in all honesty third spot is almost out of sight and your season is as good as over. Might not be a bad thing to blood a few more youngsters, something Hibs have not been afraid to do in the past.

Im hopeful Celtic do the same, once the title is wrapped up. I certain ly want to see more of Lawson in Centre Midfield.

[OwlsFan]

Well, since no one has mentioned it, Celtic won the title against a better team on the night. McGeady came on with a right leg looking like he had borrowed it from a mummy for the day but he did well.

On the evidence of what I saw last night, they'll need another season out of Keane and a few more decent players to make an impression in the Champions League.

[Hibs4Ever]

Well, since no one has mentioned it, Celtic won the title against a better team on the night. McGeady came on with a right leg looking like he had borrowed it from a mummy for the day but he did well.

On the evidence of what I saw last night, they'll need another season out of Keane and a few more decent players to make an impression in the Champions League.


The important thing is Hertz LOST, hopefully rangers will catch up and finish 2nd now:D

[Junior]

Well, since no one has mentioned it, Celtic won the title against a better team on the night. McGeady came on with a right leg looking like he had borrowed it from a mummy for the day but he did well.

On the evidence of what I saw last night, they'll need another season out of Keane and a few more decent players to make an impression in the Champions League.

That about sums it up on the night, though Mcgeady did nothing of note apart from miss a few half chances. It was a poor performance, going 1 up so early probably didn't help us. Hearts are a good side a battled hard and limited our space, Nakamura did nothing but defend all night, not what he's there for.

Still, 20 points clear, 6 games to go and League and League Cup double - Who would have thought it after those first couple of games in the season.

[londonirish17]

On the evidence of what I saw last night, they'll need another season out of Keane and a few more decent players to make an impression in the Champions League.[/QUOTE]

A few more decent players is definitely what we need ! Without 2 or 3 big signings we'll even struggle in the SPL. The Huns and Hearts will be stronger next season. It ain't gonna be an easy ride... There is talk (In the french media) of interest by Rangers for Coupet, Darcheville, Frei, Pires + 1 or 2 other French players...

[NeilMcD]

Which Scottish Team does George Galloway support. In 4-4-2 this month he says Celtic but he has been on radio shows before saying he supports Dundee Utd.

[Pat O' Banton]

Which Scottish Team does George Galloway support. In 4-4-2 this month he says Celtic but he has been on radio shows before saying he supports Dundee Utd.

Read an interview with him a while back saying he is a Celtic fan, but has a soft spot for Dundee United due to his time as an MP in Tayside, a politians answer if ever I heard one!