craig

Except they arent., not always. How many times has it cost us a boatload to get rid of permanent players that havent worked out ?

There is absolutely no way you can say "Barisic" wouldnt have been on the park. Where do you even get that from ? Prior to the game at Celtic Park he had played in the previous 4 league games - so not sure how you can squeeze in that he wouldnt have been playing. Absolutely zero guarantee that Souttar would have come in and Bassey would have been moved to LB. This is exactly what I talk about when I say benefit of hindsight. "Oh look, Borna had a nightmare - if we'd had Souttar then Souttar would have played, Bassey would have went LB and Barisic out". If Souttar DID sign he almost certainly wouldn't have started that game for a number of reasons including he would have literally only signed days before - no chance GvB is taking a chance in those circumstances. Another reason being he picked up an injury against Motherwell just before the window closed. Diallo was poor, no denying it. But there is absolutely NO WAY I can agree with you that he was more culpable than Tav, Barisic, McGregor and the midfield 3. Our issues against Celtic weren't up front - we we dismal defensively with a midfield 3 who didnt know what they were doing. Our loanees didnt cost us the league. Look far closer to home in Allan McGregor (Ross County and Celtic at Ibrox) and the two very weak goals we lost at home to Motherwell when cruising.

The one on the pitch was nowhere near as culpable as our permanent players. Diallo was NOT the reason we lost that game. Borna, Tav, McGregor, Kamara and Arfield were all bigger contributors to that defeat than Diallo. Injuries happen - so going by your logic we can blame Helander for losing that game ?? As I say, it appears to me that you are creating a false narrative around a preferred agenda. That said, I will bow out here because it is all taking away from the actual transfer rumours thread

Just teasing mate. Generally I agree that loan deals aren't great. But the reality is that some loan deals can be excellent, particularly when they fill a gap that you can't easily fill yourself.

Met a young lad in Seville who had travelled with backpack from Lanzarote... his pal was one of the Beeb producers. Said producer told the young lad he could bunk in with them as the kid had no digs, not a problem. So the young kid then heads off to the villa that the Beeb had rented for the week.... only to be rejected because, and I quote "Michael Stewart is staying here with his entourage now and there's no way they would let you stay". The young lad was almost forced into having to sleep on a park bench, but luckily found someone else to assist. Apparently they (the Beeb) were looking for me to interview me (the lad had told them I had travelled to Seville from Bermuda and I guess they liked the whole long distance fan thing) - thankfully, prior to them showing up, we had departed the Starbucks in which we met the young lad. Genuinely nice kid who we met the following day at the fanzone.

Has a price been quoted ?

If the Emirates is fast going out of date then 80% of the Premier League are in for a shock expense with their stadia. The only Premier league stadia built after Emirates are Spurs, Brentford and Brighton - West Ham if you include their loaned stadium.

But you said only one worked out....

Because you somehow found a way to blame loan players for us getting pumped by Celtic when only one of them was on the pitch, and when we had more seasoned players who contributed far more to that defeat

I'd take Ross Stewart - looks a very tidy finisher to me - albeit in League One - good squad player IMO

lol. The loanees never lost us that game either - are you saying hat in a team game of 11 players per side that ONE of our players cost us that game ? The only loanee who started that game was Amad. And whilst he may have been poor, we had far bigger issues with the permanent players we had that night. Barisic, Tavernier, the whole midfield 3 - were absolute dross. But, aye, the single loanee who started that night cost us the game - not another loane entered the field of play for us. Talk about creating a narrative around an agenda mate

Exactly this. We think that a young lad can be just thrown in amongst the hammer throwers of the SPFL. We give little credit to people like Gerrard or GvB who have played at the very top level to nurture them as they need to be nurtured.

Yes, but that makes the assumption that they are all at the same, or similar, stages of development. It isnt that simple.

Suggesting loanees cost us the league is a complete red herring.

McGregor wasn't on loan. Which loan player cost us the league ? Sorry, but I just can't agree with that. YOU have been saying loan deals are shite - I wasn't responding to you though, was I ? The point remains, if our prospects arent ready for 1st team action but another clubs prospects are - because we cant ignore we are fishing in a completely different pool to the EPL teams), without bursting the bank on loan fees and wages, then I see no problem. It really isnt as simple as "we have youngsters, play them instead of playing another clubs youngsters". They can, and will, be at different stages of development, physically, mentally, technically, tactically.

I think with a run of games he can be a very good asset for us. Decision-making could improve but he is pacy, direct, has a very decent shot on him (going by the weekend) - he could be that answer to Candeias we/you have been bemoaning for a couple of years. With his pace and directness one side and Kent the other, we could be very dangerous next season. Needs consistency though

I wasnt disappointed, lol

Too many in our support love the benefit of hindsight, something the management team don't have. Lowry is a great prospect and if he thought he had been "rotting" then he wouldnt have signed his extension. Simple as that really.

I didnt say any of them were. You are missing the point entirely. You made a general statement and I responded in general terms. If we can get a Man City prospect on loan and he is a starter whilst one of our own prospects isnt good enough to start, then I have absolutely no problem with it.

Cheers mate - Happy to help where I can

"playing other teams prospects while leaving ours to rot" - not much wrong with that if other clubs prospects are better than ours and can add value that our own can't. It isnt nearly as simplistic as you seem to think it is

Cammy, my teenage son hardly ever gets to games these days as he is in an Academy in Reading - but I am still getting the ST for him as I don't want to lose it (almost on halfway line in Club Deck) - he would, I am sure, be more than welcome to sit beside the ex up there - she could meet you outside before the game and also drop him off to you after the game. Obviously no charge mate - better than the seat going to waste, or me putting it on seatsub Just a thought mate.

Just seen on Social Media that apparently Goldson has told Alan Hutton that he would like to stay.....

Lowry will get his chances, I don't think there is any doubt about that - as will King & McCann IMHO. But they need to be eased in appropriately - which is why we really need to be hammering teams with a high tempo from the start, so we can give these guys 30-45 minutes when a game is done and there is little to no pressure on.

You mean the game before the EL ? As Cammy says, completely different circumstances, different Hearts team, nothing to play for and, for both teams was a dead rubber.