craig

True, but previously there was also a 3 week winter break. This time around they play us on the 2nd, then Hibs on the 11th. 9 days between. And the quickest, direct flight between Scotland and Dubai is apparently 7 hours 20 minutes. That will take a but out of them just on the travel alone. Maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but with just 9 days between games and half a day spent in the air, I don't see how this actually helps them this season.

SPFL's official stance on this is that they have, for 22 years, deferred to the wishes of the home team when these situations arise. Seems to me that the SPFL have simply opened the doors for every other club to play around with their fixture list however it suits. The inmates are running the asylum.

Aye, I know mate - but some of the oldies on here wouldn't have got that so I just said it out straight

Or use a VPN

This is exactly the reason that it was all hidden - for sporting advantage.

Looked very tidy on the ball, box to box, keen to get involved. Looked very assured. He, Kai Kennedy and Leon King are the best of the bunch from the Academy from everything I hear.

Goldson has scored as many goals at Parkhead since September as the whole Celtic team.

That's 5 players you have mentioned that were out for one reason or another and the "weak players" on the bench numbered 3. That is two more missing than weak players taking their spot. Further, we had 10 players on the bench, when normally the bench contains 7 players when not operating due to covid. If you removed the 3 you mention our bench would have consisted of McLaughlin, Bassey, Helander, Hagi, Itten, Barker, Stewart. Plus the starting XI makes 18. Add in Defoe, Zungu, Jack & Aribo and you have 22 players, add in Edmundson and Jones and you have 24 - which is 2 players for every position. And I dont think that our bench would be weak at all, whether we have 7 subs OR 10 subs. Leon King - defender - if we had suffered an injury we had Helander and Bassey to replace a defender Ciaran Dickson & Jamie Barjonas - midfielders - if we had suffered an injury we had Hagi, Barker, Stewart to come in and replace injuries I don't think we were nearly as close to needing those youngsters as you think we were. And were it not for the homegrown players rule two of them wouldnt have even made the bench as Jones & Edmundson would have been on the bench instead. The reason all 3 of them were on the bench was because of the homegrown players rule - and we can't avoid that as we have to have 8 in the squad, or your squad size is reduced accordingly. Edmundson and Jones aren't in the Europa league squad either. Also, one of them, Leon King likely, would not have been in the squad had Nathan Patterson not been isolating due to close contact Re Covid. And re the midfielders, we have senior 9 midfielders in our Europa league squad - having 3 of them out through injury is unfortunate, but we still had Davis, Kamara, Arfield, Hagi, Kent, Stewart before using the youngsters. Depends on what you call being fortunate - at various stages this season we have lost Aribo, Katic, Jack, Davis, Roofe to injuries. Even the other night we were without three central midfielders - I don't think that is fortunate.

They can’t though

Disagree. The only reason that bench looked weak is because of the European rules on homegrown players - that is why King, Dickson and Barjonas were on the bench.

Technically we threw away 2 points at Easter Road

We clearly do as it would have been the BI cover which saw us receive £1.25 million from insurers due to Covid. Still more of a claim in but unknown whether we will receive further insurance monies.

As BD says, we don't know the background behind this - there may be reasons he has to charge interest - I don't know enough about the South African Revenue Service (SARS) but there is a possibility that he has to charge interest for tax reasons. I would hope we don't sell anyone in January given the importance of the season - but should we win the league this year - in fact probably even if not, then we will sell Morelos for sure - can se do that pre-June 30th given the window usually only opens on July 1st ? Or has that changed ?

Booooooo. Just heard that Lennon will "likely be gone by the end of the week" - apparently he has had a falling out with both Brown & Christie. Comes from someone who gets some inside info. Personally hoping it is shite.

Remember it well. Stepped well beyond his remit, both as a Rangers fan and an IFA (as an IFA that is my personal thought - he actually was within his rights to question at the time in his professional capacity, though I am not convinced it was being done for that reason). Seemed to me a need to have information that other Bears might not be privy to. He caused an almighty chasm amongst the support. All that said, water under the bridge and, thankfully, Mr Bennett still invested.

Another thing.... we are moving the ball around so crisply, and showing so much movement, that other teams are struggling to lay a glove on us - and that actually also includes being able to throw themselves into tackles and potentially injuring our players. Right now, they just aren't getting close enough - and this Aberdeen very rarely miss an opportunity to leave a challenge on us. Bodes well if we can continue to remain reasonably injury free

How times have changed when we are actually disappointed with a 4-0 lead. Gerrard, and these players, really are on the edge of something very.... nope, not going to say it....

Yep, but long journey back too. Gerrard is rotating his squad excellently this season - I think much of it is because he now actually trusts every player he brings on to not reduce the quality being replaced

The Roofe one was even more clear cut

Another stonewaller - dragged back at corner

4 - get in

Take that - dont care how we get them

Will try to take a look in the next couple of days

Hey Frankie, sorry bud - I actually have a work call with a Board member this afternoon right in the same timeframe. Would have loved to have done it too. A fair number of talking points in the financials

Comfortable half - 2 up, should be more - but can't be complacent - next goal crucial.