Gribz

He was a player!! I rated him. He didn't like a tackle but he would be straight into the team in this day.

Yep that's pretty much what I was getting at. Well said (you aren't the real JFK are you? who was NOT taken out by LHW? - another thread) Maybe Hearts last season can be looked as a decent success after coming up but at the end of the day they are Hearts and should be punching above the teams below them.

Similar to Scotland, I could barely recognise their starting XI if they was having lunch infront of me. Rodgers is on a life saving job, if he was that good he would have gotten a gig in England. He did well from Swansea off of Souza and Martinez work and Suarez glorified him at Anfield yet they still conceded 50+ goals in the season Gerrard slipped. Anything to be worried about on Saturday??? Eh no!

Sorry but I feel this is out of order. Erm going back to 2012 who else actually was available to do what he did and go to Division 3? A Cheerleader is way out of line. Im sure you would have happily took that salary as well. I am not defending the performance side (or lack of) one bit.

Can read on the BBC if you like - no point posting a link. Wrong Murdo. How many Championship clubs come up and do an overhaul like Rangers did. He is too focused on the individual players. Yet are Celtics individuals that better? Sinclair was a failure for years. The business Rangers did is nothing short of exceptional considering the circumstances. Would Celtic in 1993 have done the same levels? No It took them 2-3 years before they got challenging again. I usually quite like Murdo, but he seems very unbalanced here and isn't looking at the bigger picture. EDIT - Not to mention the budget difference. Celtic are playing Barcelona next week....take that into consideration.

Correct. I am not doubting his managerial inabilities. But my point is would anyone who slates him have done anything other than take the salary? I really doubt that.

That's fair enough. Your only entitled to whatever your employer pays though. Is Wayne Rooney worth 300k a week? And should he drop 50% next year when his form continues to decline? No I don't think so. No footballer will give us or offer a drop in wages.

Id wonder if those who slate Ally would have done anything different with regards to his salary had they been in his shoes. On the football side of it his tactics was well off and the players didn't look fit. There was a spell early is his days where we did actually play well and won some good games, I recall a win at Fir Park when we were full blown attacking. But then it went out the window. His footballing side and financial side are two different things, and like I said I very much doubt those who criticise him would have not picked up the same salary had they been given it. I think the man deserves a bit more respect taking his legendary playing status into consideration.

As much good as MW has done, a change of plan B has to be up his sleeve or he wont win certain games. You cant always do Game A better. He is a very clever man and we intrust him this Saturday. Im getting a bit excited, just had a wee cheeky expensive lager already.

Senderos and Bougherra would complete the team IMO but that would be extremely unlikely as MW would see that as having a negative effect on the current defenders and he is all for harmony. But unless Clint Hill can get up to speed you have to wonder why Bougherra wasn't thought about before Hill signed.

I have never said before an OF game that id settle for a point, but it would be a good result on Saturday unless it was in a scenario where we was robbed of something. There is nothing to fear though and we have to get that belief into the squad that we can win in the East end like Walter did so well more often than not.

I know it couldn't happen but It would be great to borrow Clattenburg from the FA to ref an OF game.

If Senderos is fit its a no brainer, he has to play, the others don't look up to the task. He should be able to keep Griffiths in his back pocket.

Id take 8 points from the first 4 straight away. Lithuania is a must win already, it wont be pretty but I can see a 1-0 or a 2-0. Slovakia away is tough, they held England at the Euro's and were 1 kick away from doing so with 10 men last night. Id bite at a point now. Cant see us getting anything at Wembley but England are still a poor side with most of their players on poor form so there is a chance considering the surprises in football results in the last 12 months. Id be more worried if Allardyce actually changed things and played a team full of form and pace. If he played something like this I think it would transfer them 4-1-4-1: Forster, Walker, Stones, Dier, Rose, Drinkwater, Antonio, Ox-Chamberlain, Barkley, Sterling, Rashford. But the current crop of Henderson, Lallana, Rooney is nothing to be afraid of.

Im not from Iceland though.

McKay didn't get on which is good news, barring a training knock he has come through international break unscathed. Dodoo and Crooks must be the only ones out for sure.

Russell Martin, Robertson, Paterson, Hanley, Bannan, Ritchie, Chris Martin, Burke If any of these players from the starting line up was sitting at my table I would have no idea who they are. I might recognise Bannan but that's about it. Its scary to think these are the players who will be at Wembley in two months, 17 years after our last proper team who won there 1-0 from Don Hutch goal.

I had no idea it was another keeper. Looks a bit like Gordon also.

Rodgers is 5ft 7" Gordon must be 6ft 4. Cant see us playing any high ball stuff unless big Senderos is good at heading

Probably a good workout with no injuries, now its about a good full week of training. Our starting XI and set up next week will be intriguing with almost a full squad to choose from.

If he is going to get these tackles every week he wont be so lucky next time and it will finish his career. How can DJ say this is Scottish Football - the tackle was bordering assault. Im all for fair tackles but more should have been mentioned about that one, is was a fraction of a second to ending Bartons career. I previously mentioned he will get some tough tackles because players are inferior to him. Barton does have to get up to pace though, he hasn't done anything wrong but looks like he has aged as a player which I cant believe could happen in a few months when he was POTY in a now Premier League team.

Thanks, I will still probably watch these. Scottish football in the 80s was outstanding overall value which had 5 competitive teams on all fronts. The 90s gave me great memories as I started going to Ibrox and witnessed the class of Laudrup and Gascoigne. Even in the early 2000s we still had great entertainment on view. Its really been the last 10-12 years that the fat cat powers that be and media have steered in to a sinking ship.

This is tough as I cant include players I haven't seen yet / seen too much of yet. The opposition would also come into consideration - the XI id pick for Celtic away is different to my XI here. Id also be tempted to play Tav as a winger. XI against run of the mill SPL teams: Foderingham Tavernier Senderos Wilson Wallace Barton Forrester Rossiter Waghorn Miller McKay

Reason or optimism - We played them off the park 5 months ago with a weaker squad and couldn't even fill our bench. They will come at us which could also suit as we can be quick on the counter.

Its common for the fixture lists to throw up big matches after international break and seems to be a time where key players pick up injuries. So in this sense Im glad Wallace pulled out. As I said on another thread the position we are thin with is full backs. As such I hope he doesn't play at Linfield with the OF being next week. That goes for most of MW's intended XI for next week, they should get 45 mins at most and the squad is big enough to make changes and possibly try a 3 at the back.