Gribz

Overall the draw is good and balanced, it doesn't seem to favour the big boys anymore and there is two top teams in each group. Fair play to UEFA for once, with the Euro's and this CL they have opened up the tournaments more. Arsenal should finally be pleased and have to win that group. Spurs is a very even group. Leicester getting Porto is a tough draw but they have a great chance of 2nd. City are a banker for top 2 but getting Barca is interesting. Celtic have zero chance of top 2.

Bad result but Im not to bothered as Sunday football every week has its effect. West Ham have made 9 signings but its mostly been squad signings rather than straight in first teamers, that can be an issue. We needed a few of them to be first team improvements certainly in defence.

Whilst Adam has a point he does seem to be looking unfit and doesn't get in Stokes starting XI at the moment in the Premier League and is doing much more media work. That said he should be in the squad.

Agree with that. Said similar in another thread that what the management and board have done is phenomenal, what more else could they have done especially with personnel leaving over the summer. Some clubs find it difficult to ship one out in order to buy more but to improve a squad overhaul with 7 or 8 players is nothing short of fantastic.

Not when we are short in numbers in defence and he can potentially be first choice centre half. At 6ft 5 Im hoping Weir spends time with him in training. Crooks and Senderos at centre half is more appealing than Wilson and Kiernan for some reason.

Ive certainly been a Miller fan (not the beer) over the years. Second stint was by far the most effective though. At the moment his game has changed a lot due to age but he is still getting important goals and his experience, attitude and contribution is what is key right now. His composure for the goal on Saturday was good to see. He is has been this millennia's version of Gordon Durie - while not a prolific scorer he can offer a lot upfront.

Senderos is dragging on and that's never a good sign. Silence coming out of Ibrox is never a bad thing, deals tend to get done on the quiet. I would imagine MW has a few loan deals up his sleeve.

Financially it put them miles ahead until we can get back into the CL - which we will eventually. For the season it helps us. They are going to have 6 intense games playing their first XI which will take it out them and hopefully they get weekend hangovers.

So long as the players don't let the occasion get to them then at least a draw is achievable. By occasion I mean they don't freeze or snap in the wrong way. Its going to be important that Miller and Weir stress how big it will be and that they wont have seen anything like it. Performance wise we showed in the Semi final we can play them off the park, 2-2 that day flattered them. And Id say we have improved personnel since then, but playing at Parkhead is different to a neutral venue. But we have been in scenarios before when we have expected to get thumped there but came out trumps - two of Walters return games Big Ugo's goal and the Daniel Cousin / Pedro Mendes games spring to mind. Although the current situation cant be compared to them we are still going in as underdogs. They have everything to lose we should go there and have a go. If we can get a good centre half in before the game then I'll be in a confident mode.

Have to agree with that, I wouldn't mind seeing a Colin Hendry type defender, someone that will throw themselves infront of everything and just loves defending - its exactly what is missing. I understand MW wants to play football on the floor but keeping clean sheets is as important. As for who is out there - that's a tricky one. I guess MW will need to use his knowledge of the English 2nd and 3rd tier, im sure there is a few in those leagues.

I didn't previously think Strachan was anti Rangers but this squad almost proves he doesn't want to select Rangers players. McKay couldn't have been overlooked, bar Motherwell he has looked a different player at a different level. But Wallace is by far the best option at LB for the national team. I recall Davie Robertson in the 90s not getting nearly as much call ups as he should have also.

Marco Negri would have got there in a season and a half had he not disappeared! There is some unbelievable goals to games ratios in the early part of last century. That's something I always look for also. Highest doesn't always mean greatest. I heard a few on Talksport saying Rooney is Englands greatest ever goalscorer - I disagree, I say he their highest goalscorer. Jimmy Greaves got 44 in 57 games so that is a great record IMO.

I am flabbergasted anyone would boo this current team and management as things stand. Had we been 4-0 down without a point and out the league cup it may have been justified. But attitudes like this will drive Warburton away. The teams needs a bit of tweaking in midfield and once it clicks we will give a few teams a hiding. I think the work done in the transfer market in the short space of time is phenomenal, the management and board deserve a pat on the back. Considering loanees left, out of contract players left and people not pulling their weight and taking a wage like Templeton left. It put us down to the bare bones for a return to the top flight but if anyone had told us back in say April a few short months ago that Barton and Kranjcar (along with probably Hill who comes with a good CV) had signed along with Liverpools best U21 England International plus a striker on the fringes of the English Champions id have said Mike Ashley must have become a hero over night and opened his wallet.

I had to grow up with it for a while. Id probably say it can get worse there than Celtic. The hatred is bad. I took a few hits while growing up there. The worst one was being spat on when I was 15 by a guy in his 30s after a game at Pittodrie which Rangers had won thanks to a big Mark Hateley game. There used to be a band of Gers fans who sat in Section F of the main stand at Pittodrie as we could get tickets locally, coming out the ground was a nightmare.

Hope he brings his sister Jennifer to a few games!!

Pretty sure when Davie Weir was playing he wasn't settled and commuted to and fro Merseyside - hardly settled with his family.

Im pretty sure MW is looking high and low for an available centre half but its not the easiest position to fill when we don't have a blank cheque and are up against English top and second division teams looking for the same position. MW has always said he wont add just for the sake of it. I think Senderos will join and the sooner the better.

I did have the double on of Sunderland and West Ham. I quite liked the look of Boro before the season but though Moyes would have impacted the side in a must win game. But they are shockingly poor. Most teams in the league need a few additions mainly for the squad, they need about 6 or 7 first teamers. Had a 2-0 bet on West Ham also so was unlucky there. The new stadium has won me over, I didn't think it was a footballing stadium but it looked terrific yesterday, has an old Wembley feel about it.

The manager and players have to find out the level for themselves and this is a good start coming out unbeaten so far. The players will know they have to step it up a level. Its a regime that is 12 months old and played against some part time opposition during that year so still at early days. We will win more games than we lose this season that's for sure. That said I don't think there is much between the majority of Premier and Championship sides but we cant expect to hit 4-0 wins every week at the moment especially when we are still looking for our best XI. Find that XI out is not possible at the moment when its a few games into the season and MW hasn't seen enough players playing together yet during matches.

Very composed finish by Miller, it would have been easy to snatch at it given its in the last minute searching for a winner. That's the experience he offers. Its a terrific 3 points to get so early in the season. It may be that we are more comfortable on the road this season when the pressure is off a bit, but I wouldn't be surprised for things to just suddenly click at home then give someone a spanking 4 or 5 nil. The team just needs a little tweaking in midfield, cant see Halliday and Barton in the same team much longer. With Crooks and Windass coming back gives us further options. The defence is the only area that needs additions. Not only at centre half but I worry for Lee Wallace's cover?? Can Hodson play both sides? I always wonder how it works with top ex players in training - for example Davie Weir was class at centre half and mentored others on the pitch next to him but is he improving them on the training field? I thought the same under McLeish (with defenders) and McCoist (with the strikers). Is it something you just cant pass on!

While Lescott is the better centre half between him at Senderos, it seems the latter has the better attitude and would give all. If Lescott wasn't settled or comfortable he could have been a liability to the defence. MW has always said we will only bring players in who suit the group on and off the pitch.

Are you cycling? But MW showing his class integrity again. He is levels above any other manager at answering questions.

Coupon totally knackered this weekend. Swansea, Liverpool results totally wrong and had a draw at West Brom v Everton. If Everton do keep Lukaku then they are certainly a contender for top 4. I didn't think Koeman would have a quick impact there but they are looking good. There is a place up for grabs. The Manchester clubs will be top 2 all season but Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs have stumbled out the blocks slowly so a team like Everton can capitalize. As for Arsenal, I think Wenger has lost the dressing room.

Lescott would potentially be signing of the summer, possibly topping Barton. Its good MW is keen to strengthen the defence as its obvious that is where needs beefed up. If we add Lescott and Senderos its very shrewd business. They would surely walk straight into the first XI.

Again, is that down to Wenger? Shouldn't it be scrapped if they want to compete? Champions league and top money yet they wont compete with the bigger teams. With this mentality Arsenal will sink to mid table. Teams like Stoke spend more. Palace just offered 30m for Benteke yet Arsenal don't get the cheque book out. They are becoming indefensiveable. Don't want to turn this into an Arsenal thread but they make it for themselves. I'll have a cheeky fiver with you now they wont finish top 4, based on last Sundays result.