Gribz

Thats a fine result, just when I was expected to read about a bit of a cuffing we manage a 1-1 and going by the posts it seems a decent performance. At least we managed to hit the net albeit not from open play which has to be what we need to work on and I think that will come with more gelling and match time plus a little shuffling around in personnel. Watford friendly in midweek before Sheff Wed - which should really become an annual fixture.

Alves is obviously a winner and goes into the squad with high stature. He just looks like a leader. I just hope there is harmony in the dressing room and this talk of split camps gets sorted out.

About the Foderingham one, I would just worry about Alnwick's lact of first team football if he was promoted to number 1 straight away. Who else could we bring in? I saw someone posing McGregor but he has lost his form. In saying that so had Gordon prior to training with McCoists team so McGregor may be a possible option. Keepers are massively important and we have been blessed with some cracking keepers over the years, we need a solid long term number 1 again.

Looks like Sanchez is on the way to PSG. If Arsenal can get 50m for him they should take it straight away and get Lemar from Monaco. Sanchez would be a bad apple in the dressing room next season if he stays plus Arsenal have had the best out of him. But Ox-Chamberlain is supposed to be in talks with Chelsea, id be keeping him if I was Wenger.

The fact these countries seasons are up and running by the time qualifiers come around is an advantage but its not the full reason. I always liked the festive period for football but now more so from the English premier league as I get the coverage of that. One issue is the winter can hit over 3 months in Scotland so games could still be frosted off in March - however Im sure that could be the same for Scandinavian countries and even more so for the Baltic teams. Its the set up and those running the game in Scotland which assists of the poor product which is going downhill fast. Saying that I would prefer to give it a try for say 3 seasons and then if it doesnt work we switch it back, its not like something those running the game could undo if it didnt work.

That's just ignorance. Was he being starved, not paid and not able to buy new shoes!!

Newcastle take Murphy from Norwich for 12m. Cant say Ive heard of him. Szczesny leaves Arsenal to join Juventus for 10m. That could be the first of a clear out at Emirates.

This is interesting because Id like to see the numbers (who's our new number guru again on here? ) from the PLG era when it was Ferguson and Boyd causing the split. I was against that at the time but it wasnt so popular to do so IIRC. Very much different situations though, pretty sure My Baw and Co were against the change of diet and double training sessions whereas this split is down to footballing reasons.

Just watching the premier league channel at the moment, Liverpool v Palace live from Hong Kong. The assistant Ref holding the subs board up is the most beautiful girl you will see in football. Im glad its a friendly with 22 changes so the camera pans onto her.

Still no thanks. Purely on a footballing sense 3 years ago would have been a good addition but not now. Other reasons have been well documented.

I'll know by Friday mate. Currently is a yes Im over that dates but possibility of moving to Sept. Im due over Sept for work whereas August was a holiday trip but I dont fancy going twice so may move to one trip only.

I dont know why but there is a part of me wanting to see PC turn this around and be a success, I guess that change doesnt happen over night. But even during transition we should have enough in the tank to beat Progres. But Im mostly thinking should we just cut our losses now. The additionally worry to that is if the Mexican and Portuguese players downed tools and it was PC who probably got them over the line. Alves is professional enough to accept it but the others perhaps wouldnt. This is where Dorrans, Jack and probably Morelos differ.

Chris Burke has just joined Kilmarnock also for a year. Anymore to go there?? Ness, McCormack, Wylde, Hutton??

Joe Hart to West Ham. Its an upgrade on Adrian and Randolph but Id have preferred Begovic who Bournemouth got from Chelsea. Hart has a point to prove, but he has a lot of fumbles in him. Hart and Zabaleta are good signings though - experience of winning. Looks like Marko Arnautovic from Stoke will be signing for the Hammers also for 24m. The guy blows hot and cold, he is very arrogant and will need to be man managed well. Chicharito is the other one close to joining. He is just a proper poacher and will score for fun if he gets the service. Would be a good addition.

Not directing this to you but my standards are that a Rangers side should walk away with 4-0 scoreline in games like this.

Point being what though? I dont see any knee jerk reactions. This is building up. Pedro has to turn things around straight away end of.

You have to remember we wouldnt be playing this game if he managed to steer us past Luxembourgs 4th best part time team. He dragged the players back after 10-14 days holiday to start fitness, id say the players are probably fit but have no clue to the system.

I would say we have the right centre backs for it. There is two ways of playing a back 3. You have the 3 central defenders just doing what they know or you play a 2 like a normal system then the sweeper inbetween who goes behind and infront. Almost the opposite of a free role striker. But the 3 definitely must know what their roles are. Im sure Alves, Wilson and Cardoso could play as a 3. I dont even think Wallace and Tav need to be the wing backs, maybe just one and when defending he makes up a 4th defender plus we would have a holding midfielder back there. Wallace for me has been poor of late and he wouldnt make my starting XI at the moment.

Even if, thats still 1 goal in 5? How many minutes have Morealos and Herrera had?

I quite like the idea of 4 real midfielders in the same team also but we need to work out a system where we still get a bit of width or creativity in the final third. I just think a back 4 is going out of fashion at the moment. Ive always been a 3-5-2 fan even when it was unpopular but it just seems the way to go at the moment.

When listing a XI of 'remember how bad he was' in the future, I dont even think I'll remember to include Crooks.

Pre season friendlies often count for nothing but in our case questions need to be asked. When you look at the starting XI we put out it looks good on paper but something obviously isnt right behind the scenes. Tactics and split dressing room perhaps...and some of the players just obviously arent having PC as a manager. Der berliner - St Johnstone beating Sunderland means nothing, Sunderland are rank. Like Craig said, the more coming out the less it seems Pedro should be there.

I tend not to read much ex pro footballer (and managers) books but one or two catch the eye and Ive read a few. Ive read Terry Venables, Alex Ferguson, Paul Gascoigne, Andy Gray and Roy Keane' which were all quite good. I did read Maradona also few years back simply because he was / is the best ever. But more recently Ive read Ray Parlour and Paul Merson. Both are well worth a read and include some hilarious bits. I was on a flight last Friday and had horrendous turbulence during descent and had a few old dears panicking yet I was crying with laughter reading Parlours book. What a player he was and didnt get credit for. I dont like when I see players who are 25 and been playing well for a year or so taking out books, an autobiography should be about the end of the career. Anyone got additional recommendations?

Obviously not the sharpest tool. Rousseau makes a valid point but we didnt officially state that. It was more a fan thing saying what we expected. Wouldnt be surprising if Lennon told him to say this. Its actually good to have Hibs back in the league - Id much rather be beating them than Inverness. The game has some spice to it.

The latest TV deal could be the start of a domino effect of multiple issues. Clubs getting funds to a new level and players moving on transfers that bar China are in a league of their own. In the coming few seasons you could see a few clubs doing a Leeds. The Premier league used to be two horse races, Man Utd / Newcastle, Man Utd / Arsenal in the 90s. Then Chelsea joined the race, then Man City. And now Spurs are in their albeit not via money and Everton are stepping it up also. Yet there is only 4 CL spaces so 3 will miss out. It cant be that far away before a Euro Super league will have genuine discussions.