buster.

Forgot about the short winter break. Take it as read that the sun will be out in January and Feburary will be bleak.

You could say an experienced 'spine' is being put in place with Hill, Barton and MIller but until we see what we have at the close of the transfer window and what first XI is favoured by the manager, it's difficult to say. I've never seen Hill play but Barton and Miller have quality aswell as experience. The other thing is about leading by example. We know that Miller has a great attitude and if Barton brings his 'A' game then that helps our midfield and defence greatly. The old phrase 'a team of captains' might apply next season. On the other hand, there will be the younger players in there beside the experience. It's about getting things right from the off and creating a competitive enviroment of excellence where you have to be showing at a good level to be considered for the first XI.

Tough first round of fixtures see us away at Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts. It won't be long now.

Ironic that in the Euros predictor we have French and German names at the top whilst the British flounder as per the norm in the summer finals. ....

Those changes were made prior to the 2nd round of games starting. Sods law if you make a change now, the original will come in so I've decided to let them role

Rousseau Quick question on rules Can you change a prediction prior to KO in any game or are you locked in once the 'round of games' start ?

There is obviously a limit to how much you can do this but MW seems to like going down this road. Eustace, Miller and now possibly Hill. I think it increases the motivation of the individuals in that they want to be seen as an example when and if they play, eg. Kenny Miller......... This significantly shortening the odds on getting a good return on the pitch compared to many other older players whose motivation can be a problem. Downside can be injuries, eg. Eustace.

With 16 of the 24 getting through the group stage, the tournament doesn't really start until the KO games kick-in. For the teams with a serious chance of winning the trophy, the group stages are almost an extension of their preperation and IMO the time to really judge is when the KO ties start. The Italians were always a team who would often start slowly, sneak through the group stage and then compete strongly with the best.

What is beautiful about the EPL fixtures released today is that Newcastle Utd aren't involved.

The English fans with some under the counter goading and perisope camera men poised, could almost secure qualification for their side.

Stat Attack In International tournament Finals, Ronaldo has taken 34 free-kicks (attempts on goal) and scored 0 goals. Source James Richardson (Guardian pod)

I'll put in an offer of 175K Brazilian Reals if the currency is fast and loose.

The rivalry with England is embedded in our history and it goes further back than football. In recent decades the footballing panorama has changed with England moving on with the times and more money whilst Scotland have went backwards. For youngsters today, they may not feel the footballing rivalry with our neighbours so keenly as the older generations, who watched the Home Internationals at the end of every season. Post referendum, everything that has national relevance and especially when connected with England has become a polarised 'war-zone' for making your point and any reason tends to go out of the window or is ignored.

That'll keep the green and grey busy for a bit.

Russia 1 - 1 Slovakia Romania 1 - 1 Switzerland France 2 - 0 Albania England 2 - 1 Wales Ukraine 2 - 0 Northern Ireland Germany 1 - 1 Poland Italy 1 - 0 Sweden Czech Rep 0 - 1 Croatia Spain 1 - 0 Turkey Belgium 2 - 1 Ireland Iceland 1 - 1 Hungary Portugal 2 - 1 Austria

I think you forgot me when adding up the scores this time.,...not that it makes much difference !!

I never tire of watching Durrant's pass in the build-up to this goal against Marseille.

Generally it's better to under promise and then over perform. The other option is to promise nowt but JB would seem to enjoy the public profile. If he engages on various fronts, in Glasgow that could take up a lot of his energy. Personally, I'd prefer he keep quiet and play football unless something really need to be said, preferably post-match.

Do your talking on the pitch has always been sound counsel. The tabloids will try and squeeze Joey Barton to get all sorts of headlines. IMO Rangers should tell him to wind it in.

Cal, very first thing that jumps out from those stats is that MW has a high hit-rate regards selecting who to go with and making it work, ie. Barrie McKay. One Barrie Mckay is better than ten who are played and don't develop.

Net VFM isn't just a key objective, it is a MUST,... if we are to achieve anywhere close to what we want to, on the budget that will be available. It's not just about the playing squad. From the game video analyser to the chief scout to the first team mgmt team....contribute or go.

Retail deal = Commercial = Influence ie. major part of one of the three main revenue streams for the club - Matchday - COMMERCIAL - Broadcast http://www.efl.com/global/section10.aspx

I think he'll have been on more than was perceived to be value for money, especially given the way the cotracts were structured at that time. You could probably get a player to contribute similar for a quarter of the money and put the rest towards other signings.

What PMGB and other bloggers in the same 'stable of spin' currently seek to do is to unsettle and undermine our club, making at as difficult as possible for those in charge. Best reaction is to IGNORE.

We will find it very difficult to attract or afford current international players of an obvious EPL level so if you want experienced ability this is the type of profile we'll have to look at and the gamble you take. Sometimes you may get an 'Indian Summer' out of a player but first he needs to be fit enough to play. I was pleasently surprised we got Barton, who was sought after down south aswell. It was reported that MW spoke to NK in the US and if he did, then that is encouraging. The other dynamic these type of players can bring to the squad is that paygrades that tend to be more uneven and this can make it more difficult to manage. If we want to compete then this is inevitable and I'm sure MW will be looking to turn it into a positive. I looked at one of the NK videos at Spurs and he was playing beside Bale and Modric