OrlandoDon

Sounds like another 'come and get me' plea. Basically he wants more money but doesn't have any decent offers - he wants to leave but we're the best offer so far, hence the contradiction.

Leighton or John 'Budgie' Burridge.

In a 16 team league with 2/3 for CL spot you should have 4/5 teams maybe competing for those spots, plus a 3rd/2nd botton play off with 2nd and 3rd from div 1 would give plenty of meaningful games. However, I do feel that 'meaningless' games allow teams to simply go out and relax and play - you can introduce younger players and give them an opportunity. With every game so important you don't usually get to blood youth appropriately and the games are full of fear factor that usually lack quality. The average Scottish fan wants instant entertainment, ball in the box etc and instant gratification - the 16 team league doesn't necessarily give that though.

I wouldn't exactly say clubs are being greedy. Most clubs are struggling to survive and, like ourselves, are servicing debt rather than rolling in money. A 16 team league, playing each other twice, would be 30 games in a season. Add the Scottish Cup and League Cup (maybe a home and away 2 game semi again??) plus Europe, international fixtures etc and that is more than enough. We may play a few less games but that may help the injuries heal, the pitch recover etc. However, again, less games means less money for clubs so clubs won't vote for that. Something has to change though as the product is not good. A revamped league, plus a 2/3 champ league play off, 2 up 2 down would create a lot more interest in my opinion (even in a 16 team league have third and second bottom and second and third from the 1st div. play a semi and a final for promotion like in England). Something needs to change.

I think most managers coach not to lose now for the sake of their job - gone are the days when managers get 3 or 4 years and if a team goes on a bad run then the manager loses his job. They coach not to lose because playing well and losing gets you sacked. Fans like exciting games but business is business and losing means lower league spot and less money. I would love a 16 team league and have said that for years but it will never happen. No team can afford to only play the old firm twice, too much revenue lost. The SPL can be pretty boring playing the same old teams 4 times, plus the same again in the cups. I'd love 2 play 3 for the 2nd CL spot, 2 up two down - make it more exciting.

How about Gazza - good for the dressing room and players nights out

You mean mutter 'who?'

Steven Thompson to replace Lee Miller? Paul Gallacher to replace Soutar? Definitely sign Maybury to replace Hart. Whatever happened to Burton O'Brien? A replacement for Nicholson?

We've rarely played a good game in the league. Only a handful of good performances all season. Numerous dire games which are hard to watch. Great European run, especially the Copenhagen and Bayern home games. Bottom six finish in my opinion. Thumped out the league cup by a gash Utd. A number of heavy defeats which I thought we'd said goodbye to a few years ago. We have an underachieving team. A poor, tactically inept coach. We'll lose about 1/2 our team to transfers over the Xmas and summer windows. We'll scrape a semi win with a very poor performance, maybe even after a replay. I do think we'll win the final against the huns, and that means Europe next year! What a bizarre season.......

Realistically......... we should be third as there is no 'real' reason to we cannot be there. Then again, Milne and JC could be a reason. Hearts are imploding and we are on similar grounds to pretty much everyone else.

Paul Gallacher? I think his loan deal and contract at Norwich expires in the summer.

I would say it is fair to expect to be at least the 3rd best team in Scotland as we should have the players, funds, resources etc to do so. We expect to be competitive against the old firm, getting a win, draw here and there and certainly not getting cuffed. We should certainly be top six, and competing for a Euro spot every year. I don't see why a cup final every year or two is unrealistic - certainly if we avoid an old firm draw I'd expect us to beat every other team as we should have the players to do so. In recent years we always get knocked out by diddie teams which is unacceptable. An SPL title would be nice but I don't know any dons fans who expect that at present given the old firm resources. We should also be going in to old firm games fired up and trying to win as we have nothing to lose (as I think we did in the cup QF yesterday.)

Grinding my gears;-) What pisses me off is that most times we make our signings too late, address expiring contracts too late, and are searching through the remaining pish to fill our team/squad. I think the summer we got Smith, Nicholson, Lovell etc was the first time we had been proactive in years and suggested we'd finally learned, but like many things this year, it seems we are going backwards again. We need to make a decision on who stays, goes, and get the new players signed before the summer.

What kills me is that I don't think Lovell is a fans favourite. I just think most fans feel he's not been given an extended run when fully fit. I still feel Lovell and Miller would be a good partnership but they never play together for an extended run of games. Lovell has shown promise and can score but from what we see JC 'has his favourites' too!

I agree 100% as I rate Hammell, just trying to understand JC/the board. Maybe we're buying Ashley Cole in the summer since he's out of favour at Chelsea??

The comment about trust was partly tongue in cheek but I doubt JC will see out that 3 yr deal. As for January, players prices are inflated and you get the panic buys. If the club/board is smart then the Hart, Anderson, Clark, and Euro money is all being saved to get players in the summer. They've said money is there to spend and the transfer and Euro money would be put back into the squad. JC will look at Bus, Maybury etc as they are cheaper than Hammell and may be better value for money - not saying the are or will be but I assume that is the 'logic' behind that. It will be interesting to see who the manager will be in the summer to spend if our current form continues.

Maybe because they don't trust him with money any more or have doubts about him being at the dons in the summer and into next season??

Honestly, I think Mark McGhee would be here in a heartbeat. From comments he's made in the past about us and having been here before he still has us at heart. Plus I think he's a good coach and his Jan signings were certainly more inspiring than ours!!

Ross Wallace on the Sunderland transfer list also??

I wish the list was around when Charlie Nicholas signed for us - don't want that c**t as he was crap at Arsenal! Beattie and Miller are better than much/all of our squad. If we can afford them get them in!!

And Jamie Smith to get in behind before puting it in to Stevie.

I think Miller is in charge of football operations at all levels. JC is in charge of signings - Miller gives him the budget. JC has demonstrated he cannot spot a signing and should be held accountable but so should Miller as he approves the signings. Don't know if Miller scouts players and gives opinions - you trust your management team and pay scouts to do that but if we've hired the wrong people who are incapable then you have to question Miller and Milne.

Without doubt JC has stabilized the club and we definitely needed that. I was a JC fan up until this year when, but for the Euro performances, we have been pretty dire the entire season - he peaked last year and is now going downhill and we're going backwards fast. I could understand if he was looking to bin the crap he acquired when he came here but 3 yrs on he is looking to bin most of his signings and start again - that doesn't make much sense for a manager and certainly doesn't inspire confidence in his ability to spot a player. I think now the longer we give him the more damage he could do. Bringing in a new manager now should be a major plus - recruit pre-contracts, inspire a player to stay rather than leave in the summer (i.e Barry Nic), and give the players, club, fans etc a boost. JC is not inspiring the players, the fans, and it costs the club money with lower attendances. I just feel it's time to cut our loses. I'm thankful the club gave him time and didn't sack him within a year like happens all too often but his time is up. He was given time to build a squad but he hasn't been able to do that - why give him money to start again when the past 3 yrs shows that's a big risk or do we give the new guy a chance? I think it's time for new and fresh face.

Given he signed a 3yr contract not that long ago we cannot financially afford to sack him when you consider a solid business plan - if we do then it demonstrates how poorly Miller/Milne are doing their jobs, and neither will admit that. If the money from Hart, Clark, Anderson, and Europe have to be used to pay off JC, JN, and SC then what a shambles we would appear to be. If JC were sacked in the summer what cash does the new guy get and what players are still available at that time? If Milne had any balls he'd swallow his pride, admit he f**ked up in giving the 3 yr contract to JC, pay him off out of his own money, and get McGhee in now. Maybe a new manager boosts the squad ahead of the Celtic cup game, plus he can get the precontracts now rather than the left overs in the summer. I got slated a few months back for criticizing JC but look at us now. Where next??

We've had lots of comments on how we are having a very successful season in recent weeks. Being 'realistic' with the current form and current squad, there is a chance we go out to Celtic in the cup, out to Bayern, and a top six is no where near guaranteed. We haven't beaten a 'good side' in any domestic cup, may win one of of eight European games, and are gifting goals at the back far too regularly. People were praising the job Jimmy has done but we are starting to see us lose by more than 2 goals again far too regularly which hasn't happened much at all in the last 2-3 years. I've expressed my views on JC before, but it appears we have gone backwards this year. Luck in the cups to get as far as we did and average at best in the league. Looking at the big picture, how does the future look?