14Fosters

That will have all the younsters lining up to sign contracts...

There is little on which to base an assumption on a tribunal fee, but given he has been a decent under-21 international and is likely to be a future Scottish international, I think it would be a substantial fee. It is all based on potential after all. I'd be surprised if AFC let him go for anything below 500k in January.

Where to start, where to start. Firstly, a fee would need to be forthcoming just now, but as highlighted above, as long as we have offered a contract of equal or higher value to his previous, then we will be entitled to compensation, wherever he goes. Secondly, who is this player who already has an existing "fuck" for the club? Thirdly, whatever the situation is, he will be playing for either a contract or a move in the upcoming 6 months. We should only be fucking him off if we get a fee in excess of the likely compensation we'd get. If he was signing a pre-contract, I think we'd be able to negotiate a decent compensation package based on his potential and should be looking for an additional couple of £100k on top to release him in January.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/07/joe-ledley-cardiff-celtic Found this. It suggests FIFA rules relate to under 23s and cross-border transfers. Therfore we'd be entitled to something if Maguire went to England, if that is correct.

I was of the impression it was an EU thing now at least but when I looked around for anything confirming that, I couldn't find anything.

If we get through to the quarter finals do we want the winner of the Old Firm at home then, or do we take the easy draw and hope someone else does the job on them? If we were to play the Old Firm winner at some point, I'd fancy our chances a lot more at Pittodrie than Hampden...

Good draw. Assuming Dunfermline go through, would fancy the chances of our game being televised as well, given the game 2 years ago.

He likes the attention does Millertime. Don't tar us all with the same brush...

He was brilliant at what he did. It is that simple... He may not have had flair, but if you wanted to have a box to box midfielder, there was no better at the time in the SPL.

Since when did giving a reasoned argument constitute speaking ill of the dead. I think you summed up everything about your arguments about this and other threads there though. You let your feelings for a player cloud your judgement. To the point you can't even give a reasoned argument back to someone who has offered one against you.

He was talismanic there, so yes, he was a brilliant player for Hearts who have come the closest to breaking Old Firm dominance in recent years. In addition, he played a decent amount of Champions League games and games for Scotland. If we are talking about brilliant players in the SPL, then I think most rational thinkers would have have Hartley up there...

Out of interest do you think he is a better player this season than he was when he broke on to the scene? Does this attitude you take issue with seem to be at its worst, or improved? Further to this, I don't know why people refer to records over the last 4 years and the likes when commenting on how he is performing this year and future contracts. What matters is what he is doing on the pitch this season and what he is doing is suggesting he is maturing in to a decent team player who has plenty to offer AFC. I couldn't give a fuck if he only scored 2 goals in a season in 2007/08...

Torres is so far off form it is ridiculous. Can't even put it down to Liverpool, as he can barely function in a team of World Champions.

I love how it is those that are notorious fishers that slag him off consistently. In answer to your next question, I have been to 13 games this season and have yet to see him under Craig Brown. The people that slag him off are those that seem to have such issue with them that they can't praise him, even when he has a good game and slag off every single thing they can to do with him. It is pathetic.

He is obviously at it with comments like that. Lee Miller classed as excellent in Scotland, michty me. As far as the noughties (for lack of a better term) I think you will struggle to identify any more influential and consistent player whilst playing for a team outside of the Old Firm than Paul Hartley at Hearts...

Hearts played decent football when they had him, not long ball...

Are you blaming Jimmy Calderwood? He was hardly lighting up Tannadice prior to his move here. I think he got the best out of him for some spells in his tenure. It has to be remembered that Lee Miller has only been prolific in one spell in his career since leavign Falkirk and that was in a loan spell at Hearts.

If Lee Miller had a bit more pace he'd be a top player in the SPL. As it was, he couldn't act as both a focal point of the attack and also be in a position to get goals. Even an technically average player like Kyle can get in amongst the goals despite playing a similar role. I liked Miller as an Aberdeen player, he was technically a very good player and wasn't all that wasteful of chances when they fell to him. It was just that they were rare and I don't buy the excuse that he was involved in the build up play, as even when the attacks were made through the midfield and wings, he rarely ever ended up in the box to try and finish. Even a 40 year old Brewster managed to do both roles. When you have someone coming like Vernon, who is wasteful of chances and still outscoring Miller, then I think overall, his contribution to Aberdeen will be more than Miller's was, regardless of chances created etc. I missed Miller for the second half of this season, but there has been nothing I have seen this year that makes me wish he was here over Vernon.

Just if they use "facts" rather than lie through our teeth and make up stuff like the rest of us do.

No news day at the EE obviously... I am pretty sure the rules have changed on that and we'd be entitled to some form of development fee should he go anywhere in the EU.

I don't class myself as an ardent Maguire fan, I was happy to see him go to Killie (other than it leaving us short up front). He has come back, knuckled down and is playing well. All and sundry thought he had the makings of a good partnership with Vernon, but McGhee chose not to continue with it. That is besides the point though. No-one will be arguing that his performances have not improved under Brown (the same could be said for the other 15-16 players utilised by Brown so far) but it is the not trying part that I take issue with. Since day 1 this season, I have not seen anything to suggest a lack of application on the pitch. Also, the whole suggestion that players only tried when McGhee left is surely blown out of the water by the Hearts 5-0. It is apparent it was more than a personality clash between players and management, and that Brown has come in sorted out training and has everyone out playing and knowing what they are meant to be doing.

It is when you state facts like Maguire wasn't trying under McGhee, when I personally think (and to be honest, it can only be opinion unless you are the boy yourself, or have first hand information off him) he has bust a gut every time I have seen him this season.

There average is just short of 8,000 so it was just a little over 50% their usual. I guess Ross County wouldn't have had much of a travelling support whereas United's average attendance will be boosted by away supports from us and the Gruesome Twosome as well as the Edinburgh two and perhaps St. Johnstone just now. Even then, it does seem low given that they are holders and they have had a lot of games cancelled recently, but it can amount to a large cost at this time of year which many just don't see worthwhile spending or don't have to spend.

I think Dundee United have a cup top up scheme, which gives someone the option to pay more to guarantee entry to any home game in the cup for the season. They barely get any though, so they have probably made a shitload of money over the last few years. I didn't go yesterday. Just some slight apathy coming in on my part this season that is struggling to make me go to more games than I have to this season (all 4 away games has been a defeat for me this year), and I thought Aberdeen would win in a dull straightforward manner. Don't think there would have been much that could have convinced me to go and I imagine a lot of people would have been in the same boat...

Watched the Watchmen tonight. Was alright, think I will need to watch it again before I comment fully on it. Took a long time to really get going, showing how each of them got to where they were then the actual main story seemed to be over very quickly. I guess the ending had to remain true to the comic books but found it pretty poor. Maybe watching the film again might change my mind on that though...