Slim

Despite all the defensive signings, I reckon we still need a big commanding central defender to partner Anderson, someone who will win every header and won't be easily brushed off the ball. Every team in the league seems to have at least one of these types of defender, and we don't have any.

Unless we sign McNamara as a left back, we'll need one of those too. Foster has done ok, but I don't think he's good enough to command a first choice starting 11 place in the team for the season ahead.

Apparently there's a story in one of the papers this morning claiming Bournemouth are in for Lovell. I'm pretty sure he's from down that way too. I reckon letting him go would be a huge mistake, as it would leave us without a proper goalscorer, and Mackie's proven that he doesn't have what it takes to lead the line.

'If only those sheepshaggers would shut up' as we were shouting 'Lennon Lennon get to fuck' when he was trying to make his speech. I'm told he made a 'get it up ye' gesture towards us too.

Unsurprisingly, it was called 'light hearted fun' in all the papers.

Glad to hear it

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6644615.stm

Police in Portugal hunting for missing British girl Madeleine McCann are checking several CCTV images.

 

Chief Inspector Olegario de Sousa held a news conference to give more details of the search for the three-year-old.

 

He said the ground search was being scaled back as the results had been "zero", and no arrests had been made.

 

Items of clothing found locally did not belong to Madeleine, he said. A picture of the pyjamas she was wearing when she vanished has been released.

 

Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared from an apartment in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, a week ago.

 

Mr Sousa said her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and several of their British friends had been interviewed again on Thursday, but there were "no suspicions on them".

 

On scaling back the ground search, he said police and volunteers had searched a 200sq-km (77sq-mile) area - and some locations more than once.

 

Mr Sousa insisted he was doing everything he could to find the little girl, but so far from the ground search "the results are zero".

 

 

Petrol station near Praia da Luz where police have gathered CCTV

 

 

Local media have been reporting that police had examined footage taken at a petrol station, thought to be of two men and a woman driving a car with a British number plate, on the night of the Madeleine's disappearance.

 

And in the UK, Crimestoppers said it had passed on 35 "useful pieces of information" to Leicester police, who lead the UK side of the inquiry.

 

Police refused to confirm or deny reports about any possible leads, citing Portuguese law which prohibits them from releasing any information about an ongoing investigation.

 

Map of resort

 

Investigators had asked locals if they recognised an image of a possible suspect, described by one shopkeeper as being very sketchy and looking only like "an egg with hair".

 

Prayer vigils

 

Madeleine's mother has attended a church service for her daughter in Praia da Luz.

 

Another service was held later on Merseyside, organised by friends of the family and led by Father Paul Seddon, who married the McCanns and baptised Madeleine.

 

 

On Friday, a vigil is planned in Glasgow, where Madeleine's father comes from.

 

And Celtic and Aberdeen footballers will show their support for the McCann family by wearing yellow armbands during their match on Saturday.

 

Earlier, photographs of Madeleine wearing an Everton FC shirt were released by the club.

 

Team captain Phil Neville said: "Everton has fans all over the world and I know that they, along with everyone connected with the football club, are hoping and praying for Madeleine's safe return."

 

'Entirely safe'

 

Madeleine's grandmother, Susan Healy, from Liverpool, said Portuguese police made mistakes at the start of their investigation, possibly because they were "inexperienced".

 

However, the British ambassador to Portugal, John Buck, said he had been assured by Portuguese authorities that "everything possible" was being done.

 

Image of the pyjamas Madeleine was wearing when she disappeared

Madeleine was wearing pink Eeyore pyjamas when she disappeared

 

Meanwhile, Madeleine's uncle, John McCann, from Glasgow, countered criticism from those who say the couple were wrong to leave their children alone in their apartment while they ate dinner at a nearby restaurant.

 

"If you look at the layout of that place, it was entirely safe. The issue at stake here was, that the flat was broken into, and wee Madeleine was abducted," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

 

British child abduction experts have flown to Portugal to assist the investigation.

 

Superintendent Graham Hill of Surrey police, who investigated the disappearance and murder of Surrey schoolgirl, Milly Dowler, is among them.

 

The international number for Crimestoppers is +44 1883 731 336. People with information about Madeleine can call anonymously.

Has the world just gone mad? Sh*t parents leave kid in hotel room in Portugal while they go for a meal, some pedo-type breaks in and kidnaps her so 2 Scottish football teams wear yellow armbands as a result? Aye, it's a shame for the wee girl, but what does it have to do with us in the slightest?

Tell me about it!! How the hell are ya?

I'm tickety boo thanks

How's life treating you?

I don't think it's a case of not being able to afford it, but more a case of not being willing to pay it. Europe hasn't been confirmed yet, and until/unless it is, I can't see us even thinking about making a cash offer for any player. Beat Celtic on Saturday, there's a good chance we might go back with an offer of £30k or something and haggle them down, throw in some clauses, etc.

How many clubs get exactly what they ask for first time when selling a player?

Talk about blasts from the past 

Just as well, because I'd have removed it anyway

From the Dundee Courier:

Many people questioned Young’s ambition when, along with his brother Derek, he left Aberdeen four years ago to sign up at East End Park.

 

But he reckons events since have proved that decision a wise one.

 

“My mate from Aberdeen asked me the other day, ‘Do you wish you’d stayed up here?’ and I said, ‘No.’

 

“I’ve been at Dunfermline for four years, finished fourth in the league, the club has reached three major finals and now we’re in Europe again.

 

“We’ve also escaped relegation a few times, and if you compare it to Aberdeen I’m happy. They haven’t had a sniff of a final and they haven’t played in Europe.

 

“OK, they have been steady Eddies in the league, but do you swap that for all we’ve had?

 

“I don’t think so.â€

Does not include any results or games involving, against or otherwise with Rangers and Celtic.

Aberdeen 27 17 6 4 44 23 21 57

Hearts 27 14 8 5 36 22 14 50

Kilmarnock 27 13 6 8 38 33 5 45

Hibernian 27 11 7 9 44 26 18 40

Falkirk 27 10 4 13 37 34 3 34

Dundee United 27 9 7 11 32 39 -7 34

Motherwell 27 10 4 13 31 41 -10 34

Inverness CT 27 6 10 11 34 37 -7 28

St Mirren 27 5 11 11 19 32 -13 26

Dunfermline Athletic 27 5 7 15 16 40 -24 22

We've only lost 2 games this season against teams who aren't Rangers, Celtic or Dundee Utd. Not too bad I guess.

I think it's just a statistical tally, IIRC you get 2 points for a goal and 1 point for an assist.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_of_wales/6175393.stm

The Football Association of Wales will hold talks with Scotland on a joint bid to host the 2016 Euro Championships.

Uefa president Lennart Johansson has encouraged Wales to enter a joint bid with Scotland and Ireland.

 

Last week Scottish FA chief executive David Taylor ruled out a triple bid from the Celtic nations, but may yet consider a proposal with one partner.

 

FAW secretary David Collins said: "At this moment in time we're floating the idea with Scotland."

 

Wales are encouraged by Wednesday's decision to give the Euro 2012 tournament to Poland and the Ukraine at a meeting which was held in Cardiff.

 

"It's raised the issue for us that there's the possibility of Wales and Scotland getting together to make a joint bid," Collins told BBC Wales.

 

"We will start talking with the Scottish FA to see if they feel they could join with us and hopefully in the next few months we will have a clearer idea.

 

"Then we could get the Scottish parliament and the Welsh assembly government to see if we could move forward to put a bid together."

 

Collins has been considering a potential joint bid with Scotland for some time, after telling told BBC Sport last December that he was exploring such a move and then outlining further plans last month.

 

A bid to host the 2008 European Championship finals was abandoned in 2002 when Scotland instead chose to partner the Republic of Ireland, only to be unsuccessful.

 

All bids must have eight stadiums with at least 30,000 seats and Wales were hampered by having just one stadium that met Uefa's guidelines - the 74,500-seater Millennium Stadium.

 

That could change with the planned new stadium for Cardiff City, and Collins says the FAW will look into the possibility of developing Swansea's Liberty Stadium and Wrexham's Racecourse Ground.

 

That would give Wales the necessary four stadia to pull their weight with the Scots, who boast a number of top grounds including Hampden Park, Celtic Park, Ibrox and Murrayfield.

 

However, Uefa is looking at the possibility of expanding the finals to include 24 rather than the current 16 teams, which could require further stadia.

 

Someone at the club should start putting out the feelers now for a government grant or something to save having to rely on the local council. IIRC it wasn't too far away from happening before Jack McConnell got his grubby hands onto the First Minister job.

I'll be really pissed off if JC fucks off and leaves us with this useless article unnecessarily.

Anderson for me. Hart has been excellent defensively but doesn't do much in terms of going forward for my liking, and that's a major requirement of a right back.

Yeah, joking that he's already thrown his away I presume?

We do seem to have a lack of young players being involved this season unfortunately.

Hibs are apparently lining up an offer for Julien Brellier of Hearts who I think is available for free. Another hat to throw into the ring?

Not many to choose from this year, only 2 have played on a regular basis.

That should cover all realistic options I think, if not, choose who you think was the best player from the 15 listed.

My major concern is that this is going to affect Anderson's confidence. If his head goes down, we're fucked, and it'll be bye bye Europe. Hopefully it'll make him even more determined but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

I think Kerr is too similar to Seve, both like to strut about trying to play superstar passes, but for that to be effective, they need someone alongside them to do their dirty work. Ian Black of ICT would be a good signing, although I fear Calderwood has Lee Mair earmarked for that role.

The more you complain, the more people will do it.

He's just scored for them.