Ajja

I didn't hear the interview but anyone looking to negotiate his contract is going to make statements that ensure his employers are not assuming its a done deal. I wouldn't get too downhearted, there are multi-layers in these negotiations that cannot all be unravelled in one media interview.

Sorry, slghtly off topic but how is Murray doing in Qatar tonight ?

he won't

That's them turned 5 wins in a row into 5 games without a win

3rd round of the cup used to be an opportunity to have a great day out at a shitty ground. Remember some great days out at Firhill and Muirton.

I think he'll take the US this year. He has bulked up again by the look of him in the final at the weekend and is generally considered to have the best all round game in tennis today.

Strangely I went into google images and typed 'football terrace' to get a generic image of one to get the blood flowing and it wasn't until later I realised it was actually Recreation Park. Covered terrace is even better, lots of noise. Although I don't remember much noise at Arbroath a few years back, maybe my ears were blocked with ice and my eyes with smoke from the Cemaphor Reds.

I can't see why MacDonald can't fill Nicholsons role. I seem to remember the first season and a half Nicholson looked like a poor signing who was going to add little value to our squad.

Damn fool, didn't you know there is a local airline will do it for half the price?

Bring it on

Why do you insist on putting things in my mouth you bully.

Can't see this materialising to be honest. We can't afford to leave out players with a cup win being a known target for the senior management at the club. Sounds like JC making sure that the governing bodies of our game do not pursue plastic pitches on principal.

I actually think that Calderwoods response there is a good one. Its honest without making excuses and does not sound like a manager trying to pass the buck. He seems to have learned some new skills when it comes to communicating with the fans through the media these days.

A pub inside a sports complex sounds like a bad mix with pissed up Dons fans. I'd go for the Old Brewery under the assumption that enough pissed up Dons fans can stop them from having an arsey attitude. Either that or hunt down a pub that have no concern for anything other than raking in cash

Thats my source site! They have a top 50 list for 2009 compiled by committee. There is a mention on their forum saying 'hope that footie lot come on again to do battle'. Made me laugh, wonder who it was and from what site ?

When I wrote this post I had exactly that thought KGB. You are absolutely right, the picture I paint is fairly ideological for sure, it may also be highly unlikely and unrealistic but I think its still worth considering as the 'next level'. One of the problems is that this perceived 'next level' that many of us are hungry for is seen as an ideological one by many. The fanbase lives on a spectrum whose extremes are 'those who see it as our right to expect it' and 'those who believe it out of reach'. Most of us rational fans live in the middle somewhere, although for many of us its more a sliding scale that we shoot back and forward along from Saturday to Saturday! If we could achieve the form that I described then you are right, we would probably be dominant in the domestic game in terms of 'the rest'. This would be largely down to the poor quality and inconsistency of the other teams. I would suggest that supports my definition of the next level as the dominant 3rd team in Scotland would be a level ahead of where we are now ?

There are two debates that underpin this discussion (and so may others) as far as I see it. There is the 'knee jerk debate' that comes around and around as we drift from positive to negative results. I have some sympathy with this debate although not because I am one for the hysteria that surrounds a bad result. I prefer to take a step back and look at the wider picture. However, we do go through these cyclical peaks and troughs in our performance to the extent that it is extremely frustrating. Then there is the 'reasonable expectation' debate. I also sympathise with this position as it provides fertile ground for a more pragmatic and sensible discussion about our fortunes and allows for a reasoned view rather than a hysterical one. However, it often finds itself populated by claims that 'things are so much better than they were' so we should be satisfied with what we have. Or that 'we could not get any better in terms of management'. I'm not so comfortable with that view and I do believe there is an inherent flaw in our squad management that brings about the sort of attitude in games that we witnessed yesterday. I'm all for pragmatism and realism but there must be something that could be done to avoid the regularity with which we dip to such awful form that we throw away a lot of the hard work that has been done previously. If I was to have a go at defining the 'next level' I would tend to go for a description of consistently good football that brought a healthy balance between being exciting to watch but delivering results to allow us to challenge for the honours that are realistically in our sights. I don't think we are far from achieving this, its the consistency aspect that we lack. I'd hate to see us try to be Hibs or Falkirk in terms of playing Brazilian-esque football and going nowhere but there should be a balanced position that would see us attracting fans to watch us and challenging at the top of the Scottish game (exc the English & Irish input).

Probably because they are on Donstalk posting instead of getting behind the team

What about Steve Jobs ? Did someone ask for him before me ? I don't see him in the updated list.

Yes, lets bring in an old carthorse and disrupt our team just at the point where it is finally getting itself organised into a unit. A stellar idea

Agreed. The combination of Lee Miller's attitude and him 'arriving at a big club' would signal slippers and cigars like you have never seen. He would make no effort to progress as there would be little perceived reward in self-improvement.

Damn right, those aging 60's killers are a shoe in for death. Susan was given 6 months to live in June last year so I'm hoping for an early score to settle the nerves. I'd avoid Sharon. He is technically dead in hospital but for political reasons they are keeping him alive. I had lined up Seve and Steve Jobs but Jay has either got someone else who got in before me and is waiting to update the list or he is being a lazy bastard. Let the battle commence

That's a damn fine selection, you might have it wrapped up by February

They will try to rip us off with a shitty bid as they have no respect for SPL teams ability to hold onto players and they have very little cash.

I'm feeling good about my line up for this year, time to convert a runners up spot to the title in 2009. Padre may beat us to it though if he is allowed to cover the bases as wide as this: