numpty

Liked him first time around, but wouldn't have thought that's really where we need to be adding to the squad right now.

Basically yes, although we've fallen a bit behind on that so while selling Henrik will have helped, I'm not sure we're 100% back on track. But with the number of high-ish wages we must've freed up over the summer too (albeit then replacing some of them), and the prize money for finishing 2nd last season, I'd guess we're in reasonably good shape this year so far.

It was Levante's first ever game in Europe last season too, didn't really help us much

Well, they could potentially regionalise things a bit better in the early rounds I suppose, so that you're less likely to end up struggling to break even on what might well be your only tie of the competition.

He'd be more than welcome if I was on the door. Quite agree we couldn't afford him though.

He's not even 34 until September.

Probably not, but we were flying then, with a team who knew each other inside out. This will be the first time the 11 we put out will have played together in a competitive match. I'd wager the Russians are bigger and more physical than Celtic, too, and we always seem to do comparatively poorly against big physical teams. That said, I agree with you up to a point. I don't expect them to be world beaters, and our team never having played together works in our favour too -- means all the videos of us from last season will be useless to the Ruskies

Hee haw chance. It's hard enough for us to get there, can't imagine they'd waste money sending people and equipment there for the few thousand folk that would be interested in watching.

Aye. By about 20 years

Sounds like I'm in the minority here, but I prefer the "no news until anything's definite" approach we've generally been taking. So really I'd rather McCall had never said anything about when he expected him to re-sign, though obviously it's hard to do that when he's wanted him involved in pre-season on the basis that he would. You obviously can't release specific financial details of ongoing negotiations, and anything more general (of the "we're waiting on X to happen/get back to us" variety) is going to spark just as many daft rumours of greed/stalling/laziness/incompetence as not releasing anything at all.

Newcastle team: Elliot, Williamson, Sissoko, Anita, Gouffran, Yanga-Mbiwa, Obertan, Sam Ameobi, Vuckic, Tavernier, Dummett. Subs: Amalfitano, Marveaux, Taylor, Ferguson, Abeid, Richardson, Streete.

Motherwell team vs Newcastle: Hollis, Hammell, Ramsden, Hutchinson, Lawson, Vigurs, Lasley, Cummins, McHugh, Carswell, Trialist. Subs: Nielsen, Trialist (McFadden), Francis-Angol, Erwin, Kerr, Moore, Murray.

Motherwell team vs Newcastle: Hollis, Hammell, Ramsden, Hutchinson, Lawson, Vigurs, Lasley, Cummins, McHugh, Carswell, Trialist.

'Flow just said on Twitter there'd be no more announcements today, so probably not, unless it's announced by his running out with the team tomorrow night

McManus confirmed.

Looks like you need to tell somebody at MFC TV, too (EDIT: Deleted this image in 2022 to reclaim some upload space...)

Loaning out promising youngsters hardly means they're not in the plans any more. You might have noticed we do quite a bit of it ourselves.

Attendance was 1,983, according to the 'fishel twitters.

Clash of heads, so might be missing next game as well if he's concussed.

"8mins: Good forward play by 'Well there. Ball from Vigurs to Craig Reid out on the flank. Back post ball just drifted out of play though." So I guess that's a yes

No need to worry then. If he hates us that much, no chance he'll be joining us.

Celtic fans, of course, are complaining that their Irish contingent won't be able to get back home on a Saturday night. Cry me a river.

Same here. Fitba' fans can be a hypocritical bunch, it's fine for our players to wind up anyone else, but as soon as anyone does it to us they become persona non grata? It's all part of the fun, ffs

Just got my Goals of the Season DVD in the post today, and to be fair it seems nicely done. Haven't had any time to do anything other than skim through it so far, but if I was to be really fussy I'd probably rather they'd spent the time putting a caption on each goal (or at least on each game) than on putting together the montage sequences at the beginning and end. I know how much time and effort it takes to put these sorts of things together at all though, though, so can't really complain

No arguments from me, I wish him all the best, and it can only help to raise the profile of our own league a little bit if he does well. I'd be surprised if the smaller Dutch teams were really offering a huge amount more than the sort of Championship clubs that were supposedly interested in him, though.