Goggles & Flippers

Whatever we get, it would be nice for the parents out there if it lasted 2 seasons at least, we're facing our 3rd kit in as many seasons

What they said, cheers for saving me from early onset arthritis. Targeting is one thing, projecting is another. At the start of the season they would have probably drawn up a number of projections from best case through to disaster with a few in-between. After the past few years I think its safe to say the club have decided to err on the side of caution. The club probably projected for SPFL status within the regular season (so 10th) with a couple more games in both cups at least. The target couldn't be far off what we've achieved (with possible SPFL prize money replacing lost cup revenues). The club will also project an extra 250k from the currants visiting next season however in a much more competitive league than this year. Hibs or Falkirk will be around the 5th-7th mark on momentum and Queen's XI to be top 3 due to their spending power. Happy to be wrong on both counts however. I suspect the ability to release Baraclough wasn't too much of a burden, emphasised by nobody acknowledging any detail on the length of his contract. I think to protect the club while offering a young manager the exposure and a significant jump for the Irish league, it would have been very much in our favour, with few penalties. McGhee will be determined to ensure that he is entitled a bit of the rewards for finishing higher up the table to bolster his squad. Better quality players enhance his chances of success and consequently reputation. Man Utd and Barca will probably get a new managers in the next 12 months, he no doubt he'll want to be in the mix .......

Yeah a tad "mehhhh" the Champions of Scotland couldn't tuck away a wee new team from the Championship but that's the beauty of the cup. We're probably 250k better off than we projected with potential for another 200k. After paying back loans and additional costs associated with the success you'd hope there would be enough money to bring in 2/3 decent first team starters (based on approx 70k salary). Hopefully McGhee's national team role and his gravitas maybe means we don't miss out on the likes of the Jackson Irvine's of this world this close season. I'm all for blooding youngsters but there's approx 15% of our annual player budget still to secure, I'd also hope the youths we'd introduce would be more than capable of holding their own. A nice result of this season that they've mostly all managed it. Interesting to see if Ainsworth gets offered anything (or wants to stay). Looking forward to see who all returns as lithe panthers of footballing muscle with a McGhee pre-season under their belts, the three German starlets and Steve Robinson doing his best Basil "Don't mention the War" Fawlty impression.

Just liked a steelboy post, away to have a word with myself in a darkened room

But they must come from somewhere, unless there's a goalkeeping Narnia which only lets them out around 27. You would think over the years, all the keepers we've had (U20/Reserve and matchday backup) that someone would have went on to something as they matured even if it was elsewhere.

Interesting, I'd imagine we budgeted for 10th and worst we can achieve is 6th, so £250k better off with another £200k to play for over the next few weeks. Potentially, not far off half a million better than we would have anticipated (before costs). Interesting to see how many German gems can be unearthed this summer with some of that extra wonga.

County blow hot and cold and are a shadow of the team the put that unprecedented run together last season. St Johnstone are scrambling to get some solidity back to their season. I only fear for County overtaking us and even then I'm not overly fearful. I'm especially glad to be reminded of Jonathan Sutherland and pundits waxing about Hartley and how Dundee could make waves after they destroyed Killie 4-0 on the opening weekend.

He's done well and improved however I fear the trap a lot of you have fallen into the the usual one we see on here time after time, go (or settle) with what we know. See it time again when someone who graced the C&A 5 years ago becomes a free agent. Long and short, he's not our asset and we're a selling club so taking away 9% of our starting line up (a position almost guaranteed to get a start every game of the season - barring injury) to increase Middlesbrough's does not feature (and shouldn't) in the long term feasibility of our club. 1 season sure, but 2 is not the way I wish to see the club managed. I'm all for loan signings to compliment or enhance a team, but I don't rate Ripley as good as Ruddy or brings more to the team compared to a Jutkiewicz. He does however, eclipse a Gomis or Taylor. We've attracted a higher caliber loanee in the past and should aspire to in the future, but the emphasis should be on bringing our own talent through. We haven't developed our own keeper(s) for as long as I can remember. What's going wrong there? The thing from watching football through the years is a guy 6'3" up built like a brick shithouse is the way forward.

I'm sure as Andy alluded, that the club recognised the bonus structure was unsustainable and it was altered a few years back. Best of the rest finishes for 3 seasons in a row, welcome yet unprecedented for a team of our resources and stature, almost rooked us due to the success on the park ironically. A decent finish this year 3rd/4th will make a significant positive entry in the balance sheet from what was forecast last summer I expect.

You assume? Ring out your knickers, I'm sure everyone with common sense could see the comment for what it was. I regularly exclaim that I wish to kill people close to me when they wind me up, however I am neither in the Bar L, being shadowed by special branch or act as a role model for kids championing manslaughter as a cool career option.

Anyone in the POD want to share why McGhee didn't want to shake Ronnie's hand. Must have been something off camera before it

Agreed, he was a bit part player at most, but he was instrumental in 2nd place at Pittodrie. But with that logic, announcing the death of Joe Wark on here was also incorrect.

This is the same Marvin Johnson that pretty much everyone on here was calling on to get dropped or at least subbed a good 20 minutes earlier than he was a few months back. How times change. As for Dundee Utd. I have no issue with the scouting/youth setup getting a kickback of a sale if they were instrumental in finding and cultivating the talent. Regardless of how many got their pockets lined, the money earned from a host of players kept the wolf from the door.

Don't think there's anything lapsed about it. I would be surprised if anyone doing media hasn't been briefed to big our prime sellable assets up. I think its more likely to be planned and rather astute by a seasoned broadcaster. We've been guilty of not doing putting them on the radar in the past. In Saturday's post match and today's manager of the month, McGhee has dropped a little "I didn't think Marvin would be here past Christmas". Highlighting he's too good for us and we'll consider offers. Craigan is also reminding scouts and decision makers of his quality and availability. Let's see if we can get a few coups like Dundee Utd have managed, their transfer dealings have kept them from going under.

Ideally I'd like Aberdeen to win the league, Celtic and Rangers to end up having a pitch invasion at Hampden and the authorities banning the pair of them for 5 years. Dundee Utd or Hibs winning the cub and us finishing above Hearts. I'd settle with Aberdeen winning the league, Celtic the cup, Ronnie and their whole minky support get ripped by everyone in football for throwing away a sure thing and we finish 4th. I think Celtic will get the double and that'll be enough if we keep the nut.

So we can start thinking about Europe then and stop being panty wetters?

One question, are those who have signed up to pay by direct debit expected to pay in perpetuity or will there be a point when you cease?

Anyone considered Les maybe got wind of these boards, read through them and went "tae fuck with yous then"

I'm with Burn Broomfield, a strong wiff of Pontius Pilate about this. Letting the little people self implode while he stands off afar. The reality of a Scottish football club and how it can be a money back hole has slowly dawned. Sadly I think Derek Weir leaving is intrinsically linked to this.

The one thing that has stopped me buying any of the current strips are the badges. On the training gear they're printed (poorly and out of proportion) and stitched on. On the away strip (which I have always loved since Pony made it) the issue is scroll round the badge, which again looks awful. I really hope someone from Provan reviews these boards and is a tad more stringent when the proofs are sent through. Along with the text being the wrong way round on the 125th year strip it's a host of errors. Just can't see there being any issues with any other teams badge like how ours is continually messed up. We standardised the colours a few years back, lets do it with the badge.

Long and short is everyone outside Ross County can see they are circumventing financial fair play rules with 2 pensioners and a dug turning up to their games. OK, SPFL and TV money is shared based on league position, but regardless what they're up to is what UEFA is trying to stamp out. Do the SPFL not want another scandal or something?

So just to clarify ...... Coke Zero .....

Funny how demands for Thomas' inclusion on a Saturday has fallen almost silent on the boards. Must be the side-effect of a team getting results. I'll echo the congrats to Crags and the boys, after a tricky start to his tenure, they do seem to be improving and picking up momentum.

Certainly helps when some of the players are giving you 100% opposed to downing tools like they did in the past it could be argued.

Thanks for the veiled compliment, I think I'm mostly right, most of the time, however I am a tad biased. Les' involvement gave the WS breathing space which they undoubtedly needed. There were no alternatives, Boyle wanted out as a matter of urgency, unless you maybe fancy a South American consortium which just gives me the fear every time I contemplate it. However the way it was handled, the information dissemination and the whole deal felt a little bit grubby to me and lacked the consultation with the WS membership that something of this magnitude required. I don't doubt it would have been a resounding yes in December 2014 if a EGM was held but it was a disservice to the membership that it was decided that our involvement was unnecessary. If I do the WS the courtesy of 300 quid when I couldn't afford it, then I expect that same courtesy reciprocated when it comes to major decisions. When you had the WS trying to attract business' as well as the club's commercial department, it was a recipe for disaster. While one group is volunteers and the other earn their livelihood through commission then you will always have a conflict of interest, competition and no common message. Same thing with the membership, going after the season ticket holders who aren't members as they are seen as low hanging fruit. It's a trap they and the club have fallen into repeatedly, there doesn't seem to be a correlation between getting more new or lapsed faces into Fir Park. Ultimately that increases the day to day performance of the club and it's not squeezing that last drop from your committed fans. The issue has been the WS has been a rudderless ship for too long. No clear plan but a lot of meetings discussing options and strategy. Things are slowly changing but there's a distinct lack of dynamism and the fanbase are now either apathetic or ambivalent to it's aims and goals. Unless the WS come out with the equivalent of a defibrillator to re-energise itself , then in 2020 we'll find Les looking for an exit JB style or bequeathing the club to his daughter (not saying it wouldn't achieve anything under her stewardship, she might be inspirational and do an Ann Budge)