David

On recent form, yes, we should be competing with the likes of United, Aberdeen, Hearts & St Johnstone. Clear enough for you chief?

The easiest vote for a while in my opinion. Big Darren all day long.

I'm not saying that he isn't, I'm saying that he needs time. How many first team games has he played?

Aye, he's a cracking talent. Still a young lad, but he's the kind of player you like to have in your team.

Of course not, but he should be afforded time to come to grips with playing in the 1st team.

Considering a new manager couldn't really improve on McCall's results since he got here it would more than likely give you more to moan about, so I can see the logic behind your answer there.

You think McCall will walk??

I have no real reason to believe that the team won't respond to this "old firm mauling" any different than they have done in the past. By basically getting back to business and winning.

With us not due to play Celtic again in the league until 2013 we can hopefully push on and continue our fine league form. Putting the past week to bed, we managed to get a point from Pittodrie last weekend, which isn't too bad. A win against United, who got hammered by Inverness, should put us back on track. I'd be looking to bring Hammell back in if he's fit, and putting Ojamaa up front with Higdon, moving Murphy out to the wing and giving Humphrey a rest. I'm still not overly convinced by Fraser Kerr if I'm honest,and would love to see Hatelely reclaim that full-back slot.

Exactly. If we start losing games against sides we should be competing with and beating, then I'll get worried. As things stand we're still up near the top of the table, which suits me just fine.

I'd personally rather take more points from the next three games.

Indeed. I expected a right pasting after Cummins got sent off.

Hammell? It was Hutch who got the head knock during the week.

McCall said in the press conference that there was a doubt over someone, but he didn't say who. Probably Hammell.

Yet mines did, so by removing the part of my post that you did my view is being taken out of context. The point I'm arguing against is that the club should have, for some reason, released a statement after the game because we lost badly in a game that some fans consider to be more than just a regular cup game. Heard it said by who? The numpties in the Glasgow-based media? Fuck them. We were representing no one but ourselves in this game.

You won't find any disagreement from me on that.

Has anyone watched McCall's press conference on MFCTV yet? I thought there'd have been some chat on here about it by now. He mentions, among other things, that the reason we don't get results against the Old Firm is "probably down to them having better players, bigger squads than us", when asked about the grumblings among the fans regarding the record against the Old Firm he comes back with "obviously we'd all like to win games, but if we could beat Rangers and Celtic now & then but finish 8th, or continue as we have done I knows what I'd rather take". The real corker though is when the reporter asks if, in light of the supporters being unhappy about the performance against the Old Firm is it important that the club get those supporters "onside" for todays game he replies with, and I quote, "If people want to get onside they get onside, and if they don't then that's up to them". After seeing that press conference I can understand why there was no statement or apology from the club. I don't think he's happy with the over-reaction to the game midweek.

I wasn't too impressed by him against Aberdeen either to be honest. I'd prefer Hateley at right back.

And you believe this is reason enough for the club to release a statement addressing the teams performance? Obviously it was a big game in the respect that we were playing Rangers and so on, but look at the post I quoted. The poster was talking about the club releasing a statement because we lost this particular game. It's really quite simple, we played Rangers, we played shite, we got knocked out of the cup. End of story. No statements needed. This whole carry-on is being blown way out of proportion. I don't even want to think what this place will be like if we lose to Celtic today...

I've read this a few times on this forum now. What exactly does it mean? It may have meant more to the fans, or the media more likely, but it was a league cup match. Nothing more, nothing less. For the record, the original statement by the club confused me as well, but two wrongs don't make a right.

I couldn't disagree more. You're starting down a slippery slope the day that the club start putting out statements apologising for the team losing, or the players not being up to par. No other clubs does it, and neither should we.

If we lose a few goals I'll be expecting some bone-crunching tackles and attitude.

With the amount of shite posted on this forum since late Wednesday evening you'll have to forgive me for not knowing when someone is at the windup.

That Rangers victory would have come as part of the meagre 28% victory percentage that he secured as our manager then, eh? Gannon's football was easy on the eye, but he lost more games than he won as Motherwell manager, did he not?