MelvinBragg

Spot on, Tweed. As soon as the rumours started circulating about Calderwood and Strachan yesterday, John Boyle should have been drawing up a list of potential names "just in case". No one's kicking McGhee out, but realistically IF he is wanted by Aberdeen or Celtic, we need a new manager. And given our thin squad, we need one sharpish...

I'm of the opinion that when McGhee goes (I reckon it's a WHEN not IF), it'll depend where he goes whether he takes Leitch or not. For what it's worth, I reckon his stock has fallen enough that the Celtic job is out of his reach. However, should he get the Celtic job, I reckon there would be little chance of Leitch going there as they would want someone with more pedigree behind McGhee. Aberdeen his destination? I reckon Leitch would go with him. As for successors, as Tweed points out, we don't know who'll throw their hat into the ring. I suspect we won't see Joe Miller's name this time . From what I hear this morning though, Billy Stark would be very interested...

Whether he's the right man or not, he's not a first time manager. He had a year at Ross County and now has had two years under a more experienced manager at Motherwell. Other than people who are going to provoke "Aw naw!!" (such as Bobby Williamson), who would we get that would be more experienced...?

Anything to be read into the fact that Reynolds was absent from the squad on Saturday? Anyone heard any more about his potential transfer this summer? I know that right now, the uncertainty over McGhee's future will take precedent but we need to get a few new faces in and I was wondering if Reynolds was being sold to finance this...?

Quote from McGhee in today's Daily Mail.. As someone once said, it's deja vu all over again...

Sorry, Gaag, should have made it clear that I was talking about those criticising Paul Quinn specifically for the needless yellow...

For those criticising Paul Quinn, I say only this. At least he seemed bothered about the result. A bit of professional pride at stake, something others could learn. Was it an avoidable booking? Yes. Did he channel his aggression in the best way? Probably not. Do I wish more players had shown his spirit? Undoubtedly, even if it ended up costing us a European place. The thing most people seem to be forgetting is that, there is every chance today was some supporter's first game. Do they not deserve to see the players trying? Would you come back if that had been your first game today? And the players earned the same for this week's work as they did for the first week of the season. Is it too much to ask the same commitment? It has to be pointed out that we got ourselves into the potential European spot without being a bunch of pussies. Now it's in sight, suddenly it's no tackles allowed?? If we miss out on Europe, why not blame Klimpl (one a game) or Reynolds (I served a suspension I accrued so many cards)? I'll tell you why not, because they don't fit the bill. They're not among the usual scapegoats...

Interesting that so many players who have been deemed not good enough by much of our support played that day. Kinniburgh, Fagan, Kerr and Fitzpatrick all declared not good enough by much of the support. Not tp mention Foran who polarised opinions...

Maybe his season of being unwanted and cast to the frozen north might have knocked some motivation into Brian Kerr. I know the reaction this will get, but with the right fitness regime and man management, it might work. I maintain that one of the reasons kerr was so poor during Malpas' season was that we signed the ideal partner for him, then that player got injured. I would have liked to have seen what a Lasley Kerr partnership could have done. Mihadjuks, I don't know enough about, but I suspect if we pick up the guy Beevers, then a defender will be off the shopping list. Foran, though it won't happen, would be no worse than Sutton and an improvement on Sheridan for my money. What about the boy Rooney? 7 goals in 6 starts I was informed today...

It's well established that I thought we should have played a lot more youngsters in the last few games. But to bring on Bob Malcolm today beggared belief. Then to replace him with McGarry? Baffling. On the subject of Stephen Hughes, I thought he had one of his better games of the season today, to a point. He was involved a lot but all too often would refuse to take responsibility when the ball got into dangerous areas. That said, this comment caught my eye... I think this illustrates the difference between Stephen Hughes and David Clarkson. When Stephen Hughes is off form, he'd be as well not being there. People, myself included, have compared him to Brian Kerr this season. Perhaps, but even when Kerr was poor (all too often, I grant you), he always looked for the ball and you noticed he was there. Maybe that's why he got more stick than Hughes ever has. Simply because people don't notice how poorly Hughes is playing because he disappears. Clarkson was very poor today by the high standards he has set the last couple of seasons. But even in that poor form, he managed to set up our only goal. And criticise Paul Quinn for his performance and a stupid booking all you like, at least he looked like he cared. Channelled wrongly? Possibly, but at least the desire was still there...

That's what myself and Steelboy are saying, Ricky. That's just how it's printed. There's a line printed in the paper between 6th and 7th. For me the papers should split the league table altogether and the SPL could rebrand the split. Call it SPL Championship Battle and SPL Survival Battle. Two separate competitions. Which is effectively what it is...

Aye, I know. It's clearly not enough for some people...

Or, as I suggest, print two different 6 team league tables to save confusion...

Give the man a cigar. Maybe the papers could help explain this to people by actually printing the top 6 and bottom 6 as separate tables side by side rather than still printing it as one table. Complaining about us having more points than Hibs is like a team going out of Champions League qualifying (let's say Rangers, they have previous) and dropping into the UEFA cup. Then moaning that they won more games in their group than Celtic who were in the Champions League who lost almost all of their games. The top 6 is the Champions League, the bottom 6 is the UEFA cup. We didn't qualify to play with the big boys. People need to get over it...

70 weeks at at least £3000 a week, plus whatever signing on fee he got for each contract. I think you're talking nearer £300,000. Bad decision...

I think it's more a reference to the only thing larger than his waistline, his wage packet...

I read it. I was kind of hoping that it was a negotiating tool to use with agents and other clubs...

I stated somewhere on these boards recently that I'd want to keep Quinn and Clarkson. Guys like Lasley, Hammell and Craigan are important too. Guys who know what the club is all about. Always been a fan of Lasley, though it might not be that we're trying to get rid of him. Maybe McGhee's chat with all the players didn't go as Lasley wanted. "Right, Keith, what's going to happen is, you'll be our best player for the first couple of months of this season again, and then I'll move you to right back where you'll be a fish out of water and it'll give me an excuse to drop you..." Could you blame him if he wanted to leave? If he goes, he goes with nothing but my best wishes...

Thought that myself when I read it. If they can pick up Parker, that'll be two strikers who can score goals at this level that they've picked up for nothing. Damn you, Jeffries, you fly old get...

I'm only too aware of that, hence the . Even given Boyle's part-funding of their salaries, there should still be more cash available in terms of salaries this summer than last given last summer we only lost McCormack off the wage bill...

Pre-contracts can be signed and just a matter of registering the signing on July 1st. Same would apply to signing players from other clubs. The deal could be arranged in principle prior to the window opening, contracts signed, just a matter of faxing the relevant football authorities on the day the window actually opens...

From the bank with armfuls of cash???

Wouldn't object to any of the names you mentioned there arriving at Fir Park (Gow is the one I'd be least enthusiastic about). On the subject of wages/loans though, I read somewhere that Fotheringham had been let go and I'm sure Kennedy's contract at Celtic is up this summer so surely they'd be free agents. Bring in Fotheringham for Hughes and sell Reynolds, replacing him with Kennedy? I'm sure the wages saved by Porter, Malcolm, Kilmpl and Hughes not being here would cover these guys. And any signing on fees would be covered by any fee we could get for Reynolds. I make it sound so simple...

Not a popular view round these parts, Neil, but one I agree with (kind of). Lasley is certainly a bit more disciplined than Klimpl, both in terms of not picking up silly bookings and not drifting all over the park to chase the ball. However, the loss of Klimpl along with Hughes leaves us with two recognised centre midfielders at the club. Anyone want to count McGarry or Paul Quinn? Didn't think so...

Just realised after I posted that it sounded like I had something against Lasley and/or Fitzpatrick. Not at all, it's just that other than one is right footed and the other is left-footed, they're pretty similar types of player. I know what you're saying about McGhee's track record on signings, and I appreciate the budget constraints he'll be working under. However, as you point out, it must have been fairly clear since we didn't make the top 6 (if not before) that Hughes, Malcolm, Smith and probably Klimpl would be on their way. That must leave a fair chunk of what was this season's wage budget to play with. Even if the wage budget is reduced somewhat for next season, there must be more cash to play with salary-wise than there was last summer. Like you say, rabbit out of hat time. Time for Mr McGhee to earn that wage rise he got last summer...