The African

Okay, I give up.

I’ve told you before!

Begs the question as to who is actually surplus to our requirements now. I’d say Newell, but he is probably injured, Sammon, but only with us onloan and would have gone back to Hearts already if they wanted him, Bigi and Frear, but who would want them,and sure as eggs is eggs, you can guarantee that we would pick up a couple of injuries before their taxi had left Lanarkshire. I reckon our business is pretty much done until the summer.

Main needs a goal. I would give him a half for the reserves if they had a fixture.

We already have Main, Samson, Johnson, McCormack and Scott in terms of strikers. I can only see a new one being brought in if we move at least one of them on. I can see a case for Sammon going back to Hearts, Scott going out on loan for more experience and any offer for Main or Johnson being tempting to accept, but how likely are any of these scenarios?

If we can get Turnbull signed up it will be a fantastic bit of business. After that, anything else achieved in this transfer window would be a bonus. In terms of the squad, we would probably be looking at getting guys out, rather than bringing many more in.

Dundee will be on a High after a great result for them at Tynecastle. It really would be in our best interests to try and bring them back down to earth. Unfortunately, we have been inconsistent all season, and you cannot expect the young players we have recently brought in to the squad to change that. Right now I would take a point.

Oh ffs! Don’t say that! In fact, don’t even think it.

I have to admit that I am only looking behind us. Big game coming up on Saturday now.

Typical that the bastards from Tynecastle would let us down. Still, a good win for us and the other results went our way.

Dunne is useful if playing the left sided third of a defensive three. His pace covers for those without it and the other two makeupfor the odd error he may make. Playinghim as part of two centre backs is risky. Aldred and Hartley are similar. Solid but unspectacular and neither the quickest. McHugh is capable and probably offers more than any of the other options at centre back, but he also offers something as a defensive midfielder screening our defence. Throw in the potential of Mbulu and we are not short of options. You would think that there is a combination in there that should work. We also have a decent right back in Tait and plenty of midfielders ( Campbell, Grimshaw) we could try out in the screening role should we want to play McHugh elsewhere. What we have failed to do is fill the gap at left back. I would give someone a serious run to try their luck there, either Livingstone or ATS. I suppose half of the problem is that we use seven of the eleven players in a team to stop the opposition scoring which leave four to make a significant contribution in trying to actually win a game. Not easy with the standard of player available on our budget.

Well, yes and no. The grand scheme of things is that we find ourselves in the relegation mix with the three aforementioned teams. If we all lose then our positions stay the same. I would suggest though, that anything that increases the current gap between us and them could be extremely advantageous to us in the medium term that is the rest of this season, so these fixtures do matter. Given the nature of all four matches, this looks like a decent opportunity to build up our lead over the rest of the genuine strugglers. Given our recent, and not so recent, propensity forfailing to grasp such opportunities, I predict an away win with some confidence. Still, COYW!

Right now I’d take a point. We have been so inconsistent that a win would not be a complete surprise, especially as Hibs also fall into that category. The truth though is that they are a better side than us so we should be looking as any sort of result as being a bonus.

A tricky draw, and so it proved to be. We can now concentrate on the main business of avoiding the drop. Unfortunately this will leave a bit of a hole in our finances as we probably budgeted for a quarter final.

Nice to be playing someone different in the knock out stages of a cup competition. Hopefully it doesn't bite us on the @rse. We will need to be upon the fight because our know that Ross County will be. I am going for a win for the good guys, but by the odd goal in a match much closerhan some are predicting.

While I agree with your premise, Weeyin is correct here and, in this instance the reverse is the case with “ise” being more prevalent in the US. Personally, in this case, I find both acceptable. I see the written word as a means of communication and understanding and, in that respect, there are much greater crimes being committed than the possible misuse of a z for an s, or vice versa.

I was looking it up online and stopped when it seemed to suggest that it was the term for the more manly participants in a sapphic relationship. The internet can be great for expanding knowledge and vocabulary.

How wonderfully ironic to be discussing the correct usage of the suffixes “ise” and “ize” in a thread with the word Bois in the title.

Cillian Sheridan, former loanee from Celtic, joins Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.

Indeed. Our fans have to realise that if we are going to, quite rightly, get pissed off when the likes of the Old Firm damage our stadium for shits and giggles, it looks like the height of hypocrisy when a section of our support does the same.

I quite like the winter break.if teams, the Old Firm, abuse it with meaningless friendlies overseas, then f*ck them. The last game before the break should be the January derby played no later than the 2nd. The break should end on the first Saturday in February. I get much more frustrated by Internationalbreaks and think the League Cup semi finals being played on a weekend are a farce.

Great result. Added to other results going our way and it stops the rot of recent weeks. We have been fortunate that the three teams below us are pretty dire. Januarywill be interesting. If the players we have out injured return and a few others find their form, then we do not really need to bring in too many. A couple to add genuine quality and freshen things up will probably do. Seeing who leaves will be just as interesting.

Not sure about all the talk of throwing the game at Parkhead. We could have played our first choice team, whatever that is, and would still have got well beaten. Surely the performance today proves that point beyond all reason?

Undoubtedly a shite result and one only matched by the performance that delivered it. I hope it is clear from previous posts that I am of the opinion that Robinson should be allowed to get on with the job. Part of this is based on the " real world" difficulties of implementing the changes which many are calling for. You cannot just punt managers and players and bring in new ones whenever you like. There are substantial costs involved for starters. Costs which a club like ours cannot meet. There is also absolutely no guarantee that the changes will be a success. But there is no doubt that there are serious problems on the field. To do nothing now and just hope that there are two sides in the league who will remain worse than us is not an option. Robinson himself has strongly hinted that he is planning on making changes in the near future. The question which needs to be answered is, if we are going to try and change tack now, is Robinson the man to implement and oversee the manoeuvre? I am beginning to have serious doubts that he is the man for that job.

I think he did a great job and will be missed. His interview states he does not have another job lined up. I have no reason to suspect he is anything but an honourable man so I think it must be true. All the very best to him in the future.