The African

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.

I would go as far as saying that Robinson is here until the end of the season, barring a calamitous run of results or him walking. Thequestion which really needs to be asked, both by Robinson and the board, is where do we go after that? Is “ more of the same” acceptable? I would say no. The style of play might get us enough to survive, but we need to somehow find a way to play which is both more pleasing on the eye and at least as successful. I would be prepared to give him first chance at the job, if he was up for it and had a plan that looked feasible. It is not going to be easy though, given our limited budget. He might very well see it as a recipe for failure and walk away at that point which would be fair enough.

No.

Three nil, and I would have probably taken that at kick-off, and definitely at half-time. Never happy with a defeat and our style of play is not what I would wish for, but we are where we are and seven points from the next three games is probably the target now.

Not defending Tom Boyd in the least as I have heard enough from him to know that he is a complete twat, but is half our problem with him deriding our players and club the fact that we see that particular task as a job for our fans?

A chance for some minor experimentation with the expectation that we will get nothing from this fixture. I would consider resting Campbell and possibly one or two others that might need it. We have limited resources and will haveames coming up in the near future where they can be better employed. Not saying we give up on this one, and do not want us to take a hidingwhich could set us back in other matches, but we do need to think in terms of the bigger picture sometimes. Avoiding injuries and suspensions would be good. And will Gillespie save a third penalty? Likely to have a chance.

Great result for us and much credit to those of you who made the effort to go and support the team on what seemed an awful day. I would throw in a word of caution though. I think that both St Mirren and Dundee have shown signs of improvement and, as such, we will have to do the same. It is probably premature to be talking about " safety" at this stage. Let's see where we are after we next play the teams below us. I would also suggest that the January window is not the time for anything more than tinkering with our squad. Major surgery, whilst the thought may appeal, is both a gamble and something a club on our budget can scarcely afford.

Yeah. I remember going to a three nil defeat where we scarcely kicked a ball and big Sieb let a cross beat him at the back post. 4th September 1993. I went with my Dad. I was 26. It was a nice sunny day and took us an age to get out of the car park next to the stadium after the game. I also seem to remember Ally Graham coming on as a sub. I do remember a bit of banter with Billy Thompson about him going on up front to try and spark a revival. He said he was willing to give it a go.

Andy Rose will be the sort of player we miss when he is gone. Not flashy or over endowed with talent, but happy to do the necessary donkey work and play his part in the team. He has done his bitwhile with us and good luck to him back in MLS. I doubt there would be any fee given we are letting him go under a “ gentleman’s agreement” that he could return to America if he got a genuine offer to do so. I suppose the only issue is, can we play him up until the 1st January? If injury would scupper his move, it might put the player in a difficult position.

Our record up there is pure unadulterated shite. Anything from this fixture will be remarkable.

Again anything from this fixture should be seen as a bonus. Hopefully we out in animproved performance and we will see what we get. Aldred and McHugh at centre of the defence. Tait as fullback, though which side is debatable. Johnson and Main up front. A midfield from our collection of plodders and youngsters.Right now, I’d exclude Rose from initial selection given I thought he was the poorest on show on Wednesday. As such, I fully expect him to score a screamer at Tynecastle.

Gillespie for me. No chance with the goal, solid throughout, and the penalty save kept us in the game.

I will take that. Celtic will be kicking themselves but, as WC Fields said, never give a sucker an even break. We weren’t in any way good, but we stuck in, took the punches they managed to land, a certain amount of belief visibly grew as the second half progressed, and, for once against this lot, we got a break. We were brave, and fortune favours the brave.

Lots of effort, precious little else. Great save from the penalty the highlight for me.