The Ghost

Gilmour MOTM. Well deserved too.

I think deep down Ruiz was just happy to accept the bonus money and get on with his life. He’s been spending like there’s no tomorrow since he won the title so it’s a nice wee top up for him. He won’t get near the top table again.

Joshua sponsoring Nike running shoes by next week.

Very boring fight. AJ looking very ordinary and well below the top level. Ruiz just a journeyman with a good chin.

You’ve done a remarkable job and brought a lot of joy to many people with your efforts. Hopefully, your trusty associates can keep things going in some capacity. Keep well and enjoy a well deserved rest!

We’ve had some great players who could be awarded that title for their generation but, in my opinion, Baxter is clear at the top. He had an arrogance and an aura to match his ability and, at times, appeared to be on a different planet to his teammates and opponents. This is not to belittle the achievements and abilities of players like Cooper, Laudrup etc. we’ve had some genuine world class players in our time.

Better play there. Good goalkeeping.

Just did the same as Ricciardo when he won with tyres down to the canvas. The cars are even wider now so if you place it correctly then you can’t be overtaken. He still had grip on his rears to power clear on the short straights. Did some amount of whinging though!

Derek was extremely popular and was a tremendous asset to the team and the club. I’ve always felt he should get a great deal more recognition and appreciation than he seems to.

Virtually nothing then??? I read about the derby winner but hadn’t realised he had any significant impact. Well, hopefully Alfredo can do similar wherever he ends up. I’ve never really taken to him so maybe my judgement is clouded. £25m and not a penny less (plus a sell on clause, obviously). Still don’t see it right enough.

He is not a consistent clean striker. Defoe is streets ahead of him in that respect. It’s a pity he’s lost too much pace over the last couple of years as this restricts the goal scoring positions he can get into and the opportunities that would arise.

Dembele did, his price was inflated and he’s done nothing since. Dembele did score more high profile goals which probably helped but hopefully the same increase in value will apply to Alfredo after the recent media hype and speculation.

Clearly not every goal is going to be a scuffed mishit but there have been more than a few, along with a significant number of bad misses which with a little more composure and technical ability would have been goals. It’s not that long ago when the move to the Far East fell through, he had a few bad games and a dry spell when numerous posters were bemoaning the fact we hadn’t cashed in. Now, any minor criticism is thrown back and he’s somehow become the next Pele. He’s a good player in this league but I doubt he’ll flourish in a higher quality, more competitive environment. Denya has rhymed off half a dozen players who are ahead of him in the international stakes and he has some way to go before he establishes himself in that group. I’d take the money now as a season as productive as this one is often followed with a poor return the following season and I’m not entirely convinced he would have the appetite to plough through another season in this league.

He’s still too raw and inexperienced at a high level to command some of the fees mentioned. If a big team came for him, it would be a speculative purchase. He’s done better than I expected this season but he’s scoring against poor players in poorly organised defences. The Scottish game has genuinely never been worse. He lacks composure and is not a clean striker of the ball but he does have an aggressive, bustling technique that creates chances and unsettles defences. I hope we do get £20m but I can’t see anyone within the club having realistic expectations of that.

Well I did. Those that left were called rats while those that stayed were called wage thieves. Players were in a lose-lose situation. It was ridiculous and unfair and some of those who stayed must have regretted it at times. If I was at the peak of my career and suddenly found myself with a club with an uncertain future, ending up in the lowest league, facing wage cuts, no international recognition and being spoken about as if I was somebody’s personal property then I think I would have put myself, my family and my career first and, going by the reaction by a number of fans to those who left or stayed, probably wouldn’t have looked back. If the club are then foolish enough to chase after former players six years later when they are clearly on the decline, with some who weren’t even good enough first time round, while throwing piles of cash at them then some are clearly going to pander to the more easily swayed contingent of the support and trot out the usual soundbites and await the predictable cries of “bring him home” while waiting for the cheque to clear.