Aubie92

No surrender to sleep or the IRA.

I don't think they'll sack him regardless of what happens this season. Both parties were hoping/expecting a big club to come in for Rodgers in the summer, resulting in compensation, and it hasn't happened. Now that Rodgers is either working his ticket or is actually so delusional he thinks he can win a public fight with his board, the chances of that ideal scenario for the tims is pretty much dead. I think Rodgers would be reluctant to resign and walk away from the severance he'd be due if sacked, especially if he's not got another job lined up. But if we win the league this year under Steven Gerrard? He'll walk. He's not it in him to stick around and try to wrestle the title back in those circumstances; crumbles under pressure, and always will.

Add to that, since 1985 there have been a handful of teams that had the chance to do so. (Discounting Aberdeen in 1991, as they were still a competitive top team then, though the slide back to where they belong had began.) Hearts in 1998 and 2006; Aberdeen in 2016. These teams fall away due to not believing they can see it through as much as it is because they're not good enough. That can tie into the point being made that some teams are mentally beaten before a ball is kicked. I think it's telling that Aberdeen could only beat celtic when they lay down. Combine it with McInnes and his team bottling their 'challenge' in 2016, and his subsequent comments over the years and it's obvious he's never believed they can challenge. As much as they shouldn't be able to on a regular basis, since 1985 there have been unexpected champions in England, Germany, France and Spain - yet in Scotland it doesn't, and won't, happen. Even when we've been mince and celtic are complacent.

I don't think that's the case, to be honest. Lennon went tonto because he genuinely wanted his team to finish second in the league and thought fourth was nowhere near good enough - pipping us to third place would have been an added bonus, but he was vocal in thinking they could have finished runners up. In the press conference today he said that Hibs and Hearts should be looking to challenge, but over the course of the season it's probably too much for them, but I still think he actually wants to win it and, failing that, finish as strongly as possible. He'll lose the rag again if Hibs finish fourth this season, and if they were second and just a few points off first - which they won't be - he'll be fuming they didn't win the league. He's an odious wee cunt, but he wants to win. Most managers would have been delighted at finishing fourth in the top flight after Hibs had been in the second tier for three seasons, especially with some of the results they got against ourselves, Hearts and the tims. McInnes doesn't have that drive as a manager. His Aberdeen side needed celtic to lie down to them to get a win last year; Hearts, Hibs and Killie have all taken points off celtic and pushed them harder than the sheep, as their managers hate losing. McInnes knows that, deep down, Aberdeen are tin pot and he just has to finish above us to be seen as successful; couldn't cope with it the one season Aberdeen actually had a chance to win the league. I'm not convinced that Levein, Lennon or Clarke would have bottled that during Deila's second season with celtic.

Strikers look a bit light, but I expect we'll bring another in during the January window - with Sadiq possibly leaving - and Dallas and Mebude will make a few appearances off the bench later in the season. (I think both of those two and Rudden look like they could make the grade, but realistically if one of the three does then it'll be a success for the academy.)

Aye. It's similar to Advocaat in the summer of 2001 - he's been told he's had enough backing and it's up to him to make it work. That many of his regular starters were at the club before him, despite him having five transfer windows, speaks volumes about his recruitment. celtic fans blame their chief scout, but it was the same at Liverpool.

In all seriousness, I've followed his career after leaving us and happy to see him have a decent career. If we'd signed him two years back after he'd been banging the goals in for Dundee, I'd actually have thought it a decent signing.

It does, but our government are more interested in appealing to other sections of society. Personally, I was opposed to the Iraq war and going into Afghanistan, and the way we followed the USA into these conflicts until Obama pushed to invade Syria, but I still respect the soldiers themselves. I think charities like Erskine are great, but governments have taken advantage of people being charitable and it has allowed them to avoid providing the care veterans deserve. Charities should provide additional support, but the onus should be on the government. It's sad that this isn't a bigger talking point in society, but we live in a UK where "Islamaphobia" is a talking point, so not surprising.

Aye, I think he probably is. I won't be surprised if he leaves in January, but so far Gerrard seems to be getting more out of the players he inherited, so he'll have Wallace involved or as an option right up until he does leave. For all the similarities between Gerrard and Souness, that seems to be one difference. Would have been understandable if he'd got rid of Wallace in the summer, but he's instead got him back around the first team and ensured he'll at least leave in a more dignified fashion. (Hopefully Wallace remembers that when Keith Jackson comes calling.)

We should be aiming to stop eight in a row, never mind conceding that they'll reach nine. (And I don't think it's unrealistic at all that we'll win the league this year.)

Part of the blame for that rests with the way Blair handled invading Iraq and Afghanistan, and subsequent revelations from his own cabinet about it. Unfortunately the soldiers seem to be bear the brunt of it rather than politicians ever having to face consequences for their actions. If it was Tony Blair's son bring carved up on the street in broad daylight rather than Lee Rigby, I suspect the reaction to it would have been much different from the political class. Even with that, we've went to a strange direction in the UK where the Irish republican propaganda and their versions of the troubles are largely accepted as truth, and our soldiers portrayed as butchers. Huge disservice done not only to the soldiers and the loyalists that lived through the troubles, but to the civilians murdered by the IRA whose families will never get justice. (Including Catholics who dared to do such heinous acts such as be civil to British soldiers.)

Stevie G stopping him winning a league title might actually ruin him forever.

I'm honestly surprised the club didn't go with this. I get that £6 difference equates to a few hundred grand, but there'd be far less anger over prices had they went from that, and the club would still have brought in millions.

Flanagan isn't a natural left back so I don't disagree, but I just don't see Wallace being more than a bit part player before leaving at the end of the season.

I think he and Zak Rudden are both fortunate in us not having a string of good strikers in the first team, with neither Morelos or Lafferty likely to be around in a few years for different reasons. Not saying both will make it, but they'll get chances at some point and hopefully they make the most of them.

Atakayi?

Lennon won't go there, which I'm happy with. As much as he likes his teams to play nice football, he's more interested in winning; got stick from tims when he was their gaffer for "not playing the celtic way." He's aware they're not going to heavily invest in the playing squad - as the wage bill is massive - and knows the fans expect ten in a row, so woe betide the manager who doesn't deliver. As funny as his hissy fit over finishing fourth was, it does show he wants to do as well as he can. McInnes considers finishing behind celtic and/or above us a success, which is why he bottled the chance to win the league in 2015/16. Lennon knows Hibs won't win the league, but he'll still be setting them the target of challenging for it regardless. (Which is good for us too, incidentally - if teams like Hibs and Hearts aren't content to just be graced by celtic's presence, it puts then under more pressure.) Can say the same about Steve Clarke at Killie too. The media slag Gerrard or Lafferty for aiming to win the league, but praised Clarke for it. Surely that should be the goal for teams like Hearts, Hibs, Killie and Aberdeen at the start of the season? Challenge for as long as possible. Interesting that celtic have dropped points to teams like Hearts, Hibs and Killie since they appointed gaffers who hate losing, yet the sheep could only get a win when celtic lay down.

Mebude is a special talent, I think. One of the players that has a real chance of making the grade. Given our lack of strikers, I expect we'll see him make a few sub appearances later this season.

Highly doubt Wallace is going to play a big part. At best he'd be second choice left back, though I still think he'll find himself third choice.

What about Mo Edu? I liked him, but know others weren't so keen, but there was that goal against the tims. Could make the same case for Bert Konterman, to be honest - largely mince, but that belter against celtic lives on.

Big Ugo for that goal at Parkhead? I know we won nothing that year and he left soon after, but at the time winning there was massive for us. I think it was a turning point of restoring some pride and belief in the team.

Forums are more or less for folk 30 or over now. Been replaced by social media. Not just with Rangers - same with all forums.

So it was. I was 9 at the time, but for some reason I've confused it with the later game where we won 1-0 with Laudrup scoring. Thought the fixtures were the other way about. ?

Credible European result on Thursday night and a home game folk are looking forward to today? This won't do. Let's look for a reason to bitch about the board instead!

Pining for Saltcoats?