Drooper

So do I. Asumming he isn't on much more than £40K - £50K P/A, than surely the most we'd be looking at for 3 months or so is £10K - £12K (maybe £15K at a stretch). Unless, of course, the is more to compensation than effectively paying off the contract. For a club in Cowden's position, I hardly think they could be looking for a king's ransom.

There is something else that occurs to me that might be worth adding. I met Gus just as the building work on new stadium was kicking off. It was a shitty wet day, and I was asking hinm how he was getting on with finding decent places to train. He told me that this was his biggest issue with the club - having to train amongst broken glass and dog shite in public parks and the likes. Gus claimed that the absence of decent training facilities was also a disincentive to players looking to sign-on or come to the club on loan (he highlighted the fact that clubs down south, in particular, weren't willing to let their young lads come up to train with next to no facilities in place). I suspect that Gus made a big play of this to the BoD, and they therefore expected to see more tangible progress once we had Ralston up and running. Whether Gus was afforded sufficient time to realise any benefit from the complex being in place is moot, but I suspect the BoD were looking, at least, for a plan from him as to how to take things forward. I genuinely believe that Gus didn't have the imagination as to how to develop the grass-roots side of things at the club - hence his signing of players such as Alan Johnston, and the notable absence of young lads from our match-day squads. The final nail for him could well have been the naming of only 6 subs - to my mind, a less than subtle dig at the BoD - despite him having a few young lads to choose from. He might have got away with that if the training facilities issue was still unresolved, but I reckon he miscalculated there.

I'm past the point of trying to second guess what the BoD are up to at St Mirren Park. To be fair, they've never actually come out and clarified what they mean by taking a new direction. Like most others, I've assumed it is looking to bring players through, but that is a medium to long term plan, and, as they don't intend being around for too much longer, that doesn't add up in some respects. That said, they've invested in Ralston, so I fully expect they intend to capitalise on that as long as they are around, and would like that to be part of their legacy also. Increasingly, I'm thinking that the whole 'change of direction' line was merely shorthand for saying that the time had come to bag Gus. If McStay is stalling, then I can't see the BoD holding out too long, and I wouldn't want them too. I've binned any fantasy about significant changes off the field now, so I just hope whoever they appoint is given support to build a decent squad - hopefully with a few young players.

Up in September

4pm press conference in Asda, Linwood.

What was funny? I must have missed that. Funny haha? Or funny strange?

I reckon you're spot-on in referring to the requirement to effectively utilise Ralston. To my mind, this is the 'new direction' to which the statement folowing the sacking of Gus referred. McStay is a good shout, but given Mixu's record with our kids, I reckon he's in with a good shout - particularly if the current BoD are making the appointment, as he had a good relationship with them IIRC.

That would be a relatively bold and imaginative appointment. No complaints from me there, TBH.

I'm struggling to think of any realistic candidate for the job who genuinely 'inspires'. What would inspire, is some positive news as to the future direction of the club. The selection of a new manager would, under normal circumstances, be the main event. And things stand, there are so many variables, that the matter of appointing a new head coach is but one piece of the jigsaw. We've got to hope that the other pieces are in place soon, or MacPherson's successor is at risk of faring no better than he did.

Mediocre at best.

Not even the remotest chance my friend.

Are we still talking about Justin Hawkins?

3-1

Okay, you're starting to scare me now... Edit: ah...point taken - reading back, I'd intended to quote your previous post. You're still a jobbie though.

Did anyone else shudder at the image this conjures up?

You're just inflaming things now. Lighten up!

I don't know how you can sleep at night!

I have to agree with this. A most undignified practice

Would Morton strips pass that particular test though?...I suspect we'll never know. Replica kit manufacturers will argue that they have to sell their gear at the prices they do because the have a limited market. So long as they have a niche market, and we're daft enought to accommodate it, their prices will not go down.

That must have completed a nice ensemble atop the gimp mask.