Ross County are involved in a fight for sixth place with four other teams all within two points of each other. Hamilton Accies win last night pushed them to the top of this mini-league, but despite a run of form which has seen County without a win in over two months, a win over the Champions tonight would see the Highlanders climb into the top half of the table.
Their best chance of getting a result like this surely lies between the ears of the Celtic players. Over the last eight days Celtic have twice played to packed out crowds in Champions League and League Cup semi-final encounters. Victoria Park, Dingwall, will provide nothing like the same intensity. How Brendan Rodgers sharpens his players wits for what will be a cup final for the hosts, will be a significant challenge.
County are one of only three clubs in the league who have not beaten any of the table’s top half teams (bottom club, Dundee, and ‘The Rangers are coming’ ‘Going for 55’ ‘Narrowing the gap’ Newco are the other two). This type of statistic is often interpreted as a negative, but beating the teams at the bottom of the league is a critical objective of any team who want to survive.
Ross County are not having a great season, but they have achieved the most important things and can play with the pressure off tonight. It’s a result I’d not put money on.
While the Celtic engine rolls on, Aberdeen’s stalled at Hamilton last night, albeit to a soft-looking penalty. If we win our games in hand we’ll have an eight point advantage over Hearts and 10 over Aberdeen., which is a remarkable lead so early in the season, especially as we are the only team distracted by European competition.
One issue on team selection: 72 hours from now we’ll be underway at Pittodrie. While we need to pick a team to win tonight’s game, players are not machines. This should be a night for Griffiths, Armstrong, Roberts, McGregor, Izaguirre and Gamboa to start.
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NatKnow
I’m jesting, I fully expect to die peacefully as an old man….sitting at a desk filling out spreadsheets (which will be seen as too menial a task for the “The Machines” to be concerned with).
Sounds like my job right now actually…
SARGASSOSEA on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 1:41 PM
Macjay,
I remember the 64 tram. We left the big pennies on the track when it was doing its last run. The Calypso was going at the same time as the Stirling Castle in the 60s. You didn’t go there did you?
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I used to do the Byres Rd. circuit.
The Olde World , known as the “Byre ” , just beside the ” Conti ” cafe. The Curlers…….one of my first underage
” Piper ” lagers. The Rubaiyat.
Later on , the Rock .
The Calypso Bar .
On the list of Glasgow pubs which barred me . Early 70s – some TA twerps objected to me having a gold loop in each ear… In their world , that made me a ” Poof ” –this ” Poof ” sorted them out – cue being barred ..
Back in Canada…..
Big thankyou to those who answered my query a couple of weeks back, and pointed me in the right direction.
A couple of quick things:
Barton…..clearly sevco are not in a strong position here. Collective agreement only allows for docking 2 weeks wages for disciplinary stuff. As I understand it, they haven’t yet docked him a penny. There are hundreds of precedents where players have shouted at managers. All they get is docked 2 weeks and/or transfer listed.
Also, sevco have previous with players betting on games. All that happened was, the players got an SFA tap on the wrists, no additional punishment from the club. So hardly a case here for ‘material breach of contract’.
All they can hope for, is to pay him till january and hope he takes pity on them when he finds a club down south.
Away games…..if the SPFL had any sense at all, they would have a requirement that no seat remains empty if there is a willing buyer. Subject to segregation, this would mean that fans of Killie, Motherwell, St Johnstone etc would have to move in order to sell more away tickets. For an impoverished league like ours to turn down thousands of pounds and leave seats empty is madness.
This of course would and should apply to us. last year we turned down an Aberdeen request for a higher allocation, and still ended up with around 8,000 empty seats.
Just my tuppence worth…..
Ronnie
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 2:14 PM
SARGASSOSEA on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 1:41 PM
Macjay,
I remember the 64 tram. We left the big pennies on the track when it was doing its last run. The Calypso was going at the same time as the Stirling Castle in the 60s. You didn’t go there did you?
=======================================================================
I used to do the Byres Rd. circuit.
The Olde World , known as the “Byre ” , just beside the ” Conti ” cafe. The Curlers…….one of my first underage
” Piper ” lagers. The Rubaiyat.
Later on , the Rock .
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Don’t know if you managed to visit the Curlers when you were last here – it has changes significantly! Possibly also for the better – though still not sure on that.
The Rock was rocking on Sunday afternoon…
DAVIDOPOULOS on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 2:13 PM
NatKnow
I’m jesting, I fully expect to die peacefully as an old man….sitting at a desk filling out spreadsheets (which will be seen as too menial a task for the “The Machines” to be concerned with).
Sounds like my job right now actually…
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The Machines will never replace guys like us mate – though by then they may be able to get up/down the stairs… :-))))))))))
NatKnow
Aye, as BMCUWP quite rightly pointed out, battery development has progressed at the required rate to put up with the tedium. They just don’t have the power!
No such a thing as a roll man in Milngavie,it’s all delicatessens ciabattas and paninis out there
However I can confirm that they have stopped using the Virgin gym out there since it was taken over by Nuffield Health and the corporate colour scheme was changed to green and white
Greetings from Dingwall and The County Tavern -home of the Ross County Supporters club.
At the moment the statistics show…Bar personnel 3, Celtic Supporters 1, Ross County Fans 0.
Bar staff team affiliations are obviously excluded as they are here for the money and not the football, but just for completeness there is one Brora Rangers fan, one County supporter and a Geordie who is lost and confused with a Flower of Scotland ringtone.
Lovely people by the way….although they were discussing Liam…you know “Liam”
“Oh Liam’s lovely” says one.
“Liam’s a dickhead…I went out with him…he was never the same after his bowel operation.” Said another
“Listen I was at his funeral…there were some suspicious characters there” said the confused Geordie…
“Think we’re talking about different Liams” said the first.
“Feck me” said the first “imagine that. 3 Liams in Dingwall”.
Hail hail
Matt
Hail hail
Matt
Afternoon all
Have I missed much?
Ayrshire is Green and White
The story with Barton was he and the new Uber Hun,had a blazing slanging match after the bigotfest in Linfield,and it was continued into the 1st day of training.Joey was not having any of their sectarianism,and it exploded.Warbs got involved and exchanges were made.Halliday walks away unscathed,Joey suspended.By order of The Fat Controller.I have heard he is now running the show at Ibrox while Glibby is in abstentia.
All good news.
SOUTH OF TUNIS on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 2:18 PM
The Calypso Bar .
On the list of Glasgow pubs which barred me . Early 70s – some TA twerps objected to me having a gold loop in each ear… In their world , that made me a ” Poof ” –this ” Poof ” sorted them out – cue being barred ..
Lol lol lol never took you as someone who would be wearing earrings and a frock SOT :-)
Matt, reading that email I’m guessing you arrived for it opening!
Brilliant.
Email? I’m not even in any pub!
Turkeybhoy on 26th October 2016 1:57 pm
BMCUW,
Air conditioning?.Really?.I would have thought that Plunka Wallahs would have been in great abundance in those days.
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You’re like Jon Snow – you know nothing! It was the Phunka Wallahs that were battery operated!
KTF
Roll men in Milngavie.There must be.The guy that put the story out said his Barber told him !!!!!!!.
If thats not straight from the horses mouth,I dont know what to say.This Barber says he charges his clippers with a 2000 year old battery,so the guy knows his stuff.
this is why I like CQN …. I have to ask about the batteries in Iraq 2000 years ago bit …. I know the yanks claim B. Franklin invented the battery, but I thought it was Volta about 200 years ago ….. so, I am genuinely interested if you can enlighten me …. cheers.
MickTT
Gooooooood afternoon sir,
not missed much, just talking about “Liam” fae Dingwall :)))))))))))))
VFR800A8 on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 2:40 PM
Turkeybhoy on 26th October 2016 1:57 pm
I am nothing like Jon Snow,i know some things.Anyway it was Jon Snow that leaked my earlier exclusive that the Hun midfielder Leonard Rossiter,was moonlighting as the stunt man for Tyrell Lannister.So even he knows something.
So there.
mike in toronto
Was he a Pole, Volta?
On the subject of TV series.Anyone watching The Walking Dead.The first episode of series seven was a shocker.
Very strong stuff indeed.
mickbhoy1888 on 26th October 2016 2:03 pm
Ohhh aye advances in technology a fantastic thing…….no longer do spotty 15year old youths have to worry about their wee mammys discovering their scud book planks under the mattress
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Technology is worse; porno blockers on the router and checks on the browsing history mean nothing is concealed; that means Private Browsing has to be disabled!
Grandad knows best!
KTF
Turkeybhoy on 26th October 2016 2:47 pm
VFR800A8 on 26TH OCTOBER 2016 2:40 PM
Turkeybhoy on 26th October 2016 1:57 pm
I am nothing like Jon Snow,i know some things.Anyway it was Jon Snow that leaked my earlier exclusive that the Hun midfielder Leonard Rossiter,was moonlighting as the stunt man for Tyrell Lannister.So even he knows something.
So there.
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Wrong again; it was Jon Snow the newsreader who leaked that info, not the bastard child of Ned Stark!
Keep wi’ the programme!
thenorthwall CSC
KTF
TURKEYBOY, yep episode 1 was a real stunner!
One of the most violent programmes seen in a long time! Also very, very strong storyline even for a gore-fest like the Walking Dead.
I truly thought for a moment that Rick’s task would have to be fulfilled!
Sets it up brilliantly!
noholdsbarred CSC
KTF
I once worked on a project establishing a system of accounting between the UK and China for deliveries to Africa. Key guy in Asia getting us the info was a Dutch guy called William, In our Glasgow office my pal and I referred to him as Liam, naturally. Then presenting the system hierarchy to the Board it became clear that so ingrained was our in joke of Liam that I had referred to him as that throughout and there was a great deal of confusion over roles and responsibilities and if Liam had replaced William or if William had appointed him and who authorised the appointment.
Obviously I simply set off the fire alarm and they’ve never been in touch since.
David …
A serious question about electricity, and you come up with pole volta?!
Shocking!
:)
With all this talk about the Gap surely we will win every league game from now till the end of the season. No other SPFL team comes anywhere near us when it comes to the quality of players.
Fortunately football is no respecter of the Gap and in any game any team can win. Where it does count is over the season where I am sure we will prevail by at least 20 points.
As for tonight just make sure we make the Gap count.
banktubestationCSC
mike in toronto
It was just an im-pulse…
what’s the difference between a lentil and a chickpea
whitedoghunch on 26th October 2016 3:23 pm
what’s the difference between a lentil and a chickpea
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Don’t.
whitedoghunch on 26th October 2016 3:23 pm
what’s the difference between a lentil and a chickpea
Do por cierto
Blantyrekev
The bus was late so I didn’t get in till 10 mins after closing time.
But so far RC fans have drifted in and everyone of them has bought me a pint and refused one in return.
There is a certain amount of sympathy for the fact that I am staying the night in the royal …the local knocking shop and narcotics emporium where they give you a plastic bag …instead of a key….to tie the door knob to the dresser.
I laughed it off as a wind up till a bloke came in resembling “lonely” in Callan, with a delivery of plastic bags for “somewhere called the Royal”.
Fortunately my various travelling injections are still in place.
I would just like to highlight that this salubrious accommodation was recommended (after a search possibly on the darknet) by a certain Raymond Shannon61).
I am also concerned that I’ve left my cooker on.
The Guinness is magnificent and the Geordie has turned out to be a Dons fan.
Hail hail
Matt
whats the difference between overtrading and over-investing ?
Matt
Tripadvisor review says:
“Avoid like the Plague !!!!”
1 of 5 bubbles Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile
I had been booked in for 4 nights by my company and I was horrified when I arrived after a 465 mile drive. The hotel was absolutely filthy and my room was disgusting too.There were 2 foot cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, chewed chewing gum stuck on the fridge. The fridge was mouldy and smelt horrific. The microwave was filthy and the bed looked like it had been slept in and there were brown marks on the duvet cover. There were used contact lenses on the bedside table and empty cigarette packet in the drawer. There was screwed up toilet roll behind the bedside cabinet too. The curtains were hanging off too.I gad no choice but to stay there for one night but I slept on top of the bed in my clothes and covered the pillow with my coat. I checked out the following morning and checked into the National Hotel which was across the road. This was lovely (not the Ritz but clean an friendly )
This should not be advertised as a hotel as it is used by the council as emergency housing!
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Should be fine. It is nearly Halloween after all…
Davidopolous
I feel an interesting customer/supplier conversation coming on….
I am nipping into the local tescos to but suitable disinfectant and Incendiary supplies.
Hail hail
Matt
Phils up
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/joey-shows-his-class-at-sevco/
MWD
“I once worked on a project establishing a system of accounting between the UK and China for deliveries to Africa.”
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did anyone manage to stay awake to read the 2nd line of that story?
these Lower EK inhabitants sure do live the rock n roll lifestyle
:-)
FOGHORN LEGHORN
ahemmmm, ☘️☘️☘️