Official - 65K A Week For THAT - SPL Thread

[Cadj]

That's fine, it's a couple of drinks and then I'm back off home. May as well if we're both at the match and semi-know each other, doesn't matter where we go.

Looking forward to Zaliukas playing, I thought it was pretty much guaranteed he was leaving at the end of this season?, but quite looking forward to him nutting someone even if it is just a friendly. And I love me some Laszlo. Also looking forward to seeing Driver if he plays, I have to be honest I don't really know the Hearts team as well as I did before hand, probably had a better understanding before Romanov but I've always made it my job to follow their results so it'll be nice to say I had a chance to watch them, even if it is just a friendly. If I was ever to move to Edinburgh, and trust me that's been a thought of mine for a while now, I'd always hit up the Hearts matches.

Sounds like a plan.

Zaliukas signed a contract extension to...either this January or next January, very glad he's staying, he's a bit mental (as evidenced by him headlocking Carl Finnegan of Falkirk to the ground then punching him 3 times in the Cup and his other red cards) but he's a great defender when his head is screwed on. Driver should play unless he falls injured at the U21s Tournament, he's a tad inconsistent but at times our most key player going forward.

Some key players to watch out for as a wee guide;

Ruben Palazuelos, Lee Wallace (who I believe is the best British LB playing, even if he is a bit of a ned), Eggert Jonsson who can pretty much play everywhere on the park and Ian Black who has joined from Inverness.

Although if Christian Nade is still here then congratulations on your win.

And if you ever decide to do that, get tickets for the area of Section G or N if you want atmosphere, G has a better view and N is full of wee neds who think they are Rangers fans.

Unless anything ever changes, hope not because I sit in G and I only got seats there because of the atmosphere.

[Captain Kirk]

So Celtic appoint a manager with one of the worst defensive records and with less tactics than Smith.

Can see Rangers winning the league and Falkirk going down especially with Pressley being part of the management there!

Anyone see Operation Tango at work on the last day?

[METALMAN]

I did briefly consider it actually. Doubt I'll manage it though but ya never know, Edinburgh's a lovely place it seems and some time there would be quite nice. Might give it some consideration - fancy a pint?

Edinburgh's my favourite city in the world. Sometimes I wish I chose to go to uni there.

Kilmarnock have released David Lilley apparently.

[Captain Kirk]

I did briefly consider it actually. Doubt I'll manage it though but ya never know, Edinburgh's a lovely place it seems and some time there would be quite nice. Might give it some consideration - fancy a pint?

Edinburgh's my favourite city in the world. Sometimes I wish I chose to go to uni there.

Kilmarnock have released David Lilley apparently.

Yeah he's definitely been released you have good cover there I'm sure, so to offer him a new contract when money is tight would be pointless.

[Cadj]

Aye, Lilley signed for QoS yesterday I think it was.

After a few days i've been thinking about the season and what to expect.

I honestly, don't expect anything from Mowbray and can see him being let go at the end of the season, Hibs will fail miserably with Bingo in charge.

Rangers will probably walk the league though, I may hate them but you can't fault Smith can work the SPL with ease, although they have 2 visits at Tynecastle guaranteed so we'll see.

I would like to think we could push the Old Firm like we did in 2005/06 as we have the right man in charge for the start of the season.

I reckon if we can get a good 20 goal a season striker on the books (or use David Templeton more >_>) then we could definitely push Celtic for 2nd, although if Rangers have a bad season...

Probably getting too carried away now.

[Captain Kirk]

Aye, Lilley signed for QoS yesterday I think it was.

After a few days i've been thinking about the season and what to expect.

I honestly, don't expect anything from Mowbray and can see him being let go at the end of the season, Hibs will fail miserably with Bingo in charge.

Rangers will probably walk the league though, I may hate them but you can't fault Smith can work the SPL with ease, although they have 2 visits at Tynecastle guaranteed so we'll see.

I would like to think we could push the Old Firm like we did in 2005/06 as we have the right man in charge for the start of the season.

I reckon if we can get a good 20 goal a season striker on the books (or use David Templeton more >_>) then we could definitely push Celtic for 2nd, although if Rangers have a bad season...

Probably getting too carried away now.

If Walter can bring in the right players then I feel Rangers could walk it, namely some wingers and a big battering ram of a striker. Feel Weir can go another season with the SPL's best CB in Bougherra. Whittaker and Papac are solid a reliable, centre of the park is loaded with players and up front we only really lack a big striker.

[ADG]

Aye, Lilley signed for QoS yesterday I think it was.

After a few days i've been thinking about the season and what to expect.

I honestly, don't expect anything from Mowbray and can see him being let go at the end of the season, Hibs will fail miserably with Bingo in charge.

Rangers will probably walk the league though, I may hate them but you can't fault Smith can work the SPL with ease, although they have 2 visits at Tynecastle guaranteed so we'll see.

I would like to think we could push the Old Firm like we did in 2005/06 as we have the right man in charge for the start of the season.

I reckon if we can get a good 20 goal a season striker on the books (or use David Templeton more >_>) then we could definitely push Celtic for 2nd, although if Rangers have a bad season...

Probably getting too carried away now.

If Walter can bring in the right players then I feel Rangers could walk it, namely some wingers and a big battering ram of a striker. Feel Weir can go another season with the SPL's best CB in Bougherra. Whittaker and Papac are solid a reliable, centre of the park is loaded with players and up front we only really lack a big striker.

Yeah all we're really missing right now is a Hateley or Prso type striker. Just a guy who'll go into any challenge no matter the possibility of getting clattered and bleeding.

[Cadj]

Yeah a winger or two will boost Rangers attacking options, i've never been convinced by Lafferty even if he does score against us all the time .

Striker too as you need someone like Boyd, but who will help Miller out, Velicka would do that but Smith doesn't like him it seems, although if you want to send him back to Hearts for free or on a loan .

Just aslong as one of the wingers proposed isn't Andrew Driver, although the £2m bids that people say Rangers will make are laughable and wont be accepted.

Laryea Kingston is all yours though. (Y)

[Captain Kirk]

Would love to see Driver on the left at Ibrox, can't see it happening. I just wish Rangers scouting went further than the UK and who we play in Europe.

[Cadj]

Hopefully he goes nowhere near Govan .

In other news:

Setanta has lost the SPL which is now up for rights with Sky apparently offering £90m for it, hopefully Sky get it, reliable.

And I'm getting Sky over the next month so it's good timing

[The Kraig]

Sky better fucking get it. Hopefully the good viewing ratings for the Scottish Cup and European games involving the Scottish teams sways them.

One of the reasons the Premier League is so solid is because of the great Sky deal.

[Cadj]

Still no word on the TV front although the rumour has it there's a joint bid from SKY and ESPN to share the rights or something.

Can't believe both channels want the SPL

On a Hearts note.

Friendly tickets are on sale, going uptown in an hour or 2 so I'm gonna pick up tickets for the Bolton/Sunderland games, finally it's almost football time.

We've already signed 3 players, Ian Black, Jesus and some Polish guy I've temporarily forgot the name of and rumour has it 4 more guys are getting medicals this week in Lithuania while the team are away in Germany.

I forgot what optimism feels like

[IAceI]

Sunderland tickets are on sale 13th of July so I should be getting mine then. Just need to look into train times and stuff and then we'll sort something out Cadj.

£9 for Lower Tier. Nice. Cheapens my day quite a bit!

[Cadj]

Sounds good. Iron out the details sometime soon, either by MSN or phone, just say when you have the tickets (Y)

On a Hearts note.

Pre-season has been woeful so far, new players in which is good.

But we're 4-2 down to Aachen and in 4 games, not one of our "strikers" has scored, why are they so pish? :/

Hopefully someone is brought in who can score goals, I am firmly in belief that 3rd is ours as our defence is pretty much solid as we now have a man who looks like he survived Kosovo in Dawid Kucharski and Ismael Bouzid who was booked for almost killing a player against St.Pauli after 6 minutes.

Add to Lee Wallace and his gun charges and Marius Zaliukas in general, I don't think we'll conceed too many goals

[Cadj]

Double posting but it's fairly big news.

"The Scottish Premier League today announced that at today's AGM, member clubs agreed a £65 million deal with Sky and ESPN to screen 60 live Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches each season across the UK and Ireland. "

About time.

[METALMAN]

And Kilmarnock lives on for another year!

[ADG]

Right Walter, you know how much money you have to work with, now get some bloody players in.

[Captain Kirk]

Right Walter, you know how much money you have to work with, now get some bloody players in.

We have nothing I'm afraid.

[NotoriousGTT]

We cant aford anybody. This year is just about shipping off the dead wood and reducing the wage bill.

I'd be fairly happy to go with what we have. Thompson coming back is like a new signing since he was absent for a big part of last year, Edu looked a real player when filling in for Ferguson at the tail end of last year and with the promise of more Aaron Niguez and John Fleck we look like a decent team next year.

Celtics team looks weaker as well, loosing Naka on a free is a huge loss, JVoH is off as well and despite last season not being that great he is still a decent player.

Their signings dont look much either, a manager that finished bottom of the Premiership last year, a striker that has a goalscoring record to rival Sebo and a DM who is going to bugger off to the African Cup of Nations midway through the season.

[Cadj]

I don't think there's any Celtic fans and everyone loves when Romanov goes on a tangent about the Old Firm.

"HEARTS owner Vladimir Romanov reckons Celtic's only chance of beating Dinamo Moscow in the Champions League is if the match officials give them a helping hand.

The outspoken Russian-born businessman even suggested Tony Mowbray's men could suffer a repeat of the embarrassment in Bratislava in Gordon Strachan's first game in charge.

Romanov insisted: "I expect Dinamo to win the tie. Celtic is a shallow club which is steadily degrading.

"If Dinamo plays their best football, it could be a repetition of the 5-0 loss in the clash with Artmedia several years ago."

He added: "At the moment, the Russian premiership is much stronger than the SPL. Their game is much more fair and open - without only two clubs dominating it.

"Celtic's only hope is for the referees to help them."