craig

Aye, give up. I win, as per usual

It is irrelevant because the discussion was about the importance of one player vs another being injured - so questioning who is at fault for the strength of a squad is absolutely irrelevant to that question. I didnt at any point say that Walcott was the be all and end all - I think you just dont understand the point I was making. If Liverpool and Arsenal both had 4 forwards and Arsenal already had three injured and then lost Walcott too whilst Liverpool lost just one of theirs (even their best one) then it can be argued that the loss of Walcott is bigger because his team now have NO recognised strikers whilst Liverpool still have 3 available). Just try to see this without players names and you may see what I mean. Failing that..... I give up trying !

Now you are responding in an irrelevant manner. You said previously your responses were relevant to the thread - this response isnt :fish: Nope. Originally you suggested that Walcott's loss isnt as important - my statement is that you have to look at MORE than just player vs player in terms of quality. You confirmed that. Debate over - I win :devil:

I havent turned it into a Jon hates Arsenal thread. You are confirming above exactly what I am trying to say. You say that the loss of Walcott isnt as important as the loss of Gerrard or Lampard - but if Walcott is lost from a weaker squad then his loss IS, at least, as important.

Now I have more time let me explain better - in a manner that perhaps, JUST perhaps, an eejit like you could understand IF Man U have 4 world class strikers (regardless of WHO they are, they are 4 world class forwards) - or Liverpool, or Chelsea etc etc - but Arsenal have just 2 world class forwards...... if Arsenal lost one of those to injury then their loss is bigger than that of the other teams because they now only have one quality choice and need to replace the injured player with someone of inferior quality. What I am saying is it is not just a Walcott vs Gerrard (or Ferdinand or Lampard or whoever) - it is as much about the effect on the club team and squad of losing that said player at that time. So whilst we all know that Gerrard is a better player, Lampard too - if an injury to them means they have another quality replacement then the loss isnt as severe as it would be if they had to delve into lesser players (which is what Arsenal might have to do given their injury situation). You, Jon, are looking at it from a simple "who is a better player" scenario and suggesting that the loss of Walcott cannot be as big as losing a Gerrard. I, though, am saying it doesnt just depend on the qualities of the player himself but what the loss of him does to the squad. I am sure you STILL wont get what I am saying though

I see what you are saying Jon but you ALSO have to consider more than just the individual himself. Arsenal have a plethora (what a great word !) of injuries just now so Walcott becomes more important to them. Let me put it another way. You have Rooney and Berbatov and Tevez and Ronaldo (just assume they are all strikers) and Arsenal have Henry (just assume now....), v. Persie and Walcott. Now, Rooney is a better player than Walcott but if BOTH were injured at the same time you surely could argue that the loss of Walcott is more important because a) Arsenal dont have the same quality b) they don't have the same strength in depth. I am not explaining myself well - hopefully you see what I am saying though

From the Junior ranks... if Pollok don't have the facilities then very few of the rest would ! One team that should be capable of getting into the seniors is Glenafton - the only reason I say this is that Sir Tom Hunter is a Glens fan as far as I am aware and is from New Cumnock - so if he felt like a wee pet project...... although I would HATE to see them make it - I despise the Glens almost as much as Cumnock. I agree tbh - there are a number of Junior teams who would represent fairly well in the senior ranks - actually, when Talbot were winning all their SC's in the late 80's they had a few players who were either former seniors or who went on to play at the senior level (3 I remember with differing success were Alan Pirie and Hugh Lyden (both went to Partick, Pirie more of a success) and Geordie Gemmell who went to St Mirren, cracking full-back !)

Funny.... 3 of us contributing to this thread supporting Boness, Pollok and Talbot - in 1984 Boness won the Junior Cup, 1985 Pollok did and 1986-88 Talbot did. You are right Cammy, in the 80's and early 90's Junior clubs had a HUGE following. BD, was always impressed with Newlandsfield and also with the way Pollok ran their club. I actually think that Talbot could have broken into the ranks of the seniors (or at the least dominated the junior scene for a very long time) but for the thieving, corrupt nature of the committee !

Instead of hijacking this thread to reminisce about junior football I created a new thread http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?p=124030#post124030

Instead of hijacking Cammy's thread on "forgotten songs" (http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=124013) I thought I would start a new thread for some of our junior football recollections I agree Cammy, two of Junior football's finest going head-to-head. Was it not just a couple of seasons ago they were due to meet (and expected to be a very close encounter) when Boness got thrown out for fielding an ineligible player and Talbot went on to win the Cup (I might add....... to INCREASE their RECORD number of SCOTTISH CUP WINS You are stereotyping us all as farmers BD ?!?! Shocking.... to be fair there are a lot of farmers in the area. How long ago was that game (giving your age away....) ? My first recollection of a Talbot vs Pollok game was in 1986 (I was 13) and it was the last Junior final to be held at Hampden IIRC. Pollok were HUGE favourites (I think Talbot were something like 8/1 to win the final), Talbot turned up with an enormous amount of fans for a Junior team and the wheels fell of rather suddenly...... Pollok up 1-0 inside two minutes, up 2-0 inside 15 minutes..... but then the mechanic appeared and Talbot were up 3-2 after about 35 minutes. That was the end of the scoring. What an amazing final it was (am sure I have it on VHS somewhere too). The scenes were incredible on the way back to Ayrshire. Was also the start of what is probably the biggest domination of the Scottish Junior game we have seen as Talbot went on to win 5 out of 7 of Scottish Cups (the only other to rival it is Cambuslang who won 4 out of 6 SC's in the 60's). Ahhhh the days......

Did you not mean "the mighty Auchinleck face a trip to Boness Utd" ??? Wee slip there Cammy, no bother, I will correct you :fish: Such a shame Boness will go out of the Junior Cup so early

Used to sing that towards Cumnock fans when attending Auchinleck Talbot games. Quality song.

Hey don't knock the team I own.... or at least part-own !

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/scottishpremier/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/08/11/17/SOCCER_Rangers.html&TEAMHD=scotspremiership Rangers striker Kenny Miller is doubtful for the visit of Aberdeen on Saturday after pulling out of the Scotland squad with a calf injury. Miller took a kick during Saturday's 2-1 win over St Mirren and the swelling on Sunday night forced him to withdraw from Wednesday's friendly against Argentina. The 28-year-old has been undergoing treatment at Murray Park this morning as the Rangers medical team bid to get him fit for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash. Rangers manager Walter Smith is hopeful of having Madjid Bougherra back for the Dons game after he missed the St Mirren victory with a calf injury. The Algeria defender has joined up with his international team-mates for their African Nations Cup qualifier against Mali but Rangers do not expect him to play. I know some dont like the lad but I actually think he will be a loss - he has done a lot of good work for us this season.

The only ones that would be surprises would be Broadfoot at LB and Commons, and possibly McGregor too (or is Gordon injured/out of favour ?). So I can see him being right.

And just think..... When you have been in the job for 2 or 3 years and Rangers come calling you can get your face in the paper again when you move to Rangers for "the best job in the world" !

Got the job or just applied ?

Buffel tried to get back in the team but he simply couldnt be trusted. He was given ample opportunity previously and just didnt cut it. Hemdani CAN play CB but he had an awful season last year so, again, I can understand WS not playing him. I cant believe you talk about playing Hemdani and immediately thereafter state a player with pace would have a field day against Weir & McCulloch. Hemdani is one of the slowest players we have. I watched all but 15 minutes on Saturday and thought McCulloch did well even though the opponents werent that great. I dont see Hemdani being any better than LM at CB (would prefer NEITHER) but one thing LM has that Hemdani doesnt is aerial presence so he looks like he may actually be the better option ! I agree about finding a long term partner for Bougherra and Broadfoot may be that player - but he is playing so well at RB that it may make more sense to get a CB in there (and I cant believe I am saying that we leave a CB at RB and bring in ANOTHER CB). The way I see it is we should look for both a CB AND RB and then see which one we can get of a good standard and at what price - effectively which one (CB or RB) gives us better value for money and get him in.

Message posted by Super_Ally : Fucking Bayern cost me big time. Bout �£60 down instead of about �£400 odd up. 2-0 up and coasting. Draw 2-2 2 in as many mins with about 10 to go.

Arsenal's league campaign is definitely over after that result. Cue Jon and his usual gloating pish ! Regardless, Liverpool won't win it either and no-one remembers second !

In which case I detract my statement Too lazy to read said article !! Those managers make sense but it still would make more sense for all 12 to be consulted !

Didn't read the article. Is that true ? If so it is abominable !! Sooooooo - they have not invited : Smith Calderwood Paatelainen Csaba Brewster McPherson That is stupidity of ther highest order. NOT because Smith is Rangers manager but he has FAR MORE experience in terms of managing than any of those other managers - he has coached grass roots, all the way through the youth ranks, club sides, national side. Yet he isn't invited ???? And.... you can add Calderwood to that too - Calderwood has more experience than Levein and McGhee put together. Seriously, just how inept can the SPL possibly get ?

Why just 6 and not them all ?

I think that was last Jan Gribz, before we got Alexander

Have to say I completely agree with BD and S_A. It is not that we think we are "owed" anything by the officials - other than being owed appropriate decision-making. I fail to see how anyone can consider this as thinking we believe we are "owed" decisions. It is quite simple - the officials are there to make the CORRECT DECISIONS. Regardless of whether we "should have won without it" the point is that if the officials got the decisions correct we WOULD HAVE WON. It isnt a case of being owed anything.