Rousseau

Great! Ach... it's just a wee bit of fun!

Agreed! But that takes courage and a bit of forethought -- not sure anyone in our game has those qualities.

Wee bump! 4 days until the start of Euro 2016! Please put your name down if you are interested in playing in a wee informal Euro 2016 prediction league.

No, you're correct. I think they were on BBC One and BBC Two.

It's strange being linked with these inconceivable transfers, and then they turn out to be accurate. Like Barton, I thought Taylor way above our ability. 5 years ago I thought he was one of the best CB's in England; to be linked with a player of his calibre is unbelievable. I'm still not sure he fits our ball-playing mould, but he is the physical player that we've been crying out for. His injury record is very worrying, but that's probably why we are in with a chance of completing the transfer. In Warbs we trust.

I don't think it was cynical and lazy per se, I think it was more about letting the players do what they want, or relying on an individual to produce something, rather than working on the team as a whole like Warburton; it just so happens that the players Ally had were shite. It probably works with better players, especially in Scotland, but should not be relied upon in the modern game. I think Walter did the same, but had good organisation and defensive structure to go alongside.

I don't think he's suited to Arsenal's game: they have to break down 10-behind-the-ball with little space, whereas Vardy needs space to run into which is perfectly suited to Leicester's counter-attacking game. Silly move IMO.

I've got 6 names down so far. Please let me know if you are interested. It's just a wee bit of fun to get us into the spirit of the Euros!

Do you know who organised that? I had no idea -- I wasn't around then! I'll keep it in-house for simplicity -- I've got the time anyway -- but it's good to know about these third party offerings.

While I'm delighted to see some defenders being sounded out, I don't think Taylor is the answer. Firstly, his wages will be too high, and secondly, he doesn't fit the mould. Rafa Benitez is a good defensively-sound coach, so if he's not going to give him a contract, it doesn't bode well.

Eitan Tibi looks quite good: ball-playing centre-back, who can win a header and tracks and covers well -- pretty good slide-tackler too! I don't know if it's the picture quality or maybe the league, but he looked a bit slow?

For simplicity, I've decided to use the GPL rules as decided by Zappa, but with the FGS removed. The rules are: 1 point for Correct Result (Win or Draw), and 3 points for Correct Score (2-0). Only 5 have put their names forward thus far. Put your name forward if you are interested -- there is a Limited Edition Gersnet Polo shirt on offer!

OK, I've revised the rules of the OP to (something like) onevision's suggestion. It's 2 points for a Correct Result and an extra point for a Correct Score. Put your name down if you are interested!

Sounds interesting, but a bit complicated -- for me! Might be more interesting for players though. It makes it easier for me if players just pick who they think will win. So, France-Romania is the first game, if someone picks France to win, they'll get 3 points if they do, or 1 point if it ends as a draw. There is going to be quite a few games, so I was trying to stay away from predicting correct scores. I'll see what everyone else thinks, though. So, just predict the Result (France) or predict the Correct Score and Result (France 2-0)? Let me know, people!

Oh! If anyone sees a flaw in this plan, let me know!

Bonjour! In honour of the upcoming tournament, I'm wondering if there is any interest in a Euro 2016 prediction league, similar to our usual domestic version? It would be tricky to copy the domestic version of the prediction league exactly, so there will be a few differences. Here's what I'm proposing: Each day I'll post the day's Euro 2016 fixtures (I'll post them the day before, so we all have a full day to make our predictions), and all you have to do is predict the Correct Score and Correct Result from the various games. For simplicity, I've decided to use the GPL rules as outlined by Zappa, but with the FGS removed. The rules are: 1 point for Correct Result (e.g. Win or Draw), and 3 points for Correct Score (e.g. 2-0). I'll keep a wee tally, and a winner will be announced at the end of the tournament. Frankie is kindly offering a limited edition Gersnet polo shirt as a prize! I thought it would be a little fun; and since Scotland isn't involved hopefully it will get us into the spirit of the competition! Initially, it could get a little intensive because there are 3 games per day for the group stages of the tournament. Please let me know if you are interested, and I'll set it up!

When I saw the formation (4-4-2), I thought Strachan won't trust a player of McKay's quality in the side. The inherent strategy is defensive, so every player needs to work hard and defend; rather boring and dated to be honest. McKay can work hard and defend, but the formation -- where he plays on the left of a 4-man midfield -- is not going to get the best out of him. We'll need a better manager and a better way of playing for Barrie to get into the side. It's quite depressing: arguably one of the most talented players Scotland has and he can't get in the team? Where have I heard that before?

I must admit that I too, despite playing well in games -- especially in the DM role -- am not particularly enthused about Ball returning. Yes, he did well, but not spectacularly well. He may be a good squad player, with plenty of promise, but I'd prefer a more experienced CB/DM -- he's probably well down the pecking order in the latter role now anyway. I'm starting to get frustrated at the lack of defensive targets, but I'm pleased we're still looking at a few midfield players; they're starting to include more defensive midfield targets, which is better than going for No.10 all the time. The Ugandan DM would be a good buy; we don't have any proper destroyer-types -- Barton can do that, but I suspect he'll be a more creative, deep-lying playmaker. The variety of midfielders looks promising: it's not just No.10s. And, like dB says, it's still early in the window. We have to trust the manager knows what we need.

I like Mourinho, but I doubt he's the right man for Man Utd. He may get them competitive in the title-race again, but he has failed to show he can sustain it at a club over a longer period of time. He's also not renowned for playing attractive, attacking football -- although I do like is pragmatism and tactical nous. Another gripe is youth-development; he's not shown he can incorporate younger players into his teams. I'm pleased to see him back in the game, but I doubt he's the right man for Utd. I hope he proves me wrong.

Could be quite tidy if he's in the Wanyama mold. However... DEFENDERS!!

Swansea? Cardiff? There is precedent.

It''s easy to forget how intelligent he actually is, with all the "off-field stuff". I believe he was doing a philosophy course last year, and he come across very well on Question Time a while back. He's always been an articulate man, quoting Nietzche etc., but it's easy to be deceived by the 'tough guy' persona/perception. I can see a double pivot of Barton and Rositter next season; a deep-lying playmaker role for Barton with a bit of aggression and steel. It sounds quite exciting!

I thank them for their services, and wish them well. They tried (Clark in particular) but were found wanting, unfortunately. I wouldn't mind keeping Shiels around: he seems to be content being a squad player (34+ games off the bench this season apparently), which is quite rare, I think; I still think he can do a job here and there.

Can I get "You're a joke, Tom" on a T-shirt? Fantastic work Frankie! It must be soul-destroying to be consistently burned by logic.

He likes a lean squad, but I don't think that covers struggling to name 5 players on the bench -- presumably he'd like more than that! Too light a squad, that meant we couldn't hope to sustain early season form. He may have to deviate from that desire, considering the amount of games we expect to play in a season. It's a learning curve for him, and I hope he'll take the lessons on board. He doesn't appear to be too stubborn; he's demonstrated he can change some things, even if the philosophy must remain.