TopCat

Oh come on. Not given a chance? He started our first 7 games, in various roles. We lost 6 of them and drew 1. When he was dropped, performances and results improved immensely. He was given far too much of a chance. He should have been dropped after 3 games.

Poor how? He got into double figures. He was the top scorer for a team who finished 3rd in the Conference Premier.

Agree with your first point, that's probably the main reason Danny never got a new contract. He gave too many big contracts to players who never cut the mustard and had to be terminated. Harkins is the latest, guys like Imrie and Grainger preceded him. I don't think we were any position to get a fee for him really. Ideally someone would have taken over his contract and we wouldn't have had to pay him off. He's been available on a free for months and nobody's wanted him, I assume because of the wages he's on. Therefore we've been forced to 'mutually consent him'. Gary walks away with - I'm guessing - at least 3 months wages and he will get a new deal somewhere, less than he was on at us, but not 3 months wages less. He's happy and we free up some cash.

Called this the day he signed. Inevitable really, has never been good enough for this level. Delighted he's gone.

Well he was a winger. How many goals has Gary Teale scored for us in his 4 seasons here? Should he be judged on that?

If Kenny does sign for 2 years it means he can leave in 2 years time without us being owed compensation. That should mean he would have his pick of several English clubs. If anyone wants him before then, show us the money. Therefore he should sign a 2 year deal post haste, you know it makes sense Kenny boy!

Good post, but who's Mark?

Would be one of the signings of the summer if we signed him up

Happy with this signing. Conference Premier is a good level, at least on a par with our Championship IMO. If he's got 15 goals there he's a decent player. Much rather him than Fallon or Novo... Welcome aboard Jamesy!

Pre season starts in 7 days. I hope and expect we will have at least 2 new faces in by then.

Only 2 managers been in their post longer than 2 seasons? Remarkable..

I'm in Arbroath now, lovely wee place, great seaside views with your McDonalds.

Murray wins in the second round: 6-1, 6-1, 6-0. Easy!

I say we sign up this guy:

Cook should resign post haste, he won't though. He was one of the best batsman in the world, then he became captain. Now he can't bat and he can't captain either. His brain is fried and he can't focus on either problem, so each one is getting worse. The tactics against Herath and Matthews the other day was some of the most baffling I've ever seen in test cricket, the Sri Lankans couldn't believe their luck. Now he's been whitewashed in Australia and he's the first English captain ever to lose a home series to Sri Lanka. India must be licking their lips at their upcoming 5 test match series against this side, I genuinely wouldn't rule out them whitewashing England in their own back yard. Broad or Bell aren't exactly inspiring potential replacements, but they couldn't do much worse. I'd get KP back and put him straight in as captain, that would shake them up!

What a conclusion that was. Don't think anyone saw that comingZ

Another European team bites the dust! 5/6 South American teams through now, only Ecuador to go and they're currently 2nd in their group.

England are an example. Replace them with Greece, Bosnia, Croatia, Portugal.... Whoever. Point is the same.

Point is that if CONCACAF had an extra slot Panama could be here instead of someone like Bosnia or England. Would they have done any worse?

Well the teams you list as going out aren't going out due to strong European teams ... Duh. Yes FIFA run the World Cup, UEFA is one of the continental associations that send teams to it, like CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. It's the UEFA teams that are getting a showing up.

Well how can you say that the runners up in the African Nations Championship would be 3 easy games then? Surely you can see what an ignorant comment that is? 3 of the 5 African teams (Algeria, Nigeria and Cote D'Ivoire) look set to qualify, Ghana could sneak in. That's a far higher percentage making it through than the European teams will have. The African qualification is ludicrously difficult. 10 group winners play off in 5 two legged sudden death playoffs for 5 spots. Meanwhile a no hoper like England only has to finish top of a group containing such heavyweights as Montengro, Poland, San Marino, Moldova and Ukraine to go straight in. This clear disparity isn't good for the tournament and it isn't good for the development of world football.

Cameroon are an outlier. They had internal issues and underperformed, kind of like France last time. Australia have been brilliant for the tournament. Despite getting a very difficult group they were very competitive in their opening 2 games. They've probably scored the goal of the tournament and beaten finalists Holland had to come from behind to narrowly beat them. Honduras had 10 men against France, and then lost to a South American team. South Korea drew with Russia and then lost to an African team... Yet more case for less Europeans! You're not doing a great job of defending UEFA here!

Your first point isn't a bad idea, though the hosts have to qualify. You could perhaps reduce the host continents spot by 1. Your point about Burkina Faso is extremely ignorant and disrespectful. They reached the final of the African Cup of Nations in 2013 and beat Ghana in the semi final. Did Germany - an elite European team - have an easy win against Ghana last week? Panama would have been in the playoff against New Zealand instead of Mexico had it not been been for a last minute goal. Did Croatia have an easy win against Mexico last night? No, they got a pasting. I can tell you don't watch much non European football. Thankfully, FIFA do, and there's an appetite among these nations too open up the World Cup to other nations.

Serious diddy teams like Bosnia and Greece? It's time FIFA opened up the World Cup to the world. It's ridiculously difficult to qualify from Africa and Asia and it shouldn't be.

4 years ago England were lucky to draw with USA and Algeria. They only got through because they beat another European no hoper - Slovenia.They then got a predictable pasting in the next phase from an elite team. They are no hopers.