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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/10/2016 in all areas

  1. As the Title says. Where now? Last year was undoubtedly the most successful in our history , to win the Scottish cup, finish 3rd in the league and play in Europe against Astra Giurgiu who are currently winning the Romanian league above Steau and Dinamo Bucharest is what dreams are made of. I think we will be safe this year but who knows what lies ahead. I personally am not bothered about County finishing above us as it's such a rare thing. For many years they weren't even in the same league as us and any Derby was pre season or a cup game Mid table for a club like ours is an achievement to be proud of and anything better is fantastc i enjoy trips to Dundee Perth Edinburgh etc and look at as a great day out with drinks football etc and hope they continue for a few years yet but if they don't there are trips to other towns which are just as enjoyable Hopefully we can maintain the top league for a while yet but I can't help but think next year is going to be pivotal in the story of ICT I'm always pretty optimistic and hopeful that things will work out ok. Ironically one of my favourite seasons was in the 1st when we came back up again and though we heard stories of losing £1million I really enjoyed it . Even losing the cup against Dundee after being 2 up As fans do we think the next few years can be as good. Have we reached a pinnacle. Are we going to be Like hibs/st mirren etc and flirt with the championship I can't help but think the story of ICT has got lots of twists and turns and exciting tales to come yet.
    7 points
  2. I was going to say that it was a good win yesterday, but given just how bad Utd were, anything other than a win would have been a disaster. Having said that, you still have to go and win the game, and we did. That is the most comfortable I have seen us all season, and when Utd did get a few chances, Fon Williams was more than up to the task. Both goals were well taken - I have to admit that until Vigurs scored I was worried that those two misses by Storey would be costly. I thought the defence looked more solid. There was just the one real snafu when Fon Williams headed the ball to Warren, who gave him it back and we found ourselves under pressure. It looks like the centre halves have been told to get the ball up the park, rather than allow themselves to be closed down while tippy-tapping, and they coped well with everything Utd threw at them. Tremarco continues to impress, although he still manages to get at least one wild tackle in that leads to a booking. Meekings seems to be getting more comfortable at full back, and while I would prefer him at centre back, I think yesterday's defence is the best use of the resources we have fit. In midfield Tansey had one of his poorer games - his distribution was shocking. Draper was a bit inconsistent, Polworth did some nice things and Vigurs had some nice touches but seems to need a bit too long on the ball. He took his goal well, though. Storey and Mutombo worked hard up front, but as usual most of their work was done out wide. Pit was nice to see Vincent back, although apparently not everyone agreed. Can we give the booing our own players a rest? Talking of booing, the Utd fans. Wow. Just Wow. How can you unveil that crappy "the fight's not over" banner and then spend 90% of the game in silence and half of the other 10% booing your own team? And walking out at 2-0 down with 40 minutes left? And finally, Craig Thomson (or was it Stephen Thomson, that would explain a lot). What a complete joke of a performance. Mutombos booking was completely orchestrated by the Utd player, Fon Williams was orchestrated by the Utd fans (how was what he was doing different from Ripley last week?). And the Gunning thing was a total farce. Pick up the ball while still in play. Walk off the pitch, then walk back on and sit down for treatment. How is there not at least a booking in there? And the Utd fans had the temerity to complain that we got a free-kick?
    7 points
  3. It's disappointing not to make top six, especially after coming so close, but it's not the first time - I'm sure we've missed out on top six on goal difference before now. Personally I think that provided we can finish these last few games strongly then the team have done No Bad considering all the injuries this season. Some people say you can't use that as an excuse, but I don't see why not as it has affected team selection all season. I wonder if the board could do with being a little more transparent with the clubs finances. It's great to support a club who are not in debt and not to be worrying about the threat of administration all the time, but it's also galling to watch other clubs come in and pick off our players. They don't all have big turn outs at games so why can they afford what we can't. Maybe if we could understand a bit more about what comes in and what goes out, we would understand the decision making better. At Christmas time I was diagnosed with a potentially life threatening illness and have been receiving various forms of treatment since then. I'm doing well and hope that things will turn out alright in the end but I have found that the only time that I forget completely about my ill health is on a Saturday afternoon (or Sunday lunchtime or Tuesday evening depending on TV schedules) when I'm watching Caley Thistle play. It doesn't seem to matter if the game is good, bad or just plain ugly, it has the ability to take my mind off every thing else for a couple of hours and I have been grateful for that. At the end of the day, it is just a game and I would hate for the pressure on our players to affect their lives with their families away from the football pitch. I like to think they enjoy being in Inverness for all the things that life has to offer them away from football up here as well as at the club. Life is too short and none of us know what's waiting around the corner. In the worst case scenario, where the team would end up relegated, upsetting as it would be, it wouldn't be the end of the world. They'd still be our team and we'd still support them and to tell the truth I quite enjoyed the season we spent after we were relegated - no ugly sisters, refs seemed fairer and less likely to cave under pressure from fans and the league was tight and competitive, where each week seemed to involve lots of reshuffling of the table - football was fun again (although I'd still rather avoid it if possible this season). Onward and upward Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club on your amazing journey. I can't ever imagine supporting anyone else.
    6 points
  4. Vigurs must have one of the best goal / assist ratios per game of any midfielder in the SPL. This from a guy who joined us out of the blue with no pre-season under his belt. Get him signed up.
    4 points
  5. Firstly, paragraphs are underrated. Secondly, the SPL no longer exists. Thirdly, we had a very attacking side under Butcher, scoring more goals in 2012-13 than any other top flight season in our history. Our average of two league goals per game when he got us promoted was pretty impressive too. Fourthly, "local players" - only Ross, Munro and Shinnie from that list weren't signed from other clubs. The others simply stayed here for a long time, which makes them no different from Draper, Warren and others currently at the club. We've never had a squad mainly built of local players - in fact we've barely had any local players. It's never harmed us before. I'd rather have a guy from down south who can play a bit than a local boy who can't. Fifthly. "442" - the only thing that bothers me more than Mike Bassett "Four-four-f******-two" types are those who insists we need a big man up front. Anyone who watches football with even half a brain knows that formations and systems are largely overrated these days - one team's 4-2-3-1 involves four forwards and is very attacking, and another team's 4-2-3-1 involves five midfielders and is very defensive. If the poster can name one elite team who play an orthodox 4-4-2, I'd be surprised. As for our "tried and tested 4-4-2", I'm not sure we've played such a system regularly since Wyness and Dargo were up front. Even then, Wyness used to drop deeper so it was more of a 4-4-1-1. I suppose we went with Rooney and Foran up top in the last few weeks of the promotion campaign. Sixthly (is that a word?), why people think Foran would be a good coach is not clear - there is more to coaching than loyalty to a club and a willingness to shout a lot.
    4 points
  6. I am not a big poster on forums but as a life long fan I feel the time has come to express my concerns. As a club what we have achieved over the years has been fantastic with many happy and good memories especially winning the Scottish cup last season. I am now going to reverse back to Terry Butchers reign a the club and this was when my concern started. Going back to 2010 approx that is where I see the change starting to happen. Esson Proctor Tokely Golabek Duncan Foran Munro McBain Ross Sutherland Shinnie and that is just to name a few of players you could say had Caley Thistle blood in them. I put Esson and Foran in as i feel now the same applies to them. From then to now the club has lost all its local players or players who would be committed to Inverness. The club has completely lost its identity over the years. Looking at the current squad we have hardly a local player left in it. What this does is make it harder to keep players at the club as most players now at the club have no association or ties to Inverness. We are basically a club paying their wages to play football and in my opinion the players will give their all but ultimately will be looking to move on to other clubs. What has happened now is just about each season we are loosing players left right and centre and have to rebuild every season. John Hughes Inherited quite a good team and I thought had had taken the club even further forwards but this season I feel we are in free fall. Again going back to players we have lost a lot of good players over the last season or 2 but the players brought in have been poor well not just poor very poor. I will give exception to Miles Storey as i think he has done well but again it looks like he will not be around next season well not at this club anyway. It does really worry me for the season ahead. Firstly I do believe we will be an Spl team next season and we should make enough points to avoid the play off position. With players leaving in a few weeks I am terrified at the quality of players we might see at this club next season. We for some reason have a very unbalanced squad in regards to positions both in Butchers and Hughes reign. We always seem to have to rely on 1 striker. A team should have approx 2 gks, 8 Defenders, 8 midfielders, 4 strikers. Take away some defenders and strikers and add midfielders and you have Caley Thistle WHY ???. We used to play wonderful attacking football that was a join to watch but again since Butchers days and now Hughes we seem to be set up so defensive. Our tried and trusted 442 was replaced with 4231 and since then i have found it hard to watch at times. Our strikers sorry our striker is running around like a headless chicken getting zero support from anyone. You could put Messi, Lewandowski, Vardy any top striker in this team and they would not get many goals. There is just no support. More often than not when we do manage to go forward the ball seems to end back at our own gk. To sum up my whole rant ditch the 4231 formation once and for all and go back to 442. 4231 might be a good formation for some away games but at home 442 should return. The big question is can Hughes bring in the quality that this club is starting to desperately need and sort the way the team is playing and get players up the park. Or do we start a fresh page some people are saying Foran but i dont think he is the answer but 100% he should be in the management set up ie assistant or coach if we did replace Hughes. One thing for sure is we need to find some local players or bring on our own youths so we have some Caley Thistle blood back on the park. I fear we may never hear hes one of our own sung at the stadium much longer if not.
    3 points
  7. No. There is only 1 Andy Barrowman!
    2 points
  8. Good post HtG. Agree with pretty much all of that. Best bit of the game though was easily when Gunning picked the ball up as it came to him during the game, walked over to the side of the pitch with the players and referee all looking bemused, went off the pitch, threw the ball away, then walked back onto the pitch before sitting down and asking for treatment The most bizarre thing I've seen in a long time at a game. He then walked off applauding the United fans who were falling over each other to give him abuse for another abysmal performance and just generally being a bell end.
    2 points
  9. You haven't quite got the hang of Scottish Football. 14:55 on the 23rd of April... ...and they will still contain a mistake!
    2 points
  10. 1. Abandon possession football - we don't have the players to carry it off, it's boring for the fans and is risky at the back. Be quicker in transition and deploy pace and width. Only Barcelona have the players to go as narrow as we are. 2. As indicated in previous post: Be more pro-active with regard to contracts. By January it is too late to start offering contracts to players you want to keep - their minds will have started to wander. Make the necessary offers early and start looking to replace those not wanting to stay immediately. Return to offering longer contracts to give valuable players security and ensure a fee if they move. 3. Have 3 or 4 genuine strikers on the books. Stop recruiting midfielders and then trying to squeeze them into defensive or striking roles. 4. Assuming he doesn't have a terminal injury, sign David Raven and get Meekings back into central defence. 5. Stop sucking up to Celtic and Hibs in the media - it's unsavoury. Stop giving these mediocre teams too much respect: They're remarkably poor this season. I think that just about covers it.
    2 points
  11. Good posts above, we just start of with a win on Tuesday night that will take us up to 7th place and on from there!
    1 point
  12. He went onto play for Hamilton Accies after us along with a couple of other Scottish clubs. I'm sure he was an Invernesian American though, as he was from here but grew up in Iowa or somewhere.
    1 point
  13. Let's be positive. Within the UK we have a modest budget, a hard core of supporters, and despite all the set backs this year, we have nearly survived in the top league in Scotland once again. We reached the Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup. We actually have some very talented players at our disposal and this year have at times played some great football. After the highs of last season that is not a bad season providing we avoid the play offs and do not fall into the Butcher trap - exercised here and in Hibernian - we are nearly there. Realistically we do not know why we do not have more players signed up for next year. Balancing the budgets must be an issue especially after paying out for a range of operations, treatments and rehabilitation for players this year. That was a cost we would not have budgetted for at the start of the season. Going forward, next year will be an almighty challenge. We have done very well against top six sides this year and may not be so lucky next year if Rangers and Hibernian both come up. Dundee United has been a source of points in the last two seasons - 10 last year - with Killie and Hamilton difficult opponents and sometimes underestimated. These are the challenges our Board and management have certainly had to contend with amongst other key issues.
    1 point
  14. I thought Vigurs had a cracking game and was easily best player on the park.
    1 point
  15. OP makes a good point. If we put 22 players on the park chances are we'd win more than we lose.
    1 point
  16. 4-4-2 is dead. The only team that I can think of regularly playing a 4-4-2 towards the top of a 'top league' in the world is Leicester City, and they are a bit of an anomaly . Look at every big team in the world they all play a variation of 4-5-1/4-3-3. I don't necessarily like it but its the way it is, teams are looking to have an extra player in midfield because they are scared of being overrun. As for the suggestion that local players being more likely to stick around just because they are from the area is a load of twaddle. I present Nick Ross and Ryan Christie as two recent examples, football is a short career and players are going to try and earn as much as they can during their 10-15 years in the game. It doesn't matter what team you have affinity for if a club is going to give you a tenfold increase on your salary (Ryan Christie), or guarantee you first team football on a longer term contract (Nick Ross) you're going to take it. Also while I'm sure there are gems to be found in any league using Andy Robertson as an example of whats available in the lower leagues of Scotland is like using Jamie Vardy for whats available in the lower leagues in England. For every Jamie Vardy or Andy Robertson theres about 45647656875343245376453 Dean McDonalds or Andrew Barrowmans.
    1 point
  17. Aye football is a funny old game. Wonder what we would have said in answers to the same question in 1995 ?
    1 point
  18. Yes you're right there. Setting aside the first 20 minutes of Friday's game the Jambos seemed to show no ill effects versus the Sheep. Also hope we can turn them over on Tuesday to put us 10 points clear of Killie.
    1 point
  19. i fancied that after you went for the draw
    1 point
  20. This has been a con job from the start. Hopefully it will give our players the impetus to go and stuff them on Tuesday
    1 point
  21. It is him, indeed! You don't miss a trick! Also, perhaps for this section - congrats to Zander Sutherland and the rest at Brora Rangers. They won the Highland League Cup (knockout-tourney) this afternoon, for the first time in their history! At the 70th time of asking! A 0-0 draw after-extra-time against Nairn County, resulted in penalties...and Brora won 5-4. Zander netted the decisive kick.
    1 point
  22. 17 would be excluding youth players.
    1 point
  23. A lot of if and's and but's this season unfortunately. If a game lasted 85 minutes instead of 90 we wouldn't be in the bottom 6, but it doesn't, and we are. In some ways we've been a victim of our own success last season. I thought at the start of the season that top 6 would be a great achievement considering the number of players we lost in the summer. Taking into account that all our best players moved on in the summer and we lost a significant number of players to injuries this season, we're not actually doing OK. Overall, John Hughes is still doing a very good job in my books, but next season will tell us a lot more in terms of his ability to recruit and keep instilling his style of play.
    1 point
  24. Solid result, Dundee United have been on the ascendency recently so an away win is a good achievement. Could have been more judging by the commentary. Gutted we won't be in the top 6, but let's focus on winning our own mini league and staying clear of the play-off place.
    1 point
  25. Top six offski, never mind, with the shyte season we've had staying clear of relegation and hopefully playoff place will do me! Great result today!
    1 point
  26. I'd certainly be making sure players who are out of contract in the summer were signing contracts before January. It will be a travesty if we lose Polworth - a local young player who has came through the academy and is yet to fufill his potential at the club - on a free. Same goes for Raven, we are unlikely to replace him with a better right back so what's the rationale in not signing him up for longer. All in all, are contract policy needs to change. Second, I'd play Miles Storey up front, not on the wing. I don't think he's too keen to remain at the club and I believe that part of the reason may be that he's being played out of position. In terms of the youth academy, it's easier said than done to bring players into the first team. John Hughes will watcIh them at training, and if they're not ready for the step up then there's no point in playing them. In answer to one of your other questions, I'm sure youth players get the chance to train with the first team from time to time. If not then they should. Finally, when scouting players, we should be looking in Scotland as well as down south. Our recruitment policy in the last 10 years has actually been really successful when you consider almost every one of our players comes from the lower leagues in England. However, judging by the post the other day showing some of the players being released in the SPL, we need to look closer to home as there is some real quality players being let go all over the place.
    1 point
  27. Yes we have Rig but, as has been said earlier, many good players in the lower leagues dont want to turn pro simply because they have ood paying full time careers and are not prepared to risk losing all that. When I worked in Grangemouth many moons ago I worked alongside players who were constantly being asked to turn pro but where they worked they had careers with great promotional prospects and a job, till retirement, with good pension and welfare benefits. They just weren't interested in giving that all up. Its very difficult to give up a career for the prospect of another short career when you can do one and still enjoy the other
    1 point
  28. I'm pretty sure we have a bigger budget than the likes of Stirling and Montrose TBF[/pedant].
    1 point
  29. I agree with most of the posters that it is pretty over reactive to call for hughes's head and replace him with someone who is unproven even if he is a big part of the club. Now it isn't in stone but the fact that he has confirmed that we are targeting the three partick lads would suggest that we do have some decent players lined up. The fact that the signings havent been great this season is just part of the size of the club we are. Look at butcher, his first few seasons were hit and miss on recruitment but unfortunately that is always the risk of the unknown. We can scout and Yogi can watch them in person but it will never give you an absolute picture unless they have Scottish football experience. Add in the location and having to settle in some players just don't work out and don't show their proper potential but may go and fit in at another club better and look world beaters. Look at Angel Di Maria, he was very impressive for PSG against Man City and was one of Real Madrid's best players but never did at United and struggled to adapt to the premier league so it happens at the top of world football too. Yes the signings have been honking this season and the football has been a major drag but as has been alluded to in another topic on late goals we would have comfortably been top six this season so would people have moaned as much? He gets the summer to put a true stamp on his team and we shall see if it works or not but the contributing factor is we can't afford to change so debate over.
    1 point
  30. Andy Robertson moved to DUtd at 18 where a development fee was paid, where do you suggest ICT get that money from? We can't afford transfer fees, not even development. Additionally for every Robertson there is an Aiden connelly who moved in the same deal, where is he now, unable to make a struggling DUtd team - investments like this are a gamble and for and club with our limited finances not very viable.
    1 point
  31. Nobody wanted to buy tokes, golly or Munro because of their limited technical ability but they gave 100% as individuals and for the club. However Ross, Shinnie, Christie and polwarth who were developed here and our technically very good which means other clubs will want them. It's a credit to our youth coaches but also more likely they will move on. Our problem which I hope we can change is tying these promising players down early on longer contracts, even if it's a somewhat risky strategy. We don't necessarily need local players, but it's important we keep the leaders and clubmen, Warren, Foran, drapes etc and it seems it's what we are trying to do. These are the few of the few guys who are tied down. It's a natural cycle in every team as you pointed out. A small club which has sucess will be cherrypicked (see Leciester in the near future). Its impossible to sustain. Let's be happy our previous cycle brought so many highs but be prepared for a rough ride until we bring the next mixed batch of youth or gems from nowhere. But in the meantime we may suffer. I have concerns about Hughes ability in transfer market and our season next year but he has earned himself time in my book. I shall judge him after the summer recruits have settled next season.
    1 point
  32. If the scenario did come up, I would undoubtedly prefer Kevin MacDonald as manager with Foran as assistant than the other way (that's if MacDonald would want to move back up here anyway). I must admit, the whole Foran-for-manager stuff has never sat right with me. Now don't get me wrong, Foran's been our captain for years now and he's been a great player but just parachuting him doesn't sit with me. Yes, he's been a talismanic player and a great leader but that doesn't mean he's going to be a great manager. Tony Adams was a great captain but he was a rubbish manager. Many fans of other clubs would also point out Terry Butcher as falling into the same bracket. And it's not just that. What coaching experience does Foran have? What contacts does he have? What does he know about scouting and training and tactics? There's also the case as well is that in any job, it's not always a good idea to promote someone from being 'one of the lads' to the boss. Now that's not to say I'm writing him off forever and saying I wouldn't want him ever, but before he takes the top job here, I'd rather he even left the club and made his way up the leagues in his own right like Paul Hartley did. It's a no from me, for now.
    1 point
  33. All good posts but would suggest the people we really need to hear from now are the board. It would be good to hear their vision for the club going forward.
    0 points


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