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PerfICT

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Everything posted by PerfICT

  1. Disallowed. More chances. Getting tense now! Warren subbed - injured.
  2. Pretty poor fare at Forthbank. A few reasonable chances, but all thrashed over the bar + one in the side-netting. A couple of scares at the back. Warren not having a great game. Vigurs and Draper looking our sharpest.
  3. Vigurs is every manager's nightmare: Packed with ability (vision, passing, sweet left foot), but infuriatingly lacking in consistent application and difficult to find his perfect position. Added to that a poor disciplinary record and you give managers a real headache. Last season, Vigurs was really poor for most of the season despite the faith shown in him throughout. Playing him wide left and in a slow midfield trio was partly to blame, but so was his lack of effort, particularly in tracking back. Too late, Foran finally found an effective position on his own immediately in front of the back 4 with a duty of taking the ball off defenders and using it well. From being a central figure in our demise, he very nearly became our saviour, with some excellent performances after the split. So, played in a very distinct role that doesn't require too much effort, he can be a match winner on his day, but when he's not at it or played in more dynamic position he has the potential to be a passenger. Enigma indeed.
  4. Thanks, Caley Mad in Berks. Of course, that is a much more sensible approach to the problem than simply sitting on your hands and moaning (note to self....). I look forward to hearing the response, but given the lack of communication skills displayed to date, you might be waiting a while!
  5. Are the board deliberately trying to find out the size of the hard-core support isby repeatedly challenging the loyalty of the season ticket holders? I would dearly love to get behind a refreshed team and manager next season, but frankly feel entirtely undervalued and taken for granted by the Club at this moment in time. The series of poor decisions and continuing silence from the Club does not inspire confidence or enthusiasm for the season to come. Get a grip!
  6. Sorry guys, but the idea of paying the same amount next year for a poorer product is crazy from the Board. Just a gesture to reward the ST holders for their loyalty through a horror show of a season would have been enough to convince me to buy. I understand that they need the cash, but I fear that their income will be more seriously hit by this decision than it would have been if they'd reduced the price by, say, £30. As it happens, I'll only be able to make a small percentage of the games this season, but I might have been minded to make a donation to the club by way of a season ticket purchase, had they been sensible about pricing. I think I'll sponsor a player or something instead...talk about being taken for granted.
  7. Yes, I wish Fisher well (excuse the pun!) Seriously, though, he was treated shockingly by Foran and yet gave everything he could when called upon. Respect!
  8. I really hope we're not too late with all this....think we are. None of the players out of contract can afford to hang around to see what happens - they are redundant as of tomorrow. Without a new boss in place, who can make a footballing decision about who should be offered deals? Worse still, there's bound to be a bad smell about the place (rotten apples), so who would want to stay? Meekings is a top player and his loss this year was a key part of our demise - Warren suffered without his pace alongside. The only hope of him staying is to complete his recovery and get himself back in the shop window. If that's an option, I'd grab it!
  9. I have no doubt he Club would welcome with open arms £250000 from a gesture such as this - it would help to fill the hole in the bottom line quite nicely, but not one penny would reach the squad or the facilities. Your money would be much better spent sponsoring a player or sticking it in the youth collections - at least there's a genuine chance of it going to the intended target. can't agree more about the match day experience or lack of it. The ground is a shocking design for both atmosphere and view, but there's not much we can do about that. However, could we make small in kind donations to help paper over the cracks. For example, I'd happily donate a bog seat to help sort that particular problem!! Could a building firm be convinced to build a merchandise and ticket office instead of a shipping crate FFS? Even a shed for a few grand would be a step up. Safe standing in the west stand has to be worth a try - we never use that space anyway. Admittedly, not massive impacts, but every little counts in Tesco-town idoes it not?
  10. Despite my desperation for this outcome, it isn't possible to celebrate it now that it has become a reality. On a human level, a guy who loved the club with every fibre of his being has lost his job and deserves our sympathy. If only he'd been offered/accepted help from an experienced head several months ago, the outcome woild have been different, I am sure. If he walked for the good of the club, then respect to him... I wish him well wherever he goes. From the football perspective, this was the right outcome, if a few months too late. Let's hope the damage is not totally irreversible. Now we need to act fast to get the right person in to settle the squad and give us a pop at promotion. I have no idea who that might be, but experience must be top of the shopping list. Fingers crossed that the Board get this appointment right.
  11. United it is. I hope this isn't another occasion for being careful what you wish for!
  12. I want United to lose for 3 reasons: first, it would be one in the eye for the establishment and pundits who want "normal service" to be resumed as soon as possible. Get rid of the "wee teams" and replace them with the "proper teams" who appear to be entitled to top flight football. Hits and Dundee United for ICT and Hamilton would be their dream come true. 2nd, I think United would struggle even more than us financially, if they stay down. They would, at best, have to bin their better players and at worst might have to accept 15 point deduction for administration. 3rd, they play on grass.
  13. Armstrong was indeed let go because of relegation - we didn't field an u20 team (or whatever the equivalent was called then) when we were in the first division, so Armstrong was one of a lost generation. Regrettable! I assume that similar considerations are being made right now for next season - hopefully there is a realisation that youth is the most cost-effective option for filling holes in the first team squad. as for Bowden and Mulraney - I'm not surprised on either count, but I think Mulraney could tear up the championship. I think it was against Dunfermline this season that he was unplayable. Unfortunately, it seems that Foran is still making the decisions. He should have been relieved of any role in decision making, given his track record over the season. The worst apple is still at the club and must be removed immediately.
  14. It always interests me how football seems to operate in some parallel universe to the rest of us. In this case, assuming the above hearsay has some substance, surely there are grounds for dismissal thorugh disciplinary procedures? Bullying, harrassment, bringing the cub into disrepute are three possible options. Ask the question whether a manager in your line of work would get away with similar behaviour.
  15. Though Bronson's account is not verifiable, it all seems to add up in terms of what we were able to see on the pitch. It was common knowledge that Fon Williams had to play a couple (or more games) while carrying an injury (Hamilton at home rings a bell). That said, his inability to cover the near post all season (including in that game) could not be put down to an injury! Zonal marking always strikes me as a recipe for disaster unless your communication is absolutely perfect....ours wasn't! As for the bad apples issue, I'm afraid that is a manager's lot: the task is to mould a group of individuals privelaged by a talent for football, into a team that operates like a well-oiled machine. Every team will have its wide-boys, load-mouths and sometimes deranged individuals, but the good man-manager will harness all fo these characters and get the best out of them (or indeed, punt them). RF failed spectacularly in this task, instead turning reasonably good individuals into a terrible team. He was a rabbit in the headlights for most of the season and I have no doubt that he refused to take advice from any of the minions, many of whom he had played beside. Only when MM joined the team did he take any advice, but too late! Bad apples are no excuse for a manager - he recruited them, he failed to manage or discipline them and he didn't get rid of them, so there is only one person to blame.
  16. Cancelled out the red dot with a green one. Though a nice idea, I agree with Kingsmills on this. Even if 10% of the 2000 loyals could afford £1000 each, you're only talking £200k. That would go to the bottom line for ~6 months and we're be back where we are. If investment is coming, it needs to be several orders of magnitude above that in order to sort the infrastructure (e.g. new ground and training facilities, better engagement with the community) in order to attract on a weekly basis the latent additional support that turned up on Saturday. the matchday experience is not good even on days when the games themselves have been entertaining. This is a dream and not reality, so in the meantime, we need to sort out the immediate problem, which is identifying a management and playing staff good enough to get us back in thee Premiership. That is also going to require backroom changes and a fresh approach to management of the business side of the club.
  17. Richie's most recent interview clearly indicates that he fully expects to be here next year and that he thinks he'll keep most of the first team too. The first point would suggest that (a) he will not be resigning and (b) he is secure that he will not be sacked. The second is surely deluded, although I hear that Raven and Tremarco have stated their intent to stay. all of the indications seem to point to the fact that there is no clause in his contract regarding relegation and that we simply can't afford to sack him. There is only one word for whoever was in charge of the negotiations regarding his contract - negligent. To take a 4 year punt on a completely untested entity in the most important position at the club is a shambles and we will ultimately get what we deserve, which is a spiral down the leagues for the next 3 years. Speechless.
  18. That is great news that he's not already on his bike. A few issues need sorted before we can get excited about this, though.
  19. not exactly a statement! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-39999407 ...rather a statement that a statement will be made....at some point in the future....
  20. The problem is that ICT has no bargaining position to encourage players to stay. What the club would like to do and what it will be able to do are 2 very different things. right at this moment, I would imagine that all the players will be reading the small print in their contracts. Those on loan (King, Billy Mckay), with futures secured elsewhere (Tansey) or having not signed contracts (Meekings) offered will be gone. Most of the ones on short-term deals (MacNaughton, Cole, Fisher, Brad Mckay) or able to leave for free (Horner) will also likely be gone, although some efforts need to be made in Fisher's case. That leaves a core of players who are contracted, but who might have release clauses around relegation. some will certainly wish to trigger those (Fon Williams) and some will be waiting to see what happens. I can't imagine anybody who could leave would want to stay under such a poor manager. Draper, Warren, Doran, Tremarco, Raven, Polworth, Vigurs, Boden, Mulraney all fall into this boat. Even some of those who did want to stay might be invited to cancel contracts, due to lack of cash. This is why it is so urgent to remove Foran immediately. At least then approaches could be made to these players with reassurances that the club was changing direction and was under safe management (if such a thing exists). Without immediate action, the armageddon scenario of a complete exodus is a real possibility and then we really are screwed.
  21. Esson: 7 - made an excellent save before Macfadden headed in the rebound. Unlucky. Nothing much else to do in the match. Raven: 6 - quite a good game, but clumsy challenge for the pen Warren: 7 - much, much better from Gary today. Laing: 8 - his best performance for us. Mckay: 7 - pretty good game Vigurs: 8 - I know, I've slated him all season, but Foran finally found him a position in front of his he back 4 which allowed him to not work too hard, but spray passes around the pitch. Mercurial is the word. Draper: 7 - no questioning his desire, shame his curler was just over in the first half Tansey: 7 - a good shift and a well-taken goal. Shame about the comments after the match Polworth: 7 - another hard working display from Polworth Fisher: 8 - not sure wide left suited him in the first half, but seemed more central in the second and took his goals well (poacher's instinct) Mckay: 7 - not his best game, but worked his socks off as ever Foran: 4 - would have been 8 for his tactics and selection, but his comments after the game were terrible Ref: 7 - got the big decisions right, including the pen
  22. Well deserved. Such a shame he got injured....probably would have been top scorer too!
  23. Tansey hasn't had the best of seasons - he was poor by his standards until ironically) he signed for Aberdeen. Some of his early lack of form was partly due to the ever-changing system, but he wasn't great nevertheless. This is a team sport: You win together and lose together - everybody shares in the good times and has to share responsibility for the bad. What he should have said is "we weren't good enough and the players have to share responsibility for that".
  24. If it hadn't been for events at New Douglas Park, that would have been an enjoyable game. First half was quiet, but better quality than many this season. Motherwell certainly made a game of it. A great 10 minutes to go 3-0 up: great strike from Tansey and Fisher got a couple...as he deserved for his effort. The atmosphere went flat when Hamilton scored, only reignited when a crazy rumour circulated that Dundee had scored 2. Applauded the players off, but couldn't bear to stay on, so missed the afters. Tansey didn't deserve abuse, but I wasn't impressed with his after-match interview. Good performance, sad day.
  25. Yes, all the right questions....just no answers from our incommunicative board. This was a screw-up from the moment Hughes wanted to speak with United. He should have been allowed to do so and allowed out of the door, with compensation. He was nowhere near as good a manager as he thought he was - evidence Raith Rovers. Every decision by the board since then compounded the error. Extend Hughes' contract - fall out with him and end up paying to get rid, then forced to go for the cheap option of Foran - 4 year contract for an untested entity - inability to weild the axe when his failings were clear. Utter shambles.
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