Matchday Thread Inverness CT -V- Ross County

[Hiro]

4 points from a possible 12 and a league cup defeat since the last international break. Seems like this one might do us a favour and allow us to regroup and get back to what we were doing at the start of the season.

[gingerjaggy]

gutted we didnt win shame our slow start cost us a win 

[MuirtownJaggy]

We are third on the league despite some poor performances, so we have to be content. What I am less sure about is Billy McKay. Everyone says he is lacking service. If so how can Watkins, Tansey, Doran (not strikers) manage to score, and he has only managed 1 this season. I think a period on the bench might focus his mind. I would have taken the draw at half time. In the end a fair result

[AlexJones]

First half was our poorest home performance for years. Could've been 5-0 down against the worst team in the league. The tippy tappy stuff in our own half was getting punished again and again, and producing nothing at the other end.  

 

In the second half we reverted back to classic Terry Butcher era tactics. Much less intricate, much more direct. County found themselves penned back and clinging on. Some lovely stuff from Christie, Draper and Williams in the final third.

 

Deano and Mark Brown the best 2 players on the pitch. Says it all really. Great game, disappointed not to convert our second half dominance into a win but a draw was probably a fair result.

[Biggin]

Yes over the piece a draw fair but I have never seen Caley so bad as they were in the first half second to every ball could not pass the ball and too much square and back passes which nearl cost us dearly and 4-0 would have been a fair result at Half Time  but what a difference in the second half and talk about players coming back to haunt you (normally a striker/ midfielder) but in this case it was oor Broon who had some stunning saves to keep us out  - so at the end of the day a draw was fair

[Ayeseetee]

The ref and linesman were really poor today and I just about had a panic attack everytime brill got a pass back...

 

 

Chuffed at the celtic - hamilton score though!

Edited October 5, 2014 by Ayeseetee

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

SMILEYMOMETER:

 

BRILL         Probably ended up as my MOM becos we could have been 4 or 5 Zero at half time if it was not for him. On watching the goal again I do not think he was at fault.

 

RAVEN       Quite day at the office although did nothing wrong but nothing inspiring either.

 

WARREN     I thought that was his worst performance of the season. Why the feck was he playing so deep in the first half.

 

MEEKINGS   Absolute Shocker apart from the two long throws and nearly won it fer us late doors.

 

SHINNIE       The one defender that stood out both defensively and attacking.

 

WATKINS       Looked the part when he went more central but that is a loss on the wing where he potentially could be class.

 

DRAPER       Faded in the second half as he went in to the hole in front of the defence.

 

TANSEY       In and out of the game but showed some great

 

CHRISTIE       Change of role helped in the second half. Two potential Soccer AM showboats next week. Needs to be played in the hole as I think he is BETTER than Andy Shinnie.

 

MCKAY       Where has our Billy gone - does he need a goal or wot ?

 

YOGI AND LATAPY - At least they showed that we have a plan B BUT what the feck happened in the first half ?

[Macduffer]

Game of two keepers.

 

Celtic hahahahaha!!!     

[Ayeseetee]

The offical attendance was 3700 which needless to say is pretty poor.

 

 

The two people sitting next to me got up at half time and never came back 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Some teams park the Bus but County have to go one better !!

 

 

[Ayeseetee]

"Ross county parked the caravan" would be more appropriate.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Ayeseetee

[ICTRoughi]

A real Jekyll and Hyde performance from us today. We were non existent in the first half and could have easily been down by 2 or 3 goals if it wasn't for Dean Brill who saved our skins at times. I really didn't understand the slow start and passing at the back against the team that's bottom of the league. Credit to County they piled the pressure early on and got the rewards of a goal. I haven't seen a worst start at home since Dundee United at home in the Scottish cup last season.

Second half was a world of a difference, I hope Hughes told them to push up and go for that equaliser and we got it from a fantasically well operated goal from Marley Watkins. The urgency and more attacking minded football in the second half was a joy to watch and realistically we should have won the game and could have if Warren got his shot away.

Nevermind, two points dropped but a point gained. Now we have a chance to regroup and fine tune this 'passing philosophy' and have another go at St Mirren which won't be an easy game.

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Just got back from watching it on TV with a couple of friends. I think they were embarrassed for me in the first half. We could and probably should have been 3 or 4 down by half time, but for Brill. When are going to learn to pass the ball back properly? Twice Draper sold Brill

short again today. Where was Meekings for their goal? I'll tell you, about two yards behind the man he should have been marking, ie their

scorer.

Much better for most of the second half. We created enough chances to win, but Mark Brown was magnificent. Some great classy touches from

Christie. Pass marks too to Watkins, Brill and Tansey.

I thought Doran looked unhappy about being subbed (immediately after a good attacking run by him), but to be fair, Williams did ok in the 20

mins or so he was on.

Well done to Hamilton. Ever since we gubbed them in the first match they have been great. We'll have to whack them again when we play them athome to ensure we stay in touch with them. Terrific to see Celtic no better than mid table. Long may it continue.

[+DoofersDad]

There was no plan B.  The plan was to kick the ball toward the North Stand.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

There was no plan B.  The plan was to kick the ball toward the North Stand.

 

Plan B was to be more direct - and against Tinkerville it worked and is what we should have done from the off. My main concern is that we are not sussing out the opposition.

[PerfICT]

Oh to be a football fan - depths of despair at half time and then devastated not to have won the game in the end. Agree with earlier comments: 2nd half was more Butcher than Yogi and the 4-4-2 switch worked really well: Worth using again. Billy can't buy a goal at the moment - he got more chances in 45 min with a strike partner than in the previous 8 games. Please let's not have another 45 min like the first half again - shocking!

[Ayeseetee]

I like the idea of watkins and mckay switching positions as they did today since most teams will want two defenders on mckay and that will free up more room for watkins to slip in behind.

[WYNESS101]

First half utter sh*te

 

Second half alot better. If it wasn't for brown in nets we could have have won by 3 or 4

[+DoofersDad]

We were very lucky to get a point today.  County should have been out of sight at half time.  Nobody seemed to pick up Quinn on the left and he alone had 3 glorious chances to score but fluffed the lot.  Our goal then stemmed from County copying us and playing tippy tappy stuff in their own half.  They got punnished and then it was game on.  A much more direct approach gave us the level of superiority County had in the first half and it was only a combination of fine keeping from Brown and other players getting blocks in that kept the scores level.

 

County are not a good side.  Had we played in the first half the way we played in the second, we might have taken them apart.  Hopefully the club will use the international break to analyse the reasons why the team were booed off the pitch at half time and do something about it. 

[tm4tj]

On the other hand DD, we could have been out of site in the second half and County were lucky to get a point. It's not the first game this season that we have had to turn around a dismal first half performance.

 

It depends if your glass is half full or half empty.

 

Mark Brown was probably MotM, overturning Brills half time lead.  Odd game to be honest, I don't think I have ever seen such a stark contrast between two halves.

[+DoofersDad]

Of course!  My point is to ask why we played the way we did in the first half.

[tm4tj]

Yes but you said we were lucky to get a point. We were unlucky not to get all three as County threw bodies in front of the ball as we blitzed them in the second half/ Aye, the first half is one of life's great mysteries, let's hope Yogi finds the answers soon as that was a very uncomfortable 45.

[Big G]

I'm with DD on this one. Questions need to be asked as why we are not well enough prepared against teams in the first half of games? As said by someone else this is not the first time this has happend this season. All the C*unty fans I know told me they would play like they did in the first half. If they knew why didn't we?

[ICTGAZ]

The old classic, game of two halves, totally shocking 1st half, where Deano saved us on a few occasions.  

 

This back passing malarkey is so beyond a joke, its really being going on for so long can Yogi no see it.

 

2nd half far better, we should have won on chances alone, so a bit gutted with the draw.

 

3rd place at this stage will do me though, its going to get very interesting this season, with everyone capable of beating each other.

 

We need to find a bit of consistency and put a run together and who knows

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Fer fecks sake we do NOT have the players in goal or at the back who can play the tippy tappy style of football. The more mistakes that they make - the more their confidence dwindles. Tansey is the only midfielder that can play that sort of game. We absolutely and desperately need an old fashioned centre forward. Marley is wasted in that role and Billy is feckin lost. Even Christie would benefit from the big man up front