Billy Mckay

[Guest]

Off to Wigan for talks, statement from the chairman on the official website. Wish him all the best if he goes and hopefully we've got a replacement lined up.

 

http://ictfc.com/news/club-news/1471-billy-mckay

Edited January 28, 2015 by Guest

[Sir C the 3rd]

Oh dear, unless we have a replacement ready to come in, this could be the end of the euro push, I really hope not though

While I don't think he's amazing he is a good player and it's good to see him go and test himself in a good league if he does leave. He's got ambition for himself which is why I am so disappointed with shinnies choice of Aberdeen.

[Guest]

I think the main thing we need to look at in potential replacements is their work-rate and link up play. Goals would obviously be important, but even when Billy wasn't scoring earlier in the season we were winning matches partly due to his incredible work-rate.

 

20k for Nicky Clark from Sevco?

Edited January 28, 2015 by Guest

[Ally in the I]

Wish him all the best, if the transfer comes through. Hope he is still around for Saturday and signs off with a hatrick!!

[WYNESS101]

Oh dear, unless we have a replacement ready to come in, this could be the end of the euro push, I really hope not though

While I don't think he's amazing he is a good player and it's good to see him go and test himself in a good league if he does leave. He's got ambition for himself which is why I am so disappointed with shinnies choice of Aberdeen.

 

Did yogi not say a wee while back that Nick Ross will be playing a more forward role?

[davieB]

Good luck to Billy, he's been a fantastic player for the club.

Bit of a strange one I always thought. While his goalscoring record has been excellent, he missed as many sitters in his time here, and he was terrible in one on ones. For every fantastic volley against County there was an incredible miss against Hearts in extra time in the semi two years ago.

Overall though, a great player. His work rate was phenomenal and his ability to hold the ball up and play the lone striker role was exceptional. Sad to see him leave but all the best to the wee man and I hope it works out well for him down south.

[caleyboy]

If Billy goes I wish him well. He has been a very good player for this club and we will make some money on him. Far better way to do business - well done ICT

[The Long Man]

although not surprised, I will be sad to see him go, and disappointed he is not staying until the summer, to go out on a high.

[chnwh]

Hi all,

 

As a Wigan fan I'm pretty happy with us possibly signing McKay but obviously not from an ICT point of view.  He always seems to be the guy to grab a goal when needed.

 

I help run a Wigan fan site similar to this one, www.cockneylatic.co.uk and was wondering if we do sign him if people will be able to answer a few questions on McKay's attributes?

[RiG]

Sure thing. Here's a few for starters:

Jaeger Bombing 16

Dancing 7

Pulling Birds 12

Chat Up Lines 3

Not Spewing After A Lads Night Out 18

[Guest]

Billy Mckay was a bit boring, wasn't he? We need to sign someone with tattoos, a ponytail and a ridiculous surname. Preferably he would also be about 6 foot 8.

[PerfICT]

Oh dear, unless we have a replacement ready to come in, this could be the end of the euro push, I really hope not though

 

Not sure that is necessarily true. Billy has been excellent over the last few years, but this season, we have proved that we have goals all through the team, even when he was having a lean spell. Granted, some of that was on account of his movement and ability to keep defenders occupied, but providing we can get a similar style of player in that role, I think we'll still score goals. Let's see what the "contingency" is - Watkins? Ferguson? New player in?

[The Long Man]

150k supposedly - is that enough for a new striker? The frustrating part is that he's just hit a great run of form, looking the Billy of old again.

[+DoofersDad]

Hi all,

 

As a Wigan fan I'm pretty happy with us possibly signing McKay but obviously not from an ICT point of view.  He always seems to be the guy to grab a goal when needed.

 

I help run a Wigan fan site similar to this one, www.cockneylatic.co.uk and was wondering if we do sign him if people will be able to answer a few questions on McKay's attributes?

 

He's got a small k.

[caleydawson]

We have Calum Ferguson so it's all ok 

[Ice_G]

Best of luck Billy. Not sure how great a move it is for him, he'll be going from a team who seem to love playing together and have been enjoying the winning feeling a lot (and living in the most beautiful part of the UK) to what looks like a relegation dogfight with a team that's not winning a lot (and living in Wigan).  

 

No doubt he'll pocket a lot more dough each week but he wouldn't be the first person to leave ICT for a bigger club and a doubled salary and live to regret it. 

 

Still, I hope he makes a great name for himself on the bigger stage and moves onward and upward. So long and thanks for all the goals.

[Harry Chibber]

£150k is a joke if that is the actual sum agreed.

 

His goal scoring record is second to none over the last 4 years and he is an international player at age 25, who has played at a club consistently top 6 and cup finalists.  I understand the club not wanting to stand in his way but his contribution to get us higher up the league and a potential euro place would easiliy equal more than the above fee... if not in monetary terms but in historical terms for puting our club amongst European elite, potential increase to fan base etc. etc.

 

Some of you need a reality check if they don't class McKay as a quality player.. he may have bad spells but the test of a quality striker is whether they come back from those spells and continue to score goals, which McKay has always done.   He will be a massive miss to the team and although Watkins is a good replacement there is a difference from filling in a few games and taking on the responsibility of club top goal scorer so just hope he's up to it... or we will need another striker in cos at Foran's age I don't see him becoming a prolific striker.

 

I have complete admiration for the club for their general running of the place and always keeping our heads above water but, if £150k is the agreed figure, they have demonstrated again how poor they are at negotiating in the transfer market in terms of selling players.

 

Apart from Niculae-gate ... the highest transfer fee we have ever received is £65k for John Rankin... £65k FFS!!!

[Sir C the 3rd]

Oh dear, unless we have a replacement ready to come in, this could be the end of the euro push, I really hope not though

Not sure that is necessarily true. Billy has been excellent over the last few years, but this season, we have proved that we have goals all through the team, even when he was having a lean spell. Granted, some of that was on account of his movement and ability to keep defenders occupied, but providing we can get a similar style of player in that role, I think we'll still score goals. Let's see what the "contingency" is - Watkins? Ferguson? New player in?

I did say could be and that I hope not. To be honest its a legitimate concern as he is our top scorer regardless of other goal scorers in the team. Any team would miss their top scorer.

Oh dear, unless we have a replacement ready to come in, this could be the end of the euro push, I really hope not though

While I don't think he's amazing he is a good player and it's good to see him go and test himself in a good league if he does leave. He's got ambition for himself which is why I am so disappointed with shinnies choice of Aberdeen.

 

Did yogi not say a wee while back that Nick Ross will be playing a more forward role?

Nick Ross up front? For me he isn't a striker and he is far to inconsistent in the position he's meant to be played in. For the last month i'd say he's been in the form of his life but he needs to keep up this level on a more regualar basis.

[hislopsoffsideagain]

Given that we were going to lose Mckay for nowt in the summer anyway, £150,000 seems about fair - it's the equivalent of finishing one position lower in the league than we are now.  We only got £50,000 for Don Cowie in a similar situation 5 years ago.  

 

The chairman's comments seem to imply that we'll be bringing in a replacement, possibly with some of the money.

 

Let's face it, Wigan are a much bigger club than us; given that it isn't a derisory sum, it'd be unfair to deny him this opportunity to prove himself at Championship level.

 

There's no question he's a huge loss though.  Anyone who thinks he was 'over-rated' or 'not that good' is deluding themselves.  Like all but the most elite strikers, he had lean spells in front of goal, but his movement off the ball was always terrific and his link-up play is excellent.  His poorest spells for us - his first season, and the second half of last season - came because we weren't getting the ball to him at all.  I'd claim that Mckay is currently the best striker in Scottish football not employed by Celtic (maybe with the exception of Adam Rooney).

 

Is he good enough for the English Championship?  The jury's out - defenders will be quicker and stronger than in Scotland.  But he deserves to have a crack at it.  Good luck to him.

[dougiedanger]

I think the main thing we need to look at in potential replacements is their work-rate and link up play. Goals would obviously be important, but even when Billy wasn't scoring earlier in the season we were winning matches partly due to his incredible work-rate.

 

20k for Nicky Clark from Sevco?

 

He would be a cut above.

[AlexJones]

He has an excellent record for us, but it's a team game, and that record owes a lot to the chances served up to him by his teammates. Intuitively speaking, with no stats to back this up, I hazard a guess that his 'chance to goal' ratio isn't that exceptional.

What cannot be questioned though is his work rate. In the early days when he was struggling alongside Tade, he still managed to endear himself to the fans by putting himself about and getting well and truly stuck in. Even then you could see occasional flashes of brilliance in his play, and Butcher deserves credit for persisting with him even when he wasn't scoring goals. 

Good to see he's chosen to test himself at Championship level rather than go to Hearts. I might even stay up to watch the football league show on Saturday nights now just to see how he's getting on. It's always fascinating to see a player you're familiar with competing in a 'big' league. (David Davis and Andrew Shinnie currently doing us proud) .
 

In some ways McKay leaving actually solves one of our current 'selection headaches'. I would play Watkins through the middle now, freeing up space in midfield for some of our creative players who have been unlucky to find themselves on the bench in recent times.


 
 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

If he goes to Wigun he will not be playing in the Championship next season.

[WYNESS101]

150k supposedly - is that enough for a new striker? The frustrating part is that he's just hit a great run of form, looking the Billy of old again.

 

Money to put towards Watkins contract

[PerfICT]

It'll be disappointing if he goes before Saturday - I'm sure we'd all like to give him a send-off (after he's scored a hat-trick against County, of course!)

[Scotty]

gives me another reason to shout dogs abuse at Shaun Maloney when Chicago Fire come calling here in Toronto !!! How he ever managed to get a DP slot in MLS is beyond me !