Early in the Season, Its CCs first full season 5 Games down, admittedly some hard games  but with few goals, and only 3  points, Do we need to worry, other than Dunfermiline everyone has managed at least one win, even Scumdee Utd. Denzil crocked, Dargo injured, Since we formed it's been up and up, are we finally seeing the times that every club has and it's time to be deflated Is it back to reality? :006: :006: :006:

NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Ask the question again when we've played all teams in the league.

I know what you are saying, Have always felt confident of our abilities to dig out a draw , as per Celtic last  week However I do worry about the future, Was working down in Blairgowrie recently with a Dundee season ticket holder and we talked about ICT. Like many I was ther when Herch did his bit against Arbroath and have been there ever since, even though I was raised up on Tichy Black etc at Kingsmillsand it WAS a takeover not a merger, but this Dundee fan was right in saying that since our inception it has all been good and it can't carry on like this indefinitely, I do wonder if CC was a great player but maybe a bit too close to the players to be a great manager, let's hope I'm wrong

P.S. thanks Alex for the homework help about the three monarchs, the daughter was well chuffed it took ICT fans to sort it oput

Carefree wherever we may be we are the famous ICT

I was in the "Five Bells" in Stanwell for dinner last night  :006: :sleep01:...........Feck sake give the man a chance, the season's barely started, some tough games, and serious negativity already. Starting to sound like Dons fans "bleating"

Nooooo....

From the Radio Commentery I dont quite know how it came to be 4-1. Sounded like a shocker by the Ref just b4 the first goal.  :006:

Given the teams we've played so far I dont think we should worry yet. But we have to beat the smaller teams around us, no good drawing with Celtic then getting gubbed by United and Falkirk!

Donview

How are you.?haven't seen your positive chuff stuff for a while.

:003:

Nooooo....

From the Radio Commentery I dont quite know how it came to be 4-1. Sounded like a shocker by the Ref just b4 the first goal.  :006:

Given the teams we've played so far I dont think we should worry yet. But we have to beat the smaller teams around us, no good drawing with Celtic then getting gubbed by United and Falkirk!

Don't go blaming the ref for anything. He was ridiculously biased - for us!!!

From what I saw on Wednesday night against Dumbarton I couldn't help thinking we were due a stuffin', that has now duly arrived. I really don't think we sould be ringing alarm bells though, well, not just yet anyway. ICT will bounce back from this and, by all accounts, we didn't play too badly yesterday but I can't comment on that as I wasn't there to see it. To lose four goals is bad no matter what but look on the bright side - it's the first time we've conceded that many in the SPL and County lost yesterday as well!  :004:

To early for alarm bells guys, but getting a bit overdue a first league victory need to get that one out off the way sooner rather than later.

Bring on Motherwell......................

No panic.  There would be if we were not creating chances, but we are so Im pretty confident we will be alright. 4-1 flattered Hearts tremendously.

No panic just yet.  I was listening on the radio yesterday and it seemed we played some really nice football.  4-1 definitely flatters the jambos.  For those who missed the commentary it seemed like the first goal should never have been allowed to happen as it was a pass back which Craig Gordon collected.  But we must learn not to waste time protesting as while we protested to the ref Hearts were already up the park and scored.  Bad decision but we could have dealt with it better.  They were really impressed with Bayne's goal and excellent cross from Barry.  We missed a number of chances (this is probably the main point) we have to convert goal scoring opportunities.  Wyness injured didn't help as I think he would have scored.  Not sure about the second goal, but the 3rd was a gift from Rosscoe (not often he can be blamed - so just an unfortunate ball mis timed) and the 4th I assume came because we had committed everyone forward to try to get something from the game.  We played 3 up front for the last while in the game.  I for one admire Charlie's ability to make subs at the right time and he isn't frightened to change the tactics and push forward.  Unfortunately that left gaps yesterday, but on another day he might have got the goals we needed with this formation.

No panic - we played really well and some really nice one touch football, which is what I think we all enjoy watching.  I felt on Wednesday night we were lacking confidence in front of goal and that might also have been the case yesterday.

Just one of these days. 

I listened to it on the radio yesterday too, and agree with L_G. It sounded like a great game to watch for the neutral and one in which the breaks just didn't go our way. All those calling for major changes, or questioning CC's managerial capabilities should maybe think about supporting a team like Dungdee United....

Our opening sequence of games against top 6 (excluding St Mirren) sides was always going to make it difficult to get points on board.  I think the team has done well to get draws against Aberdeen, Hibs and Celtic.

The team is now approaching a sequence of games against sides that we must take points off ie Motherwell and DU.  At the end of September we will have a much better idea of of how the season is going to pan out.

Alarm Bells Yes Or No?

Maybe

It would be stupid if we weren't a wee bit worried after having no win so far and the fact we're very close to the bottom of the table.  IMO we're too lightweight in midfield, if Rankin is playing he needs to be playing in a 5 midfield so we have someone doing his defensive work for him or out on the wide left.  McBain for me doesn't know what to do with the ball when he gets it in an attacking situation and ends up running in circles, if he is going to be played i'd prefer he was in the centre of midfield so he is forced into play. 

From what I saw of the first half Bayne was excellent, and the goal is going to do no harm to his confidence. :clapping04:

I would say I was lightly uneasy after the weekends result rather than worried.

Hopefully we can manage to get a couple of players in before the transfer window closes.

The balance of the squad isn't right.

We still don't have a natural wide left player ie someone whose preferred position is there (before anyone starts mentioning Morgan, McBain, etc)

Plus we have no cover for Wilson on the right either

Hart can play on the right.

I thought Morgans favoured positiong was left side of midfield. McBains certainly is but he isn't a winger.

I'm more concerned about our lack of cover at right back.

Hart is a central midfielder who CAN play on the right

McBain is a central midfielder who CAN play on the left

Morgan is a left back who CAN play left midfield

Barry Wilson is our only natural winger and yet we play 4-4-2 every week

Going by posts in the other thread Rossco had a poor game, what is a worry is that we have no proper cover for him at RB, Dont say Caff as he is not a full back and never will be.

Rossco has not looked nor played as he can, is he struggling with this injury?

Also with Denzil out i think CC needs a new face up front, Rory is not the part yet.. yes i know he's young etc etc, but we cant afford at this time in the season to blood a youngster.

So get a full back to challenge Rossco and a striker to help up front.

Was Morgan not a Left midfielder that we tried at left back?

Roy is so left footed he has always played left midfield.

It doesn't seem to be the Rossco of old just now - I'm sure he'll bounce back though. I'm wondering if he still is being hampered by injury and playing through the pain barrier.

There was an article/profile either in the Highland News or the Courier of Morgan a year ago or so which said he considered himself to be a left back but was prepared to play in left midfield if asked to. Hopefully someone else will remember reading that as well  :004:

There was an article/profile either in the Highland News or the Courier of Morgan a year ago or so which said he considered himself to be a left back but was prepared to play in left midfield if asked to. Hopefully someone else will remember reading that as well  :004:

I think you are making that up!  :016: I think he is a better left sided midfielder than a left back. Certainly got a good cross on him anyway.

Do you need to have wingers to play 4 - 4 - 2 as opposed to left side/right sided midfielders? What more would they offer to the set up? I guess they would strecth the opposition a bit more but on Sunday when we broke Wilson and McBain took good positions up wide on their respective flanks to stretch Hearts so they weren't overly bad (though Wilson is more of a winger as you say).

I'm probably just showing my age but 4-4-2 always meant to me wingers getting to the byline and crossing the ball - a bit like our goal against St Mirren actually.

Rangers will score a lot of goals this season once they get Burke fit. With him and Martin firing balls into Boyd he'll easily be the top scorer in the country.

I bet if you asked Dargo he'd bite your arm off for such service rather than him having to try and win the ball punted up to him against 6-ft plus defenders.

On the subject of Morgan I may well be wrong but I'm pretty sure I did read an article about him as I remember being surprised he didn't consider (alledgedly) himself a midfielder

I'm probably just showing my age but 4-4-2 always meant to me wingers getting to the byline and crossing the ball - a bit like our goal against St Mirren actually.

Rangers will score a lot of goals this season once they get Burke fit. With him and Martin firing balls into Boyd he'll easily be the top scorer in the country.

I bet if you asked Dargo he'd bite your arm off for such service rather than him having to try and win the ball punted up to him against 6-ft plus defenders.

On the subject of Morgan I may well be wrong but I'm pretty sure I did read an article about him as I remember being surprised he didn't consider (alledgedly) himself a midfielder

I think we can safely say that investing in a right and left winger is a good idea then!

Before the start of the season, in my opinion, I thought we needed a winger and another goal scorer. And as soon as we get our first three points we'll be fine. 

I've had a terrible ringing sound in my ears ever since the season started

and, if anything, it's getting worse.

So, yes. Definitely.

This was always going to be a very difficult season.

Talking ourseves up as an established SPL side

who are destined for a top six finish didn't help.

Neither does having a coach who, despite being very good,

does not have the profile needed to tempt players northwards.

The third nail in the coffin could be that we are a club who

may fail to react to this until it's too late.

And I have always looked on myself as being an extremely positive

ICT Supporter.

No. 4 out of our first 5 have been against teams that finished above us last year. We still have to play all the crap that finished below us. If then we are still sitting third from bottom then, the alarm bells will be we and truly ringing. 

When Morgan first started at the club their was an article released regarding his days at Blackburn when he was an under study of Damien Duff and tried to learn everything he could from him, that and from what I've seen of him on the park I would say he is a winger.  He is still very young but I think he offers a lot more of a threat from out wide and set pieces tMhan cBain does, at least Morgan was on the bench against Hearts which is encouraging.  Zander Sutherland is another that IMO is ready for big tings at TCS but maybe still a bit young yet.  CC has acknowledged already that he wants cover in the wide areas and he is going to try and get something sorted before the window closes so fingers crossed.

Caley 100 I don't understand why you don't think that Caff is capable of playing at right back, he had 1 bad game against St Mirren and he definately wasn't the worst player on the park that day.  Last season when he covered in the position he was excellent... maybe he it is not his natural position but tbh I would prefer to see him there than the centre of defense because whenever I watch him he seems incapable of making a header.

Wyness has damaged his shoulder and will be out for the Motherwell match so we will see what our cover is like for upfront, I expect it will be Bayne and Dargo but I would like to see McCallister thrown on at some point due to the amount of goals he has scored in preseason and friendlies.

At the moment the major alarm bell that is ringing still involves Dods and until the transfer window closes it will keep ringing!!

Dods has now said he is going to see out his contract, but I suppose you never know for sure until the window closes.

The bigger alarm bell for me is the failure of Black to sign the contract extension that was meant to get announced last week, and the week before etc. I suspect he is waiting to see if anything develops this week.