Whilst there will be a lot of disappointment and criticism about the performance and result today, it was always going to be a "big ask" to get an away win against a good team, on a dodgy pitch, without 3 of our key midfielders.

 

The damage was really done in previous games - Raven getting sent off after 10 minutes in Perth to gift them a win, and then us throwing it away against Dundee Utd last weekend. We were 1-0 up at the start of the 2nd half, at home against the worst team in the top 6, who had nothing to play for, and were fielding a load of youngsters, and their top scorer in defence.  That was the real chance that we blew.

 

If you go into the split in 3rd place then lose 4 of your 5 post-split games, you can't expect to retain 3rd place. Ultimately we didn't deserve Europe. Close but not quite enough.

 

Still a great season though, onwards and upwards.  And we'll get to do a proper pre-season without the distraction of European fixtures!

Overall delighted with the season. Some great performances and some we will want to forget.

Considering we had lots of a new faces at the start of the season, 4th is amazing. Anyone who can't acknowledge this needs to wake up and smell the coffee!!

For the size of the club it's Been great and we need to remember that we will get carried away when we do anything better than expected, but If we don't get to that next post (e.g. Europe today) it's amazing that we were even close!

Looking forward to the pre season and see who we will sign and can't wait for the return of butchers boys in August!

butchers the man for us now with plenty too prove but him leaving and a shake up mid season wpuldve done us wonders, at that point many thought we'd won the treble ffs.

over he season we threw away too many late points, I've not seen the stats but it wouldn't shock me too see we were the biggest losers in games where we took the lead.

Can we get away from the "you're being negative if you're disappointed" line?

 

It's not wrong to be feeling we could have done better in the latter part of the season. There are some valid points in the posts above regarding performances in some key games. We have found some good players who can on their day be very good but there is room for improvement on basic aspects and without spending money:

 

• we must work on improving corners and especially freekicks (the last four have all gone straight into the wall)
• we must stop lobbing high balls to wee forwards (obvious I know but we still do it)
• a striker like Billy needs the ball coming in from wide and to his feet and when we do that he gets goals
• we must have a plan B when games aren't going our way - in some of the games mentioned above, we haven't

 

I don't think it's choking that's a problem as the guys can battle as we've seen in several come from behind games, but we are very vulnerable when teams play us close in midfield (Hearts semi-final) like County did today (admittedly much easier for them today as we had such a makeshift group). Any team needs a decent amount of possession in the middle of the park to have a chance, therefore I think a priority should be a strong combative midfield tackler to get in opponents faces and dig the ball out - Fergie's (and Pele's) teams always had one. Ross Draper can put in a good shift but we don't get the best out of Richie in that role.

 

None of the above is negative just personal observations from a viewpoint of improving.

 

For me a good season. I agree some of the leagues 'bigger' teams have been pretty poor of late and there's been some disappointing results after the turn of the year, but a good season that can be built on (2013/14 season ticket tucked away and ready)  

I think Kingsmills in post 19 and Yngwie in post 21 have hit the nail on the head.  Of course we should all be delighted that we have ended as high as fourth, reached a semi final, scored loads of goals and had players called up for international duty but if we are going to build on what has been acheived we have to look beyond that general picture and look a bit more at the detail.

 

It has been a season not so much of 2 halves, but of three phases.  We started playing a more attractive style but not getting results.  In the first 7 games we only got 5 points and failed to win a single game.  We then went on a terrific run both in the league and the cups, success which led to Terry being courted by Barnsley.  There was joy unreserved when he turned Barnsley down and the response was to thump Aberdeen.  During that great run we took a massive 32 points from just 15 league games.  Then reality set in.  Since then we have lost both cup matches and have got just 17 points from 16 matches.  In that time, we have only won 4 games and all of those by a single goal margin.  We did not just "bottle" it today or last week, we have missed out on a European place because of a marked loss of form over a prolonged period.

 

The reality is that since the turn of the year when Terry announced he was staying, our record has been very mediocre at best,  In fact, during that period our form has been that of a team struggling to avoid relegation.  If we want to have any hope next season of emulating or even surpassing the overall success of this season, we need to face the reality of what our recent record has been and try to understand the reasons for it.

 

My own view, for what it is worth, is that having the manager heading down to Barnsley for talks really knocked the confidence out of the players.  I argued at the time that he had won nothing yet, but if the season produced as much as it promised then he would suddenly be a far more marketable commodity. By making it clear that he wanted a move away sooner rather than later, he gave the message to the players that he did not have the belief in them that they would achieve.  Once the euphoria of his "I'm staying " announcement was out of the way, the reality set in and all of a sudden, the players lost their belief and stopped playing with the kind of confidence they had been before.

 

We need to be clear that if we pick up next season from where we have left off this season, we will not be 4th next season - we will be relegation candidates.  That sounds depressing I know, but the positives of the situation are that we have a lot of our better players already signed up for next season and the brilliant period up to the defeat by St Mirren proves that the team is capable of winning whilst playing great attacking football.  Because of the overall success of this season there will be an expectation that we are top 6 next season.  But we will not achieve that unless we can get that spark of confidence reinstalled at the beginning of the season so that we can get off to winning ways from the outset.

 

Yes, it has been our best season ever overall and it is right to celebrate that, but there is some serious thinking to be done behind the scenes if we are to match or better it next season.

 

 

 

Sheez! We have our best ever season, finishing above Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibs and Hearts, as well as Ross County, plus miles above the drop and already Butcher is being blamed for getting us relegated NEXT season.

Yeah, we had drops in form. As did all the other teams, which is why we finished above all others, except easily the two best teams in the SPL, plus narrowly to another on the final day. What a miserable life if you cannot just look to the light occassionaly.

WE finished behind the runaway leaders, an undisputed second best side and then a St Johnstone side that it was almost impossible to seperate us from (results wise) all Season. we are where we are an its probably around the right place.

Team    Pld    Draw-when-Winning    Lose-when-Winning    Points-Lost
1    Motherwell (2)    38    3    0    6
2    St Johnstone (3)    38    5    0    10
3    Aberdeen (8)    38    3    2    12
4    Dundee (12)    38    6    1    15
5    Heart of Midlothian (10)    38    6    1    15
6    Hibernian (7)    38    3    3    15
7    Kilmarnock (9)    38    5    2    16
8    St Mirren (11)    38    5    2    16
9    Ross County (5)    38    3    4    18
10    Dundee United (6)    38    7    2    20
11    Inverness C T (4)    38    7    2    20
12    Celtic (1)    38    6    3    21

 

second worst for dropped points but tighter than i thought itd be.  notice both saints and motherwell top the table

 

 

 

Team    Pld    Win-when-Losing    Draw-when-Losing    Points-Gained
1    Motherwell (2)    38    5    5    20
2    Dundee United (6)    38    3    6    15
3    Hibernian (7)    38    2    7    13
4    Ross County (5)    38    2    7    13
5    St Mirren (11)    38    2    7    13
6    Celtic (1)    38    3    1    10
7    Aberdeen (8)    38    1    6    9
8    Inverness C T (4)    38    1    6    9
9    St Johnstone (3)    38    1    6    9
10    Heart of Midlothian (10)    38    1    3    6
11    Dundee (12)    38    1    1    4
12    Kilmarnock (9)    38    0    4    4

 

motherwell top of points gained from behind, impressive, good management with the ability to make changes

Edited May 19, 201313 yr by clacher_holiday2

Sheez! We have our best ever season, finishing above Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibs and Hearts, as well as Ross County, plus miles above the drop and already Butcher is being blamed for getting us relegated NEXT season.

Yeah, we had drops in form. As did all the other teams, which is why we finished above all others, except easily the two best teams in the SPL, plus narrowly to another on the final day. What a miserable life if you cannot just look to the light occassionaly.

I understand where you are coming from but this thread is titled "The Inquest".  That implies that despite this being our best season ever, it could, and perhaps, should have been better still.  It is therefore reasonable to express views as to why that might be and whether there are implications for next season.  If you don't want to contribute constructively to that kind of debate then you should have given this thread a miss rather than have a pop at those that do.  I've looked to the light and thoroughly enjoyed it - but what a miserable life if you don't aspire to better still.

I know what DD is saying but it's depressing on here tonight with folk coming out of the woodwork just because we didn't get a European place!

Maybe the players should also have been warned that getting sent off and attracting a ban for any one game prior to important matches like this is not  good for the team. Had Foran been playing today would that have helped  allow ICT to even get a draw?

 

The killer instinct? Where is it? In a team with so many young players are you likely to be able to find , or instill it,  in the team overall?

 

So long as the manager's name is not Ferguson is it still possible to train players to kill off teams when they are on their heels? Terry has the temper and temperament and , maybe, the tantrums to impress the players but  is that enough to teach this aggressive determination and make it a FETISH?  In boxing  this is the dynamic energy that makes champions and until  the team gets this message will we ever be able to say we are truly successful. In short, for example, once you get into the lead don't relinquish it  at all costs....?

sadly that's the message that did get through it seems pimples.... tantrums and aggresion lead to irrational decisions, pressure mounts when nobody wants to be the one seen making a mistake, which is easily manipulated.

the ball just gets hoofed when players are scared of responsibility, they want rid of it to anyone, on either side.

I know what DD is saying but it's depressing on here tonight with folk coming out of the woodwork just because we didn't get a European place!

 

I have never been hiding in the woodwork.

Sack Butcher, sack the team, sack the board - none of them deserve to be there and associated with ICT. They should all be ashamed of getting us to a cup semi and our highest ever league finish.

 

Perhaps the inquest should be why we have the lowest SPL budget yet people expected us to punch so far above our weight all season with youngsters and journeymen who have never been in that position before. The real inquest should be why when we are playing attractive football, scoring goals and fighting in competitions are we not filling seats to at least give us a budget to keep and build on the quality players that the club are unearthing year after year!!!!

There are evidently pros and cons fer this season. As far as I am concerned the final outcome has been very disappointing. But there is one extreme positive that does not appear to have been mentioned. For some time I found myself having to kick off the singing and now I am merely a choirboy.

Our yoof support has grown and grown and that to me is the big plus fer this season and it can only get better and better, To the young lads I feckin salute ya all.

I think one of the big differences this season is that we were lucky on the injury front for the first part of the season, with a small squad injuries are always going to make it difficult. 

I know what DD is saying but it's depressing on here tonight with folk coming out of the woodwork just because we didn't get a European place!

I have never been hiding in the woodwork.[/quote

Didn't say you were. Wasn't directed at regular posters.

Edited May 20, 201313 yr by old caley girl

Since then we have lost both cup matches and have got just 17 points from 16 matches. 

 

 

I've just worked out that in that same time period, bottom sides St Mirren and Dundee each picked up 16 points, from one game fewer.

 

 

I Remember how much we have improved and don't think an inquest is required, it was good season by Terry and his team.   I was unhappy  with today's result but not with our season. Finishing  in the top six for the first time is a huge plus, remember how often we have just missed that. Most importantly we still have 'them' in our shadow.    It also leaves us with the core of a descent team and a realistic goal of a European place next time up. Knowing our management team as we do I am full of confidence for the future.

Overall then our best season yet and something left to aim for next season.    

 

Sincerely hope we're left with a decent team - a "descent" team is the last thing we need!

Sadly, that's what we have had since the turn of the year.

One day we will all laugh about this.................

We may have missed out on Europe but its been a hell of a ride and ive enjoyed every minute of it, The idea of us being high flying in the league was totally surreal therefore left me with no expectations. Just to have been part of it has been a pleasure and despite the outcome of our final game yesterday, the support was no different. A great atmosphere coupled with the party mode that we went into at full time was typical of the support away from home this season.

 

I genuinely thought we would get relegated last summer, if you had said to me we would finish 4th i would have laughed at you ... and probably slapped you too. I wont forget this one for a long time. 

 

I Remember how much we have improved and don't think an inquest is required, it was good season by Terry and his team.   I was unhappy  with today's result but not with our season. Finishing  in the top six for the first time is a huge plus, remember how often we have just missed that. Most importantly we still have 'them' in our shadow.    It also leaves us with the core of a descent team and a realistic goal of a European place next time up. Knowing our management team as we do I am full of confidence for the future.

Overall then our best season yet and something left to aim for next season.    

 

Sincerely hope we're left with a decent team - a "descent" team is the last thing we need!

 

You got me bang to rights. See what happens when you rely on a spell checker, rather than learning. 

Watching the match on the telly down here, I could not believe what a disgrace that County pitch was, the SPL should fine them for bringing the league into disrepute. I think we probably just ran out of puff with a small squad, but what a brilliant season its been, can't wait for the fixtures to come out so I can plan my next visit.

Watching the match on the telly down here, I could not believe what a disgrace that County pitch was, the SPL should fine them for bringing the league into disrepute. I think we probably just ran out of puff with a small squad, but what a brilliant season its been, can't wait for the fixtures to come out so I can plan my next visit.

Alright Eagle! I'm proper buzzing for next monday when the mighty London ICT (palace) go to wembley. Seeing our blue and red brothers get to the prem would sort of make up for yesterdays disapointment. You going?