THE MATCHDAY THREAD Discuss ICT & other games in this thread as they happen Ross County -V- Inverness CT PREVIEW 4th Apr 2014 @ 7:45PM Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Go to the Chatroom Media Coverage AUDIO LIVE COMMENTARY (BBC) [uK/VPN Only]   TEXT SPFL Official Site ESPN BBC SKY Sporting Life VIDEO LIVE ON BT SPORT SPFL YouTube Channel ICT Official YouTube Channel   TEAM LINEUPS

 

Wasn't able to get to the match but I am hugely encouraged by the reports and the little one sees on the highlights.  The previous week was one of rather alarming developments with both what we saw on the pitch and heard off it.  I don't think I have ever been as exasparated about the way a team has been instructed to play as I was against Motherwell midweek.  It does sound as though Yogi has listened to criticism and hopefully he will be comitted to using width as an essential part of an exciting passing style of play.  Clearly Doran was hugely influential yet again.  IMHO Doran is the player around which the play revolves when the team play well.  The more I see of Watkins the more impressed I am with him and have long been an advocate of Shinnie as a central midfielder.  Comments about Billy being burnt out seem to have been found to be misplaced, with a bit of width and drive the chances were coming and Billy looked pretty sharp for his goal. 

 

With Draper back and Tansey replacing Vincent further forward I think we have a line up capable of playing a style of play which is perhaps, as CaleyD says, a compromise bewtween the Butcher style and the vision Hughes has.  This balance seems the right style for the very talented squad we have available for next season and all the ingredients are there for a really exciting end product.  It will be interesting to see whether Hughes sticks to this for the rest of the season or tries to add in other elements of his longer term vision too soon. 

 

 

It still irks me that people continue to criticise the lack of wingers in past weeks and blame Yogi for not using them when one, other or both have been injured for spells during that period.

It still irks me that people continue to criticise the lack of wingers in past weeks and blame Yogi for not using them when one, other or both have been injured for spells during that period.

Yeah but surely you could understand when Nick Ross, Danny Williams and Marley Watkins were all on the bench last Tuesday vs Motherwell and the former 2 weren't even used.

 

It still irks me that people continue to criticise the lack of wingers in past weeks and blame Yogi for not using them when one, other or both have been injured for spells during that period.

Yeah but surely you could understand when Nick Ross, Danny Williams and Marley Watkins were all on the bench last Tuesday vs Motherwell and the former 2 weren't even used.

 

...and the full backs had clearly been instructed not to venture into the wide open spaces in front of them.

 

It still irks me that people continue to criticise the lack of wingers in past weeks and blame Yogi for not using them when one, other or both have been injured for spells during that period.

Yeah but surely you could understand when Nick Ross, Danny Williams and Marley Watkins were all on the bench last Tuesday vs Motherwell and the former 2 weren't even used.

 

 

Being on the bench does not always mean a player is fully fit.

There is another point being missed but one that was mentioned by the players being interviewed on Alba after the game. They both mentioned the difference with using width at Dingwall but stressed that the pitch there allowed them to play that style whilst the state of our own pitch is a hindrence. Its sad to admit but the Dingwall pitch was in far better condition on friday night than ours was last saturday.

It still irks me that people continue to criticise the lack of wingers in past weeks and blame Yogi for not using them when one, other or both have been injured for spells during that period.

Yeah but surely you could understand when Nick Ross, Danny Williams and Marley Watkins were all on the bench last Tuesday vs Motherwell and the former 2 weren't even used.

 

Being on the bench does not always mean a player is fully fit.

Of course not but there's been no suggestions that Nick or Danny aren't fully fit. I am a big fan of Nick Ross and I am just frustrated he isn't featuring much at the moment.

Why would a club/manager give more info to the opposition than they had too?

Why would a club/manager give more info to the opposition than they had too?

I never really thought of that aspect of it CaleyD however Nick Ross and Danny Williams have featured for U20s so struggling to see where the lack of fitness is coming into it but it could be plausible they get an injury in training even still I would have imagined it would have been mentioned in some form in a pre match interview they were struggling with something.

There is another point being missed but one that was mentioned by the players being interviewed on Alba after the game. They both mentioned the difference with using width at Dingwall but stressed that the pitch there allowed them to play that style whilst the state of our own pitch is a hindrence. Its sad to admit but the Dingwall pitch was in far better condition on friday night than ours was last saturday.

 

You sure you were listening to the right players as our game was on BT Sport, not Alba!

 

Not sure what will happen with the pitch over the summer, but the club are painfully aware that it's not in the condition they would like it to be.

 

There is another point being missed but one that was mentioned by the players being interviewed on Alba after the game. They both mentioned the difference with using width at Dingwall but stressed that the pitch there allowed them to play that style whilst the state of our own pitch is a hindrence. Its sad to admit but the Dingwall pitch was in far better condition on friday night than ours was last saturday.

 

You sure you were listening to the right players as our game was on BT Sport, not Alba!

 

Not sure what will happen with the pitch over the summer, but the club are painfully aware that it's not in the condition they would like it to be.

 

 

I heard a while back that the groundsman wants to go to plastic.  It might suit the game that Hughes wants to play, but it wouldn't be my preference to be honest.

 

Why's the pitch taking such a battering this year by the way?  I don't remember seeing it look so poor in a long time as it did at that Stranraer game (looking a bit better recently mind).

I am reliably informed that Terry Butcher sprayed the pitch with insecticide.

 

 

There is another point being missed but one that was mentioned by the players being interviewed on Alba after the game. They both mentioned the difference with using width at Dingwall but stressed that the pitch there allowed them to play that style whilst the state of our own pitch is a hindrence. Its sad to admit but the Dingwall pitch was in far better condition on friday night than ours was last saturday.

 

You sure you were listening to the right players as our game was on BT Sport, not Alba!

 

Not sure what will happen with the pitch over the summer, but the club are painfully aware that it's not in the condition they would like it to be.

 

 

I heard a while back that the groundsman wants to go to plastic.  It might suit the game that Hughes wants to play, but it wouldn't be my preference to be honest.

 

Why's the pitch taking such a battering this year by the way?  I don't remember seeing it look so poor in a long time as it did at that Stranraer game (looking a bit better recently mind).

 

 

The pitch has been poor the past few seasons with the grass becoming very tufted and bobbly as a result.

 

 

There is another point being missed but one that was mentioned by the players being interviewed on Alba after the game. They both mentioned the difference with using width at Dingwall but stressed that the pitch there allowed them to play that style whilst the state of our own pitch is a hindrence. Its sad to admit but the Dingwall pitch was in far better condition on friday night than ours was last saturday.

 

You sure you were listening to the right players as our game was on BT Sport, not Alba!

 

Not sure what will happen with the pitch over the summer, but the club are painfully aware that it's not in the condition they would like it to be.

 

 

I heard a while back that the groundsman wants to go to plastic.  It might suit the game that Hughes wants to play, but it wouldn't be my preference to be honest.

 

Why's the pitch taking such a battering this year by the way?  I don't remember seeing it look so poor in a long time as it did at that Stranraer game (looking a bit better recently mind).

 

 

Top surface of the pitch (about 2 inches) was replaced last summer. As I understand it, when you do that you're advised not to play more than 25 games on the surface over the following season.

 

By playing U20's games on it (and with training on it as TB insisted on doing) it went beyond that pretty quickly.  Moving U20's games to another pitch also means we lose out on money from the SFA as they don't pay as much "development" money if you don't use the same pitch as the first team....something we've had no choice but to do lately.

 

With the advancements in artificial surfaces I don't think it would be a bad thing.  Doesn't really matter what we think of them, it's what the players think.  In terms of cost, I don't think there's much between digging up the complete pitch to re-do it from scratch and putting in an artificial one....but that's kinda academic when you don't have the funds to do either!!!

It's very odd indeed that our pitch has deteriorated so bad this year, could the ground be contaminated?

Coming up to near twenty years at the dump I think it's inevitable that the ground has been affected somewhat by sea water and sea air

Regardless what the cause is it looks like we will have to completely re turf the pitch in the summer and that can't be done on the cheap

Dougal

It's very odd indeed that our pitch has deteriorated so bad this year, could the ground be contaminated?

Coming up to near twenty years at the dump I think it's inevitable that the ground has been affected somewhat by sea water and sea air

Regardless what the cause is it looks like we will have to completely re turf the pitch in the summer and that can't be done on the cheap

Dougal

CaleyD gives a sensible and plausible explanation for the pitch which leads you to some strange 'contamination' theory at the 'dump'.

Sounds a bit like something a County fan would come up with. Perhaps you've been spending too much time OTB.

Poor Fraz just back from Easter Road in what seems a right foul mood I wonder why that is?

Dougal

Poor Fraz just back from Easter Road in what seems a right foul mood I wonder why that is?

Dougal

 

Sounds a bit like something a County fan would come up with. Perhaps you've been spending too much time OTB.

 

Some of us have been affectionately calling it the Dump for years.

And we're not County fans either!

 

There is another point being missed but one that was mentioned by the players being interviewed on Alba after the game. They both mentioned the difference with using width at Dingwall but stressed that the pitch there allowed them to play that style whilst the state of our own pitch is a hindrence. Its sad to admit but the Dingwall pitch was in far better condition on friday night than ours was last saturday.

 

You sure you were listening to the right players as our game was on BT Sport, not Alba!

 

Not sure what will happen with the pitch over the summer, but the club are painfully aware that it's not in the condition they would like it to be.

 

Sorry, wrong channel. It was a recording I watched after getting home.

 

 

Artificial pitch would be a great idea. The club could rent it out to the local community for school, street league, amateur/welfare, youth teams and of course us the fans for 5 a side. To good an oportunity to miss imo and with our current pitch being so pump, now would be the time to do it. It may also give us a slight advantage over other sides ;)

Agree. 4G pitch is the way forward. Sadly the league won't allow it yet.

Posts about synthetic surface moved to new thread