THE MATCHDAY THREAD Discuss ICT & other games in this thread as they happen Inverness CT -V- Dundee PREVIEW 13th Aug 2014 @ 7:45PM Caledonian Stadium Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Go to the Chatroom Media Coverage AUDIO Sportsound (BBC) [uK/VPN Only] Bauer Radio (MFR for our away games, other Bauer stations for our home games) - link to be confirmed   TEXT ESPN BBC SKY Sporting Life VIDEO SPFL YouTube Channel ICT Official YouTube Channel   TEAM LINEUPS

Comment on OAM that it was not the worst 0-0 to watch, all very pretty but no chances being created...

Comment on OAM that it was not the worst 0-0 to watch, all very pretty but no chances being created...

That's been the theme in the two games I saw.

Not the worst result in the world and a decent start to the season.  4 points from 6 and no goals conceded.

Moot point but I think we should really be expecting a reasonably comfortable home win against Dundee... 

Well it's going to be long season if that performance is to go by. 

 

Pretty passing yes I agree but I'm sure the idea is to go forward and not sideways or backwards most of the time and ultimately put the wee round thing in the back o the net.

 

There was an improvement when we got Watkins on and yes we did have a few chances, but tippy tappy nae for me.

Me neither, wake me up when the season's over.......

Not impressed with this style of play. Possession is fine but you have to do something with it. So frustrating watching them pass in to a congested midfield when there was acres of space on the wings. Against better opposition we will struggle. Positives, clean sheet, another point, Marley Watkins creates forward movement.

That was grim..very rarely have I seen an ICT side turn away from the wide space when its available and turn into difficult congested areas so much in a game. I know its early days but it is rather worrying. 

Really frustrating stuff at times tonight. Too many times we take the easy option and pass back or sideways in promising positions. Some nice play at times between 18 yard boxes but no ideas in the final third. I'm all for keeping possession and fighting to get it back (which I admit we did quite well tonight) but there is a real lack of threat in the final third of the park.

A better team would have taken the 2/3 chances that Dundee had and made us pay for some very slow and predictable play.

In the post-match interview on the BBC, Hughes acknowledged a lack of creativity and imagination in the final third. It's good that he acknowledges this, but isn't it unrealistic to expect that all our opportunities should come from a 'piece of magic' (which is how he put it), based on a patient build-up from the back? Surely there's a place for playing a higher line at some points in the game, pressing the ball more and trying to force opponents into mistakes, as well, of course, as switching the ball out to the wings and trying to get in behind them. We do have the players to mix it up like this, I think. 

By the time we get the ball into the final third the other team have everyone behind the ball and in position - there's no space to attack. I don't have a problem with building moves from the back, but the current style is just too slow , rigid and predictable. There's no variation. No free flowing moves. No getting in behind. No overloads.

 

Anyone get the impression that Hughes is over-coaching the team? The crazy tippy tappy stuff under pressure in our own third almost cost us the game towards the end.

 

Can't fault the players tonight, bar Vincent who kept giving the ball away. Watkins made a huge difference when introduced. Horner also impressive.

Don't really know how to sum it up - we weren't bad as such, but we were never really looking likely to score.  Got to say, a few decisions near the end in/around the box went in our favour and Dundee wasted a few late opportunities (several of which were gifted to them by us!).

 

It looked as though Vincent went off due to injury, but Marley Watkins without doubt earned a starting place regardless.  Nothing worked for Vincent, I genuinely felt sympathy for him as we've seen such an entirely different - superior - player in the past.  Can't say Doran offered anything which merited a starting slot, he's going to have a fight on his hands to displace Williams who showed fantastic close control under pressure, even if he faded out of the game as it went on.

 

Shinnie and Raven were the only players who went anywhere near the touchlines. 

 

Not conceded and unbeaten, can't complain!

Completely agree with what Alex Jones has said players seem to be taking 5 seconds longer to play a pass than we were at the start of last season. The build up play is so slow that a pub side could defend against it. 

A short spell of 5-10 minutes at the start of the second half the ball was moved quicker when we looked a little more threatening but that soon passed (pardon the pun) and we were back to the slow tippy tappy play.

As I said on another thread: pretty + ineffective = pretty ineffective. I admired our ability to play our way out of tight spots in midfield and keep tidy possession, but I just don't see what Billy's role is! By the time we get to the penalty area, he's marked out of the game. Watkins must start ahead of Vincent. Anyone spot the irony that our best chance came from a break out of defence by Watkins at pace. Shame he wasted it! I think we'll need to get used to these kind of performances and scorelines. Doesn't really get the pulse racing.

Yawn - if you got 3 points for possession I could understand Hughes philosophy, but you don't........

 

Second half improved when Watkins came on, we then brought on Doran and I thought yes - two wingers! But no we move them inside and play them behind Billy and Ryan ends up further back where he is less effective. Our formation for the last 25 minutes appeared to be 4-2-1-2-1.

 

Hughes praised Shinnie and Raven for getting down the wing, it's a shame he won't let our wingers play there. Billy had few chances (one I think), I can see this being a long season as I can't see us scoring many goals.

 

And finally, he takes off Raven who kept us in the game and puts on Horner who made no impact - a change in formation to 4-4-1-1 would likely to have been more effective or bringing on Ross for Christie (who I thought had a great game).

The problem I have with Yogi's philosophy is that I find it too slow and unfortunately it comes across as negative and boring. I personally don't think 4-2-3-1 suits his philosophy of football and would suggest changing to 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. I really don't have a problem with the passing style per say but if it's quick and moves forwards rather than backwards then we will be more effective. I was pleased that we were taking more shots outside the box as that was one of my bug bares in the Butcher era trying to walk it into the net. 

 

Regarding tonight's game Nil-Nil was the fair result - pretty passes but no final third from either side. Hopefully Yogi goes back to the drawing board and changes the team about on Saturday - Watkins, Doran and Williams must start. 

Edited August 13, 201411 yr by ICTRoughi

Mostly agree with what's being said about tonight's match. I just feel Billy Mckay is being wasted in this system. He'll still score goals but won't be quite as prolific as he previously was. In my opinion, he is one of the best 'off the shoulder' strikers in the league. He is brilliant at running in behind and into the channels. Under Hughes, he is forced to constantly play with his back to goal. We're not playing to his strengths and are simply not going to get the best out of him.

Johndo, if you like watching football it might well be entertaining. Dundee parked the bus here, and only came into the game when we got overanxious about it in the last 15 minutes or so. It's not as if we didn'y create chances - Warren, Shinnie and Draper could have scored. Both teams tried to play football, and if we had got Hartley as manager there's a fair bit to indicate here that the end result would look remarkably similar to the Hughes model. I'm not sure about being bored by a passing game (even if it doesn't always come off) but I'd sure as hell rather be bored by that than leathering the ball upfield into the corners and chasing it pell mell. 4 points out of six for the first two games? Happy with that.

PS: Hamilton's result tonight puts into perspective how well we did against them on saturday - there's no mugs in this league.

I said it many times last season and I will keep saying it until Yogi gets the message, why is Vincent in the team ahead of Watkins? Once again Vincent was ineffective. 

Ok we have heard that many thought Hartley should have been our manager as Hughes not capable of attacking football. Hartley must have changed his ways now he is an SPL manager because he had not much imagination in his team tonight and before anyone else says it neither did we !

 there's no mugs in this league.

 

Except maybe County.  

I said it many times last season and I will keep saying it until Yogi gets the message, why is Vincent in the team ahead of Watkins? Once again Vincent was ineffective. 

 

To be fair to Vincent he's been carrying a groin injury but Watkins should have started IMO. 

County got crushed and we kept a clean sheet again, I ll take my positives where I find them but tonight was tedious. Possession football is fine and well but please find a cutting edge from somewhere.

Comment on OAM that it was not the worst 0-0 to watch, all very pretty but no chances being created...[/quo

I'd agree with thst tbh

I am afraid it tedious.I would have thought Billy would jump at getting away.