Interesting to read in today's press and journal that John Hughes fears he won't have time to replace Mckay.

 

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/474843/john-hughes-fears-he-wont-have-time-to-replace-billy-McKay

 

Anybody worried about this sort of talk. I really fear for our European hopes if we don't get anybody in in time. Any names being mentioned regarding potential signings or we all in the dark

Christie and Watkins up front, Doran or Ross behind, and hopefully no injuries....perhaps Foran will feature this season?

I also think Hamilton and Dundee Utd have been weakened in this window as well

Dundee United have just signed Robbie Muirhead from Killie. They have the likes of Charlie Telfer, Chris Erskine and Ryan Dow at the club so I personally don't think they are weakened

Hamilton - yes.

I wonder how Newcastle Reserves will get on in the cup against Raith at the weekend? Surely no less that 5 payers heading to Ibrox on loan from Newcastle is making a mockery of the rules around the influence one man can have with more than one club.

Its a different country.

I thought it was a no vote in September? Ehhh.

Dundee United may have weakened but they have strengthened their defence and have the advantage of a striker or two in their first team squad including one rather good one.

 

I appreciate that we have to be financially prudent but we have £150,000 and Billy's salary to play with. Not to have found a replacement when every other team in the league have brought in at least one player smacks a little of incompetence and a lot of lack of ambition when  a historic first for the cub was in sight.

 

We already had far and away the smallest squad of the top four which is now smaller still. Was the contingency plan to wait and then scrape the barrel of free agents ?

Completely underwhelmed by ICT ... this had the potential to be a historic season for ICT (Europe, Scottish Cup) ... and still can be tbf but we haven't helped ourselves one bit. I cannot believe we are the only SPL team to have not taken in a player ... and that after selling our talisman (and only) out-and-out striker. We were excited about Scottish Cup prospects especially with the expected cull of SPL teams in the last round and the forthcoming "round of 16". I wonder what the odds are on Dundee knocking out Celtic and us failing to get past Partick because we miss a sitter or two. The question is ... was Yogi's talk of active looking at a couple of prospects/contingency planning just flannel to placate/deceive the loyal supporters. Fedup.com #lackofambitionareus

When was Nicky Clark ever approached. ICTRoughi?

And if we had done the job properly and moved Shinnie on in Jan we would have had a few more quid in the transfer pot and another £1500 a week to cover wages. Correct me if I'm wrong but Shinnie seems to be the only player in Scotland to sign a PC in Jan and still be with the same club. Poor, poor business IMO.

There probably never was a contingency plan. It was just a cheap soundbite to appease the fans.

Perhaps it was anticipated that we'd get someone in and the chairman could claim "told you so". He'll possibly now claim that the plan was to promote from within - i.e. integrate our two young strikers into the first team. Ali Sutherland and Calum Ferguson. 

I am not sure that the failure to replace the one crucial payer we have lost in this transfer window bodes well for what is likely to have to be a far more radical recruitment process in the Summer.

Completely underwhelmed by ICT ... this had the potential to be a historic season for ICT (Europe, Scottish Cup) ... and still can be tbf but we haven't helped ourselves one bit. I cannot believe we are the only SPL team to have not taken in a player ... and that after selling our talisman (and only) out-and-out striker. We were excited about Scottish Cup prospects especially with the expected cull of SPL teams in the last round and the forthcoming "round of 16". I wonder what the odds are on Dundee knocking out Celtic and us failing to get past Partick because we miss a sitter or two. The question is ... was Yogi's talk of active looking at a couple of prospects/contingency planning just flannel to placate/deceive the loyal supporters. Fedup.com #lackofambitionareus

Wouldn't blame Yogi for this one. He can only deal in his allowable budget. Cameron started all this contingency blarney so let's hear from him as to why his plan failed desperately.

 

Completely underwhelmed by ICT ... this had the potential to be a historic season for ICT (Europe, Scottish Cup) ... and still can be tbf but we haven't helped ourselves one bit. I cannot believe we are the only SPL team to have not taken in a player ... and that after selling our talisman (and only) out-and-out striker. We were excited about Scottish Cup prospects especially with the expected cull of SPL teams in the last round and the forthcoming "round of 16". I wonder what the odds are on Dundee knocking out Celtic and us failing to get past Partick because we miss a sitter or two. The question is ... was Yogi's talk of active looking at a couple of prospects/contingency planning just flannel to placate/deceive the loyal supporters. Fedup.com #lackofambitionareus

Wouldn't blame Yogi for this one. He can only deal in his allowable budget. Cameron started all this contingency blarney so let's hear from him as to why his plan failed desperately.

 

Yes, fair one. Yogi can only play the cards he is dealt. Cameron is the one to explain what a contingency plan is.

Govan Jaggie --do you have  evidence or proof of what you just said about our outstanding Chairman in post #133?

Eh, almost a week on and no sign of the plan maybe! If I am not mistaken a contingency plan means you have a plan already in place if something was to happen. The club have been talking for weeks about the likelihood of Billy going but appeared to leave it until yesterday to try and replace him. That ain't a contingency that is being reactive and panicking.

Doh - if Billy Mckay goes. - we have so much money to bring in a replacement - let's look at who is available - let's contact the clubs and the players to test the waters - let's make a short list - let Yogi decide the order of priority as to who would fit in to the system best - let's go back and put the offers on hold - put that on the to do wish with a deadline to complete by the end of Novembef 2014. Ready now for that feckin treacherous window. Let's assure the fans.

Very disappointing to find we've signed no one. We've known this situation was likely since the summer. I know we took someone in on loan which didn't work out, but it's not like we haven't had time to plan for this very likely event happening.

Afraid the contingency was the guy at Southend. Well, we're a good deal weaker than a week ago. Dundee Utd will struggle to replace GMS and Armstrong, but no doubt they have a string of talented young guys to bring in. Hamilton must be raging (but rolling in it?)The window is always an anticlimax, I'm afraid. Difficult to get the right players who want to move at the right price and at short notice. Shambles.

Completely underwhelmed by ICT ... this had the potential to be a historic season for ICT (Europe, Scottish Cup) ... and still can be tbf but we haven't helped ourselves one bit. I cannot believe we are the only SPL team to have not taken in a player ... and that after selling our talisman (and only) out-and-out striker. We were excited about Scottish Cup prospects especially with the expected cull of SPL teams in the last round and the forthcoming "round of 16". I wonder what the odds are on Dundee knocking out Celtic and us failing to get past Partick because we miss a sitter or two. The question is ... was Yogi's talk of active looking at a couple of prospects/contingency planning just flannel to placate/deceive the loyal supporters. Fedup.com #lackofambitionareus

Wouldn't blame Yogi for this one. He can only deal in his allowable budget. Cameron started all this contingency blarney so let's hear from him as to why his plan failed desperately.

You can't scapegoat one person - this is a board matter - GAWD it is that bad that I would have say - it would not have happened if Butcher was manager !!

Afraid the contingency was the guy at Southend. Well, we're a good deal weaker than a week ago. Dundee Utd will struggle to replace GMS and Armstrong, but no doubt they have a string of talented young guys to bring in. Hamilton must be raging (but rolling in it?)The window is always an anticlimax, I'm afraid. Difficult to get the right players who want to move at the right price and at short notice. Shambles.

If the contingency plan was indeed the guy at Southend maybe we were fortunate he didn't want to come.

So our options are.

Play with Marley ( or someone else up front if he gets injured)

Sign a player without a contract.

Sign a player who cancels his current contract to play for us.

Ever thought maybe the players approached didnt want to come up to Inverness? Should we pay over the odds for a player of lesser ability like our neighbours just to have a player? Also even if they had a contingency list the players cant be approached in advance as thay would have been 'tapping up' so until we formally go through the process we dont know if a player wants to come to us.

 

I do agree about the GS situation especially as the Dons seem to have spent cash on MacLean, can only assume that they had the loan deal done for the otehr CB and decided that GS can wait. I hope the board didnt reject on the basis its a rival only to then sell off Billy.

Edited February 3, 201511 yr by bdu98196

Couldn't even pull a "rabbit" out of the hat 

Underwhelming and disappointing but not hugely surprising.  We have a fantastic Chairman & Manager but the failure to bring anyone in this transfer window is very poor, we are so short up front.  The Chairman made a statement that we have a contingency but this was clearly not quite correct.  As soon as it looked like Billy was away we should have been on to other clubs agreeing fees/loan terms/wages so that when Billy went most of the replacement deal was in place.   Dundee United have been weakened but not considerably, they've brought in Anier (international), Dixon (Scotland International) and Robbie Muirhead who turned down Celtic yesterday and is one the better prospects in the SPL.   I appreciate that there are budgetary constraints but we received a decent 6 figure sum for Billy as well as freeing up the wages of one of our highest paid players. 

...if Antoine-Curier is still available, I'd be pulling out the stops on that one.

Great chairmen make money for the club. Too easy a job when the team is settled and doing well on the park but you need to be pretty smart and know what you are doing in the transfer market.

Why not give Ferguson and Sutherland chances? I'd give them at least 6 starts each to see how they get on. We should be looking closer to home though and bringing in talented youngsters from across Scotland. We should look at St Johnstone as they do very good job on this front.

Hideous transfer window for us. Our captain is leaving on a PC to our main rivals who have also strengthened their team with a real good prospect.

Our top scorer leaves for a very small fee when you look at all the other fees getting spent around Scotland.

Dundee utd bring in a few although they have lost 2 good players. 2 million quid will soften that blow. 2 players we incidentally had a the club at one point and left for nothing.

Hamilton who also let a player or 2 go but brought in a good few quid themselves.

We have totally ballsed up this window and we still don't have players signed up who want to stay!!

Hideous transfer window for us. Our captain is leaving on a PC to our main rivals who have also strengthened their team with a real good prospect.

Our top scorer leaves for a very small fee when you look at all the other fees getting spent around Scotland.

Dundee utd bring in a few although they have lost 2 good players. 2 million quid will soften that blow. 2 players we incidentally had a the club at one point and left for nothing.

Hamilton who also let a player or 2 go but brought in a good few quid themselves.

We have totally ballsed up this window and we still don't have players signed up who want to stay!!

Come on some of the ridiculous stuff on this thread is laughable. From what I understand GMS was offered a deal at that time but didnt accept. Armstrong was in the youth setup and moved to Dundee to live with his family. Fail to see how club can be at fault for this.

 

The club can only sell players for what other clubs are willing to pay? No?