THE MATCHDAY THREAD Discuss ICT & other games in this thread as they happen Partick Th -V- Inverness CT PREVIEW 21st Mar 2015 @ 3:00PM Firhill PArk, Glasgow Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Go to the Chatroom Media Coverage AUDIO BBC Open All Mics (BBC) [uK/VPN Only] Moray Firth Radio LIVE (MFR) [uK/VPN Only]   TEXT ESPN BBC SKY Sporting Life VIDEO SPFL YouTube Channel ICT Official YouTube Channel   TEAM LINEUPS Tweets by @ICTFC Tweets by @ICTFC

A poor poor result. Change of attitude going into these games is needed. No negative comments from management team that can be interpreted as defeat is acceptable going forward please. Every game is winnable - anything less is unacceptable. Not happy.

Spot on. Would be good to see Doran and Ross start - pretty obvious things ain't working at the moment.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by TopSix

Even if we do get beat...tis ok, with Dundee Utd getting beat and the Sheep only getting 1 pt, so, could be worse

 

Its all well and good to say that but we have now said that the last few weeks

Sitting 3rd in the league, approaching April, and people still find something to be negative about.

I know Partick are something of a bogey team. However, even if this was a blip (it's not given bad recent league form), this result is mildly disappointing purely based on relative table positions ... And that would be the case in any league the world over. Just because we are Inverness doesn't mean we shouldn't aim higher still ... Or at least do a better job of consolidating what we have. It's almost as if, because we are relatively new to this lofty position, we feel as though we don't deserve it, we're not worthy. We do deserve it, we are worthy and seeing Aberdeen drop points today before our kick-off we should have been fired up to make inroads on 2nd place. Yes we are delighted with what the team has achieved this season so far but why stop now? Even Graeme Shinnie said in the P & J today that he really wants us to really drive on to the end this season unlike the tail end of the last two ... His words.

That was as bad as it gets. Two poor teams on a poor pitch. Dreadful game and whatever balance we had was destroyed by the 3 substitutions. Doran might have made a difference as he looked really fresh and eager to get involved but when we put Tarlo & Eddie on we looked even more clueless.

Started with 3 at the back and nobody seemed to know what their job was, with a strange lack of urgency as though we were 3 goals up.

Partick actually looked a very poor side and the boy Lawless was allowed too much space to get in just about the only bit of quality in the whole game, a decent left footed strike that crept in at Ryan's left hand post.

That was as bad as it gets. Two poor teams on a poor pitch. Dreadful game and whatever balance we had was destroyed by the 3 substitutions. Doran might have made a difference as he looked really fresh and eager to get involved but when we put Tarlo & Eddie on we looked even more clueless.

Started with 3 at the back and nobody seemed to know what their job was, with a strange lack of urgency as though we were 3 goals up.

Partick actually looked a very poor side and the boy Lawless was allowed too much space to get in just about the only bit of quality in the whole game, a decent left footed strike that crept in at Ryan's left hand post.

Thanks for the detailed review but I think it makes me feel even more disappointed. A real opportunity missed. I just cannot fathom why Doran isn't goven more game time. When he is given a proper run-out, he often has that bit of craft required.

Team tired after the good run to this point?

 

Or .....?

The break looked to have done us no favours. We looked really ring rusty.

The formation did not work, we spent far too much time passing the ball from side to side again. Partick looked to be playing for a point from the start of the second half, but we didn't do enough to deserve anything from the game.

A special mention for the referee. Steven MacLean is starting to make Collum look good.

Another crap result and another season where we start to falter near the winning post. I can't recall our last good performance.

Sounds like an experimental system that didn't work today. Back to 4-2-3-1 please. Don't repeat this formation.Watkins was apparently isolated and Ofere needs to be played to get used to the system. Real opportunity missed and didn't give it a go. Echos of the league cup match against Rangers. Lack of ambition. Shame there's a break now.

The thing is, we all know Watkins isn't the greatest ball player but he muscled his way through two or three times today and just at the point of pulling the trigger he lost control, although it was as much the fault of the bumpy pitch as Marley's.

The thing is, we all know Watkins isn't the greatest ball player but he muscled his way through two or three times today and just at the point of pulling the trigger he lost control, although it was as much the fault of the bumpy pitch as Marley's.

Ironically, apart from his presence in the air, the one thing that has really stood out about Ofere at the home games is his excellent ball control at least when he receives the ball to feet.

I would love to see a "front four" of Ofere with Doran, Christie and Watkins behind. That is where Watkins has been best.

I  wish we were 3rd in the league in a good position for Europe & maybe in the semi final of the Scottish Cup.

 

I`m not asking a lot.

 

The thing is, we all know Watkins isn't the greatest ball player but he muscled his way through two or three times today and just at the point of pulling the trigger he lost control, although it was as much the fault of the bumpy pitch as Marley's.

Ironically, apart from his presence in the air, the one thing that has really stood out about Ofere at the home games is his excellent ball control at least when he receives the ball to feet.

I would love to see a "front four" of Ofere with Doran, Christie and Watkins behind. That is where Watkins has been best.

...exactly the formation I've suggested since Ofere joined! I don't get the change to 3 at the back today. I don't think the defence was broken, so why switch it? I hope this was JH just trying something - might have been genius, but wasn't. Does he have the semi against Celtic in mind? I hope he's going to be a bit more ambitious then....

That was horrible today! Seriously hate us playing at Firhill!

I  wish we were 3rd in the league in a good position for Europe & maybe in the semi final of the Scottish Cup.

 

I`m not asking a lot.

 

We are no doubt all delighted with where we are but why let it fade. See my longer post above. In a few weeks time our away games will just be against top six teams, not an inconsistent bottom six one like today. Good to aim high. I remember the post match interview Alex Ferguson gave after Aberdeen beat Rangers in the 1983 Scottish Cup Final after extra time. A gruelling but hugely successful week where they had also beaten Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners Cup ... After extra time on a heavy pitch. Players probably utterly exhausted. What did he say? It was a disgraceful Aberdeen performance and the players should have been ashamed of themselves!! What on earth is my point in this? That ... That is a winning mentality. He maybe pushed it too far, encouragement naturally has its place but it is a good, good thing to push one's team on especially if you know they can do better. Aim at nothing and you're sure to hit your target.

I  wish we were 3rd in the league in a good position for Europe & maybe in the semi final of the Scottish Cup.

 

I`m not asking a lot.

 

I wish that we had consolidated the 3rd position and made our fist trip into Europe more of a probability than a possibility prone to an unfortunate tendency to fall away at the end and avoiding the total uncertainty of the post split games. I also wish that our form and system provided more confidence that we can go to Hampden with the belief that we can beat Celluc.

Felt Watkins was really isolated today, you'd be forgiven if you thought Mckay was playing up front for us today. Personally didn't understand why we played three centre backs when Watkins was crying out for someone of Ofere's hight to support him. I thought tactics set out today worked against us and hopefully return to a normal one, if we played like we did today against Celtic, they would have had a field day.

Did we really have any notable chances on goal today?

Felt Watkins was really isolated today, you'd be forgiven if you thought Mckay was playing up front for us today. Personally didn't understand why we played three centre backs when Watkins was crying out for someone of Ofere's hight to support him. I thought tactics set out today worked against us and hopefully return to a normal one, if we played like we did today against Celtic, they would have had a field day.

Did we really have any notable chances on goal today?

Just the one early on I think?

Just back really disappointing today very little positives to take from the game looked like we were playing for a nil nil till they scored then it was to late.

Seems like they are still running on empty. I thought the last 10 day break from games might have re-charged the batteries. Yes, they have got into third spot and a semi final but I fear playing the way they have in the last 5/6 weeks they will struggle to win another game. I really hope they can prove me wrong.

I  wish we were 3rd in the league in a good position for Europe & maybe in the semi final of the Scottish Cup.

 

I`m not asking a lot.

 

 

True that!

 

Sounds like a rather drab match..... but also Yogi trying something new out, it may not have worked, but good to try a few things out at this stage (sounds like Yogi testing some ideas for Celtic). Slightly disturbing is the lack of shots from us....I'd be interested to know if the pitch was that bad?

 

However, I reckon we need a couple more wins out of five games to be in third before the split, and then it's a straight fight with Dundee Utd for third place .....We have three matches before the Semi-final.

 

IMHO second place is probably not realistic....the main target has to be to get past Celtic in the Semi......given the choice between 2nd/3rd/4th  as a final place in the league or a place in the Final (with a really good prospect of winning) I'd taken the Final plus 4th place

 

Be good to get back to winning against Dundee (which wont be easy), not getting stuffed, players injured or sent off against Aberdeen, and confusing Celtic in the league match before the Semi without a morale sapping result.......Yogi about to earn his wages over the next month methinks

The formation wasn't the problem per se, it was the fact we flooded the midfield and then hoofed over it towards Watkins' direction.  I applaud Hughes for trying something different, but we were far too kick and rush today.  We also need to look at what Christie's brings to the team recently.  Did nothing today and hasn't done for a few weeks.  Time to get Ross back in IMO.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by Renegade

The balance was all wrong. We had five defenders and two sitting midfielders. The width was supposed to be provided by the fullbacks, but Williams was playing wide too. When we got the ball there were few options to go forward which meant we either passed sideways or hoofed it forward speculatively.

Did we really have any notable chances on goal today?

Christie had a couple of chances in the first half. One of which he didn't connect with cleanly, otherwise I think he would have scored. We got into good positions a few times too, but wanted too much time to get the shot away and were closed down quickly.

Did we really have any notable chances on goal today?

Christie had a couple of chances in the first half. One of which he didn't connect with cleanly, otherwise I think he would have scored. We got into good positions a few times too, but wanted too much time to get the shot away and were closed down quickly.

FWIW, I agree that we did get into some great positions today, but I just couldn't for the life of me recall after the game any great chances on goal today - maybe I was focusing too much on the second half performance.

I though that Shinnie and Raven played really well in the 'wingback' roles today and I would like to see it return but I'm just not a fan of three centre backs if I'm honest, defensively today we were solid enough granted but I think it affected how we played up front and I'd have rather had an extra man up front than in defence considering our usual back four anyway.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by ICTRoughi

According to the BBC website we had just 2 attempts on goal.  Yet when interviewed after the game Yogi claimed we controlled the game in the first half and played some really good stuff!  Hmm.

 

With Utd's stuttering form since they lost their 2 most creative players in the transfer window we really should be out of sight in 3rd by now - but we aren't.  If we had emulated our neighbours over the last 6 games we would now be sitting on 64 points - 2 behind Celtic, 3 ahead of Aberdeen and a massive 18 ahead of Utd!  Instead, Dundee utd are only 7 points behind with a game in hand.  Now that they are out of both cups and have been well and truly battered by Celtic they have the opportunity to regroup and focus on chasing 3rd spot.  Given where we are we ought to be playing with confidence and attacking freedom but instead we've had a run of lacklustre performances.  It looks as though we don't know how to set up as an attacking unit since Billy left and we don't have the confidence to be creative.

 

We now face Dundee before having to contend with both Aberdeen and Celtic before the split.  We really need a positive attacking performance against Dundee to gain a bit of confidence before a very challenging run of games