I know the season isn't over and we have a huge game left this season but given that we are back in action quite a bit earlier next season due to European participation ( woohoo!! ) I wonder if Yogi has begun to look at the squad and see where it needs strengthened for next season? I would imagine we would have to operate a slightly larger squad pool given that we'll be competing both domestically and abroad

 

Quite a few other clubs are signing players on pre-contracts and assembling squads for next year so I wonder if there is work going on behind the scenes to supplement the squad for a huge season next year.

 

Obviously Shinnie is going to be a huge loss for us so will left back be a position needing filled or will Tremarco fit straight in with Babtie coming in from the youths as back up?

 

Will Ofere be here next season? His goals have been huge for us but other than the big man we dont have a great deal of options up front given the speculation about Marley leaving.

 

IMO we need a left back, a right winger and 2 forwards (even if Ofere stays)

 

Now that we are competing in Europe does this open up a new standard of player available to us?

 

Any thoughts on if/where we need squad reinforcements?

 

 

And where the money would come from?

I never thought of this - I will need to start buying Danzka, Grey Goose, Zubrowka and Absolut.

I'm not saying we need to pay transfer fees but I don't think many would disagree that we need to strengthen the squad

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that money for points and participating in European competition is much more lucrative next season following a review of monies paid to clubs. Also just qualifying for the group stages of the Europa league gets you £5million minimum then would it not be worth a couple of extra yearly wages in the hope that we may get a favourable draw in the qualifiers? If Aberdeen can qualify with a mediocre team a few seasons ago then why cant we? Call me optimistic if you want

 

Surely being in a cup final and securing 3rd place in the league would give enough money to cover the wages of a couple of extra players? Or if not, surely bigger clubs would love to sound promising youngsters to a club competing in Europe?

And where the money would come from?

We didn't pay anything for Big Eddie and he is probably on a lower wage than Billy was, so really we have done better 

We would no doubt love to 'strengthen for Europe' but there are a few harsh realities.

 

Firstly our cup exploits, even if we win, will not lead to great wealth, what it will mean is that we are likely to post a modest trading profit rather than a circa £300,000 loss.

 

Secondly, even with the new payment from UEFFA, European participation is not likely to generate more than a very modest five figure profit.

 

Finally, history would seem to suggest that our adventure is unlikely to last much beyond August at best so it would be lunacy for the club to risk hard won financial stability chasing European success.

 

And where the money would come from?

We didn't pay anything for Big Eddie and he is probably on a lower wage than Billy was, so really we have done better 

 

I doubt very much indeed whether we are paying Edward Ofere less than Billy McKay on a weekly basis. On the contrary.

I personally feel that we could do with getting a couple of experienced players that have already played European football to help out our guys when it comes to big game qualifiers. I also appreciate for us to do that would take the club to spend money that we most likely don't have but maybe there are a few feasible options out there.

Scott McDonald done it all with Celtic in Europe and seems to be having a really positive impact to Motherwell this season. His contract will be coming to an end next month, could do no wrong in enquiring IMO

On our day we have a squad good enough to compete with a good European side but as I say, a couple experienced players wouldn't go a miss.

The Europa qualifying rounds are a total lottery - Lets just go with what we have got and feckin enjoy - win, lose or draw. Does anyone actually have the expectation of getting to the group stages ??

I agree that a couple of experience players being added to the pool wouldn't break the bank considering that we should do reasonably well out of this season.

 

I found the payments for next seasons Europa League qualifying round payouts:

 

 

Meanwhile, every club that features in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round will get €120,000 even if they go on to qualify for the group stage. Second qualifying round participants will gain €130,000 even if they go through to the group stage, and each club playing in the third qualifying round will receive €140,000 regardless of results.

 

Source: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2146866.html

We would no doubt love to 'strengthen for Europe' but there are a few harsh realities.

 

Firstly our cup exploits, even if we win, will not lead to great wealth, what it will mean is that we are likely to post a modest trading profit rather than a circa £300,000 loss.

 

Secondly, even with the new payment from UEFFA, European participation is not likely to generate more than a very modest five figure profit.

 

Finally, history would seem to suggest that our adventure is unlikely to last much beyond August at best so it would be lunacy for the club to risk hard won financial stability chasing European success.

What a strange thing! It seems that outwith the realms of politics, I have quite a lot in common with Kingsmills!

 

Two very important points from that post.

 

* In terms of balancing the books, or almost doing so, it looks to me as if for several years now, Caley Thistle has relied, for Premiership subsistence, on a series of windfalls ranging from Cup runs to the Muirfield Mills investment to selling the Social Club. This season also there are relatively modest windfalls such as the McKay transfer and Cup money, although how much of that would be included in a balanace sheet to 31st May is another question. In recent years it has needed almost £4 million a season to keep Caley Thistle going. With most attendances in the 3000 - 3500 range, a large amount of other activity is needed to raise that. It therefore appears to me that there is NO room for financial manoeuvre - especially against a big on-field gamble.

 

* Many will recollect the apparent sense of relief two seasons ago when ICT didn't make Europe which, I was told at the time, would have had serious financial implications. I am led to believe that the situation is somewhat different now, but I would suggest nothing like what would justify speculatively splashing out on players in the manner suggested. The history of Caley Thistle (with a single major blooper in the late 90s/ early 00s) is one of measured progress up the ladder in several limited steps whilst keeping the books more or less balanced. Rather than, suddenly and at great expense, trying to forge the club's way through Europe faster than General Patton after D Day, I would suggest that it would be much more prudent to enjoy this debut European opportunity as far as current resources can sensibly permit.

 

Or to cut a long story short..... please don't get too carried away chaps!!!

Can we not just hire a few players for our european expliots, bit like a car   

The Europa qualifying rounds are a total lottery - Lets just go with what we have got and feckin enjoy - win, lose or draw. Does anyone actually have the expectation of getting to the group stages ??

 

...not only that, getting to the group stages would be incredibly demanding for a very small squad like ours and would seriously impact on our league form. I'm with the posters above - go and enjoy the experience using the format that has served us well over the last few seasons. A couple of loanees might be an idea to add a bit of depth with minimal risk, but financial stability is paramount.

I would prefer we kept faith with the guys who got us where we are. The players who qualified for Europe should be the players who play in Europe. We should reward them with long contracts before we go out looking for new signings.

Let us also not forget the club's philosophy up until now, to sign hard working young(ish) players from the lower reaches, and give them the platform to fulfil their potential.

Shinniesta is the classic example. He certainly wasn't the finished product when he broke into the first team, in fact he was arguably the worst left back in the SPL. But persistence paid off. Today he's the best left back in the SPL. Would we have been better off shelling out for an 'experienced' player like Gary Naysmith back then over the green, rookie Shinnie? I think not! Let's not deviate from the strategy that has brought us so much success.


 

I'm not saying we should deviate from the secure operating system that the board has in the place, nor am i saying that we should put ourselves into debt signing numerous players for an assault on Europe. Remaining sustainable is what we are about and many if not all clubs aspire to that. I have no issue with that and encourage it. All I am saying is that the club is venturing into new ground and potentially prosperous ground at that. Surely adding a couple of loan players or having more than one recognised striker at the club is worth the moderate outlay?

Strengthening for Europe....

Strengthening. For. Europe

STRENGTHENING

FOR

EUROPE

Sorry but im still struggling to believe we have actually done it. Cant believe those words are even bein uttered. Feelings of pride and emotion these past few days. And thats for someone who started watching football/ICT at age of 7 when we were in 3rd division. I cant imaging how it must feel for those who remember the pre merger days of the 80s when the mere thought of a merger was astounding never mind an Inverness team in the Scottish League.

Now look at us!

Forget about Europe we need to strengthen for the league Campaign next season , with a replacement for Shinnie and at least one other  forward and maybe more depending on who goes ,who stays.

 

Europe will take care of itself lets just go and enjoy as previous poster has said win , lose or draw after all I don't expect us to progress to the group stages given the success of Scottish Clubs in recent years

Never mind strengthening for Europe, how are we going to replace Shinnie?

Was it 11 years ago at this time that ICT fans were stressing over "how are we going to replace David Bingham?"

If we are to bring players in they will have to be early - last year Aberdeen brought most if not all of their signings in before Europe.

Why the fuss ?.......leave it to our management team.............They have done a marvellous job up 'till now and no doubt they will do so again.

 

Whoever remains from our current playing squad at the end of the season deserves a crack at playing in European football..... they earned it

 

This is our first venture so let all enjoy it, players, management and supporters.....Do not expect or demand miracles........It took us 21 years to get this far............This is bonus time for all, another piece of history and another brick in the building.... be content with cementing this one in,............... enjoy it..........and the kudos it has brought us.............no need to bankrupt the Club or even overstretch the budget........ We have the means to do things in our own modest way. 

 

Hail ICT you have done us proud....players,  management, staff, supporters and special mention to Away guys/Gals  and singing section.

 

                                                                                             

A lot of people on here seem to be under the impression that strengthening the squad somehow means bankrupting the club or spending money we don't have. Butcher in his time here strengthened the squad each year without bankrupting the club, Pele did it every season he was here without bankrupting the club, why cant Yogi? I have never said that we have to splurge money we don't have on adding to the squad I am merely saying that to have a squad ready for domestic and foreign pursuits then we have to bolster the squad.

 

Yogi has stated himself there will be around 4-5 departures over the close season. We will be losing our captain who will be a huge player to replace, we have no senior strikers contracted to the club beyond the summer so this team will require replacements and additions and I have full faith in the board and management in doing this within our means.

 

The whole point of the thread wasn't to discuss a shopping list of European superstars, it was to see if and where we need to look at strengthening for next season

 

 

Now that we are competing in Europe does this open up a new standard of player available to us?

 

Libero.... the title you chose for the thread and the quote above from the OP don't seem quite to square with what you now seem to be saying in post #22.

Bughtie--

 

I gave you a like for your above since it's based on that inestimable quality.= of...............common sense.

 

Since Chas Bannerman also gave you a like for your post something of an eye-opener has occurred.---- Chas and Uncle Scarlet are finally on the same page. Wheeeeee!

Now that we are competing in Europe does this open up a new standard of player available to us?

Libero.... the title you chose for the thread and the quote above from the OP don't seem quite to square with what you now seem to be saying in post #22.

Again I would disagree.

Our wage budget will have a set limit which we can offer a player but do you not think that offering a player the chance of European football would be a very big selling factor for the club? IMO it would be a huge draw to a lot of players that wouldn't normally be interested in a smaller club.

Clubs all over the world use the fact that they are playing European football as a selling point so I don't believe that we should be any different. Over the years we have expanded our reputation throughout Britain and Europe as giant killers in the cup, or the small team from the North punching well above our weight but now that we have qualified for a European competition then our reputation will be enhanced even further, I firmly believe this can help the club in attracting a different calibre of player not available to us before irrespective of the wages we offer

We will sign players as we are losing some so we will have a few places in the squad to add. We wont make a huge number of signings as we don't need to as the core of the team is in place. If we can keep the rest of the out of contract players like Watkins, Ross and of course big eddie then we will only need a few anyway. For the size of club we will rarely strengthen as we don't have the finances but we can put together a similar squad size. As has been said we ain't expecting to go far so every tie will be a cup final and we should embrace and cherish it. If we do better than expected then great we do the highlands proud and Scottish football proud think of that INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE BRINGING SCOTTISH FOOTBALL OUT OF THE EUROPEAN DIRT I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT.