THE MATCHDAY THREAD Discuss ICT & other games in this thread as they happen Inverness CT -V- Rangers PREVIEW 24th Feb 2017 @ 7:45PM, Caledonian Stadium Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Go to the Chatroom Media Coverage AUDIO BBC Sportsound Details Here [UK Only]   TEXT ESPN BBC Sporting Life   VIDEO LIVE (OUTSIDE UK) via ICTFC.COM : cost £5.00 : http://ictfc.com/caleyjagstv ON DEMAND (Worldwide) via ICTFC.COM : http://ictfc.com/caleyjagstv after holdback period (midnight UK time) SPFL YouTube Channel ICT Official YouTube Channel   TEAM LINEUPS TO FOLLOW Tweets by @ICTFC Tweets by @ICTFC

What a difference when we play Polworth in his proper position.  Been one of the best players on the park two games running now.

Just brilliant well done to the team tonight  a lot of happy fans tonight going out of the park and up the road after such a long time without a win, sets us up well to take another point of Celtic on Wednesday night 

I went hoping and came home delighted!

A very poor start, but the break in play for Tremarco's injury seemed to let us regroup, and I thought from then on it was quite even.

Two great goals, but agree with others that Tansey should take any penalties. Second a goal of the season contender?

I was surprised Warren didn't start, but the result is what counts.

Fon Williams kept us in it early on. Raven excelled when switched to left back. Mckay had a tough time, but Cole helped out. First time I have seen Laing and he did OK, and McCart much more assured than against Dundee. Great game from Tansey, Draper his usual self. Mulraney has come on a lot, but seemed to pick up a few knocks. Cole did OK, and better defensively than I have seen him. Polworth had a slow start but improved after a bollocking whilst Tremarco was down. Still feels he should give us more. And then a stunner from Mckay!

Great night, particularly as I had three Rangers fans next to me. Strangely they left as soon as the second goal went in.

If we get anything on Wednesday, it is a bonus. Partick away is the focus for me now!

Very well done to the management team and players.

Up to 11th, let's keep it going. Unbeaten in three league games!

 

 

...totally confused by POY thread - I and a couple of others have voted in a thread for the Hearts game which has been reposted? Is the title just wrong (although subs and ref are also from Hearts game) or have I lost it after finally seeing our team win?

 

Great result. Rode our luck at some points but to a man team battled and pushed to make their own luck for the result. Shame McCart has to  sit out next game against his parent club.

Well done to Richie and the team!  We won tonight because we wanted it more.  The commitment throughout the team was excellent.  It was doubly impressive because we had to readjust very early on with Tremarco going off injured and then later when Mulraney also had to go off.  if we can maintain that spirit for the rest of the season, then we should be a good bit clear of the relegation spots come the end of the season.  It was a high tempo game and really exciting to watch.

It was great to see Tansey playing more forward and scoring an excellent goal.  But why did he not take the penalty?  It looked to me as though his team mates were expecting him to take it but that he gave the nod to Vigurs.  Who is our designated penalty taker?  If it is Tansey then it would have been very unfair of him to pass on the responsibility to someone else out of the blue, particularly when his confidence should have been high after the goal.  Vigurs had only recently come on in place of Draper, so who was the captain on the park?  Tansey?  That is something that needs clarifying.

But full marks to Vigurs for missing the penalty.  It meant there was less time for us to hold out for victory once we finally did get the 2nd goal.  

And a word about Polworth.  After a shaky start, I thought he was excellent.  What annoyed me were the numpties in front of me who kept on having a go at him for not pressurising defenders with the ball in the 2nd half.  Actually, he pressurised them exceptionally well when they didn't have an easy offload.  But when they had support and any easy pass, Polworth rightly held back despite the colourful urging of the numpties.  Had he charged forward to put pressure on the defender, the defender would have played a simple pass to his team mate who, in turn, could simply have taken the ball or passed it through the gaping gap that Polworth would have just vacated.  Polworth put in a terrific shift today.

But for all the positives, my MOTM was OFW..  Without some excellent stops and blocks and a much more assured performance from him, we would have lost today,  The Rangers produced some neat interplay in the final third but nothing incisive enough to get past OFW.

Where have performances like that been for the last few months? Excellent! Mulraney, Cole, Polworth looked changed players. Thought Raven was immense considering he had to switch to LB (hope Tremarco's injury isn't serious). But the whole team deserve plaudits for a great result. 

As I can't post it on the MOM thread, I went with

Fon Williams

Mckay

Tansey

but Raven, Draperand Mulraney all deserved points tonight too!

I've been very critical of him recently but I love this..... 

 

30 minutes ago, Robert said:

As I can't post it on the MOM thread, I went with

Fon Williams

Mckay

Tansey

but Raven, Draperand Mulraney all deserved points tonight too!

why cant you post on MOM thread ? its open and I just test posted without any issue. 

Fantastic match, great to get three points and climb off the bottom of the table.

Well done to all the lads and management.

I have gurned a lot this season, but tonight was worth the wait. 

Yessssssssssssssssssssss!!!

And the BBC seems to agree with all that above.....

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39000462

@TheRangers:

7 hours ago, Scotty said:

why cant you post on MOM thread ? its open and I just test posted without any issue. 

It had a message in a box saying it was closed to new posts. Will try again.

 

11 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

Can we transfer Vigurs to the glue factory at the end of the season please.

couldn't believe what I saw at the penalty last night. no one was willing to step up and take it. billy said no, saw tansy shake his head when asked then someone asked vigurs and he took the ball.

should be nominated before the game, and that player gets hold of the ball asap. the rangers goalkeeper must have been filled with confidence seeing no one wanted to take the kick.

funny how different people see a game. I wonder if those on here saying cole was a changed player were at the game or watching on tv. he had half a doz crosses in second half all trundled along the ground. his cross for the winning goal was one of  his worst but was helped on to billy by Wilson. offered nothing in defence.   quite a few in the north stand shouting for him to be hooked early second half.

but everyone has an opinion I suppose

J'taime! 

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of the Daily Record

 

Edited February 25, 20178 yr by CELTIC1CALEY3

1 hour ago, bishbashbosh said:

couldn't believe what I saw at the penalty last night. no one was willing to step up and take it. billy said no, saw tansy shake his head when asked then someone asked vigurs and he took the ball.

should be nominated before the game, and that player gets hold of the ball asap. the rangers goalkeeper must have been filled with confidence seeing no one wanted to take the kick.

funny how different people see a game. I wonder if those on here saying cole was a changed player were at the game or watching on tv. he had half a doz crosses in second half all trundled along the ground. his cross for the winning goal was one of  his worst but was helped on to billy by Wilson. offered nothing in defence.   quite a few in the north stand shouting for him to be hooked early second half.

but everyone has an opinion I suppose

I'm not a big fan of the guy who wins the penalty taking it....unless he is the designated guy. BK has missed a few in the past, I wonder if Draper was the DP at tyhe start of the match. Vigurs lost out on the ploy of sending the goalie the wrong way.

Whilst perhaps not as good a game for Cole as the one aginst Hearts, he was still mentioned by the commentators last night for having a positive contribution, particularly after Mulraney went off. He has pretty good close ball control and composure, and was a good outlet. I thought he did help out the defence sufficiently. I'm not having a pop at you, but some supporters are only satisfied if a player rounds around frantically for 90mins putting in block-buster tackles all night long.

SEVCO SMILEYMOMETER

FON WILLIAMS   :  Not wholly assured and I would guess at 80% fit. I still get nervous about / for him. But that performance can only be "confidence medicine".

RAVEN :   Eat, Sleep, Raven, Repeat - He plays on the right, he plays on the left. Lets just say that he pulled back the years last night.

TREMARCO :  Hope that the injury is short term - Big, big player for us this season.

BRAD McKAY :  Literally thrown in at the deep end. Sound if not spectacular

LAING :  : Lack of match time and fitness showed at times last night but held firm as the Sevco tide threatened. Needless challenge for the penalty and a needless yellow card (although he can afford them !!)

McCART  : Joint MOM for me. At Tynie he looked "green" and needed the support and guidance of Laing. Last night it was the opposite. Memories of a young Warren. Perhaps it was the Parkhead factor !!

DRAPER  : Now that was a captains' performance. Hope that the substitution was pre-planned and not due to an injury. Ran his socks off and won almost everything in the air and on the ground, especially from dead ball situations.

TANSEY  : MOM too. Much maligned by many this season, especially me, but that is two fine performances in a row. Busy, looking for the ball and picking out passes. He benefits from the cover from Draper and Polworth, the width of two wingers and the running of Mckay - but he has always been a "footballer". May be tad cruel but he may also be influenced by the new look Foran and the fact that Aberdire are more interested in Christie. Now really playing for his starting place like all the others. Could not believe that he didn't grab the penalty. And yet another yellow - for "clumsiness" - Paul Scholes timed a tackle better.

POLWORTH : ; Another benefitting from being played where he enjoys and where he is most effective. Must have ran miles more than anyone else in the last two games but also a ball player when needed. Another beginning to really play for the shirt and his manager. Needs to learn how to win penalties though !!

VIGURS : : WHY was he allowed to take the penalty ? Was it pre-planned ? Did wee Billy and Tansey bottle it ?

MULRANEY :  : IF he had been more direct and confident from the off he would have totally murdered Wallace. A lad who appears to have confidence issues but that should be a confident booster. Play wide and attack, attack, attack son. Fell out of the game because we were on the back foot but kept tracking back. Shades of a young Barry Robson.

COLE :  : Just did not get in to the game and overshadowed by Mulraney who was getting all the midfield service. Another who could be more direct.

Mckay :  : Much improvement in his running off the ball and hold-up play. A born poacher and goalscorer. He scores when he wants

FORAN :  : Brave, brave selection but overdue and (sorry) but not rocket science. Has taken him 2/3rd of a season to have a "realisation" epiphany - whilst previous being somebody who rhymes with epiphany. That was the "old" Richie Foran on the sidelines. Keep being nasty, keep being aggressive - You are the feckin boss and not one of the feckin boys.

Some of his post-match comments : I thought our moment was gone with missing the penalty," admitted Foran ; The boys showed big, big character against a really good side. They [Rangers] have been written off, they're getting criticised from every angle. They're a good side with good players and that's a huge result for us. "I always thought we were a threat in the final third. I knew we'd get a chance again. "I wasn't sure if we'd get a chance after the penalty but that's why you've got Billy Mckay in your team. He can score out of nothing. If you want to have a successful season, you need a striker like that."

And as for the future : "We can go on a run," said Foran. "Maybe it's going to be perfect timing for that run, coming to the end of the season ; "Go and win games, go on your run, go eight, nine unbeaten, we can get in that top six." - Shut the feck up Richie. We win one game, against a team in turmoil, and we are Top Six Again - give me a break. It is easy to lift yourself against the top teams and on the gogglebox - the proof rests in going to Firhill and get three points, the trick is to win the Highland Derby and to take another three at home against a struggling but unpredictable Kilmarnock.

Cellic up next is a hiding to nothing and to finish :

 

Still buzzing from the result last night. Down to a man we were brilliant. Rangers were dominant early in the game and a few weeks ago we would have crumbled under the pressure. I thought McCart and Laing were solid against Hearts, their athleticism and pace leaves us less vulnerable to the counter attack which had been our downfall this season. Warren has always been solid but his lack of pace has become increasingly evident this season. It will be interesting to see what happens when Meekings come back. 

Tansey again had a massive performance, adding to his solid display last week. He looks reinvigorated and is being given more freedom to play further up the park, with Draper and Polly offering protection behind. He needs to be taking penalties again though, he has a brilliant record from the sport even if he missed his last one. It's a shame that he's probably going to leave at the end of the season, as in my opinion he's the best player we have. 

It's good that Foran has finally decided to but two genuine wingers on the flanks. Cole is handful and has the ability to beat players, and Mulraney's pace is frightening, he's still young if we keep hold of him he can develop into a right good player. With Billy King and Doran we have 4 good wingers who all offer something a little bit different, so we have good depth in that respect. 

Other than that, I thought Raven was again solid at the back, and should hold on to that RB spot if he keeps up his performances. McKay also adds so much to us, a great outlet up top, and has the technical ability to match his work rate. 

Thank you Billy Mackay, 3 weeks at sea with some loudmouth Rangers shipmates, you have shut them up big time and for once I have got some bragging rights. Now a point on Wednesday would be icing on the cake.Makes all this crap weather bearable. The team on BBC for once gave us credit we deserved, even Steven Thompson.

Here's our report after last nights epic encounter.

Theresa May, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, Angela Merkel........................your boys took a helluva beating tonight!

 

5 hours ago, Eagle4Caley said:

I'm not a big fan of the guy who wins the penalty taking it....unless he is the designated guy. BK has missed a few in the past, I wonder if Draper was the DP at tyhe start of the match. Vigurs lost out on the ploy of sending the goalie the wrong way.

Whilst perhaps not as good a game for Cole as the one aginst Hearts, he was still mentioned by the commentators last night for having a positive contribution, particularly after Mulraney went off. He has pretty good close ball control and composure, and was a good outlet. I thought he did help out the defence sufficiently. I'm not having a pop at you, but some supporters are only satisfied if a player rounds around frantically for 90mins putting in block-buster tackles all night long.

not expecting  any of the above from cole, he is too light weight for that, and block-buster tackling  he is a decent player going forward  but when you get into a position to cross the ball, at this level, you have got to do better than trundle it along the ground.

Celtic score to take us back off the bottom and Dundee stick in 5 goals at Well, hope other matches can go our way in the 2nd half

Aye, we need a bit of help from Aberdeen, Hearts and St Johnstone and if Celtic can add a few more goals that would be dandy.