Six pointer incoming

 

Another crucial game and this time a big six-pointer as we travel up Byres Road to take on Partick Thistle who still have two games in hand over us and only one point behind. Kick-off is on Friday night at 7:45pm and it's another TV game for us, live on BBC Scotland channel.

Match/Ticket/TV/Supporters Bus 07462218717

Venue

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	22	9	6	7	36	33	+3
Away	20	5	6	9	21	28	-7
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	42	14	12	16	57	61	-4

Last 10 Competitive Meetings

3 - 3 (H)

0 - 0 (A)

3 - 1 (H)

1 - 3 (A)

1 - 3 (H)

2 - 1 (A)

1 - 2 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

3 - 2 (H)

1 - 1 (A)

Partick hold a slim advantage overall in the head 2 heads, but over the last ten meetings Inverness have a very slight edge.

The first fixture this season resulted in a 3-1 win for Inverness back in September: After a difficult first half, Inverness ran out comfortable winners against Partick Thistle in a second half goal blitz. The visitors dominated the first forty-five and Scott Tiffoney drilled the opener out of nothing as the defence backed off. Manny Duku was denied by a combination of keeper and post but it was Partick that should have scored a second, however Mark Ridgers did well to deny Brian Graham. Harsh talking at the break saw Inverness come out for the second half with the bit between the teeth and Kirk Broadfoot was the unlikely hero as his twenty yard shot evaded the outstretched fingertips of the keeper to level the score. Shane Sutherland did well to drill in the second from an angle after the keeper fluffed his lines allowing Shane to slot in from twenty yards. The third was a peach as Duku stepped over the ball and Aaron Doran fired high into the net for a brilliant goal and game over. That's five wins out of five and the run goes on...

The second encounter was 0-0 draw at Firhill at the end of October: Partick Thistle survived to earn a point after the woodwork saved them twice and keeper Jamie Sneddon denied Sean Welsh from the spot after guessing the right way. Inverness were well on top but it's only a point which means Killie pull further away at the top. Performance of the day was from Arbroath who came from two down to beat Dunfermline Athletic 4-2.

The last meeting was at the beginning of February, a thrilling 3-3 draw: Partick Thistle struck early to add to our gloom through Brian Graham but Billy Mckay squared the game after twenty minutes with a close range finish from a Carson cross. Graham scored his second with a header soon after, Scott Tiffoney once again the provider and he almost scored one for himself but for a fine save from Ridgers. Shane Sutherland equalised just on the interval with a header from a McAlear corner. With twenty minutes left Deas conceded a stone wall penalty and Graham notched his hat-trick. Substitute Cammy Harper drove into the box but Sneddon blocked his shot and moments later Pearson appeared to hit the bar with an angled drive from twelve yards and Mckay rolled one past the post. We got the draw with the last head of the ball deep into stoppage time when Broadfoot headed in a cross from McAlear.

 

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Arbroath 27 12 12 3 39 19 48 2. Kilmarnock 27 14 5 8 34 19 47 3. Inverness CT 27 10 10 7 35 26 40 4. Partick Thistle 25 10 9 6 38 24 39 5. Raith Rovers 27 9 12 6 34 30 39 6. Morton 27 7 10 10 30 35 31 7. Hamilton Ac. 27 7 10 10 29 41 31 8. Ayr United 27 7 8 12 25 40 29 9. Dunfermline 26 4 12 10 24 40 24 10. Q.O.S. 26 5 8 13 26 40 23

It's getting very tight at the top of the table as the business end of the season gets into full swing. There's a very fine line between remaining in the play off places or dropping into the middle of the table. It's almost as if nobody wants the automatic promotion spot as the top five clubs draw their way towards promotion, not one team taking the bull by the horns, which is just as well as we are on a ten match run without a win, probably the biggest losers in the top five which will drop us out of contention soon if we don't stop the rot.

Saturday Fixtures all 3:00pm

Arbroath v Dunfermline

Killie v Accies 

Queens v Morton    

Rovers v Ayr Utd  

Partick are also back in action against Queen of the South on Tuesday night at Firhill.

Last Time Out

Inverness drew with a resurgent Hamilton Accies last Friday in an entertaining draw at The Fountain of Youth. Whilst our first two defeats were poor results, given the context of this encounter it could be seen as a decent point away from home had we not been on a run of ten games without a win. Anyway, 1-1 it finished with Josh Mullin arrowing a strike high into the net for Accies and Sam Pearson opening his account for the Caley Jags.

Partick were in action in midweek and came from behind to get a point at Gayfield against League Leaders Arbroath. An early strike from Colin Hamilton was not enough for Arbroath as Partick levelled through Ciaran McKenna on the hour.

Latest Team News

Billy Dodds has the usual suspects out injured plus two or three isolating/covid and Roddy MacGregor abducted by an Alien. Official Preview might reveal all, but somehow I doubt it.

Don't know about the Partick players, but I understand their pitch is on the treatment table!

 

Eric the Stat has this info on Parick since the January sales:

Outgoings

Harry Stone - Goalkeeper recalled to parent club Hearts in the window and subsequently loaned out to Albion Rovers FC

Shea Gordon - The central midfield player is on loan to Queen of the South for the rest of the season.

Jake Hastie - Attacking Left Wing from Rangers FC recalled and now on loan to Linfield FC.

Zak Rudden - The 22 year old Centre Forward is on loan to Dundee FC and is expected to have a permanent move to Dens Park this summer.

Incoming Players

Andy Firth - A goalkeeper who rose through the Liverpool FC U18, U21 and U23 system, was transferred to Rangers in 2019, now on loan at Firhill until end of season.

Robbie Crawford - The Globetrotting versatile Midfield player has transferred to Partick from Motherwell FC. The one time Rangers FC player has had spells in Iceland, Finland and in the USA with USL Championship club Charleston Battery.

Kyle McAllister - An Attacking Right Winger on loan from St Mirren until the end of this season.

Alex Jakubiak - The Centre Forward is on loan from Dundee FC where he has suffered a number of injuries since joining in August 2020, including a thigh tendon in a game against ICT. (Jakubiak was injured once again in bizarre fashion, suffering a dislocated shoulder during an altercation at a Dundee nightclub..... allegedly)

 

I would agree with everything you say DD,  However, defensively we are a shambles as IHE pointed out earlier.

At the moment players are nervous and full backs are obviously not comfortable playing where they are! 

Ridgers needs to be in the sticks, Dodds SHOULD have sorted out full backs start if the season, But he made do...  mistake! 

Hope next Saturday brings a performance and a result.

2 hours ago, Fraz said:

According to Dodds we've been unlikely for 11 games

A freudian slip perhaps but never a truer word spoken 

19 minutes ago, Union City Blue said:

A freudian slip perhaps but never a truer word spoken 

🤣🤣🤣 whoops, will edit. 

1 minute ago, Fraz said:

🤣🤣🤣 whoops, will edit. 

I'd just let it fly .. it works ☺

10 hours ago, Jack Waddington said:

Last night was the final straw for me. Its been too much of a burden on me physically and financially to watch the same ***** get copy pasted every ******* week with nothing being changed in terms of management or tactics.

So while I'll continue supporting the team, I doubt I'll be returning to the TCS until Dodds is either sacked or voluntary leaves. The phrase "follow your team through thick and thin" comes to mind, but when EVERYONE, Fans and Players knows that Dodds needs to walk, that's when boycotts and the like need to be mentioned. Roddy is already not showing up at training for one reason or another, but apparently issues with Dodds is a prime reason. We can't keep putting ourselves through such a mind numbing 90 minutes whilst playing relegation form and not having a win since we battered Morton 6-1 BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

That's me off to Clach, and probably other Highland Clubs for the remainder of the Dodds Tyranny. Turrah.

Where have you heard that Roddy isn't showing up for training?

 I'm no fan of Dodds but for a youngster breaking into the first team and not showing up for training Is a disgrace. Can you please tell us all where you are hearing this from and what the issues are because to make such accusations about a young player is bold move. Please enlighten me?

 

28 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Where have you heard that Roddy isn't showing up for training?

 I'm no fan of Dodds but for a youngster breaking into the first team and not showing up for training Is a disgrace. Can you please tell us all where you are hearing this from and what the issues are because to make such accusations about a young player is bold move. Please enlighten me?

 

It's been floating around the supporters bus, not sure if the "Not showing up at training" is a result of chinese whispers, but the falling out with Dodds is almost certainly not.

8 hours ago, Jack Waddington said:

It's been floating around the supporters bus, not sure if the "Not showing up at training" is a result of chinese whispers, but the falling out with Dodds is almost certainly not.

I'm not sure spreading 'gossip' a great idea at moment? 

However if the club communicated better with fans re injuries it would be less likely to happen. 

10 hours ago, SteveA said:

Where have you heard that Roddy isn't showing up for training?

 I'm no fan of Dodds but for a youngster breaking into the first team and not showing up for training Is a disgrace. Can you please tell us all where you are hearing this from and what the issues are because to make such accusations about a young player is bold move. Please enlighten me?

 

Let’s all put and end to these rumours about Roddy. He’s been hit by Covid pre Christmas quite badly. When he got back he tore his thigh. He should have received a scan but didn’t and ended up coming back to training too early with the result that he damaged it again. He has been at the gym every day since he’s been out. He’s absolutely gutted about what’s happened and is desperate to get back to help the team. A situation very far removed from the “refusing to train” bollocks I’ve just read! 

Roddy MacGregor refusing to train is up there with David Carson walking out on the club and wanting his contract ripped up. 

Both utterly laughable. 

Edited March 6, 20224 yr by RiG

20 hours ago, caley100 said:

I would agree with everything you say DD,  However, defensively we are a shambles as IHE pointed out earlier.

At the moment players are nervous and full backs are obviously not comfortable playing where they are! 

Ridgers needs to be in the sticks, Dodds SHOULD have sorted out full backs start if the season, But he made do...  mistake! 

Hope next Saturday brings a performance and a result.

 

Just now, DWH said:

I would like to see Arbroath beat us : it might precipitate Dodds departure. Really hope the Red Lichties hold on and win the title.

The way we are playing there is no chance we would come through the play offs even if we hang on in the top 4. I have watched only relatively few live games in the last several years since leaving Inverness and some others on TV / online. Each year we are worse than the previous one. Friday was torture and we got exactly what we deserved. It's little better than schoolboy football (the other teams are no better but we haven't beaten any of them in 12 matches).

Since 2015 we have gone rapidly downhill and there is no sign of that changing. Depressing but that's how I see it.

Th

3 hours ago, DWH said:

I'll no doubt get slaughtered for that post but have just expressed my utter frustration at how poor I see the team to be.

I'd really love to be positive about ICT and their promotion prospects!

 

(Quote) I would like to see Arbroath beat us : it might precipitate Dodds departure. Really hope the Red Lichties hold on and win the title (quote)

Hopefully the chairman has the guts to act in the next day or two, especially if he wants fans to keep coming to the ground!

How the hell he is still manager is beyond me, he should have went after Ayr!

 

 

The club won't act on Dodds until at least the end of the season, if at all. Don't expect them to do anything. We've no money to pay someone off and get yet another high earning employee. We'll be paying for 3 managers simultaneously lol. 

1 hour ago, Fraz said:

The club won't act on Dodds until at least the end of the season, if at all. Don't expect them to do anything. We've no money to pay someone off and get yet another high earning employee. We'll be paying for 3 managers simultaneously lol. 

And they will lose money if they DON'T ACT because, as I keep saying, the fans just won't bother turning up until he's gone, it's simple as that so they can't win!

 

They should just sack him and hope for promotion so they don't lose money too much.

Fans have had more than enough now so its about time Mr Morrison and Gardiner started LISTENING to us instead of hiding away from all the questions and criticism!!!

6 hours ago, CaleyTennis said:

And they will lose money if they DON'T ACT because, as I keep saying, the fans just won't bother turning up until he's gone, it's simple as that so they can't win!

 

They should just sack him and hope for promotion so they don't lose money too much.

Fans have had more than enough now so its about time Mr Morrison and Gardiner started LISTENING to us instead of hiding away from all the questions and criticism!!!

Doubt if they'll listen if we use grammar such as "should have went" and "so they don't lose money too much". Are you just copying the way some players speak or have you had too much to drink CT? Anyway, I hope we beat Arbroath and finish in the top 4!

It was a season that started so well, unusual for us, but has gone on a downward spiral. I know we have had injuries, but that can't be blamed for the performances, and in my opinion, it started after the Gardyne incident. Whether it has affected the morale of the team or whether Gardyne was the key to some of our victories, I don't know. Our performances have been flat, they look lethargic to me, and they don't look as if they are comfortable with the tactics they are told to play.

I don't think they will get rid of Dodds anytime soon, it will cost them far too much. Remember when then got rid of Hughes, they couldn't afford to hire another manager from outside, so they hired from within, Foran was put in charge, and we are still suffering from that relegation. I know the fans are dwindling away, even some hard core ones that sit near me have been absent for quite a few games now and I do think that the club needs to make some statement about the fans unrest, they have been silent for far too long. It will soon be time for them to send us letters asking us to part with large sums of money to buy season tickets, so they must try and keep what is a small core of season tickets buyers onside. 

My own opinion on why we have had such a bad season is for one reason only......Lionel Nessie, where has he gone? Hae he also deserted the cause, and maybe he was our talisman! Has he been sacked? Can we afford another mascot or will Robbo have to wear the suit????

The weird thing is that, prior to his official departure from the club, our results with and without Gardyne were broadly similar. Off the pitch is, of course, another matter.

We all seem to be on a football downer just now with the way we play, which is directly attributable to our 11 games without a win. Chinese whispers are expected in the circumstances and fans will guess and second guess and add arms and legs when there is a vacumn of credible information. If I learned one thing in life, it is to be transparent,open and honest with staff, in this case fans. Tell them exactly what is going on, what the challenges are and what the proposals are for overcoming these challenges and then we are all focussed on the one thing (No side issues and dealing with rumour) - Improvement and the route ahead. Keep your staff (fans)in the dark, let them see that there is a disconnect and tell them nothing, just leads to factions,disaffection and disloyalty. I think of this scenario: We all want Caley to do well,but we are in the engine room keeping the ship running and afloat through the storm, those up on the top deck just keep asking for more power and we haven't a clue where we are going and only want to reach a safe haven.Is it not better to tell the troops in the engine room what the challenges are ahead, what we are going to do about it and then hopefully how and when we are goiung to reach safety. Just a thought for Monday morning. 

5 hours ago, Douglas Mackenzie said:

If I learned one thing in life, it is to be transparent,open and honest with staff, in this case fans. Tell them exactly what is going on, what the challenges are and what the proposals are for overcoming these challenges and then we are all focussed on the one thing (No side issues and dealing with rumour) - Improvement and the route ahead. Keep your staff (fans)in the dark, let them see that there is a disconnect and tell them nothing, just leads to factions,disaffection and disloyalty.

This ⬆️

Communication has always been an underlying issue at ICT. There's is and always has been a rationale from some at the club that knowledge is some form of sacred power and the fans should never be given that knowledge or power. I have seen (and heard) that first hand. Sometimes communication has been good when the club have established and maintained relationships - be that with us, the supporters club, the Trust, the Courier, or even just on their own website!  Other times - like now - it is non-existent and that leaves a void that, whether you like it or not, will be filled with disinformation and rumour. 

We are still afloat, amidst a two year long (hopefully) once in a lifetime pandemic so the chairman, CEO and other directors must be doing something, and possible doing it very well ... we just don't know as they choose only to send out missives about hospitality or who has bought hoardings at the stadium. Regardless of how well they are selling advertising boards though, the judgement on how we are doing is on the pitch and that's not so good right now!  The execs (like the team) actually started quite well at the beginning of the pandemic and when laying out the fact that we were skint and looking for the fans to bring in revenue and/or suggest where we might find some, but just like the team performance, that has tailed off and dare I say it tanked badly.  

I cant speak for other outlets I mentioned above, but I do know that when we had the ear of the chairman or other directors we were constantly asking for and publishing 'interesting' info, most of it with a positive viewpoint because at the end of the day we are all ICT fans on here and like to look at situations through our red and blue tinted glasses. The same is true of CaleyD when he took on a role at the club and was publishing whatever he could. 

There are things the club cant publish for various confidentiality, business or personnel reasons, but everything else should be fair game. Otherwise it ends up out there as a rumour, and seldom in a correct fashion. The 'rumour' about Roddy listed above is a classic example. "He's not turning up for training after a fallout with Dodds" - sounds plausible if you want to believe that, and on a poor run, where tempers and emotions are likely frayed then its no big leap and has the potential to grow arms and legs ... but equally the reasoning that "he was affected by COVID, then got injured and unfortunately had a recurrence of that injury when he came back" should not be a state secret if that is the case. You say that, people may criticise the coaching or medical staff for rushing him back rather than questioning the boy's loyalty to the club or making him look like a petulant child or opining that Dodds has lost the dressing room etc.   

 

 

 

Very well said Douglas and Scotty.

Hopefully someone in the club actually reads this site and the posts on social media etc, and realises the way fans feel about the ongoing failure to communicate. If so, they need to be ensuring the Chairman, Board and CEO know the depth of feeling. Improving communication should be easy, it just needs them to focus on it, set a standard and stick to it. A monthly blog by the Chairman or CEO, augmented by helpful news in pre and post match interviews would make a major difference. If put in place quickly, it will help with season ticket sales for next season as some fans will be less cheesed off.

I’m sure we’d all be (slightly) more forgiving of some of the poor performances if we were better informed about injuries, players suffering from Covid or isolating etc.

It is time for the Chairman, Board and CEO to be visible and show the fans that they are leading the club. I’m sure they’ve done a lot of good in the last two years in keeping the club alive through Covid, but they need to be shouting about it.

They say they want to increase our standing in the community. Without good communication, they will never achieve that.  

 

Edited March 7, 20224 yr by Robert

On 3/5/2022 at 8:29 PM, DoofersDad said:

Having said that though, we are still in a decent position for the play-offs and promotion to the top flight remains a possibility.

How we are still managing to cling on to a play-off spot is almost as puzzling as how our performances have managed to deteriorate so drastically.

Just as well Raith are also in a race with us to dive out of the play-offs or the slim chance we still have would already be gone.

Amazing as it is after our abysmal run since before the turn of the year, we are still in with a shout of promotion via the play offs.

We will need to improve on our recent dire performances and occasional apparent lack of team spirit.

Now is the final chance to revive our season which will, above all, require unity on and off the pitch.

Frustrated and disappointed as we are, time to pull together and back the team. Definitely not time to spread unfounded rumours about dressing room unrest.

 

owe still have a board member who is a retired journalist. Surely he should deal with communications! Absolutely no idea what he brings to the table.

6 hours ago, Robert said:

Hopefully someone in the club actually reads this site and the posts on social media etc, and realises the way fans feel about the ongoing failure to communicate. If so, they need to be ensuring the Chairman, Board and CEO know the depth of feeling. Improving communication should be easy, it just needs them to focus on it, set a standard and stick to it. A monthly blog by the Chairman or CEO, augmented by helpful news in pre and post match interviews would make a major difference. If put in place quickly, it will help with season ticket sales for next season as some fans will be less cheesed off.

Our Chairman used to be on the forum and I hope he still has a look although he might not bother now!