Is Dodds the Man 4 the Job

 

Cove first foot the Caledonian Stadium on 2nd January with many fans questioning whether Billy Dodds should still be in charge as we head into 2023 in a massive slump and slide towards the bottom end of the table. Yes there has been an incredible amount of injuries to contend with, but the majority of the support are questioning his ability to turn things around. It can't be an easy task trying to run a team on a shoestring but it's the nature of the beast, and has been for some time. Money does not affect the style of play though and that is a major concern with many citing the current team as one of the worst since we joined the leagues back in 1994. Has he lost the dressing room? The feud with Ridgers? He was removed at half time against Morton. What now for Cammy Mackay who shipped five at Partick? For Dodds' sake, I hope we can get a few players back as soon as possible, otherwise his position will become untenable, a word that is usually followed by news of a new manager. And what of Robbo? Is that a burden the club can do without? Come to think of it, maybe a complete clear out is the only answer.

Have a good New Year when it comes 

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Match/Ticket info

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Only six competitive meetings v Cove

1 - 0 (A)

4 - 1 (H)

1 - 1 (H)

1 - 3 (A)

3 - 2 (H)

2 - 0 (H)

Recent form table over last six games, horrendous stuff and shipping goals like nobody's business.   Overall Home Away   Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A +/- Pts   1. Dundee 6 5 1 0 11 4 2 0 0 3 0 3 1 0 8 4 +7 16 2. Queens Park 6 4 1 1 17 8 2 1 0 8 3 2 0 1 9 5 +9 13 3. Morton 6 3 3 0 12 6 2 0 0 6 1 1 3 0 6 5 +6 12 4. Partick Thistle 6 3 1 2 15 9 3 0 1 13 6 0 1 1 2 3 +6 10 5. Cove Rangers 6 2 3 1 11 8 2 1 1 6 3 0 2 0 5 5 +3 9 6. Ayr United 6 2 2 2 10 10 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 7 7 0 8 7. Raith Rovers 6 1 2 3 8 13 1 2 1 8 9 0 0 2 0 4 -5 5 8. Arbroath 6 0 4 2 5 11 0 2 1 3 6 0 2 1 2 5 -6 4 9. Inverness CT 6 0 2 4 5 15 0 2 1 3 4 0 0 3 2 11 -10 2 10. Hamilton Ac. 6 0 1 5 7 17 0 1 1 6 7 0 0 4 1 10 -10 1

We opened our home League games with a 4 - 1 win over newly promoted Cove Rangers back in the middle of August.

Austin Powers: Man of Mystery Goals:  Austin Samuels scored twice as Inverness registered their first win of the Championship this season. Aaron Doran and substitute Nathan Shaw opened their accounts with Robbie Leitch tapping in for Cove just after the interval. An ultimately comfortable win for the hosts that bumps them up the table into second spot behind Dundee.

Sadly we have been found out since then and are now just two points above Cove in 7th place on 23 points. We also surprisingly beat them 1 - 0 at Balmoral Park against the run of play as we started to struggle with injuries but still picked up points somehow.

Cove kept at Bay: Our first visit to Balmoral Park on League business ended with a hard fought win, our fifth on the bounce. Inverness opened the scoring after twenty minutes through Steven Boyd, his first of the season. However Roddy MacGregor was helped off the pitch after being injured in the build up to that goal. Allardice stayed in the dressing room at the interval to be replaced by Lewis Hyde. Ridgers did well to deny Cove after the break and right at the end Cove were reduced to ten men as McIntosh was sent off. Still joint top as Partick also win with Dundee and Morton leading the chasing pack.

That win at Balmoral left us joint top with Partick on 20 points. Dundee were three points further back but they now top the table on 34 points.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Current table at the end of 2022 1. Dundee 18 10 4 4 30 20 34 2. Queens Park 18 10 3 5 36 27 33 3. Ayr United 19 9 5 5 38 27 32 4. Morton 18 8 6 4 27 19 30 5. Partick Thistle 19 9 3 7 40 33 30 6. Raith Rovers 19 7 3 9 24 26 24 7. Inverness CT 18 6 5 7 20 26 23 8. Cove Rangers 18 5 6 7 27 28 21 9. Arbroath 19 2 8 9 13 28 14 10. Hamilton Ac. 18 2 5 11 16 37 11

MONDAY 2ND JANUARY - All 3:00pm

Dundee v Arbroath    

Hamilton v Raith Rovers

Morton v Ayr United

     Queen's v Partick Thistle

  Caley Jags v Cove Rangers

Latest Team News

Your guess is as good as mine??? Its two steps forward and three steps back on the injury front.

Here's Billy Dodds to tell us all about it.

 

Incredible result given recent performances. 

I don't think anyone seen that scoreline coming. Hopefully it's a result to build on. 

Have we turned a corner? We will know in a couple of weeks, but what I took from today was the positive attitude of the players who were really in the mood and clearly wanting it, playing for themselves, each other and for us fans.

When Mckay hit the post very early on, it was our first sight of goal and in previous weeks we may have passed rather than having a shot.

Ridgers’ complaints at the goal also exemplified the positivity. Cove got three corners in succession and we should have got fouls at the second and third, the goal coming from the third with Devine poleaxed on the ground.

I was worried then, but we took control and deservedly got back in it. Two great free kicks from Welsh resulted in goals from Mckay and Devine, then a Cove handball let Mckay make it 3-1 before the break.

Then Christmas arrived late with two own goals making it very comfortable. The first came from a positive Mackay run and it may have been going in anyway. The second was a comedy of errors.

Mckay then got his hat trick to finish the scoring.

We then finished with four youngsters on the park and were still outplaying Cove.

As I said, the attitude impressed me most and hopefully that continues on Saturday and beyond.

We thoroughly outplayed Cove and have set a standard we must maintain, although it must be said that Cove were very poor, particularly after the break.

I’m no happy clapper, but let’s enjoy today and if we can put a run together we can get back in the mix at the top.

It is Arbroath next and they turned Dundee over today, so we need to approach next week as we did today.

Well done to all 16 who got game time today.

I was impressed by Henderson who put a few good crosses in and has decent pace.

We also defend much better when Devine plays. He was talking the defence through the whole game.

And great to see Mckay get a hat trick. 

Edited January 2, 20232 yr by Robert

Don't know if its true but somebody says a director had to set in and hel pay the wages. Anybody heard anything. I know things aren't great but thats scary if it true!

Cove competed for the first 30 minutes or so and then drifted out of the game after going behind. A good effort to come from behind with a helping hand from Cove on a few occasions😉 the boy Henderson on loan put quite a few good crosses into the box and looks like he could be a good addition. A well earned 3 points much needed. Ridgers made a couple of excellent saves so good to see him getting warmed up 😎

Dodds safe for another week, then. Should be an interesting game next week after an equally unbelievable win for Arbroath.

25 minutes ago, Robert said:

When Mckay hit the post very early on, it was our first sight of goal and in previous weeks we may have passed rather than having a shot.

This quote sums todays game up for me - it wasn't the most skillful game and we were outclassed in the first half, but I loved the fact that the team were so keen to have a go at goal this week, rather than time wasting passing to others and giving our opponents time to get their defence organised. Take your chances when they come boys and all will be well.

Could another reason for ICT's outstanding win today be the return to the stadium of Lional Nessie?  Great to see him/her on such jolly form and they could be our lucky charm.

Well where did that come from? Congrats to all and great for Billy to nab the hat-trick. Hopefully not a dead cat bounce as Arbroath will be well up for us next. Win that one and it’s quite a dramatic turnaround in fortune.

That was an afternoon when everything went our way, against a pretty hapless Cove.

That said 6 goals against any opponents is an achievement nowadays.

Nice one,  certainly cheered up a freezing afternoon.

 

When was our last hattrick?

Vigurs at Dunfermline in the League Cup group stages?

Edited January 2, 20232 yr by Robert

My first game since before Covid. And what a game to return on! We made a decent start but you could see Cove coming back into it and the goal from a corner was looking inevitable as we looked so poor defending them. But I thought we always looked quite fluent going forward today and turned it around for 3-1 at HT. The second half was fun but I thought Billy Aaron were outstanding linking together and showing their quality and experience. The gap to Queens Park at the top is 10pts so not completely gone but hard but only 4pts back to the play offs. One win doesn’t mean it’s all rosey in the garden but still plenty to look forward too if this is a beginning of something.

Return of Ridgers and Devine making a big difference with their experience. Hopefully this is a corner turned.

Regardless of other injuries a spine of Ridgers, Devine, Welsh and Mckay is very strong for the Championship.  If they are fit there should be no excuses for seeing any more of the insipid performances we've seen recently. 

7 hours ago, Robert said:

Ridgers back. Devine and Henderson also start but Oakley and Boyd only experienced outfield players on the bench:

Presumably Carson will be at right back: Is Barrett released after his short term contract as he’s not in the squad?

Yes Barrett  gone

 

25 minutes ago, Robert said:

Vigurs at Dunfermline in the League Cup group stages?

Just had a look, I think it was Billy at Elgin in the Challenge Cup in 2021. Last hattrick in the League seems to be Nathan Austin v Dumbarton almost 5 years ago.

I forgot about Billy’s and am just amazed Austin got one for us given how lightweight he always seemed. I was at the Dumbarton game (but in the pub before and after) so that’s my excuse!

47 minutes ago, gingerjaggy said:

My first game since before Covid. And what a game to return on!

Welcome back and you did pick the right game.

Just promise us you will make our future home games…..

That was a result I didn't see coming and after going one down, even more so, but with a better performance, some strange play from their keeper and a couple of own goals, it turned out to be the most enjoyable game of the season so far. It could have been a lot different but for a couple of great saves by Ridgers and some sloppy finishing from Cove. It made a huge difference having Devine back in defence and the spine of the team was strong with Welsh Doran and Mckay all having good games. Henderson looks like a player who can beat folk and put in a cross.

More absentees, No Harper or Shaw, are they added to the injury list?

Let's hope we take the same drive and luck through to Arbroath next week.

 

Harper and Shaw missed the Partick game last Friday too. Devine missed it too but thankfully was fit for today.

The club’s report:

https://ictfc.com/match-report-reaction-ictfc-6-1-cove-rangers-02-01-2023

Edited January 2, 20232 yr by Robert

Gutted I missed today's game, no buses running so I couldn't make it but delighted to see the score, hopefully something to build on and results start to go out way 

A result and performance like the good old days..... Thought Dodds might have mentioned Ridgers as part of the experienced players key to the result....Duffy should be back this Saturday as hopefully will be Harper so potentially a slightly stronger squad for Arbroath although the younger lads were certainly very active and enthusiastic .

45 minutes ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

A result and performance like the good old days..... Thought Dodds might have mentioned Ridgers as part of the experienced players key to the result....Duffy should be back this Saturday as hopefully will be Harper so potentially a slightly stronger squad for Arbroath although the younger lads were certainly very active and enthusiastic .

From the Inverness Courier

Head coach Billy Dodds felt it wasn't fair to keep Cammy Mackay as first choice goalkeeper as Mark Ridgers returned to the starting line-up, "Mark has been a model professional, because he knew I wasn't happy.... I didn't think it was fair on Cameron Mackay to keep losing goals when we had young lads in the back, [Mark] came in and had some great saves, but it was his calming influence. I am lucky I have two good goalkeepers, but it was time to put in experience"

Looks like the manager/player relationship has been put back on track, which is always a positive thing, especially in a small squad.

6-1 might be a fluke result or not, although it sounds like we deserved the win, but hopefully a turning point, the new guy Henderson on the wing sounds promising [I can't believe we also had Shaw and Harper out injured], if we can add to the squad again, and maybe see Samuels and Allardice back soon... anything could happen [although we will need to beat Queens Park twice I reckon to get a sniff of the top place, if we do go on a decent run]

Anyway Happy New Year!

 

17 hours ago, Yngwie said:

When was our last hattrick?

17 hours ago, Robert said:

Vigurs at Dunfermline in the League Cup group stages?

16 hours ago, Yngwie said:

Just had a look, I think it was Billy at Elgin in the Challenge Cup in 2021. Last hattrick in the League seems to be Nathan Austin v Dumbarton almost 5 years ago.

 

See here :  Hat Tricks - CaleyThistleOnline

 

Scotty beat me to it.

Paul Ritchie is top treble hitter with 6 🥇

Dennis Wyness has 5 🥈

Iain Stewart has 4 🥉

Billy Mckay has 4 🥉