Let's Do This!

 

The Championship kicks off on Friday night with title favourites Dundee United visiting Arbroath. For the rest of us mere mortals, it all begins on Saturday at 3:00pm and we are at the Caledonian Stadium to host Queens Park, a side we never got the better of last season. Five attempts to beat them on the park and our only 'success' came off the park in the Scottish Cup when Queens were turfed out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player. Thank you Euan Henderson, you saved last season from being a complete failure to just a failure! We start the season with five new players and our major departures were Scott Allardice and Robbie Deas. Loan players Dan Mackay and Jay Henderson were also returned to their parent clubs. 

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Match/Ticket Info

Harry Lodovica

Mathew Strachan

Harry Hennem

Ethan Cairns

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Last seasons Meetings including 0-2 Cup Loss at Home

1 - 2 (A)

0 - 2 (H)

0 - 0 (H)

1 - 2 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

 

FRIDAY 4TH AUGUST

  Arbroath v Dundee Utd

SATURDAY 5TH AUGUST

Dunfermline v Airdrieonians

Morton v Ayr Utd.

Inverness CT v Queen's Park

Partick v Rovers

Team News

Inverness signed five players during the summer. Defender Jake Davidson, midfielder Charlie Gilmour, forwards Adam Brooks, Luis Longstaff and Harry Lodovica, a work in progress, being the last signing. Unfortunately we have lost young left back Lewis Nicolson to what seems to be a fairly serious knee injury. Promising youngsters Ethan Cairns, Harry Hennem and Mathew Strachan have all been loaned out to Highland League sides until January ahead of the start of the Championship. Roddy MacGregor is going back under surgery for his knee and will be out for possibly three/four months. Lewis Nicolson is out with a knee injury. Danny Devine and Sean Welsh will be touch and go but Adam Brooks should return to the squad. Keith Bray looks likely to be the breakthrough kid this season. He showed up well in pre-season and League Cup encounters.

Hear from Dodds ahead of the Queens Park game

Where's Harry? Here he is>>>

 

 

Queens Park are a much changed side from the one that toyed with us last season. New head coach Robin Veldman comes in from Anderlecht. Simon Murray left last January and is now scoring over the Bridge, and the giant defender Stephen Eze is away.

In: Sam Kane, goalkeeper (Rangers); Will Tizzard, defender (Southampton); Jack Spong, midfielder (Brighton); Jack Turner, midfielder (Southampton); Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia, forward (Livingston); Ruiri Paton, forward (Queen of the South). Loans in: Barry Hepburn, midfielder (Bayern Munich).

Out: Owen Coyle, head coach; Jake Davidson of course who joined ICT,  defenders Lee Kilday, Callum Yeats, Stephen Eze, Liam McQuaid and Max Gillies; midfielders Liam Brown, Calum Biggar and Lewis Moore; forward Gregor Nicol,

Loan ended: Marcel Oakley, defender (Birmingham City); Malachi Boateng, midfielder (Crystal Palace), Josh McPake, midfielder (Rangers); Connor Shields, forward (Motherwell); Euan Henderson, forward (Hearts).

Queens Park lost out 1-2 to Queen of the South in their last League Cup game and like us they failed to progress to the next stage of the competition. They were reduced to ten men when Fox was red carded just after the interval. They did miss a late penalty through Ruari Paton and Aaron Healy scored a last minute consolation for QP who won only 4 points in their group games with one win and a draw. They had scored six goals for the loss of three. Ruari Paton was the top scorer with four goals against Elgin City in a 5-0 thrashing with Charlie Fox scoring the other. Dom Thomas is credited with a couple of assists and he likes to wind us up. A 0-0 draw with East Fife was followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat at Motherwell where QP gave a good account of themselves.

Queens Park team v Queen of the South:

McKenna

 

Longridge   Bannon   Fox    Robson

 

Thomson (Healy 78)   Spong   Turner (Tizzard 49)

 

Hepburn (Bruce 64)   Paton   Thomas (McLeish 78)

 

 

 

If you need something to cheer you up, watch all of record breaker Billy Mckay's 102 Inverness CT goals>>>

 

I think our team is like a bunch of marshmallows with the heart of a cabbage at the moment!

BD said it, The fans see it, the board must see it, The team is scared and their lack of confidence in the coaching or tactics is obvious.

As for the new signings, very little there to impress me( at the moment)  combined with BD's tactical naievity this could be a long painful season.

Edited August 6, 20232 yr by caley100

It is hard to know what kind of team we are, apart from an easy to beat one. We aren't a counter attacking team, because our build up play is ponderous and predicable. We don't have a playmaker, and the midfield is too light and doesn't seem to have a game plan. We play with two wingers, but seldom get behind their back four, and if we do and put a cross in, they just get headed out, as our strikers are too small, so if Dodds wants to play that way, he should have started with big Harry.

Our opponents know our game plan now, if indeed there is one, and they can counteract it, or change it at halftime if it's not working, something that Dodds seems to be reluctant or incapable of doing. At times yesterday, it looked like most of the players didn't know where they were supposed to be playing, it looked chaotic with players getting in each others way, and not being able to string a few passes together. Queens Parks passing was far superior and they more often than not found a pass and always seemed to have time on the ball to look up and pass to a spare man, while we always looked hurried and just booted it down the field. These things need to be addressed in training, and cut out the silly mistakes in defence of being caught in possession. We were always told, if in doubt, boot it out. I'm not sure if Harper was attempting a Cryuff turn yesterday, but whatever, it cost us big time. Harper is not a left back, he is far more affective playing further forward in the midfield, and if players are fit for the next game, I  would have Delaney at left back, Devine in CB with Duffy and have Harper in a midfield five, with Samuels making way.

We have to start thinking about not losing games first and foremost, and playing two up top, with only two in CM and two wingers is great if the tactics are right, but if not, we get what we got yesterday, nothing.

27 minutes ago, Jaggernaut said:

It is hard to know what kind of team we are, apart from an easy to beat one. We aren't a counter attacking team, because our build up play is ponderous and predicable. We don't have a playmaker, and the midfield is too light and doesn't seem to have a game plan. We play with two wingers, but seldom get behind their back four, and if we do and put a cross in, they just get headed out, as our strikers are too small, so if Dodds wants to play that way, he should have started with big Harry.

Our opponents know our game plan now, if indeed there is one, and they can counteract it, or change it at halftime if it's not working, something that Dodds seems to be reluctant or incapable of doing. At times yesterday, it looked like most of the players didn't know where they were supposed to be playing, it looked chaotic with players getting in each others way, and not being able to string a few passes together. Queens Parks passing was far superior and they more often than not found a pass and always seemed to have time on the ball to look up and pass to a spare man, while we always looked hurried and just booted it down the field. These things need to be addressed in training, and cut out the silly mistakes in defence of being caught in possession. We were always told, if in doubt, boot it out. I'm not sure if Harper was attempting a Cryuff turn yesterday, but whatever, it cost us big time. Harper is not a left back, he is far more affective playing further forward in the midfield, and if players are fit for the next game, I  would have Delaney at left back, Devine in CB with Duffy and have Harper in a midfield five, with Samuels making way.

We have to start thinking about not losing games first and foremost, and playing two up top, with only two in CM and two wingers is great if the tactics are right, but if not, we get what we got yesterday, nothing.

The season has just started. I’m confident the team will ‘find their game’ and start to turn the results round in the coming two matches. It may be a couple of 0-0 matches and unattractive, however we just have to realise and accept where and what we are as a club and start grinding out some no-loose results. That will settle the team which hopefully they can then build on to add a goal or two in the Sept games. 

bc
 

 

When all said and done perhaps we need a reality check.We remain in the second tier of Scottish football because we are a mediocre team not ready for the top flight.The club has no money and no sugar daddy so we rely on our young up and coming players, which in many ways is good.However,we have to look for buys from the lower English leagues ,or from clubs who are moving on players in their twilight years.Yesterday was a perfect day for the opening game of a new season.2000 turned up.The product on display was much the same as the last few seasons.Some promising,some hard working with a bit of skill and others.The guys on the field do their best I am sure but when confidence is low they need reassurance,encouragement,support and understanding. We need to back the team we have, like it or not.BD has just signed a new deal,he is going nowhere and those around him are happy to be in a job so they are not going  anywhere,that means we have to try and influence their(Chair,CEO,Manager and coaches) thinking in other ways by speaking with them,writing to them and by doing what we are doing on this forum and not by sitting around and just putting up with the same old year in year out We need stronger voices within the fan base demanding improvement.

The reality is that we are aiming for top half of top half of table.We are not going to get promoted this season,so let's do the best we can with what we have got until a sugar daddy arrives or the club can get itself turned around.

Shoot me......

But we created enough chances to score five. Individual errors once again our downfall. 

No, I'm not Billy Dodds.

37 minutes ago, Douglas Mackenzie said:

When all said and done perhaps we need a reality check.We remain in the second tier of Scottish football because we are a mediocre team not ready for the top flight.The club has no money and no sugar daddy so we rely on our young up and coming players, which in many ways is good.However,we have to look for buys from the lower English leagues ,or from clubs who are moving on players in their twilight years.Yesterday was a perfect day for the opening game of a new season.2000 turned up.The product on display was much the same as the last few seasons.Some promising,some hard working with a bit of skill and others.The guys on the field do their best I am sure but when confidence is low they need reassurance,encouragement,support and understanding. We need to back the team we have, like it or not.BD has just signed a new deal,he is going nowhere and those around him are happy to be in a job so they are not going  anywhere,that means we have to try and influence their(Chair,CEO,Manager and coaches) thinking in other ways by speaking with them,writing to them and by doing what we are doing on this forum and not by sitting around and just putting up with the same old year in year out We need stronger voices within the fan base demanding improvement.

The reality is that we are aiming for top half of top half of table.We are not going to get promoted this season,so let's do the best we can with what we have got until a sugar daddy arrives or the club can get itself turned around.

Excellent post!

The only bit I would take issue with is the bit about promotion. There is always the possibility, admittedly unlikely, that things may pick up and we're up there.

Otherwise, spot on!

I heard a fan behind me tell the people he was with that he's been attending since 1994 and this is the worst team he's seen.

I doubt that's the case given the progression of the club through the leagues but others will be better placed than me to judge.  As a new ICT season ticket holder the most disappointing aspect of yesterday was the lack of real grit, urgency and determination in the team until the last ten minutes.  We seem to lack proper leaders and although Carson does his best to inspire and ruffle up the opposition, for me he spends too much time and effort focusing on the referee.

I'm planning on going to Ayr next week and hope to see Bray and Brooks given a start.  Nicolson is real loss as, in my opinion, him and Shaw combined very well in the preseason matches I saw.

Here's hoping for a much improved performance next week....

Most games this season will be decided by fine margins. Even though QP might have had a better style of play and more possession (for which the manager and his tactics can be held to account),  the result still came down to a small number of key moments, including errors by our players at both ends of the pitch. If a couple of touches had been better for we could be having a completely different kind of post-match discussion.

AI keep seeing folk saying 'we've no money' yet we have money for sporting director and video analysts etc. Have we seen any notable improvements on the pitch since their inception? 

Edited August 6, 20232 yr by Fraz

Quite the opposite. 

1 hour ago, Fraz said:

AI keep seeing folk saying 'we've no money' yet we have money for sporting director and video analysts etc. Have we seen any notable improvements on the pitch since their inception? 

Quite the opposite.  We have become worse.

We do still have Robbo.  But do we still have - did we ever have - a video analyst?

11 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Quite the opposite. 

Quite the opposite.  We have become worse.

We do still have Robbo.  But do we still have - did we ever have - a video analyst?

Yes we do. Saw him yesterday 

5 hours ago, Douglas Mackenzie said:

When all said and done perhaps we need a reality check.We remain in the second tier of Scottish football because we are a mediocre team not ready for the top flight.The club has no money and no sugar daddy so we rely on our young up and coming players, which in many ways is good.However,we have to look for buys from the lower English leagues ,or from clubs who are moving on players in their twilight years.Yesterday was a perfect day for the opening game of a new season.2000 turned up.The product on display was much the same as the last few seasons.Some promising,some hard working with a bit of skill and others.The guys on the field do their best I am sure but when confidence is low they need reassurance,encouragement,support and understanding. We need to back the team we have, like it or not.BD has just signed a new deal,he is going nowhere and those around him are happy to be in a job so they are not going  anywhere,that means we have to try and influence their(Chair,CEO,Manager and coaches) thinking in other ways by speaking with them,writing to them and by doing what we are doing on this forum and not by sitting around and just putting up with the same old year in year out We need stronger voices within the fan base demanding improvement.

The reality is that we are aiming for top half of top half of table.We are not going to get promoted this season,so let's do the best we can with what we have got until a sugar daddy arrives or the club can get itself turned around.

The club has no money as it’s paying highly for unnecessary members of staff . 

11 hours ago, Yngwie said:

You might want to hide behind the sofa when it comes to some of our defending.

I'm going to need a bigger sofa if this continues.

5 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Quite the opposite. 

Quite the opposite.  We have become worse.

We do still have Robbo.  But do we still have - did we ever have - a video analyst?

I am not sure what the sporting director has actually added since his appointment.............

7 hours ago, Fraz said:

AI keep seeing folk saying 'we've no money' yet we have money for sporting director and video analysts etc. Have we seen any notable improvements on the pitch since their inception? 

And a fitness coach. We have been second best / lacking sharpness from the off this season. Plus he was in place when we had all the injuries last season. Another of Dodds mates and jobs for the boys. 

34 minutes ago, DWH said:

I am not sure what the sporting director has actually added since his appointment.............

Added to his bank balance 

Sounds like we could do worse than try and sign a couple of Nigerian ladies defenders.

Very entertaining game on just now

It's evident to me that we lack a leader out on the pitch. At the moment teams are punishing every mistake we make. I still think we will make the playoffs 

11 minutes ago, BobbyDazzler said:

 I still think we will make the playoffs 

Which ones?

On 8/6/2023 at 12:17 PM, big cherly said:

The season has just started. I’m confident the team will ‘find their game’ and start to turn the results round in the coming two matches. It may be a couple of 0-0 matches and unattractive, however we just have to realise and accept where and what we are as a club and start grinding out some no-loose results. That will settle the team which hopefully they can then build on to add a goal or two in the Sept games. 

bc
 

 

Hope yer right Cherly, I’m worried that we may not find our first win until we go to Arbroath at the end of September - and that’s not a given! Never been so negative before but I feel our situation is getting more desperate each week and we don’t have anybody off the park that can turn it around.

Maybe I’d feel differently if I could actually get to a game and see signs of some green shoots but from what I’ve seen from highlights and what I read just depresses me.

Buckett’s question about which playoffs is a very fair one.

I am going to put on a Happy Clapper personna but with a degree of doubt. So we have had a slow and probably difficult start to the season, in the sense that we are still in a regrouping phase. We have a pretty good away record at Ayr and we should already have sussed out Airdrie. So let's expect improvements and I would be content with a 1 win and 4 point tally from the next two games, which would boost the overall confidence and stabilise the ship. Anything less, even at this early stage would be more difficult to move forward and the knives - apart from the upper echelons - will be well and truly sharpened. And I really wish that somebody would give Dodds a reality checking slap before he goes into his post match dribble as it is becoming repetitively embarrassing, totally smacks of diverting the blame and showing a total lack of responsibility and respect for the players and fans.anu have quite reluctantly remained supportive with the promise of better times. Well they had better get a feckin move on and drastically improve their communication channels 🤔

Brighton are looking at taking young McKenna the Queens goalkeeper. Good luck to him if he goes 😎

7 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

I am going to put on a Happy Clapper personna but with a degree of doubt. So we have had a slow and probably difficult start to the season, in the sense that we are still in a regrouping phase. We have a pretty good away record at Ayr and we should already have sussed out Airdrie. So let's expect improvements and I would be content with a 1 win and 4 point tally from the next two games, which would boost the overall confidence and stabilise the ship. Anything less, even at this early stage would be more difficult to move forward and the knives - apart from the upper echelons - will be well and truly sharpened. And I really wish that somebody would give Dodds a reality checking slap before he goes into his post match dribble as it is becoming repetitively embarrassing, totally smacks of diverting the blame and showing a total lack of responsibility and respect for the players and fans.anu have quite reluctantly remained supportive with the promise of better times. Well they had better get a feckin move on and drastically improve their communication channels 🤔

I agree and hope we achieve that.

I haven’t listened to his interviews for about a year. I go by Tm4tj’s previews and the chat on here!