So I may be biased and protective of a player who was a real club man and a fighter (in many ways!!). He is getting a load of negative flak at the moment but if there was one person that I would pick to be in the trenches with me it is Dunc. He has been up against it from the off. IMHO scapegoated from the off and now taking hits for the bunch of self motivated morons who are the people responsible for bringing this club to its knees. Duncs main problem is that he has nowhere near the quality of players required to bring any footballing system to fruition. We currently have the worst squad of players that we have ever had - a mottley crew of cheap loanees desperate for playing time to progress their own careers. Unfortunately the ones with potential have picked up the injuries. There has been no consistency and I hazard a guess that most fans would have difficulty in picking a first X1. But what Dunc does bring to the party is pure passion and the Dunkirk spirit. The next two games are must wins and if Dunc can instill the passion and drive we will survive. And I am referring to passion and not from a skill or system perspective. Dunc needs to instill a "dogs of war" mentality and the players have to give the fans a degree of hope. So I am predicting six points in the next two games - however accomplished and escaping in 8th place at the end of the season.

On 7/7/2024 at 4:50 PM, big cherly said:

Well said bbb!  I’d go further with Scotland. 

Our game, those running it, players, media and fans have been deluding ourselves for decades imho and we simply continue to serve up the same tripe, and hope somehow this will work next tournament, next tournament, next t…………..!

Our game : It has been in steady decline for some 30 -40 years now. I go back to Bremner, NcNeil, Law and Jordan era, but I’ll place the last benchmark at Souness and Dalgliesh days. Whilst other so called lesser countries have improved there game (Isreal, Cyprus, Iceland etc- {teams we would have certainly get the better of}; we have slowly but steady got poorer in the standard of play and ability).  Is it Coaching, lifestyle or mindset ? I don’t know but it’s clearly not working for me.

Those running the game : The blazers at hampden. Too cosy, amateurish and paid too much to be minded to change the game. 
League /Clubs: Stuck with a two team league. They dominate and starve all other teams in the country such that they remain in a comfortable stupor.
The result is stagnation.

Club boards: All finance driven such that maximising the financial return trumps everything else. As such not loosing for most clubs becomes the norm. This chokes adventurous play as the risk of loosing is greater using this style imho.

Managers/Coaches: demands for results dictates that stopping goals against is above scoring again for most teams. Scotland were on the same standing as Portugal in the 70’s. Look at their players ability to ours now and tell me we’ve not went backwards!

Players - Average to poor for the most and lack the basics for most Scot’s players in ability, mental and physical application. (Simple trapping the ball is beyond many). Too willing to elevate their our game above their true abilities.

Media: again part of the problem. They have a cost life and feed of the product and pump out rubbish most of the time. Overrate our players most of the time. Superb this, world class that. Not enough critical focus on poor play when witnessed. 
 

Fans :  Less attending games as other more comfortable and exciting alternatives are available. Average play had become acceptable! Continue to be easily drawn into the Scotland next-time show. 
 

I wish I could present a more positive outlook from me on the Scotland team and game in general, however watching what I consider to be the worst team at the Euro’s, I felt I could not let it pass without having a kick at the whole thing, hoping against hope the next time will show any improvement!!

Rant over!! 
bc

 

Can't really disagree with any of that. 

The Iceland model is a very good read. In 2012 they were 130th in the FIFA rankings. By 2018 they reached 18th. That may have been an anomaly affected by having a golden crop of players amongst the improved infrastructure, but the 3 factors they attributed this to were:  First class training facilities, high level of coach education and a good generation of players.
https://www.ksi.is/library/contentfiles/Why is Icelandic football so successful recently 2018 upd.pdf#:~:text=We can firmly point to three factors to,mentality and culture may also play a part.

Canada is another on a slow burn. The Canadian version of the SFA is a mess. Too many blazers, too much controversy and player disputes over payments and such like, but despite this, the Canadian team continues to try and improve. They were typically floating below 100 in the FIFA rankings on average and hit a low point of 122 in 2014. and 120 in 2017 but since then have steadily climbed to a high point of 33 in 2022 and 48 today. They finished top of the group that went to the last World Cup, dispatching both Mexico and USA, and promptly did a Scotland when they got there! They will undoubtedly climb up a bit after a good showing at Copa America over the last 5 weeks and should really have seen off Uruguay in the 3rd place playoff at the weekend.  In many ways they are a bit like Scotland in terms of the governing body, but what does set them apart - for me - is Major League Soccer!!

Laugh and scorn and call it a retirement league as much as you like, and to an extent that is true, but even in 2007, when Toronto FC joined the league, quickly followed thereafter by Montreal and Vancouver, one of the key criteria placed on all teams (in both USA and Canada) is that they must have and meet certain benchmarks for training of youth and having (functioning) purpose-built academies to foster and develop new talent. It is a condition of entry to MLS. The Toronto FC academy is regarded as one of the best in MLS for facilities and along with both Montreal and Vancouver, who also have highly rated academies (Alphonso Davies anyone!) then the Canadian team are starting to see the benefits of 15 years of development at grass roots level. MLS may have ageing superstars, but those ageing superstars are mentoring the next generation.  Even below the professional level, there is a structure in place to identify and put talented kids on a development pathway at age 13. My own son started at age 4, playing 'little kickers', then as he progressed, he went through various different levels of recreational football, and this past year went from 'House League' (where all teams in one organisation play against each other) to "rep" which is a competitive league across various cities to the north of Toronto. The "rep" team have different levels (white, gold, black) and you progress in those so that by age 13 you are either selected for "skills for life" or "OPDL". Skills for Life is a taditional pathway, but OPDL is the Elite Professional Development program and ends up with kids getting sent to the likes of Toronto FC academy or to universities in the USA and (hopefully) future MLS drafts. We will see how he progresses, but there is definitely a clear pathway and a standardised set of standards and benchmarks.        

Its a bit of a long post, and kind of off-topic and not really related to the "in dunc I trust" topic but I have to admit, its a fascinating subject for me now that my own son is trying his hardest to be as good a footballer as he can be. Perhaps this needs its own topic .... 

 

As expected there’s now a vacancy for the England manager’s job. For several reasons I would love it if Big Dunc somehow got the job!

https://web.archive.org/web/20240718215353/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/6536654/duncan-ferguson-tells-caley-thistle-fans-to-bin-boycott-plans-and-gives-update-on-closer-us-investment/

He just doesn't get it. How can he not understand why the fans are unhappy and refusing to go to games? Is he being deliberately thick or is he actually an idiot?

He does persist in using the term "new owner", doesn't he?

28 minutes ago, RiG said:

https://web.archive.org/web/20240718215353/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/6536654/duncan-ferguson-tells-caley-thistle-fans-to-bin-boycott-plans-and-gives-update-on-closer-us-investment/

He just doesn't get it. How can he not understand why the fans are unhappy and refusing to go to games? Is he being deliberately thick or is he actually an idiot?

I wonder if both? Thick but being fed a load of nonsense by certain parties? Everything he opens his mouth he upsets someone? The fans, the groundsman, ex players etc 

"It won’t affect my approach – I play a possession, passing game. We will continue with that."

42 minutes ago, RiG said:

https://web.archive.org/web/20240718215353/https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/6536654/duncan-ferguson-tells-caley-thistle-fans-to-bin-boycott-plans-and-gives-update-on-closer-us-investment/

He just doesn't get it. How can he not understand why the fans are unhappy and refusing to go to games? Is he being deliberately thick or is he actually an idiot?

“I don’t know what the problem is, to be honest, but we want the fans here.“

Doesn’t know what the problem is. Or problems are. I’d say he’s thick. 

The guy's as thick as a whale steak.  Tone deaf and unable to comprehend why we're p1ssed off at the absolute clownshow he's a party to.  He has zero rapport with the fans, players (current or former), his former coaching team and now has a pop at the hard working ground staff.  Yet he sits tight picking up a fat pay cheque from a club on the brink that can ill afford his continued tenure.  To add insult to injury he then has the temerity to big up his playing style which has seen back-to-back relegations at his current and former clubs.  Get him gone along with his cheerleader general.   

1 hour ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

He does persist in using the term "new owner", doesn't he?

I can perhaps clarify that because I asked him about it at yesterday’s press conference. He said he was using the term quite loosely to refer to the significant investors that the club are trying to attract and not specifically about the effect of any deal and he says he’s not aware of any detail.

On the other hand, I think it’s important to know exactly what is being proposed. All we know - respectively through local leaks and something leaked to the Sunday Mail - is that there have, possibly among others, been discussions with Chinese and American groups. In fact I think there’s almost room for speculation that these even amount internally to “rival” solutions. In terms of numbers, all we know is that the American proposal allegedly involves around £2M. However if that’s not backed up by a lot more in the fairly near future, it’s a drop in the ocean, such is the magnitude of the club’s plight.

£2M would buy a 30% voting stake so if this American group happened to be seeking voting control for that, should we possibly be looking for a General Meeting of shareholders being called with a motion to reduce the relative voting power of the current shares by 60% or more?

Edited July 19, 20241 yr by Charles Bannerman

Ok I concede. It was always more his personality that I was defending as I always considered him to be one of the boys and talked out about any gripes. But hiding after the Hamilton game, following the line of not communicating with the fans and not speaking out about the treatment of Aaron Doran has put him 0/10 in my estimation. And now this embarrassing corporate and totally unemotional appeal to fans where he knows the issues but not making any sort of reference to - is the actions of a lackey and is NOT the Duncan Ferguson of old. UNLEASH THE BAILLIFS ☹️

 

1 hour ago, ymip said:

The guy's as thick as a whale steak.  

 

Its strike 3 for me. He needs to be in the car as and when the CEO drives back down the A9.

• Strike 1 - His tactics and what appear to be personal issues with existing players got us relegated. He is the boss, the fault stops at his door. He has doubled down on that saying his tactics won't change. That is insanity. He may have been a good player, and he may even be good in a lesser role at Everton, but as the #1 guy, he is a disaster, and an expensive one at that. 
   
• Strike 2 - He didn't bother his @rse to speak to the players under his management to tell them what was happening. He buggered off on holiday instead. Even in a normal season that would be ignorant as you need to let your guys know what's happening, but in a season where you just got relegated, contracts are ending, players have families to consider, and the club is going through well publicised financial issues, to not utter one word to your employees, or colleagues is so far beyond ignorance that I dont have a word for it! 
   
• Strike 3 - He continues to toe the company line and is blaming fans, and one supposes all the outlets such as websites, podcasts and the supporters trust for encouraging fans to either not go, or to not buy merchandise or season tickets until the CEO has finally left the building. FFS man, you have eyes in your head, use them, read the room, and know that how you choose to lead now will forever define that leadership. Right now, you are merely a cardboard facade. like a Hollywood set., plenty on the front, but no substance behind. 
  
  I think back to Robbo when we achieved promotion to the Premiership. He didn't meekly toe the company line, and say oh well, no 10,000 seats, we are doomed. He challenged the board to make it happen, backing his players who had achieved promotion, and putting the board in the crosshairs to have them find a solution and argue with the league to match the players success that they worked so hard for. He may have lost his shine as the years went on, and his exit was less than glorious but it is also telling that he too was helping to raise money for Aaron. 

 

 

I think Brian Conley summed it up best: 

 

I know these are responses to questions but I would have thought the interviewer would have said, 'the ones staying away would say their problem is....what is your response to that?'

Of course, he would probably say 'I don't know about that. I'm sure the Board will come out and say when they can' as he did with Aaron Doran. But at least make it clear these are the issues.

I'd also have liked the question asked about his tactics resulting in two relegations but I expect to hear it ain't him to blame!

When he says, "I don’t know what the problem is, to be honest", he's not being honest at all.

Unless of course, he's so oblivious to the views of the supporters of the team he's supposed to be managing, that it just hasn't registered. Or maybe he just hasn't deigned to find out.

A clear disconnect.

58 minutes ago, buckett said:

When he says, "I don’t know what the problem is, to be honest", he's not being honest at all.

Unless of course, he's so oblivious to the views of the supporters of the team he's supposed to be managing, that it just hasn't registered. Or maybe he just hasn't deigned to find out.

A clear disconnect.

He is not a manager and never will be only interested in the money he is making!

It's a car crash interview and a big two fingers to the fans!

Unbelievable what this club has become!

34 minutes ago, RednBlackComeback said:

It's a car crash interview and a big two fingers to the fans!

Unbelievable what this club has become!

Scripted by the CEO for him?

8 hours ago, Robert said:

Scripted by the CEO for him?

He pretty much admitted to this in the end by saying he was only repeating what he had been told.

You are an embarrassment Ferguson have some self respect and walk. 

Dougal
 

6 hours ago, STFU said:

He pretty much admitted to this in the end by saying he was only repeating what he had been told.

I refer you to the Brian Conley video above 🙂

Get the loanees lined up !!!!! 

What is it going to take to get rid of this guy?  It's embarrassing listening to him, he's just not a football manager.

Edited July 27, 20241 yr by Hiro

1 hour ago, Hiro said:

What is it going to take to get rid of this guy?  It's embarrassing listening to him, he's just not a football manager.

200k?

Ferguson, Bollan and Kellagher got us relegated due to poor results last season. How long do they get this season before change is necessary ??? Beaten so far  this season by highland league, and league 1 teams. Is it only a matter of time???

This guys tactics will be the death of us! Well……me at least ☹️👎