Hearts (H)

Falkirk(H)

Killie(A)

Aberdeen(H)

Gretna(A)

Our season should get going over the next five games. A point is attainable next week.

Falkirk...must win game.

Killie...tough one, but we've a decent record down there.

Aberdeen...they're playing/are  pish, surely a first win is on the cards here.

Gretna....3 points.

So, at the end of the first round of games we could easily be sat on 10 points.

It's not like we're playing badly at all, and sooner or later, it's all going to click and someone's going to get gubbed :022:

No points from 6 games, but I'm confident we'll get going next week.

I think 6 points is more likely than 10 and thats being optimistic

I think it will be 8 points from 15

There's no reason why we can't secure 2 wins and three draws which would give us 9 points from the first round of fixtures with a good bit of momemtum going into the next.

We've just had six defeats in a row....now is the time for six wins in a row. No problem.  :021:

Shame we couldn't have played Hearts a few weeks ago when they were playing poorly  :029:

Here's hoping we give them a hard time next weekend and get our first points of the season  :021:

If we play the same way we did against Hibs and Celtic (possibly defending a bit better - perhaps dropping Fraser) there's nothing to fear from any of those teams.

Hearts beat an undestrength Rangers side with one eye on Europe - big deal, that result apart they've been nothing special. I'd expect us to pick up AT LEAST a point in this one.

Prediction ICT 1 Hearts 0

Falkirk without Stoaks aren't exactly a force to be reckoned with, if we take the game to them - like we used to play under Brewster - I can see us putting 4 or 5 past them.

ICT 4 Falkirk 2

Killie away is a tricky one. But we've shown in the past that we can hold our own against them down there. I'd like to see us have a go. It's usually quite an open game when we meet, so we have a decent chance.

Killie 1 ICT 2

Aberdeen at home is probably the hardest fixture. We tend to find it difficult to score against them, but now they've lost Anderson it could be a different story. Brew will know their strengths and weaknesses so that'll give us an edge. And we're due a bit of luck against them!

ICT 2 Aberdeen 1

Gretna away is the 6 pointer. I saw them at Victoria Park at the end of last season and they were awful. Technically we are a better team than them, but this one will be scrappy. Davie Irons is a bit of a tube so I expect they'll go into this one with a 'get stuck right intae them' head on. You can tell from his interviews that he thinks he and his team are much better than they actually are. They remind me of Tom Hendries St Mirren. They'll try to go toe to toe with us and probably play an attacking game - our classic counter attacking strategy should be just the ticket for this one.

Gretna 0 ICT 5

15 points is a realistic possibility.

It all depends on whether Brew is allowed to pick his own team.

Its all getting a wee bit concerning, we seem to be doing a Dunfermline from last season, playing no bad, but not getting points.

However i have confidence in Brew to get us there, as long as Gretna get beat we are no adrift.

We'll beat Hearts on Sat, they're in for a shock!

A few weeks ago hearts would have been a good starting point for a win - they are so unpredictable these days that they could turn up and play their *** off or get walked over by brew and co. We can only hope the fact they have absolutely no team spirit and the worst diver in the world playing for them will help us. Added to that - i'd rather be playing the hearts team that beat rangers at the weekend than the hearts team of 2 years ago - gordon, hartley, pressely, etc - they are much scarier players to be up aginst than the kauness b-side they have at the moment.

Gretna 0 ICT 5

I am dreading this game. Everyone knows how much I detest them, and if we don't hump them I will hear about it forever...

There is no doubt that the fixtures have been unkind to us this season.

I agree that we are entering a run of games where we have the opportunity to start getting some deserved results and to rebuild confidence in the squad.

I sincerely hope that all supporters get right behind the team, starting with the three home games next week.

The fixtures were no more unkind than previous years. The history books will show we failed to find a big centre half in nearly 12 months of looking, felt it was better to hump Highland League teams in pre season than challenges at a much higher level, and were convinced our team was the fittest pre season on record.

Complacency has definitely played a part because grit and determination has got us through crisis in the past.

We cannot score, we cannot defend, we cannot scrape a point, we cannot accept that at this point we are favourites for relegation.

The next game is all that matters and it is vital for a Titanic struggle for at least a point. Never before in the field of human endeavour has a point been so difficult to achieve. Can anyone remember the last time we won one?

Achieve that and we can perhaps start working on the very dangerous visit of Gretna in the CIS Cup.

We've just had six defeats in a row....now is the time for six wins in a row. No problem.  :021:

Gringo, I like that prediction!!!!  :015:

The fixtures were no more unkind than previous years. The history books will show we failed to find a big centre half in nearly 12 months of looking, felt it was better to hump Highland League teams in pre season than challenges at a much higher level, and were convinced our team was the fittest pre season on record.

Complacency has definitely played a part because grit and determination has got us through crisis in the past.

I believe this has been addressed and the appointment of a new manager is already pointing us in the right direction.

The 6 games at the start of the season were always going to be very hard, 4 away from home, Rangers and Celtic, and as it turned out the 3 other form teams, Arabs, Hibees and Murwell. Poor 5 minutes at the end of Saints game and we are going for the SPL record of worst start to the league ( dont know who has that record by the way ).

But what goes around comes around, 4 of the next 5 games are against bottom 6 teams,  SEVEN of our next 11 league games are at home, Eight if you include the CIS game. ICT have played well in each game apart from the opener when they were still on holiday. It will not be long until Gretna are isolated, and we are climbing the table. Then ofcourse we come back to that 4 away out of 6 again, when we will probably slip down a notch again.

Must admit I really like the look of Niculae, and class usually shines through.

Can see Brew and Marius up front for the Hearts game with Denzil coming on after an hour, would be good for him to score against Hearts.Good times are a coming again, back to the Stad De Caley

You read my post.

Thats exactly how I see it Chemist, our season officially starts this weekend, lets look for three wins in seven days.

Zero wins at the end of next week and I will be a bit concerned, but for now :blah01:

Good post Chemist. Gretna will soon be drifting away and we will be starting to pick up points. We have thrown away five games becos of behind the scene pressures, poor or enforced selections and a frustrating lack of pace and penetration up front. I feel that the Hearts game will be a turning point fer ICT - potentially even bigger if we are beaten. But good times are a coming.  :001:

"....frustrating lack of pace and penetration up front...."  :rolleyes02:

Could there be some kind of sinister psychological reason for a post like that....?  :024:

In the light of todays performance and result, if you include the cup game, 6 straight victories does not seem beyond the realms of possibility.

What odds would I get for that with the ?20 I saved at Station Park today?

It all depends on whether Brew is allowed to pick his own team.

Please explain.

One down - four to go!!! :021: