After all the threads about him last season (mostly deserved), isn't it great to be mentioning Blackie's footballing skills in the post match reports, as opposed to the latest stupid yellow card.

I've been hugely impressed by his attitude this year. I've not seen him react once to any harsh treatment dished out to him, and there've been several instances this season when the Blackie of last season would have reacted.

He's just got up, and got on with it. And he's really showing what a class player he can be, and how important he is in our midfield.

He took 4 or 5 heavy challenges today, and his answer? A superb performance, instrumental in our first victory.

So, after all the criticism of the past, it's a big :022: to the wee man.

I have rated Ian Black as a "player going to the top" from the 1st time I saw him in the Reserves.

Now, with his changed, well-disciplined, mature attitude, he really is showing his true class and my only hope is that ICT will be able to hold on to a player such as he is.  Comments from fans around me are such as "anger management really does work".  Ian is a great mid-fielder who must run miles and cover acres of the field during a game.

Well done, Ian, you must have many bruises after the rough, illegal  treatment you received today from Hearts - and again - what a player! :022:

I agree and I think Hearts targeted Black and his temper from the off today.  I think it was Kingston who pole-axed him after about a minute and should have been booked.

Well done for keeping the head, Blackie.

Long may his mature attitude continue  :021:

Black was superb yesterday. His passing and creativity were a joy to watch. He got stuck in as well winning the ball back on almost every occasion he went in for a challenge.

So far,so good and its to our benefit.

Not sure if this has been said anywhere else but Hearts still have some good actors. Kingston looked quite clever and Neilson seems to have adopted to the culture in order to get a game after standing up against the regime last year.

In the end we wanted to win, Hearts wanted to cling on and we must learn from this. Blackie did work very hard and will be driven even more by the 'own goal'.

Black was superb yesterday. His passing and creativity were a joy to watch. He got stuck in as well winning the ball back on almost every occasion he went in for a challenge.

Yup, there was one ball over the top in the first half, that Cesc Fabregas would be proud of.

Thought I'd bring this thread back up......

The turnaround in Blackie's attitude is astounding! He's still putting in the tackles, but without the backchat, and he's oozing class as well. His goal today was quality.

I reckon that's the best game I've seen Blackie have in a Caley shirt. Absolute class,

The change in Blackie's attitude has been brilliant and it is better for him and the team when he's playing like this

Donald and Brester had to warn him once today. He listened!

His goal was class.

There's no doubt other teams used to single Blackie out for the 'treatment' cos they knew he'd react. Now, no longer does he take the huff when fouled !

His goal was class.

Haven't seen him make a run like that into the box in a long time. I think with Duncan sitting back it should encourage Black to go forward more.

This is all very encouraging to hear.

We were quick to lambast him when he did have a poor attitude or exhibited extreme petulance so fair play to him for knuckling down and letting his skill do the talking instead of his gob .... long may it continue.

In the Sportsound preview today, the commentator (think it was Paul Mitchell) was saying there were two players he was particularly looking forward to seeing. One was Scott Arfield of Falkirk, the other was Blackie, because he'd heard Blackie had been beng on form since the start of the season. Nice to realise he's still noticed by the pundits for his talent as well as his disciplinary record, although the downside of course is that they'll be talking about him moving on before too long again.

Sounds like he won the battle of the two great white hopes though. Still think Cowie has been POY so far. 

Another masterclass from the wee man topped off with a superb goal from a Marius assist, top drawer stuff.

Blackie is deffo a future Scotland player....

The new "mature" attitude will take him a long way...Wonder who finally talked some sense into him..?

What a brilliant feckin goal...  :clapping03: :clapping03:

I lub him

This is all very encouraging to hear.

We were quick to lambast him when he did have a poor attitude or exhibited extreme petulance so fair play to him for knuckling down and letting his skill do the talking instead of his gob .... long may it continue.

Indeed. I am trying to find the Ian Black thread post Falkirk where he was sent off and when most said to sell him as he wasn't that good anyway.

Much like myself with Rankin he has forced people to eat their words and good on him.

The new "mature" attitude will take him a long way...Wonder who finally talked some sense into him..?

Keep up, Gail Platt kicked him out  :sillywave:

No No Seriously, Its great to see Ian's attitude improve and long may it continue and hopefully gone are the days when he mouths off to referee's getting himself needlessly booked  :021:

Nice goal too today and got back into my applause book today  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:

This is all very encouraging to hear.

We were quick to lambast him when he did have a poor attitude or exhibited extreme petulance so fair play to him for knuckling down and letting his skill do the talking instead of his gob .... long may it continue.

Indeed. I am trying to find the Ian Black thread post Falkirk where he was sent off and when most said to sell him as he wasn't that good anyway.

Much like myself with Rankin he has forced people to eat their words and good on him.

I don't remember anyone saying he wasn't any good, merely that he needed to sort him out. It wasnt really the sending off that got me, it was the chucking of the shirt a few weeks before. I will hold my hands up, I wanted him out after that, but I'm so glad he proved me wrong, by far and away our best player, if he stays, he should be captain one day.

But if you really must

Efter Falkirk Game

I suppose I have to hold my hands up and eat some humble pie.  But boy does it taste good.  His change in attitude has been remarkable, and I am happy for it.  I really don't think that his attitude was good for the club, but he seemed to have matured.

Maybe something happened in the summer that matured him.

The very first post leans towards the "He isn't good enough anyway" opinion  :015:

Interestingly though, while that was the thread I thought it was, I seem to have it bookmarked with a different name...

*edit*

I was thinking of another thread!

EWS - maybe it was that he stopped continually dying his hair?  :004:

Har har.

Glass half empty kinda day?  :007:

Cheer up - we won with a blistering performance - it's all good!  :003:

Meh, just tired.  Was out at the union last night, didn't get much sleep if you know what I mean ;)