I have never before called for manager to be replaced and wasn't at today's match so can't comment specifically on it. However, in my opinion results and performances in ther past couple of months have led me to the view that we need a new manager for next season otherwise our place in the top league could well be in peril.

Like most others, I was prepared to give Brewster the benifit of the doubt when he returned despite his abysmal record in trying to manage a Dundee United team much better resoursed than ICT could ever hope to be. However apart from the run of victories which handed him the "curse" of manager of the month for December, results and performances have ben amongst the worst they've been since we joined the SPL.

He doesn't just make mistakes but repeats the same mistakes time and time again and appears to have no concept of well timed tactical substitutions or any other means of turning games round from losing positions. His man management skills also seem to be a problem which appear to have resulted in John Rankin, who otherwise appeared to be settled at the club to become unsettled due to ill judged and premature remarks made in public by Brewster long before he had had a proper opportunity to assess his squad.

I know that the manager is not soley responsible for the team's current ills but frankly I have seen nothing to indicate that Brewster either possesses or is capable of learning the skills either as a tactitian or a motivator which this club needs even to sustain it's current position far less to make any progress into the top six of the league.

Brewster acted very honourably when Dundee United first approached ICT for his services and his conduct then clearly endeared him to the board. He was rewarded for that honourable conduct by being given a second chance at ICT but has not done anything, in my opinion, to demonstate that he is a competent, far less a good, manager nor that he's likely to become one.

There's no panic this season because of the Gretna situation but whe relegation issue next season is likely to be much more competitive with Hamilton, Dundee or St Johnstone all capable of holding their own.

In the past I've been of the view that Brewster should be given until the end of the season to prove himself or otherwise. Franky, however, I can't see any signs of progress oir potential progress and reluctantly now believe that we would be better getting a new manager in before the end of the season so that he can assess the squad and make decisions ahead of next season.

I would say we are perhaps at the moment experiencing a minor problem with lack of recent wins, no cup and apathy in the league. Of course fans are getting anxious.

The problem with this kind of thing is the real politique of it. Replacing Brewster is not an instant answer. First thing: who is queuing up to replace him? Christie wasn?t working any better and resigned - as much of a fan as I am of Charlie, I would not like to see us go back.

Brewster knows Caley, knows fitness and knows Scottish football. For the moment I don?t see anyone else doing better. Please name names and explain how it will work.

Good post Andrew...................I dont think the problem is CB

He's not the only problem, but he is unfortunately a big part of the problem.  Several personnel changes are needed IMHO, including, but not limited to the management/coaching staff.

I normally read the posts but have not felt the need to post until today......

I have been a season ticket holder for many years and feel we need to have  A REALITY CHECK..

we are save in the SPL, crowds are holding up  - we are wanting the manager replaced .. why ?.

In terms of budget and attracting players due to greographical location we are still punching above our weight,.

I am delighted and priveledged to watching SPL football in Inverness and think the Chairman, Board, Management and Players deserve enormous credit for keeping us in the league.

Rememebr how far we have come and look at what has happened to Gretna, Dundee, Falkirk, Airdrie etc. now and in previous years.

Be grateful for where we are and show some positivity and give the team some support.

(Not so long I was watching Inverness Thistle against the likes of Rothes,Brora etc. in front of 200 - 300 fans.. )

I TOTALLY agree with you. 

There's no way Collins would come to us. Brewster is the man for me, the problem is with our Board.

Brewster is the man for me too! :021:

There's no way Collins would come to us. Brewster is the man for me, the problem is with our Board.

Brewster is the man for me too! :021:

Welcome to the board Craig :023:

Brewster needs to go and he needs to go NOW.  There is his admission it was him who removed Wyness' contract from him and he's not prepared to discuss anything with him until the end of the season.  I get the impression that Brewster isn't even bothered by Saturdays result and indeed the mire that we are currently in.  All he's said is he'll consider blooding a few youngsters...  Just not good enough for me I'm afraid.

Clickage

I get the impression that Brewster isn't even bothered by Saturdays result and indeed the mire that we are currently in.  All he's said is he'll consider blooding a few youngsters...  Just not good enough for me I'm afraid.

It's hard to disagree with what he says in that article.

Indeed and that is what is annoying about it.  Every fan knows we've had problems scoring goals.  I agree, and so will everyone who reads it.  I read it as *shrug shoulders* "All we can do is practice".

Elgins training sessions consist of shooting.  Does that make them good at shooting?

I wouldn't sack Brewster but I think we need somebody with a football brain like Steve Paterson involved at the club in some capacity.

  A certain tubby jambo?  :rolleyes02:

Get a good holiday, pre season, (perhaps a team building camp at an army base) :023: let orion spend there millions, ahem on rebuilding certain areas of the squad and hey presto!

get a grip people, cumon u guys, easy up eh, easy up.

I personally think brews the boss and in my opinion some of the players need a right good kick up the ar5e !! Its them who have let themselves down and the supporters and need to buck up their ideas or they will be shipped off and be replaced by the young crop who i have to say are looking like they will indeed replace the mcbains etc next season.

Although i would say on the contrary to my origional post some of brews in-house and in-match decisions can seem baffling, or maybe there is a secret romanian director of football upstairs who is actually picking the team ala hearts and romanov, that would be speculation, wouldnt it :symbol_question:

:rolleyes02: sshhh

I wouldn't sack Brewster but I think we need somebody with a football brain like Steve Paterson involved at the club in some capacity.

  A certain tubby jambo?  :rolleyes02:

Get a good holiday, pre season, (perhaps a team building camp at an army base) :023: let orion spend there millions, ahem on rebuilding certain areas of the squad and hey presto!

get a grip people, cumon u guys, easy up eh, easy up.

I personally think brews the boss and in my opinion some of the players need a right good kick up the ar5e !! Its them who have let themselves down and the supporters and need to buck up their ideas or they will be shipped off and be replaced by the young crop who i have to say are looking like they will indeed replace the mcbains etc next season.

I think there is some truth here.  "in my opinion some of the players need a right good kick up the ar5e !! "

A player is only as good as his last performance!!  I seem to think some people like to remember how players have been in the past and like their name.  It is performances that matters not the name. 

These are good players, as we've seen in the past from many of them.  Good players don't suddenly ALL become bad players overnight, something or someone is responsible for their lack of form, and this where fingers have to be pointed at the management and coaching staff.

These are good players, as we've seen in the past from many of them.  Good players don't suddenly ALL become bad players overnight, something or someone is responsible for their lack of form, and this where fingers have to be pointed at the management and coaching staff.

I think "as we've seen in the past" is the key part of this post.  Wyness was great in the lower leagues, and for a few weeks a couple of seasons ago alongside Dargo.  Since then he has been very ordinary at best.  Time marches on.  I regret to say we've seen the best of him at ICT.  I'd only be too pleased to have to eat my words on this in the future, but I suspect I won't have to.  Of course this doesn't excuse the poor man management of the past week or so in how the whole sad affair has been handled.

Sorry, I should have said "in the not too distant past" as last season and even this season (which has been bad beyond belief) there have been some good performances.  Anyway, even if some of the older players are "past their best" it doesn't doesn't in itself explain why the whole squad is underperforming so consistently.  They're not all getting on in years, and you're not telling me we don't still have some pretty decent players.  I feel that we sorely miss Donald Park, we could sure do with someone like him in the dugout right now.

Since we came into the SPL we've always been a side that builds its success on runs of good performances - we pick up results when we are doing well but are also capable of going on runs where we do almost literally nothing.

Last season just before Christmas we had a run of games almost identical to this one - nine games, four draws, five losses, six goals scored (three in one game agaisnt Killie) and fifteen conceded.  The run culminated in a game against Dunfermline at East End that is one of the worst performances I've ever seen from us, dreadful stuff.  We managed to turn it around though.

I think the difference in our performances this season are that we don't have the strong spine we did in every season up until last.  From January until June we lost Mark Brown, Darren Dods and Craig Dargo.  Fraser has stood in well for Brown, despite a few jitters that most keepers get from time to time.  However, the big factor that has made this season more disappointing than previous ones is the fact that defensively we don't have the solidity that we previously did.  Put simply we aren't difficult to score against and we can't grind out results.  We are losing games by the odd goal and not turning enough narrow defeats into draws.

For example, we have drawn three matches this season.  In 2004/05 we drew 11 games - 7 of which we came from behind to get a point.  In 2005/06 we drew 13 games - 5 of which we came from behind to get a point.  In 2006/07 we drew 13 games - 6 of which we came from behind to get a point.  I don't get to as many games as most people on here but does anyone think that when we concede a goal we're ever going to get back into a game at the moment?  We seem to be in the grip of a mailaise during this run - losing away to Hibs, Motherwell, Celtic is excusable but being scudded by a rotten Hearts side at home isn't. 

Of course, the flip side of the coin is the form that we showed before Christmas which has made our season.  During that period we staged an absolutely amazing come-back against Celtic and showed amazing character, skill and courage.  We also showed great character at Tynecastle in one of our most memorable performances in teh SPL.  Bar a change or two we have pretty much the same side that achieved this.  We can turn this around.

Regarding Brewster, I supported his comeback and I still think he's the best person for the job.  The facts of the season are when he came in we were terrible and he has been in charge of the team during the games where we've picked up points and pulled ourselves out of the mire.  If you are going to chastise him for the poor performances we have to congratulate him on the good.  I do think that he made a mistake getting rid of Rankin.  With him tucked in behind Niculae we seemed to have found a system of play that was working and his set piece delivery was extremely important.  If you have a player who can get a dangerous ball in the box or the danger area you can conjure up threatening situations from just about every dead ball in the opposition half.  We don't have that now and it's not really surprising that we are scoring fewer goals. 

I think that Brewsters selections in midfield should be simplified - he should play players where they are most comfortable.  Playing left-sided players on the right is a valid tactic as it poses the defenders different problems and gives a side a different slant.  however, given the lack of confidence we are playing with we should keep it simple and have Cowie on the right and McBain/Imrie on the left.  Let players get back to basics.  We are short both at the back and up front though, a legacy of previous management decisions not to replace players we knew were leaving well in advance.  A pacy striker and a solid centre half should be top of the shopping list for June.  In the meantime, I think that giving Proctor a shot in the centre of defence is a good idea - he will be fresh and has done well for us there in the past.  As for up front, it's really two of Niculae, Bayne and Wyness, not something that will fill the opposition with dread.  Niculae is obviously a good player but I'd lovet o see him paired with someone like, whisper it, Dargo. 

I would have difficulty arguing with any of that, well put ictchris.  :clapping03: The lack of "spine" is what is hurting us.

C'mon Brew, show us what you've got!

Good post Chris and I wholly agree with the last paragraph - still think we need an old fashioned target man centre forward - it is a real pity that Niculae finds it difficult to play in such a position as that would be a big bonus and where he should be playing given his strengths and weaknesses.

What a spot on post, ictchris.  I agree with virtually everything you said.

The team has really suffered with the departure of Brown and Dodds, and to a lesser extent Dargo.

Whatever lingering doubts I had about Brewster's ability to manage have been dispelled by his disgraceful handling of Dennis Wyness's contract situation. The man does not possess the ability to manage.

I'm not convinced Brewster was entirely and/or solely responsible for the obscene manner in which Denzil's contract situation was handled.

Maybe not, in which case they have all acted in a shameful manner. That said, there is a very strong suggestion that Brewster was the individual responsible.

It's kinda weird really.  County got rid of **** Campbell on the basis that they werent playing "stylish" football even though they were winning most of their games and were top of the league yet ICT won't get rid of Brewster who doesn't get his team to win games or play stylish football.

Maybe not, in which case they have all acted in a shameful manner. That said, there is a very strong suggestion that Brewster was the individual responsible.

Looks like you're right about that...

He's quoted in today's Courier as saying : "I was unhappy with Dennis's performance against Falkirk, and felt that the situation regarding his contract had dragged on for too long and that it was time to call a halt to it.."

He does go on to say : " I've got to see a reaction from Dennis between now and the end of the season. He has to show me that he wants to be here.."

Sorry Brew.... but you've gone way down in my estimation....

He's quoted in today's Courier as saying : "I was unhappy with Dennis's performance against Falkirk, and felt that the situation regarding his contract had dragged on for too long and that it was time to call a halt to it.."

That just doesn't make any sense in the context of what we've heard about contracts over the last few weeks.

Brewster practically announced that Dennis was signing a two-year deal and Dennis himself was under the impression that everything was agreed. Also, Dennis was ready to sign the contract before Russell was so why wasn't his contract withdrawn?

By spinning lines like that Brewster is simply lying to us. For the good of the club i hope that Dennis comes out and tells us what really happened - not just to him but to Rankin, Wilson and Park as well.