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I can understand your dilemna but remember that it is part of my day to day job to analyse behaviours and communication. It is a developed art to read between the lines. I wholly concur that there is the clear genuine emotion of a person who has clearly taken to his surroundings and has become a honorary Highlander - and from a personality and media perspective thoroughly deserves it. Most of us would love to finally settle in an environment which is close to idyllic and lay down our roots. Lets for example look at two parts of the article - "We have a vision here at Inverness now, a purpose. We know where we want to go and how we can get there." - Am I missing something ? ?We can look to buy a place now, what with the security of the new contract,? - Does that not, given our current position and level of perfomance, not smack slightly of a degree of overconfidence. I have always supported TB and he is a daunting figure, which is part of his defence mechanism. I would love him to stay until the end of his contract. He sells us via the media and raises our profile but he has to start putting things together on the park and I really wish to he would assume some of the responsibility for our recent problems and stop projecting it on to other events and anybody except Terry and Mo. To blame the international break for the St Johnstone performance would have been hilarious if it was a tongue and cheek statement - but it wasnt. And look at his reaction to the Pars draw: "I've got to question my players temperament and ask do they want to be off the bottom of the league?; "How much do they want to win a game? How much do they want to keep a clean sheet? ;"Today. Not enough. We did 75% of the work to try and get a win but the other 25% we didn't put in." And who's job is it to motivate the players - To admit to 75% effort is an absolute disgrace. Butcher stuck with the same starting XI after blasting their previous performance - a 2-0 loss at St Johnstone but is now contemplating changes for next weekend's visit from his former club Motherwell. "It gives me an option now because I played the same team three times now and I've got the good, the bad and the ugly," he explained.; "We're conceding almost two goals a game and that's not good enough." That is pure avoidance - What about "I made a mistake" - Terry and Mo should have been fully aware of the good, the bad and the ugly by now - my concern is that their perception does not match the majority of the fans.

I haven't been at the past few games so I can't comment on how we played. I haven't said much on here recently but I want to give my two cents as to what seems to be going on. I am seeing some worrying similarities between this season and the season we were relegated. In both instances we lack success in front of goal and we are persisting with young inexperienced players (in 2008-2009 we were playing the likes of Duff, Wood and Vigurs). When I saw on Saturday?s team line up that we were remaining unchanged. I feared the worst. As much as I admire Foran?s loyalty to us I fear that he is being kept in the team because Butcher is scared to drop him. I?m sorry but if you are going to have him in the team then do not play him up front. Foran and Tade have managed 6(?) goals between them in a round of fixtures. It clearly isn?t working. We have other options on the bench who haven?t been given a chance. Why did Butcher even bother signing them? I think Tade is a great worker and I admire his passion and commitment but he can?t be expected to carry the burden of getting all our goals. He should be played along side McKay or Sutherland, an actual striker NOT Foran. Defensively it is hard to escape that we let Granty go. I highly rate Hogg, Gillet, Shinnie and Roscoe has calmed right down in recent years. Thomas seems to be the liability that Tokely used to be. He gets booked every game, my namesake can do a job but I wouldn?t be starting him. Last year our defence let us down a lot. This year I fear it could even be worse. Although it has been mentioned too many times before, getting rid of Munro and Duncan was the stupidest most illogical thing we could have done. I can understand Terry wanting to build a team for the future. Who are these young lads supposed to learn from? Even if Butcher wanted keep both of them on the bench their presence as mentors would be very valuable. McBain and Golabek hardly got a game for us in the SPL but in any team you need a mixture of youth and experience. Rooney and Hayes had the guidance of these two. Over the past few months I have tried to justify why these two stalwarts were let go and I?m sorry but it can?t be done. So what are we left with now? A group of teenagers who have not grown up in Scotland let alone Inverness so they have little connection or pride in the area, who know they probably are not going to be here for long and who have few people to instil the ICT passion that got us up the leagues, that kept us in the SPL for five years or even that got us back up first time. David Davis? Twitter summed it up for me earlier on. Your team is bottom of the league, you throw away 3 points yesterday and your last two games have been shocking performances and you complain about being called in? In some work places that?s enough to get you a disciplinary. It certainly doesn?t fill me and other fans with confidence that these loan players are playing with any sort of passion. I can think of plenty of players plying there trade in the Scottish lower leagues who are just as capable as them who would jump at the chance to play for ICT instead of them. I wouldn?t in a million years suggest that we get rid of Butcher because I think he is one of the best things to happen to ICT. I can?t think of anyone who could do a better job. I do think his plans to change the club were too sudden and ill timed and I feel letting Munro and Duncan go is one of the stupidest things he has ever done. If he doesn?t make radical changes to the team line up in the next few weeks then I fear it could be too late for us.

With such radical changes being introduced, the aim from the outset should have been one of survival and building. Had the season been sold to the fans on that basis then I don't think we'd be seeing so much frustration from within the fanbase. As it is, I think the club have been a little naive in (publicly) stating an intention to shoot for top 6. All this has done has increased expectation and the pressure that comes with that. I still think we'll be fine. I've seen enough of the team/players this season to know they are capable, we just need to find the missing "whatever" that will bring it all together and make it click on a more regular basis. I'm as frustrated as the next person, but the situation calls for cool heads and rational thinking.

I think Nick Ross needs rested

Esson Meekings Tokely Golobart Gillet Cox Davis Sutherland A. Shinnie G. Shinnie Tade Subs: Tuffey, Proctor, Chippendale, Ross, Tansey, Foran, McKay Back to the 4-2-3-1 which has fared us well in the past and gives us some solidity against a good Motherwell team. Five changes, including a revamp of the back four. Push Graeme Shinnie further up the pitch to give us width and bring in the solid Gillet at left back. Bring Cox back in and use Sutherland wide as we did at the end of last season. Drop Proctor, Ross, Tansey and Foran, as well as the suspended Piermayr.

You feel we're not missing a solid, reliable and committed centre half? GM not good enough for the SPL, but how many seasons has he played there? Shame Proctors tackle was in the box - PMSL thats a bit like shooting someone in the head with a gun and then in court claiming I never did anything wrong it's just a shame his head was in the way! . Foran played a poor game (not for the first time this season) although to be fair he set up the goal. But he's not the only one under performing, not by a long shot and that includes the management teams as they have brought these players in. I felt Foran was only clapping at the end and thanking the fans for sticking with the team, at least that's what I saw. People would be moaning if he just walked straight off saying that 'he isn't showing the loyals fans any gratitude' so he's damned either way. Never mind all will be well when- We start to gell, get injured players back, find the system that works for us, play a passing game etc etc. Not to mention the stability brought from giving TB & MM the contract extensions so early, that will hopefully kick in soon too. Ok IMO he was anything but solid or reliable, ill give you committed because the boy really did try. But no matter how many seasons he played in the SPL doesn't mean he was good enough for it! Far to slow and gave possession away every time with his 'hoof ball' tactics stop backing up a highly over rated and below average defender! He is gone to a a lower division which suits him best. and with the proctor situation i meant he should have made the tackle outside the box when he had the chance 'SHAME IT WAS INSIDE'. 'never mind all will be well' excuse me for being negative but i am really worried for us right now. we were outplayed by Dunfermline at home, i fear the worst for next week as Motherwell can actually play a little bit of football! Oh dear, did Grant steal your sweeties or something? Seriously though is GM Puyol? Is he Maicon? No. Did he ping inch perfect passes out of defence every time? No, but he played to his strengths and was a solid reliable player to suggest otherwise is nonsense, also the reason I believe he chose RC was family. Regardless you clearly think he was a terrible player for ICT, I don't and I think 99% of folk would agree with me and that's the last I'll say as I don't wanna labour the point. Your point on Procs tackle never made sense to me the first time and it still doesn't, from what I saw he wouldn't have made such a tackle at all had his positioning been better. Though he was maybe left a little exposed. My last paragraph regarding 'all will be well when...' was some what tongue in cheek and I would have thought most folk reading it would have taken it in that manner, perhaps it was too subtle for you. Out of curiosity who do you think are our strongest centre halfs this season, bearing in mind we are the only SPL team who have not had a shut-out so far (I think)? Edit: Spelling. Josh Meekings came on for 5 minutes and was already better than Grant Munro's whole career Nearly wet myself with laughter when i read this

Butcher had two choices on Saturday....play the same team and hope they were suitably embarrassed by their own performance at St Johnstone that they would go out there and put on a performance more akin to that which they gave against St Mirren...or fire a shot across the bows by making a handful of changes in the hope that those coming in could slot quickly into the team and get us a result. Personally I had expected the later. Butcher seemed to have gone beyond angry after the St Johnstone game and I really thought that he'd lost patience with some of the players...especially as it wasn't lake of ability that let them down...we all know the players/team are capable of better, they just didn't turn up. With hindsight it's easy to say Butcher made the wrong choice...had he gone the other way and the result was the same then people would be on here criticising him making changes and that being the reason for defeat. Such is the life of a manager when things aren't going to plan. As the idiom goes....Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me. The question now is does Butcher give some of the players the chance to fool him twice? I think there's other issues, such as Foran. He's clearly not fit, but he's playing the martyr and doesn't want to let the team down by not playing. All very commendable, but he is letting the team down. Partly because he's not fit and partly because he's taking his frustrations at not being up to pace out on those around him. I'm sure there's others within the team capable of calling heads or tails at the start of the game...and beyond that, every man on the park should be there to help out everyone else, to gee them up and help each other out...you don't don't need a designated captain to achieve that. If that's the reason he's holding his place and keeping a fit/keen player on the bench then it's an act of folly. Better to lose Foran for a couple of weeks and allow him to get back to full fitness than risk him getting worse and not being available for a longer spell. What's more, if he continues they way he's going then there's always the chance he will lose all respect from his team mates become a totally ineffective captain, or worse, it gets to the point where he's doing more harm than good.

And neither does Maurice:

A good time to give Nick Ross a rest. He has been anonymous this season and with him in the midfield we have no power in the engine room. He has been a passenger for too long now, time to get off the bus loon. He will be a good player come time, but at the moment his tidy play is not what we need. Cox is a must and Davis seems to be the next best in the middle. Forans passing yesterday put Russell Duncan's passing to shame, he was hopeless. I like Foran, we need him in the side, but not playing like that. Esson Meekings Tokely Golobart Gillet Hayes Cox Davis Chipper Foran Tade A half fit Hayes would be better than nothing, Sutherland to be first dibs when we need fresh legs and A Shinnie to freshen up the middle, with brother Graeme as an extra wide left player. Ach what the hell Terry, just play the same losers....................

Spot on cc but tell the muppets upstairs as they hold the purse strings which are seemingly getting tighter and tighter Once again the blame is deflected from the choices of TB and MM to the 'muppets' (assume you are trying to blame the board?). Why? Simply, Butcher is old school. He reversed all the fitness progress made under Brewster, abolished double sessions (instead preferring to leave his well played employees free to play golf or snooker, or spent the afternoon in the bookies), almost stopped the JJB fitness works and took the club backwards as far as I'm concerned. This is entirely his choice and nothing to do with money. On being questioned about it he said if he can't trust his players to do their own gym work then he had a problem. Out of interest, name me any other professional sport where coaches adopt this attitude? STOP TRYING TO DEFLECT BLAME TO OTHERS.

Things to do on Halloween week, hang about woods which have a reputation for being haunted and put the shighters up fools who believe in fairy stories so much that they have to get rescued by coppers and firefighters laughing their heads off.

The man is a pure bread donk. maybay if he practised his finishing rather than gobbing off in the press bout how we can still get top 6 we mite have a chance of the odd win. how many times does has he broke away,only the keeper to beat,then ballooned it over the bar, or no where near the goal? think its funny that people are just starting to realise what a pretender he really is

If anyone (including A96) thinks that Russel Duncan or Grant Munro would have made any difference yesterday, they are deluded. All Granty would have done would be to contribute to the very aimless punting upfield that others are accused of, and what people on this forum moaned incessantly about when he was here. TBH I didn't see too much of that yesterday, but what I did see was a team that is desperately short of the width needed to create openings in the middle for Tade and Foran. They don't have the ability to create these for themselves, but they are getting hold of the ball (which just makes it more frustrating) We really need Hayes and Doran back. Now. Defensively, Meekings has given us a choice and surely to God Hogg will be back at some point. If not, it's time to rehabilitate Golabert and put Proctor in a position where he isn't as exposed as he was yesterday. Piermayer being outy next week will create that opening. I think his only fault yesterday was not taking Buchanan out before he reached the area. The real fault lay with the two players who lost the ball in midfield when the game should have been shut down. Midfield wasn't great either yesterday TBH, Tansey and Davis seem too much alike. Cox should make it better. Onwards & upwards. edited - spelling

I think that football as a whole has progressed a lot over the last decade or so in terms of attention to conditioning, nutrition etc and Craig Brewster certainly was at the forefront of that movement and I also had a few good discussions with Charlie Christie on the subject. Getting the balance in football between the necessary fitness to last a 90 (120) minute game with random episodes of high intensity throughout whilst also maintaining the necessary skills and technical abilities is a huge task and different formats seem to work for different managers and teams. On the other hand I wonder if football players in general are regarded enough as individuals as opposed to being part of a group undergoing a "one size fits all" training strategy? Certainly as an athletics coach with 35 years experience at all levels from primary schools up to Commonwealth Games and other major international champoinships, I don't envy football managers and coaches what is a very difficult task to balance. I noted with interest the section of Capital Caley's post which I have quoted above. The extreme, almost Messianic fervour with which the "no static stretching" bandwagon was driven through sport a few years ago was intriguing and it was interesting to see the sheer intolerance accorded to anything other than complete agreement with this latest Holy Grail which was going to be the final saviour of sport. As with all its predecessor Holy Grails, this has not turned out to be the case any more than education's current Holy Grail, the Curriculum for Excellenece is going to be a final answer there. Basically this is someone's latest career enhancing bandwagon and the case has, as so often happens, been over stated. I think the case against static stetching did have some merits with regard to LONG static stretches which understandably can fatigue muscle but I really don't see anything wrong at all with repeated shorter (5-10 sec) static stretches. Also, if this Holy Grail really had genuine Canine Testicle status, I would have thought that its implementation would have caused an instant drop in injury levels and increase in performance levels throughout sport - which I am not aware of having happened.

You feel we're not missing a solid, reliable and committed centre half? GM not good enough for the SPL, but how many seasons has he played there? Shame Proctors tackle was in the box - PMSL thats a bit like shooting someone in the head with a gun and then in court claiming I never did anything wrong it's just a shame his head was in the way! . Foran played a poor game (not for the first time this season) although to be fair he set up the goal. But he's not the only one under performing, not by a long shot and that includes the management teams as they have brought these players in. I felt Foran was only clapping at the end and thanking the fans for sticking with the team, at least that's what I saw. People would be moaning if he just walked straight off saying that 'he isn't showing the loyals fans any gratitude' so he's damned either way. Never mind all will be well when- We start to gell, get injured players back, find the system that works for us, play a passing game etc etc. Not to mention the stability brought from giving TB & MM the contract extensions so early, that will hopefully kick in soon too. Ok IMO he was anything but solid or reliable, ill give you committed because the boy really did try. But no matter how many seasons he played in the SPL doesn't mean he was good enough for it! Far to slow and gave possession away every time with his 'hoof ball' tactics stop backing up a highly over rated and below average defender! He is gone to a a lower division which suits him best. and with the proctor situation i meant he should have made the tackle outside the box when he had the chance 'SHAME IT WAS INSIDE'. 'never mind all will be well' excuse me for being negative but i am really worried for us right now. we were outplayed by Dunfermline at home, i fear the worst for next week as Motherwell can actually play a little bit of football! Oh dear, did Grant steal your sweeties or something? Seriously though is GM Puyol? Is he Maicon? No. Did he ping inch perfect passes out of defence every time? No, but he played to his strengths and was a solid reliable player to suggest otherwise is nonsense, also the reason I believe he chose RC was family. Regardless you clearly think he was a terrible player for ICT, I don't and I think 99% of folk would agree with me and that's the last I'll say as I don't wanna labour the point. Your point on Procs tackle never made sense to me the first time and it still doesn't, from what I saw he wouldn't have made such a tackle at all had his positioning been better. Though he was maybe left a little exposed. My last paragraph regarding 'all will be well when...' was some what tongue in cheek and I would have thought most folk reading it would have taken it in that manner, perhaps it was too subtle for you. Out of curiosity who do you think are our strongest centre halfs this season, bearing in mind we are the only SPL team who have not had a shut-out so far (I think)? Edit: Spelling. Josh Meekings came on for 5 minutes and was already better than Grant Munro's whole career