Leaderboard

Hmmmm all very interesting points. We have been fairly guff at times this season. We've went and lost twice to Hibs of all things! Few would have ever seen that coming. I think there are a few factors to contend with. 1. Injuries and suspensions have undoubtedly taken their toll and we do not have the resources to contend with such. 17 different back 4's this season and I'd imagine most of them were forced upon Butcher. 2. We haven't really replaced some players. Rooney was perfect for our teams system, gone. Munro and Duncan had a wealth of experience in terms of digging in and an abundance of club loyalty. This would naturally rub off on younger players and Tokely is the last around to have this influence. Tade and Shinnie looked to be forming a good partnership until the latters injury. They could replace the goals between them that Rooney left behind. Hogg again, could have been Munros replacement but injury put paid to that. It causes a lot of debate as to whether ability wise Duncan needed replaced. Certainly it was felt by many the team performed better with him in it. But you can't replace passion. 3. We are in terms of club size, supporter base, and financial clout never going to be consistently good season after season. Some seasons we'll be up the crest, others down the trough. In these seasons we'll have good patches (This Christmas or last seasons November) and horrid runs (like of late) We as a club cannot afford a squad of 25 first team seasoned pros. We also do not have a budget to bring in top quality players. We rely on trial and free transfer. Even when clubs have money to spend there are risks (Torres 50m etc). These risks become tenfold when dealing with the lower end of the scale. Butcher is trying to attract young hungry talented youths to Inverness. In the long term this could reap huge financial benefits. However for youth you need older heads to guide them. Alas, in the free market most of these older heads will be journeymen, will have had a injury or patchy form history, or just not be great. So we have to take risks on the likes of Owain Tudur Jones. He's undoubtedly talented, yet has injury problems which we took a risk on. It remains a question as to whether we should continue with the risk next season. Time will tell. As for missing out on Gary Mackay-Stevens, it was well known the boy had talent, however at the time of the trial he was not ready for SPL football. OR had not shown enough to suggest it in his short trial. Subsequently the period at Airdrie, well below the players ability level, gave him the fitness, confidence and impetus to make the step up, albeit with Dundee Utd. We as a club could not afford to take on a player we perhaps could not have utilised straight away. These things happen in football. It was not down to Butchers lack of judgment. Mainly timing did not favour ICT on this occasion. For the most part I think Butcher makes good signings. OK for every Hayes there is an Eagles. For every Shinnie there is a Stratford, but again I point out that this is the end of the market we're dealing with. Sometimes he does show but tactical awareness and perhaps his training is not out of this world. When we can afford Jose Mourinho, I'm sure all will be sorted. In the meantime... I'd say Butchers tenure for the most part has been predominately successful. Dragged us off our feet when 5 points a drift and flagging badly to only be relegated with the highest points total to date (higher than our safe in 10th total at the moment, which is not to say we're doing worse, just then we were desperately unlucky perhaps) He led us straight back up at the 1st attempt. The first to do so since Hibs 10 years earlier. We then came up, defied expectation and finished well in 7th. An over achievement if anything. This season was really mainly about consolidating our SPL status. This has been done, albeit with more of a struggle than we'd have hoped. It's been a patchy year to say the least and hard to watch certainly, but we've been spoilt before, so eh why all the doom and gloom? (Please note this isn't really a question for Dougal. He has NOTHING good to say about ICT.)

We came, we saw, we conquered....on and off the pitch. Best away day I have this season for so many reasons. The fans, the result and the (extended) journey home!!! Just the medicine that was needed at the end of a season that would be better forgotten.

You really are total prat, Charles. First off, part of the fun in being mascot is the anonymity. Secondly, such anonymity is what gives some people the confidence to be more outgoing...especially when it is a younger person. You come over all Mr Confidentiality when it suits you and then quite happily blurt out on a public forum when there's obviously nothing in it for you to remain schtoom. Pathetic!!!

Quality keeper who suffered simply because Esson was already a quality and established keeper here. He is too good to be an understudy so good luck to him wherever he goes.

Charles, since I was aware that the person was pretty much anonymous I felt that those who were in the know would be sensible enough not to name them publicly. It would seem that my estimation of those people was correct, as none did name the person on here. My downfall, if indeed you can pin this one on me, was to have underestimated your ability to have spotted the pitfalls of such action and counselled accordingly....but I do admire the fact that you are willing to admit to an inability to think for yourself. Since you trust yourself so little, then perhaps a request to have all your posts moderated by the team here should be considered? We can then ascertain the consequences of your posts on your behalf and you can blame us for everything of yours that appears on this site? Surely as a journalist you should be aware that everything you say/print has consequences (good or bad)? And surely as a school teacher you should be acutely aware that when it involves youngsters then those (possible) consequences are magnified greatly? As for the parallel with the new investors.... You were happy to admit (gloat about) knowing who they were but refused to post names...and still refuse to give the name of the last one (which is fine, I have no issue with that)...claiming that it was perhaps better to drop the issue as the investors seemed motivated to make further contribution. I assume you felt that the naming of these people prematurely, or naming of the last person subsequently, would have perhaps damaged that motivation so you chose to keep schtoom. Why did the same thought process not come in to play when considering the consequences of naming the new occupant of the mascot costume. By your own admission you were happy to receive the information privately...which you obviously did...yet you chose to come back on and name names instead of just saying you had your info and the question no longer needed answered? I know you are done with your contributions to this thread...some people just aren't willing and/or able to admit when they screw up, choosing instead to blame others and continue in the belief that any further comment or questioning by others is somehow pointless or insignificant...que sera.

He's been brilliant over his 2 years here in essons shadow to most but for me he's been key in essons performances over the last 2 years. Having someone of tuffeys quality would have really made esson work and it speaks volumes of the man that he's never said anything about not being played. If he is going I wish him well for the rest of his career which And i think we will see him flourish in the future for northern Ireland and whoever he plays for.

Aw well at least we know he's going nowhere till at least January.

Think this away day will be remembered for a long time! Noisy away crowd with banana and beach ball. Ritchie getting a goal at last. Saying au revoir to the marchers and lastly but most importantly our grand tour of Scotland on our way home. Hope Ritchies friends enjoyed seeing the forth bridges! Lots of laughter thanks to all involved really enjoyed my day out!

We have absolutely zero chance of signing Ian Black. Literally none.

Lots of positive comments on our fans, your all a credit to the club and you remind me why its good to support ICT

pleased with the result. defense was solid, gillet again looked at home at centre half. i think hes actually better there than left back. and golobart was again superb. greg tansey showed great vision but lacked abit of execution but his delivery from free kicks and corners was superb and led to our goal. foran won me £25 all is forgiven for his goalscoring mishaps this season. hayes, made their left back earn his money same goes for doran until he had to go off, probably precautionary. a.shinnie, flashes of class again lacking game time, full 90 next week perhaps? tade, invisible man in the first half, think he just found himself standing in the box waiting for hayes or doran to whip a ball in, both hayes and doran took weight off his shoulders. improved when nick ross came on imo esson kept us in the gamein the first half, but apart from that was a relatively easy day for him a hard fought win but well deserved great to see foran get a goal and a enjoyable day out. good luck hm10

Higher than St Mirren. and lower than Celtic

Thoroughly enjoyable day out with the folks and cant wait for away days to start up next season. Was a very pleasing sight to see the team sheet, aside from Tokely and Hogg it was a team full of depth and a side that looked like they would have helped ICT to a stronger finish this season. The match itself ws a bit end of seasonsish. I would say we had the bulk of the play but were still lacking confidence in the final third and the Saints always looked dangerous on the break but suffered from the same problem and aside from Ryan Esson making to 1st class saves before half time had little to show for themselves. It was a game that was likely to be won by a set piece, Foran had already come close before at the back post with only Samson preventing his shot going in but again he wasnt dealt with and Tansey's delivery was immaculate. The fans were wonderful today as well, full voice and plenty of atmosphere. While it may not have been perfect i have no doubt that if we could add a few more quality players to this side we could really push on next season, this team has so much potential and if it is tapped into they are defnitely capable of great things...roll on 2012-13.

Never mind that. Special beer/whisky prices at the stadium for poor lonely deserted husbands! :drinking04:

This is not about punishing a particular team. This is about protesting against the enethical means by which this new Rangers are going to be treated in the SPL. Sorry but if the clubs vote to accept the new Rangers then I wont be supporting the clubs. I will be one of the 60 odd thousand Scottish football fane who have indicated they will stop supporting Scottish football. The message to the clubs is simple. Drop the newco team and survive of accept the newco team and die.

Is is just me, or is it the standard of football in some of these videos higher than what ICT currently play?!

that would be the same City that had an average attendance of nearly 29,000 in the old division 3 in 1998-99 - bunch of glory hunters....