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Let's hope he wasn't the contingency plan!

Not being able to afford all of his wages doesn't seem to have prevented The Rangers having him on their books.

Glad to see you back to your encouraging best DD! You obviously didn't walk on that pitch on Saturday but it was glutinous and heavy. As I 've already said, it's a miracle Tommy and Mattie got it playable in the fiirst place. Brave? If we had attempted to pay the usual passing game beginning with Esson playing short balls out, it would have been suicidal. Although County are a side getting to know each other, they are fighting for their lives and will pull out results such as Saturdays. I would have preferred to see subs used earlier, but I can quite understand why an inexperienced boy whose game is reliant on pace wasn't put anywhere near it. The key point here is that the pitch was playable. In making that decision the referee is checking that the ball is able to roll on the surface. The pitch was soft and heavy but there was not lying water nor were there large patches of glutinous mud. Balls passed crisply and acurately would run true most of the time. And, yes, I am genuinely being encouraging because I think our players have the quality to be able to pass the ball on a pitch like that. From time to time they did play some decent passing football - indeed the goal came from a neat passing exchange. What was needed was a modification of tactics and not a massive change. I agree with you about the passing from the back. As the pitch cut up a bit, occasional balls would be likely to hold up, particularly if played a little too tentatively and that would be risky at the back. So at the back, there would have been a need to get the ball upfield quicker but once upfield we should have been looking to keep hold of it and pass it around a bit. Where the conditions were likely to have an effect was in playing the ball in the air when it would be affected by a strong wind and then, coming down from a height with more vertical momentum it would be more likely to hold up in the pitch. So, we revert to tactics more prone to being affected by the conditions than our normal game! And I don't buy the bit about not wanting to risk a young player whose game relies on pace. In his interview Yogi claimed to have changed his team when he saw what the pitch was like and put in runners instead. That would seem to me to be exactly the situation where you would want a young lad with pace (not to mention one who would undoubtedly have relished the opportunity to show everyone what he could do. And County are fighting for survival. So what! Does that mean they are trying harder than our team? I sincerely hope not. Are we not fighting for a European place or even the title itself? Incidentally, on the keeper front I always wonder why our keepers rarely throw the ball out. Craig Gordon was using that technigue very effectively for Celtic yesterday on a poor Hampden pitch. Yogi's interview is really pretty depressing. On the back of a great run of form he is signalling a change of tactics in the coming weeks with a view to keeping clean sheets and hoping to snatch a goal or two at the other end. When pitches are sticky it is the goal mouths that cut up the worst. Even the best of defenders will get caught out and you simply can't rely on clean sheets. Billy may be gone but we have a midfield stuffed with players who can score. It would be good to see a much more positive attitude demostrating faith in the ability of the players that we've got rather than making these lame excuses.

#DawsonSources

For memories sake, I have just watched a DVD of the game this afternoon. Wonderful memories. Was shouting at TV as if it was happening all over again, and, cursing at Hamill - he really did get his come-uppance..

A game I will never forget. The Nick Ross was one of the most joyous moments as a ICT fan. Hamill getting his penalty saved was poetic justice after all his antics on the pitch.

Southend United reject Inverness Caledonian Thistle's bid for Lee Barnard Lee Barnard - wanted by Inverness Caledonian Thistle share on Facebook share on Twitter share on Google+ email (1) comments print First published 14:22 Sunday 1 February 2015 in Bluesby Chris Phillips SOUTHEND United have turned down an offer from Inverness Caledonian Thistle for their out of favour striker Lee Barnard. The 30-year-old failed to make the squad for Saturday’s clash with York City. But Blues boss Phil Brown revealed Barnard is keen to fight for his future atRoots Hall. “I spoke to Lee and he’s told me he wants to stay here and fight for his place which I admire,” said the Shrimpers chief. “He’s seen me bring in two new strikers but is keen to try and get back in to the team. “Of course that could change and someone else could come in and whet his whistle which I don’t think Inverness did so we decided to turn down their bid.” Barnard spent time on loan with Stevenage earlier on in the season and has not appeared for Blues since October.

I wonder how Newcastle Reserves will get on in the cup against Raith at the weekend? Surely no less that 5 payers heading to Ibrox on loan from Newcastle is making a mockery of the rules around the influence one man can have with more than one club.

That is out of order sticking that pic on here at this time of night how we meant to get to sleep now Wi that image stuck in our heads lol

Asda?

One thing that is very clear is that the chairmans statement re contingency plans was a complete load of county. I don't think any of us expected anything different tbh which is disappointing..

Didn't exactly set the heather on fire on his last spell in the Gaeltacht. Played for a sh*t team last time though, no?

It was a year ago this weekend that we faced the Edinburgh side in the neutral venue of Edinburgh (for the 2nd year in a row). Got two players sent off, were losing in injury time, and then, well you know the rest. An absolutely incredible experience for any ICT fan who was there, and I dare say for those who weren't there as well. What are your memories of that day?

Gavin Reilly of QOTS then please!

Don't see the need for panic signings. At the end of the day you can only put 11 players on the park, and we already have quality attacking players on the bench chomping at the bit for action. I'd rather give them a chance than get carried away with the transfer deadline hype and bring in some mercenary for the sake of it.

Judging by this forum at the moment the contingency plan is to forget about football and create an Inverness history club so that we can all reminisce about the "good old days".

Also today Philip Roberts loaned from Dundee to Alloa (Hartley doesn't rate him at all apparently, which is unfortunate seeing as he signed him on a 2 year contract!) Stuart Armstrong moves to Celtic £2m - is that a record for an ex-ICT player, and is he the best player ever to come out of our youth team? I seem to recall that he left because his family moved away from the area when he was just 16 or 17, but I think it was also the same time we abolished our reserves set up following relegation.

Which side of the counter?

The same journo has just tweeted that this deal is not now happening.

I've seen Johndo's "grapes of wrath" Scarlet...............not a pretty sight

Quite simply the best game I have ever seen. A combination of Rourke's Drift and the Battle of Thermopylae...

I don't normally like to criticise referees but I thought the whistler at Hampden yesterday was poor. I imagine the SFA put their 'top' ref in for the potentially heated Celtic-Rangers game but I thought he made some basic errors and strange decisions. I dislike both the Glasgow teams so was able to observe it from a neutral perspective. Perhaps the assistant-refs (linesmen or lineswomen, nowadays!) should also be held to account, as they can raise their flag if they spot something the ref has missed). As for our own 'penalty' incident with Watkins - after seeing it last night on TV, particularly the behind-the-goals angle, I apologise if I inferred in a previous post that I thought Watkins had 'made a meal of it'. I assume the ref would have awarded a penalty if Marley had gone down instantly at the contact. But, in an instant, he had to make a decision and in his mind 'played advantage' to give Marley the chance to slot the ball in, but after he tumbled, the 'advantage' had gone. Interestingly, in rugby, (I think), when the ref signals a penalty, he allows the attacking team to play-on for the current passage of play, allowing any advantage to stand - like a try, for example. But, if the move comes to nothing, they go back and take the penalty. In yesterdays prominent incident, (Rangers-Celtic), when Brown was fouled but still managed to release Griffiths one-on-one with the 'keeper, he could have allowed the move to play-out - and if Celtic hadn't scored or in his opinion hadn't gained and advantage, brought play back to the half-way line and a free-kick to Celtic.

I hope they know the cut off is before 12am 12am is Midnight.

Hope these still work:

I hope they know the cut off is before 12am The deadline is Midnight in Scotland. It's 11pm in England.

Does anyone know how Foran's situation is? Getting him back soon would be as good as a new signing, and a fully fit Foran can also play up front too.

The game on Saturday merely underlined the need to get in a striker, we can't possibly contemplate going the rest of the season without one. The defensive lapse was disappointing but I believe that with a genuine forward we would have been two or three up by then. No reflection on Marley, he's good at what he does but what he does is not to lead the line.

Hmmmm looking at his stats he has done ok but at 30 are we willing to sign a player already in the downward of his career

I always thought that was dawson making that up Never realised he actually trialled

It was an incredible match but a very slow burner which I couldn't see much of in the first half as the low sun was just hanging over the stands and getting in my eyes. After that I did not expect what happened in the next 49 minutes which is the best half of football for drama that I have seen live, the Nick Ross moment will live with me forever and I can say I was there in the bottom row right behind the goal when it happened. Extra time was one of the longest and most nerve racking half hour ever before the euphoria of winning this penalty shoot out. A great day out for all involved of an Inverness persuasion and one I and everyone else will not forget in a hurry.

Tremendous effort from the ground staff and helpers (young players especially) to get the pitch playable. As said elsewhere....it was calculated that around 45,000 gallons of snow/ice/water were taken off the covers (with just buckets) before they were removed....and then all the work needed to prepare the surface itself. When you consider that there's clubs with whole teams of ground staff (we have two) and all the mod cons in terms of equipment who can't get games on, then you have to wonder how we do it....but everyone pulls together and we do. That commitment then extends to the players who you don't see standing around moaning about the far from ideal conditions, they just get out there and do their bit to try and deliver a result. Whether Yogi got the tactics right or wrong is a matter of opinion, but if offering up criticism...ask you yourself whether you would have preferred he did not react to the conditions and sent the team out to try and play their normal game on a pitch that wasn't conducive with that style of play! You might believe their was another way to have gone about things...but at least temper it with some recognition of the situation he was presented with. Yogi would be the first person to tell you that everyone is always learning in football...including himself. I'm sure a few things were learned yesterday and what's most important is how those lessons are applied should a similar scenario present itself in future.

We had 4 cleared off the line, their goal was a hand ball (raven sees it and claims straight away) and we don't get a stonewall penalty. We still get a point on a pitch that it was a miracle was playable at all. I'll take that.

I thought we were a bit below par all over the pitch but I would put that down to a combination of the terrible conditions - howling wind and atrocious surface preventing our usual passing game, and the need to adapt to a new system without Billy. As for those dissing Carl Tremarco, they must have been watching a different game from me and the official Man of the Match Sponsor after all was he not named Man of the Match. Most of our good attacking moves came down his side of the pitch with some decent crosses in from the bold Carl. My hope for next week is that there is a decent surface at Partick and that our current bogey team who have been able to cope with our system with Billy up front may struggle to cope with whatever Yogi comes up with for the next phase without Billy.

Not sure how we didn't win that today - three cleared off the line. Wasn't sure about the penalty, but Watkins needed to go down at the point of contact if anything was going to be given. The pitch did us no favours today, there were loads of bobbles and the ball held up a fair few times too - which could be a concern given we like to keep the ball down and pass. Might cause problems with passing to the keeper too so (at the risk of repeating myself) let's try and keep that to a minimum, eh. I am prepared to blame the sclaffed clearances on the conditions. Thought the defence did ok to be honest, but struggled to adapt to Jervis when he first came on. Can't see county getting out of the position they are in now. They need to win two more games than Well and St Mirren just to catch them - if they play like that they will do well to win two more games. And to those suggesting we should have a look at Boyce - he was mince.

He got on in the 78th minute for his debut, but I'm sure his next target will be a starting berth.

BBC match report says it should have been a penalty. "Pictures revealed that Reguero had indeed clipped Watkins and he struggled to retain his balance before tumbling." Footage will confirm it and also confirm that County goal was a clear hand ball...assuming we get more than 30 seconds on Sportscene.

Fijians don't eat raisins Roarer? They only touch black currants, as you rightly point out. The reason is that the blue die that comes off in the process make them look fiercer. Like the auld Picts painting their faces with daub to scare the Romans away. The current information on file, however, does not point to the hiring of South Sea Islanders 'cos there would be a commotion of they turned up in grass skirts when Tartan has been ordered to brighten up the new strip. Mind you...thinks...the girl fans might like it. Maybe all the screaming and shouting would arouse too much of the Grapes of Wrath though?

Sitting here grinning -Just the pick me up I needed, he is infectious . No.1 is we're safe from relegation, we're going to make a bit of money from Billy sale and John doesn't have any doubts about G Shinnie's his captains commitment to ICT until the end of the season. And by the sounds of it no-one is going to be invited in just to make up the numbers in the squad. Need to be better than what we've got - interesting. Looking forward to the rest of the season.

I've been getting all misty eyed watching Billy's goals from 2012/13 and 2013/14. If I were a Wigan fan watching those, I'd be absolutely wetting myself with excitement.