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Goodness, gracious me. What the hell was that? First, the caveats: any team in this league bar Celtic and Aberdeen struggles with a few players out - today we missed Brill, Tremarco, Vincent, Foran, Doran and Roberts (some of whom may have started, and some of whom may not have). Then we lose Warren and Meekings to injury. But still, we could have easily lost that four- or five-nil. Owain Fon Williams was outstanding (he even made a wonderful save for their goal, but Fletcher got to the rebound first), and it was just as well. Motherwell missed several other chances. We on the other hand, managed three shots on goal and none on target (according to the BBC). The three shots were a Tansey free kick deflected well wide, a Tansey shot from distance that went miles high and wide, and a Lopez shot from distance that was closer to the corner flag than the goal. And it's not as though we were fizzing crosses across the face of goal or anything. Their keeper could have spent the match leaning on his post and reading the newspaper. I know we were short of players, but the tactics were terrible. Raven (when played out of position) and Meekings offer no attacking width. There is no point to playing both Wedderburn and Draper, they are so similar in style that they are practically two cheeks of the same fat backside. Williams needed to be at left-back from the off, just to give us a bit of width. Raven was also dreadfully exposed by Marvin Johnson's pace. Johnson and Chalmers kept getting into the space left by our full-backs when they bombed forward...with our twin defensive midfielders nowhere to be seen when they should have been covering. We were a shambles from the off - Warren's panicky hack on McDonald in the first minute set the tone. I know folk will bemoan our passing around at the back but Tansey's blunder was not because he was under pressure - he simply played a lazy, blind sideways pass. What he was doing that deep at that point (and many others in the first half), when we already had two defensive midfielders, was beyond me. Subbing Wedderburn and bringing on Mutombo was a desperate move, but the right one. Mutombo had several good touches, though whether he has some substance, or is just a Fancy Dan, remains to be seen. He at least went looking for the ball, which is more than can be said for Lopez. The Spaniard must have touched the ball about ten times...and nearly every time it just bounced off him. He didn't get much service, but nor did he compete with the Motherwell defenders or make an active effort to offer himself for a pass. He's had three starts now and if this is as fit as he's going to get, then god help us. I felt sorry for Ryan Christie, who kept getting caught in possession because no-one in front of him was ever looking for a pass. He got more and more frustrated as the game went on, and made more and more mistakes. It was a sign of the way our day was going that we lost both Warren and Meekings, which left us with a threadbare back four. Devine was alright to be fair; it must be said that Polworth was decent enough in the second half but just offered more of the sideways passing. Horner wasn't much cop, but then we had no other options, really. So, in conclusion, that was terrible - maybe even worse than any performance in the whole of last season. But surely once our injuries are cleared we'll be fine...right?

Didn't make it today but surprised to hear the posts about Wedderburn.. I thought he was one of our better players out in Romania. Gutted with the result ... but it's idiotic to be writing off new signings when they are settling into an unbalanced side with the players we have lost and the injuries Yogi has to deal with at the moment. We obviously need a goalscorer (maybe 2) .. Lopez could be a decent player but he doesn't seem to be the sort of player that can lead the line himself. Hopefully this result is the kick up the arse needed for the board to go out and spend some money.... As Lightlamp posted earlier we need some investment and Yogi deserves it after all the revenue he brought to the club last year. We should not have to live off free transfers from regional divisions in Spain and France...it's fine for these players to come in and help the squad but we should not be relying on them as first team players. It's not fair on them to be thrown straight in and be judged like that when they are stepping into a higher standard of league. If we don't buy someone soon I think it is fair that questions are asked of the board. Still remaining positive though ... there was no way that we could expect to be as good as last year so everyone needs to take a breath and be patient.

I'm actually quite content with the defence. More than enough IMO. Actually, we don't *really* need a left-back either. Both Tremarco and Williams are natural left-backs, while Raven, Wedderburn and Roberts have all be known to play there. I recollect Gary Warren saying when he signed that he can play 'anywhere across the back four' so that's another option. We're more than covered in the centre with Devine, Warren, Wedderburn and Meekings, though Foran, Draper, Raven, Tremarco and Horner can all play in there. Right back is fine as well with Raven, Meekings and Horner, though we can also put Vincent, Polworth and Devine in there. So there you go. More than enough coverage in defence. We need a proper finisher far more than another defender in any form IMO.

Desperately poor first half, decent second half. When you consider the players that have left the club, our current injury crisis, and that we lost our 2 first choice centre halves during the game - a narrow defeat isn't exactly a calamity. Some people's expectations have become delusional. Motherwell's goal was as soft as they come, a slack pass under no pressure in our own third. Rather like the first leg of the Astra game, conceding a soft goal early doors completely changes the dynamics of the game. From then on we didn't really look like scoring. This wasn't helped by having 3 holding midfielders on the park at the same time. Our shape improved when the impressive Mutombo replaced Wedderburn. But we still struggled to assert any kind of concerted pressure on Motherwell. There was a lack of movement in the final third, and all too often Lopez was left isolated. On the few occasions the ball reached him he didn't pose much of a threat. Positives from the game, Fon Williams was terrific. Looks like we've got a quality keeper on our hands. Mutombo, Horner and Polworth all improved the team when introduced.

Couldn't really have had a worse start, 2 of our main players injured, a loss at home and a shocking performance! That made the Astra games look like they happened years ago!! Fair enough we're down a few players due to injury but to still not have a striker, winger or left back at this stage is pathetic! Everyone else that wanted to recruit has recruited...even county so there is no excuses! It could well be a long season after that performance but maybe it's what they needed to bring them back down to earth and Scottish football! But those who are saying Hughes out are clearly pathetic and idiotic...supporting your club means supporting your players and management, no matter how hard it gets!!!

Excellent summary by RiG, Of course the injury crisis is a concern but it will pass, What is of more concern to me is the lack of creativity, 3 attempts at goal when you are behind for most of the game at home against the team that finished 11th last year is woeful. We could have carried on all night and still not had a shot on target. There seems to be an obsession of playing balls to feet all the time. Nobody seems to want to play balls into the spaces, nobody seems to want to take the responsibility to take players on or to look to shoot from distance. The one positive I would take from the game was that at least Mutombo looked promising. He at least seemed to understand that we actually needed to score a goal.

A truly honking performance from ICT with the tone set early on when Warren hacked down Skippy after only a few minutes of the game gone with our fragmented side struggling to settle into anything approaching a rhythm. As was so often the case with Inverness when Hughes first arrived we were architects of our own downfall and helped Well score the first goal. A slack pass by Tansey was eagerly seized upon by Well and it looked like Fletcher and McDonald linked well to create a chance which was well saved by Fon Williams however he couldn't collect the ball and Fletcher followed in from\close range to put Well ahead. As anyone who has seen an ICT game this season will know we have a lot of the ball but do absolutely nothing with it. As Motherwell sat back and defended in numbers ICT stroked the ball about with no real creative spark to open up the Steelmen. Even on the odd occasion when a break could have been on we seemed content to advance slowly out of defence and keep the ball rather than go for the jugular and try and get right at Well. At one point, collecting the ball from a wasted Motherwell corner we had all of our players within about 10 - 15 yards of the ball in a couple of big lines with no one further ahead of the player with the ball and no one seemingly trying to get into space to try and stretch the remaining defenders. We were exceptionally sluggish whereas Motherwell were much more direct and aggressive with and without the ball chasing it down and snapping into tackles making it hard for us to settle things down. McDonald missed a penalty after Johnson showed great skill to roll his marker and sprinted into the box only to fall over under what looked like minimal contact from Devine. Regardles, Allan gave a penalty and Fon Williams did well to block McDonalds spot kick which was a nice height for the keeper to get to and keep out. Wedderburn, who was struggling with the quickness of Motherwell players closing him down, was subbed for Mutombo who injected a bit more creativity and pace into a lackadaisical ICT side. This was pretty much how the first half played out with the only other notable talking point being what looked like a horrendous challenge by Pearson on Warren which resulted in the ICT defender having to be subbed off. Pearson looked like he launched himself hard into a challenge going well over the ball with studs showing. It seemed a clear red card but fortunately for Pearson Allan only showed him a yellow. Pearson himself went off later on as he seemed to injure himself in the tackle as well. Will be interesting to see it again on the highlights if its covered. Motherwell started the second half on top and ICT again were in a mess at the back. Some good work down the Well right led to a good chance to extend their lead but fortunately an effort by Fletcher (I think) hit the post / was saved for Fon Williams. Not long after that Chalmers (I think) who was still up from a corner looked certain to score as he waited to tuck away a loose ball from only inches out but somehow Draper came in to clear the ball away. The second half largely replicated the first with Well starting strongly and ICT struggling to create anything. A half hearted penalty claim from Tansey who looked like he may have been clipped in the box and a free kick late on from the same player which was headed wide were as close as ICT came to threatening anything close to a goal in a match that was not high on thrills. A good win for Motherwell who looked comfortable throughout but a concerning defeat ICT who, despite missing a lot of first team players, struggled again to create any really good scoring chances. With Meekings and Warren both coming off injured our back four is completely unrecognisable from that of last season. If we aren't going to score then we could at least have looked to a relatively resolute defence to keep the opposition out. It will be interesting to see how a potentially patchwork backline deals with the upcoming games against Saint Johnstone and Partick. Hope not but it wouldn't surprise me too much. It looked like a disgusting challenge from Pearson. What puzzles me is that Allan clearly saw it as a foul (hence the yellow card) but not one that constituted SFP. Looked a clear red card to me. Wonder if the highlights will pick it up?

I'm sure he knows that. With our budget, where do you suggest he gets them? To be fair he has signed Lopez. Whether Lopez is up to the job is another matter. I was surprised he didn't keep Hooper who at least could score (including one or two when he was trialling with us). Whether Mutombo can play as an out and out striker remains to be seen. I will be interested to hear what folks thought of him today. I think the euphoria of last season will soon wear off and that we will do well to retain top 6 this year. That, in fact, will be an achievement I feel. Sorry but i dont buy all this small budget crap anymore We finished third in the premiership. Won the Scottish cup and qualified for the Europa Leauge. Got loads of TV money and £150K for Billy Mckay We can afford more than just signing free trialists from the lower leagues. Dundee did this. They signged a proven goalscorer (Loy) He scores two on his debut. So what *are* we doing with all the money we have?

I dont normally find Barry negative ... I would say he is realistic. he is sounding like a frustrated fan.

Can any of them play up front?

Ofere is still without a club. Yogi hasn't mentioned his name amongst our significant departures. Sometimes he looked like he was running through treacle but his goals per game ratio was pretty darn good ... Including big games ... Wondering if we should do what today's opponents have done with Scott McDonald ....reconsider Ofere? Watching back some of last season's highlights/goals, the case for giving it a try seems to be getting more compelling.

Referees are very rarely going to send someone off so early in the game. The timing should be irrelevant, but I think some refs know they'll be criticised if they kill the game as a contest so early so will lessen the punishment. It looked a very bad tackle from the Main Stand. The Warren tackle just looked like he hung his leg out and tripped McDonald which is very different from what Pearson looked to have done. Hope this rumour about a broken leg is just that. He tried to walk on it but had to give up after a couple of steps. Could he do that on a broken leg? I'm not sure how that would happen. When a challenge takes place in a game is completely irrelevant to the punishment received. Anyway, Warrens challenge on McDonald clearly wasn't a case of SFP. Referees are very rarely going to send someone off so early in the game. The timing should be irrelevant, but I think some refs know they'll be criticised if they kill the game as a contest so early so will lessen the punishment. It looked a very bad tackle from the Main Stand. The Warren tackle just looked like he hung his leg out and tripped McDonald which is very different from what Pearson looked to have done. No, he piled through him, might be shown in the highlights. Let's just hope Meekings' injury isn't bad otherwise we are truly effed. I don't think I'll be watching the highlights - there wasn't really anything worth watching from our PoV

A vile performance this afternoon. Out-thought and out-fought by Motherwell. They looked fitter and far more organised, both offensively and defensively than we did. Do we do any attacking movement training at all? Simply, we were ghastly. It's a long time since I've seen a performance so poor as that. To not create any clear cut chances at all against a team, who even by today's standards were no great shakes, is shocking. Do we actually want to attack? Today seemed like one big ball retention exercise.....and a poor one at that. A massive contrast to Motherwell. When they won the ball they were slick and broke with pace, getting men forward. We seemed almost ashamed of that type of football at times. Basically, going by today's showing, the score doesn't matter. There was no urge to attack at all. It was all about retaining the ball even in the latter stages. As others have said, Fon Williams kept the score down and Christie and Mutombo actually looked like they were trying. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but Lopez is a waste of space. Not interested and not good enough. This season's Claude Gnakpa or Tarmo Kink. Terry Butcher had many faults, but to be fair, he could look at the squad and know what we needed. Mckay left months and it never really looked like Ofere was going to stay, yet the season's started and we're still yet to bring anyone in who looks close to being a finisher. It's really strikes to me as panic stations all of a sudden. We need another striker and a more attacking philosophy quick or it could be a very long season ahead.

Oh why can't Yogi play football manager like the rest of us. Then he'd find that hidden gem! Where's the next cherno Samba when you need him?! (he's recently retired in real life)

Abysmal play by us. Why play Raven at left back when left sided Williams was elsewhere. Fon Williams kept the score down but got little help from anyone else. We could have played for a week and not got into their box. Really disappointing performance and Yogi should shoulder some of that blame.

Owain Fon Williams today was my MOTM - he kept the score to a respectable 1-0 defeat. I thought from the set go, we started very slow paced and got punished with a slack pass allowing Motherwell to get a crucial attack and duly delivered with a goal. I thought the tactics today weren't up to scratch. I stressed earlier in the week that Wedderburn and Draper are very similar and we should have played one or the other and not both. Danny Williams should have been left back and Raven right back and also Mutombo should have started the game. I still remain unconvinced by Dani Lopez unfortunately. I find that for a striker he spends far too much of the time outside of the box and when the killer cross goes into the box he is nowhere near it. His movement on the ball is also a bit clumsy but to give him the benefit of the doubt he may be lacking match fitness, which should be eradicated at this stage IMO. It's only the first game of the season and the injury list is more the underlaying issue than what's on the pitch. We need more recruitments in the form of a left back and striker and we'd be set.

I'm sure he knows that. With our budget, where do you suggest he gets them? To be fair he has signed Lopez. Whether Lopez is up to the job is another matter. I was surprised he didn't keep Hooper who at least could score (including one or two when he was trialling with us). Whether Mutombo can play as an out and out striker remains to be seen. I will be interested to hear what folks thought of him today. I think the euphoria of last season will soon wear off and that we will do well to retain top 6 this year. That, in fact, will be an achievement I feel.

Feeling pretty despondent just now. Was pretty hopeful that despite the injuries and the lack of anything in the final third, we'd be good enough overall to take something from this game. With about half the team now injured, we are unlikely to be up to full-ish strength for a few weeks too. The only good news just now is that we are not Kilmarnock.

be interesting to hear from folk at the game on the performance ... open all mics cant convey any atmosphere or even how we re playing ... only thing so far was Barry saying that the crowd were getting pissed off with the sideways passing .... Wedderburn being taken off and Mbuyi-Mutombo on .... changing to 442 apparently.

Crikey, whoever said last night that we might not be able to fill the bench was correct. Not much (outfield) experience to draw upon there.

The West Ham result doesn't say anything to me about Astra. I thought they were utter gang against us over two legs and only poor finishing from ICT stopped us going through. As Alex Jones says it's more down to the amount of garbage in the most over hyped league in the world. Outwith the top 6 - 8 teams in the Premiership pretty much all of the other sides are much of a muchness. Harsh in the extreme.. very difficult to argue Astra's pedigree given their recent history in Europa League. To label them as an "utter gang" given the fact they beat us with only a handful of half chances going our way shows disrespect and gives us no credit which we do deserve for managing a respectable draw in their backyard. Like or not the EPL is as strong and competitive league you will find in Europe.

You may be on to something....sneaking in round the back without anyone noticing is their speciality.

Ah Kingsmills your glass is so unfilled, it is such a shame, you must be missing out in a lot of pleasurable moments but don't get too upset, age, with a little bit of luck, may change your perception of life and our aspiring Team...............I hope so for your sake. As Alex says It is very hard to judge until such times as we see just what the other teams have to offer this and he is right the signs are that it will be a much more competitive league this season. However knowing the usual negative comments would be coming in from the 'few' I thought I would put in a positive, though not an entirely unrealistic comment at this stage of the season. given as Rig points out we had such a long unproductive spell last season. Do you really think that I am pressurising the players and the manager, lol with what I have said. I am sure their personalities are much stronger than you imagine but thanks for the compliment I am surprised you think my words would have that much sway. Incidentally with my eyesight, I am afraid most times my glasses are pretty dark, it is only my attitude that is bright and realistic. Enjoy the season.

They are gone....and in one of those "couldn't make it up" moments....they have now set up camp in Dingwall.

Paid x 3

I dislike Aberdeen probably more than anyone on here having lived there for so long but even I can't bring myself to deny the fact that they have an excellent squad of players and a superb starting XI now. The Dons thoroughly deserved second spot last season. Our one poor spell was basically three months without a win in the league - there is no way you can expect to secure second spot with that kind of form. Their team is excellent and they showed that on plenty of occasions last season - their long unbeaten run, often coming from behind to win games something previous Aberdeen sides hadn't been doing, winning games despite not playing well etc. Aberdeen appear to have improved on what they achieved last season with some of their signings and some strong showings in Europe whereas we have lost some of our best players and it can be argued that they've not really been replaced though time will tell on that one. I'm away to wash my hands. I feel dirty after typing up a positive post on Aberdeen.

Now 2-2 away to West Ham. Perhaps puts our performance in perspective.

I find the above by DD quite puzzling. If there was ever a beautiful illustration of taking a collection of unattributed and, in some cases only half utilised, stats to illustrate what amounts to a delusion (a preconcieved idea, fixed and not amenable to rational examination or alteration) regarding Hughes, that's it. Please, please abandon the anti-Hughes agenda DD, almost everyone else has. Or give me a rational basis to agree on. Let's look at this; our success flattered us. Over the course of a season, you get the success you deserve - luck eventually runs out. That's what makes a league competition so difficult, and success in one prized. You don't get lucky. Hughes happened to be "in the right place at the right time" Has he done nothing to influence matters? Actually, he completely altered the style of play from the Butcher era and initially the team suffered. He brought in people who could play that style and is building on that - managing. It's his side, not Latapy's. His signings are no more or less successful than his predecessors. I could dig out the excoriating criticism levelled at Billy Mckay on this forum as an example of this. However, on the basis of a couple of pre-season games you are willing to categorise recent signings as a "mixed bag". I'll wait. There are genuine questions as to us requiring an out and out striker (on the grounds that one might have capitalised on the many chances we created against Astra) but one of sufficient quality to gel quickly, be fully match fit and be guaranteed to hit the ground scoring would be beyond our means. They generally cost in excess of £250K minimum. You quote 52% possession averages as being "hardly what you would expect" Can you tell me where that figure lies in relation to all other clubs in the league? In isolation, it means nothing. I know that you are worried by the dearth of goals that we score, but I'm sure that you will agree that the difference that you identify between 1.36 and 1.67 goals per game, averaged over a season, is statistically insignificant. You also can't compare a "year and a bit" against a season. It has to be like for like. As for this year's league, it may or may not be stronger and we may or may not suffer injuries. Neither you nor I know. Hughes has added to the squad - Wedderburn, for instance looks like adequate cover for Draper, a player previously seen as indispensable and that will help when injuries intervene. By the way, you omitted to mention injuries to Brill, Vincent and Raven that impacted upon their seasons and ours. Overall, we were lucky, but not that lucky. I agree that Ryan Christie is a marvellous talent, to be nurtured and progressed. He is not, however, a one man band - if you recall there were games that he struggled to impact upon and that was to be expected. Finally, the league was what it was. You can only play the teams that are there and I'm sure that supporters of Aberdeen, Hamilton, Dundee and Celtic would disagree that any of the teams that you mention would have offered more than them. Hamilton, for instance,were in the league because they beat Hibs fair and square for the privilege. And please, Rangers making the league stronger? Did you see them last year? They were nothing more than a tired old orthodoxy struggling vainly for any kind of relevance in a game that has passed them by. They would bring nothing to the premiership. There you are DD - they are my thoughts, nothing more. I'll await this season in expectation, hope and a genuine belief that we can replicate the league achievements of last year. And I'll give Hughes the credit he deserves if it happens.

Barry Wilson being his usual negative self, as a player I liked him but a poor summariser and commentator. I think there is a bit of sour grapes there for his being released by ICT.

Just comparing his comments against the twitter reports. Looked like we were reasonable during the second half.

HUGHES OUT