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I doubt either Motherwell or St. Johnstone would play like they did against us throughout the whole campaign, if you look at it this way then similarly minded Partick fans must be wondering how on earth we managed to finish 3rd last year based on we were the worst team they played during last seasons campaign. You could say both teams St. Johnstone and Motherwell were poor when they played us, but you can't say how good or bad a team really is based on just one game you saw, especially this early in the season when teams are still finding their feet. And we are only 3 games into the domestic season, not 5. 1 goal in 5 not 3 to exaggerate your point I suspect. Some folks have no patience. So we consider European and Domestic seasons to be separate? Even if we do, 1 goal in 3 games is hardly stellar. I guess when Yogi said he was hoping for double figures, he meant the team as a whole. Well you don't win a point in the league for drawing with Astra do we now?. No 1 goal in 3 games isn't ideal either but we are only three games into the league and other teams are also struggling to score goals as well. There just needs to be a bit of patience and we have had a lot of disruption to the team with injuries. We still have a decent side and once these players come back it will get better and we can start climbing the table. Didn't win any points in those Scottish Cup games we won last season, but I'm still glad we won them. All these players can come back, but none of them is the regular goal scorer we need. It would be nice to have someone who can go on a bit a goalscoring spree, but first of all we need to create the opportunities which we aren't creating enough, this might just be down to the type or blend of team we currently have rather than on individuals, not much can be done about that though Vigurs has brought a bit more adventure when we go forward. But our goals should also be coming from others as well and we had a good spread of goals around the 1st team last season, almost everyone chipping in. But it must be hard for Lopez getting all this stick right at the start of his time here, I would have a little more patience with him. I think our problem does lie with our midfield and the way we play far far too cautious at times, but then it does work for us but maybe not with the way we are currently set up, so once we get players back we will see. Couldn't agree less. The midfield is bereft of ideas for the final ball because there is no movement in front of them! The role of a lone striker is to: (a) present a target to be hit, either for knock-downs or down the channels (b) provide a distraction for the defence to make a hole for the ball-carrying midfielder or another to charge into Lopez performs neither of these roles and the positions he takes up actually adds to the cluttrer in midfield. So (and this happened several times last night), when Christie gets a yard of space and lifts his head, there's no option ahead of him, so he ends up having to play it square. Compare this to Vigurs' ball to Mutombo in the last few minutes - he could play it because Mutombo called for it and made the run off the shoulder of the last defender (with the pace to get there first). Somebody mentioned this after the St J game, but I definitely felt it last night: after the first few minutes, the players seemed to sub-conciously avoid passing to Lopez. Whether that was because he was never in space or whether it was because they feared he would undo all their hard work is impossible to tell. For me, Lopez is a million miles form what we need and persevering with him would be a massive mistake.

Quite right CC 1 - 3..I was one who started getting peed off with Mac small c just before he started coming good,( For the benefit of those who generally jump down my throat ) I am not saying that Mr Lopez will become the same type of player as Mackay But he is already showing that he can find space and with fast wing play to feed him he coiuld start getting shots away and finding the net. I really cannot understand why so many posters are so ready to blame Yogi for any mishaps on and off the field, touting names that he should be looking at etc etc. surely they should understand that he knows what he is looking for and has his reasons for his decisions. It would ;have been great to have kept all the players we ;had but this is football life and it a'int easy on our budget. John is building our team to a shape that he wants and knows can be successful.We will see a difference as the league progresses, it is early days league wise. An example is the current criticism of Tansey and good explanation has been given of that in another post. John builds teams he doesn't collect individual stars and primadonnas.When our team starts to gel then the naysayers will be happy again, probably only 'till the next glitch arises, but some might just start believing again and maybe one day togetherNess will return.

Binary ?

So what he is in effect saying is that Lopez does not have a physical presence, isn't a quick runner and doesn't want to chase lost causes. It therefore rather begs the question of why he signed him.

For those getting on the back of Dani Lopez plus Yogi (as early as August)...................... ......................4 Dec 2011 'Going nuts at McKay on his first start over nothing in particular was unnecessary. McKay seems to have something and came into it a lot more as the game went on, but I feel that, as he is more of a Dargo type striker, could do with someone up there with him - he ain't the type to play the lone frontman role.' A short time later he scored and became a hero. He later became a lone frontman and then went onto play for his country.

If he is not an out and out striker and has a fairly poor goal scoring record we will almost certainly offer him a contract......

But imagine if he scores a brace against Celtic on Saturday and we win........minds blown everywhere. There are not enough mind-altering substances for me to imagine such a thing,

Some of the Torquay fans liked him, fast, good work rate and can play either as a winger or as a wing back. http://www.torquayfans.com/forum/search.php?keywords=toby+ajala&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search http://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/article/ajala-interview-for-os-576133.aspx

Interesting, but still not the out and out striker we are crying out for.

We have Toby Ajala on trial : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33915264

He may have scored but he wasn't good from what I saw.. He is however now playing in the same division as Marley and Billy so it'll be interesting to see how he gets on there. Also it was mentioned but somebody that he was actually offered a contract but when his agent found out he'd be playing in Europe he asked for a ridiculous offer so we withdrew from negotiations.

John Hughes: "I thought Draper was outstanding tonight."

Very early days, but just 3 games into the season, does the league table already reflect the eventual top 6? Swap County for ICT and I think that might be it - or at least I hope so.

caley100 : The season stretches until May next year, and as much as I'm keen to see us get a win, I really don't think an August league game can be described as a 'must win'! Biggin : I don't agree that "...the first 3 games we should have been on 9pts...". That sort of thinking is where expectations sometimes exceed realism. Taking our best results from the corresponding fixtures last season - with (virtually unanimously agreed) our best ever team - we only got 4pts.

"Believe me, in Dani Lopez we have a player who will score double figures." - John Hughes, 30/7/2015 I wonder if he is sticking by that claim? Or by double figures, was he meaning "2" rather than "10+"?

We have known since January that we would need a striker why we did not go out and get a pre contract is beyond me looking at the first 3 games we should have been on 9pts instead we are sitting all down to lack of a striker. As it stands a team only needs to score 1 goal and we will be beaten draw if we are lucky and that is not good enough to survive this league. I don't get to games due to my location and can only go on what I read here and in the press but if Lopez is that bad why not Give Sutherland a run he surely cant be any worse and you never know he might just turn up trumps

Im happy to welcome him back. Good luck to him :)

Noticed this in Yogi's post match BBC Comments. Clearly another striker to come in if possible. "We're still trying to add to the top-end, that's for sure," he said. "It's not rocket science - we're needing a physical presence, or a real quick runner that wants to chase lost causes so we can stretch the game a little bit."

Partick have signed Paul Pogba's brother. Dundee Utd have signed Wesley Sneijder's brother. Which international footballer's brother would you most like to see playing for ICT? For me it's pretty obvious - Andrew Shinnie's brother!

....plus some others I spotted from this week 11 Aug 2015 NoS Cup S Soane (Forres 5 - Rothes 2) 12 Aug 2015 Aberdeenshire cup M Bavidge (2) (Inverurie 3 - Keith 1) M Laing (Inverurie 3 - Keith 1)

I'm a bit relieved that we came away with a point. The game got crazily open in the last 20 minutes and they were at least as likely to score as we were. Not often that one can criticize the centre-backs after a clean sheet, but both Devine and Draper struggled in possession and made several errors. Fon Williams made a couple of absolutely stunning saves to keep Partick to nil. In attack, I think Lopez has had enough opportunity. He was dreadful again. He makes too little effort to offer himself for passes into feet - compare that with Mutombo who is always looking for it. More damningly, his lack of pace completely wrecks out attacking plans - defences can play high up the pitch because there's no threat of Lopez getting in behind. That means we're far more cramped when in possession and find it harder to work our way into the final third. A quick forward (eg Mckay, Watkins, even Ofere who was far more mobile than Lopez) stretches play, forcing defences to start in a deeper position and therefore leaving more space in the midfield area for us to work in. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Mutombo as a lone striker in the near future, perhaps once Doran is fit and available again.

If Iain plays to his potential he should be able to overcome the naysayers, up the pace and blow the opposition away. We all have major or minor personality disorders but what matters in this case is frankly whether he is willing to fit in, work hard on the training field and play to his great potential on the park as and when selected.. Let's face it, chums, we all change and mature as we age. And please remember John Hughes is NOT T. Butcher. Which is all I have to say on that score because "least said, soonest mended". So, knock 'em dead, Iain. Aye! .

Positives - Top class performance from the full backs. Williams looks every bit as good as Shinnie. - Owain Fon Williams was terrific again. - Polworth and Horner put in a great shift. - Vigurs looks promising. Hard to be too negative with a clean sheet and a point against a bogey team. We certainly rode our luck at the back at times but got away with it. The big downer has to be the lack of action in the final third for the first 85 minutes. Christie had an off night. Mutombo showed some decent touches, but no end product. Lopez looked isolated, and bereft of confidence. The bottom line is, we've scored 1 goal in 7 and a half hours of football. Not good enough.

5 games for Lopez and 0 goals scored. Mutombo looked livelier in 30 minutes upfront than Lopez has looked all season. Is Lopez really good enough? Or Is it too early to tell? Surely mutombo needs a start upfront?

If he's a Inverness player now then he's got my full support. The past is the past. Neither player or fan were exactly courteous towards each other after he left but it was hand bags at dawn nonsense. Let bygones be bygones. So long as he gives his upmost for the team I'm happy. And if he scores the occasional free kick against county then all the better.

I think Struan might have executed his plan well, plenty of biters.

Come off it mate.. he is from ICT and Butcher said he was surplus to requirements... not his fault. Saying that his club choice was poor Great signing .... and significantly our first Scottish signing in feck knows how long... also he is one of our own although he does need a good wash! Hated him because I was gutted he left and went to County because he was at that time the most talented players we have produced. He's had his time away and will be hungry to impress. With him and Tansey we have 2 of the best set piece takers in the league. Also with Vigurs competing for a midfield position it frees Williams up as a left back so does.. in a way give us defensive cover NOW WE NEED A STRIKER!

Disgraceful post. Vigurs is a talented player with an poor attitude in the past and a bit of 'history' with ICT and our fans resulting in mixed views on whether we are wise to sign him. Evans is a disgusting convicted and, worse, unrepentant rapist who no right thinking fan would want within a million miles of this or any other club.

last position we need! Would rather we signed Ched Evans than him

Regards Adam MacLeod. Was at ICT from youngest age possible, did indeed win awards throughout youth levels. Signed when 16 but got injury at end of u17s, Believe he snapped his achillies in his first 19's or 20's game. Went to Strathspey to get fit and scoring again, but after making 4 goals in two subs in first games Strathspey though they could play him as a full back as he was better on the ball than their other defenders, still scored a few from defence, no idea how many. Following season went to Elgin, scored two on his debut, but Ross Jack didn't play him again in 18months???? Barry Wilson came in and played him, and he started scoring again. Elgin offered him a new deal, but Adam then had a job where he works every second Saturday. Working every second week he seemingly had offers from Nairn, and I believe Brora, but thought he would not get a game just appearing every second week, so he went back to Strathspey to just get a game. Broke their seasons scoring record by September, but then got injured and was out for the rest of the season. Think against Huntly was his first full game since his operation. Been told he scored a free kick Ronaldo style into the postage stamp from 25 yards. If he stays clear of injury I can see him scoring 20 for Strathspey, a bottom 3 side in the Highland league. If he does, Strathspey might not be that near the bottom. If he hadn't been injured, think he would be at the same level as Polworth.

Agree with this. Lopez seems to be the whipping boy at the minute, but for me Tansey has been the biggest passenger. His work rate is nowhere near good enough. Polworth and Horner have a fraction of his experience, but contributed far more than Tansey yesterday. For a guy who can strike a ball as well as anyone, his lack of goals and assists is disappointing. Vigurs created more off the bench than Tansey did in our last 2 home games. With the ability he has, you'd have to say he's massively underachieving.

surely references to convicted rapists should be the bigger issue???

nbn

^^^^^ Village idiot found!

Hughes and Vigurs out

Match fitness is only an excuse for his poor performance. The guy ain't got it.