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If only our board had taken as decisive action last season we wouldn't be in the mess we're currently in !

For goodness sake, have we not suffered enough !

Its all very well coming out and criticising the players, maybe some think it acts as a boot up the arse, but I'm less convinced. Maybe the odd individual on rare occasion but to slate the team & players regularly does little good and not only speeds up loosing the dressing room but also turns the fans - its tiresome and smacks of desperation. Ultimately if the players, team, tactics, fitness are not good enough it stops with the manager - he picks and recruits them. In the real world if a manager starts making excuses for failure of his product or service based on the staff the questions will ultimately come back to him that he recruited, trained and entrusted these people - i.e. he is paid to be responsible. We talk about low morale in the club and lack of unity - can it be a surprise, look at guys like OFW & Raven - they are part of the 'old' crew but one day they are told to go they're not wanted, next they are back in. New guys arrive being told established players will be going, expecting to get into the team only for guys to stay. There's probably a mistrust of everything going on, guys uncertain as to their roles and various individuals being singled out by the manager, media and fans. What happens now - for example - Ridgers dropped and publicly its been stated he had 10 games and was crap, his confidence is shot based on poor displays and now being out of the team, we bring in a guy who was told to go he had no future in OFW. Are the defence breathing a sigh of relief, they have avoided the blame and a scapegoat is found? What OFW has a few bad games or gets injured - does Ridgers come back in, but the defence know he is a liability so where is their confidence and the player himself is told he isn't good enough. Its a mess and getting worse.

I never quite know what to read into these outbursts. Sometimes it's just a bit of honest frustration whilst at others it's a carefully calculated coded message. On this occasion I guess it's a bit of both. I have little doubt that he is royally p***ed with the attitude of a minority of players, if not a majority. If he has failed to get an improvement behind closed doors then going public is maybe fair enough. It's a risky strategy though and he needs to make sure that he publicly praises the lads if and when the attitude improves. It's also risky because there will some who do not deserve public criticism who will feel that their effort is not being recognised. I get the sense that he is acknowledging that all is not rosy in the dressing room and perhaps elsewhere in the club. The idea of him being prepared to make a sacrifice is effectively saying to the Board, "back me or sack me". But it's also saying to the players that he's not asking them to give their effort for him, he's asking them to give it to the team. The team is the important thing whether he is here or not.. I also get from what he said that he is not thinking of quitting. He's maybe making it very easy for the Board to sack him and he might not be too sorry if that happened, but I don't think he'll quit. He's saying that whilst he's still here he will give his all for the club and he expects his players to do the same too.

Robertson out .......NO....that will not be the answer, money that would be required for his discharge would be better spent on new proven signings.....If they will come to us be it loan or otherwise. I have watched all our home games this season and the strange thing is that there have been good and bad performances individually from all who have played,. Howeverlack of cohesion, apparent lack of fitness, lack of consistency stand out. We have made almost countless opportunities up front The inability to put the ball in the net or in some instances even to shoot is letting us down so badly. Also apparent is the indecisiveness in defence the slow reactions at set pieces and general lack of commitment.............get these things sorted and we will start climbing the league and put fear into the Clubs above us I agree with a lot of what tm4tj has said above and what jingsmonty seems to have seconded, I would however include Seedorf and Calder amidst his could be good guys. The whole squad however are not showing the fight and determination that our squad had under Butcher and Hughes, whatever happened to the late winners the added time flurries that panicked other Teams ? We need that back desperately., that and teamsmanship, We also need a leader on the field., another Foran but without the indiscipline............If it is the dressingroom that is the liability then get to the root of things. Above all we as supporters must give encouragement. Throughout our history there 'have been those for one reason or another who have ganged up on the manager, calling for his removal and blame being thrust upon him. let's really get behind the Team on Saturday and bring the hammer doon on the Doonhammers.

In the exact same way fans of other teams were surprised when we canned Hughes but weren't aware of the other goings on at ICT the sacking of MacIntyre at RC has shown just how little attention some of the country's "top" sports reporters pay to non OF teams. This is an excellent piece on the sacking and one of the few sports writers in Scotland who have actually bothered their backsides to go and research MacIntyre and his time at County. As Renegade says they've largely been garbage for several months now despite excellent financial backing. MacIntyre has signed a phenomenal number of players but still can't find a good setup to play them and often has his team playing brutal football. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/ross-county/why-jim-mcintyre-s-sacking-from-ross-county-wasn-t-much-of-a-surprise-1-4569378

Definetly - Foran should have walked after the 3-0 humiliation at Hamilton in January

That was firmly my view this time last season and for far too long thereafter. Perhaps harsh but we need to take that bitter lesson on board and not repeat the same mistake.

Robertson has been thrown in at the deep end here. He has been handed down the remains of our squad from a poor season under Foran. He has little or no budget and yet we expect him to work miracles. That's not going to happen. Granted some of the signings are poor. But what did you really expect. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys. None of these signings would have been good enough to sustain us in the top division. Let's be clear here, we/I am talking about Donaldson, Elsdon, Chalmers, Oakley, Susan, Cooper. There's probably more, but off the top of my head, that's the ones who stand out. Ridgers has been getting a lot of stick, and rightly so, but a lot of his problems are the guys immediately in front of him. Robbo has to play guys who are no longer at the top of their game and who are merely going through the motions. David Raven and Gary Warren have seen better days, Brad Mckay is a permanent bombscare. Tremarco has been hindered by injuries and is exempt. Jake Mulraney has been hugely disappointing and it all points to an attitude issue. Liam Polworth is finally showing some form if played in the right place and Iain Vigurs is a bit of a luxury that has plenty of class but little determination or leadership. Baird is unlikely to be a top striker, as has been proven over the years although he could be a useful foil. For me only Trafford, Polworth, Tremarco and Bell are worth using. Owain Fon Williams if he can get his head in the right place, the same goes for Vigurs. The rest are deluded. So, blame Robbo if you believe that's where the problem lies. I believe it is much deeper rooted than that and if the board will not back him with a few bob, then he might as well walk away before his CV is tarnished by these guys loitering without intent and masquerading as footballers. I won't be sticking any knives into Robbo just yet, but without some backing then he will eventually go the same way as McIntyre, Foran, Houston..........

Robertson's failed to restore confidence to the side, and during the 2nd half on Saturday they showed a lack of desire and a loss of discipline. Some of his signings are so out of their depth (Ridgers, Elsdon, Chalmers, Oakley) that there is no trust between the players. He's changing the shape almost every week and never influences a game through substitutions or tactical changes. I'd take Houston or McIntyre in a minute.

It's all very well saying 'Robertson out', but then what? We are a struggling championship club, that's where we're at. Hardly an attractive proposition. Problem is (Foran & Brewster 2nd time apart, possibly Yogi) is we've usually changed manager as a result of success - they have moved on. We aren't used to having a manager come in to a dire situation like Robbo has had to deal with - I think anybody coming in this season would have had a hard job. Reduced budgets, making it nigh on impossible to get the best signings & attract them up to the Highlands, amongst other issues. If we had gone down the route that we had gone down before (young manager trying to make a name for themselves), the forum would have been up in arms about how we need experience. After last season with Foran, I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that! We certainly should be questioning signings/tactics, etc, but too early yet to be thinking about changing manager. That time may come yet, as I said before, things need to improve soon - certainly should be thinking seriously if things are still not improved by Christmas..

I'm not sure if I would accept that as a blanket observation, SO. Different individuals have different muscle structures and, in some cases, these are set up for speed, acceleration and power. In extreme cases this will mean that endurance is quite poor and not really capable of much improvement. Football is a strange combination where the game lasts for 90 minutes but within that, success can very often be dependent on the ability to move very quickly for a short distance. Some are good one way, some the other but it's pretty well physiologically impossible to be brilliant at both. To give an example, Johnny Hayes used to get criticised a bit for falling out of the game after about an hour, the implication being that he wasn't "fit enough". Now OK, if someone told me that Johnny maybe didn't bust a gut some of the time, I might not disbelieve that. However, the guy is just so electric in terms of speed and acceleration that it's highly likely he has a lot of fast twitch muscle fibres in there to be able to do that. The corollary is that there will be fewer slow twitch ones which confer endurance and the ability to last the 90 minutes and there really isn't much that can be done about that. It also follows that, in terms of training and conditioning, there is no one size fits all solution.

It was the year 2000 for me, my first trip to Scotland. I was travelling with my wife who is Inverness born and bred. As drove over the rise in the A9, the stadium was the first thing I saw. I asked my wife whomplayed there. She who played there? She had been away for a long time and the stadium wasn’t there then. I found out it was Inverness Caledonian Thistle - I need to check this out. The first game I was supposed to go to was a Hogmannay Derby, I got my ticket and I was looking forward to it. Luck wasn’t on my side, the match was called off due to frost. Not the type ofmthing that happens to me at home. Anyway, I went to the Innes, met some of the fans and had a great day out. I was hooked! From there I was at home at ungodly hours pusing F5 on the keyboard to get updates from the Skysports website, while checking the matchday thread on the site. I woke the neighbours yelling at 2am when we got promoted to the top devisions - both times. I woke the neighbours yelling at 2am when we beat Celtic in the Semi, followed by again hitting the net to book tickets to Glasgow. I have met some lifelong friends that I only get to see every few years, but it is like it was yesterday. IHE taking me on a pub crawl after a game and preceeding to show me his arse tattoo. Every new trip brings new people. whenever I get a home game on TV I look out for you, I may not see Richard, but I can always here him whistling. I have been to a dozen games over 17 years, in a couple of weeks I get to add 2 more to that total. The Cup game against Peterhead and an away trip on the Supporters bus to Falkirk. I cannot wait!

I now have no idea

No.

Whatever you think of them, you can bet that, unlike us, County will not have dispensed with the services of their manager without having a firm plan for his replacement.

If fitness is one of the issues, then maybe it's time to take Brewster back.

Robertson admits himself that he is perhaps on borrowed time. Wouldn't it be better if he left of his own accord rather than the humiliation of being sacked?

" I don't think he will walk, as it's his team, he signed most of the players, and his reputation will take a hit" What reputation is that? He has done nothing since he left us the first time, im not so sure Robbo has much of a reputation as a manager, and as i said on another thread, the last time he was here he had Donald Park beside,he doesnt have that this time and its clear he is struggling.

With Houston and now McEntire gone, Robertson must be thinking his jacket is on a shuggely peg!

Bold move after playing poorly in basically every game so far this season and costing us several goals with the errors he made.

Robbo was never the man for the job. I feel for him as he is a top bloke but he is not the man we need at the helm. I have always been a fan of Hartley and I think he could be the man to inject some passion back into the side as it has been lacking ever since we won the cup.

Sacking Houston seems a bit harsh given that since taking over from Holt he took them, as 2nd tier side, to the Scottish Cup final where they gave us a very hard game indeed, and then took them to 2nd place 2 years running in a very competitive championship. That's a pretty impressive record. I don't think Falkirk's poor start to the season is because they have a poor manager. Instead, I think it is pretty obvious that they are simply missing John Baird.

Coming a bit late to this thread, because I was away last week. My answer to the question is that it's in my blood. My grandfather played for Citadel in the early 1920s, and was their trainer after that. He was also trainer for Thistle for some time in the early 50s. My Dad was never a player, but was Thistle secretary for a couple of seasons at the end of the 60s, just before they won the league. Up until then, I had supported Caley, but no 12 year old kid is going to turn down the chance to see a football club from the inside. I used to play the records at Kingsmills, though they wouldn't let me do the announcements because my voice hadn't broken. I travelled to away games on the team bus. Two seasons of watching a free-scoring goal machine reach its peak. After that I rejoined my mates, following Caley. Privileged to see a very fine team there, including of course the telepathic partnership of Chic Allan and Dave Johnston. But, to tell the truth, I would watch any game of football. If Clach was the only game in town, Dad and I would be there. In the summer, we would wander around the Bught when the Welfare League games were on. My Dad seemed to knew everyone involved at all levels of Inverness football, so going round the Bught was a social event, as well as a chance for me to see past heroes from the Highland and indeed Scottish Leagues. I left Inverness in 1978, and moved to north London. I used to watch Arsenal, since they were the nearest club to me. Liam Brady on his own was worth the price of admission, but somehow I couldn't get into it. I couldn't connect. This was simply not my team. When the merger happened, of course I was disappointed that the two clubs, with their long histories and rivalry, were disappearing. But you often have to pay a price for progress. At the time, I promised my wife that I would take her to their first game in Europe - a promise that I was delighted to fulfill on a hot July night a couple of years ago. Let's be honest - most of the last 23 years have exceeded anyone's realistic expectations. I don't get to many games. In fact I confess that the last two that I attended were the Cup Final and the Europa League match in Romania. So maybe some of you will write me off as a happy clapper. I don't think I am. There is more chance of me growing another head than NOT supporting Caley Thistle - whatever league they are in. As I said, it's in my blood.

Interesting to watch the highlights....as someone said they look better than it sounds like we actually played. I'm not really convinced that Warren dived, more like ran out puff and the second challenge was all too much and he fell over, did he even appeal for a penalty? (I don't think you should be booked if you're not appealling) Positives for me seem to be Bell, who looks quite tricky and committed, Trafford is sounding half decent but may benefit from a period of fitness management, Polworth seems to have found his mojo again and OFW is back and sounds like he is at least better than Ridgers. Tremarco is back too, but I would guess having been out for a while it will take some time to get back to where he was last season early on. And we are scoring goals (unlike my other team who have scored none at all in their league) and have either been ahead in a game or have pulled the game back (like against St Mirren/Livingstone). Of the rest it seems Vigurs gives us something for a parts of games, but can't really be relied on to have an impact for 90mins or do the dirty work. My impression of the defence is that apart from individual errors there is very poor organisation or ideas as to who is doing what. I put that down to the coaching, maybe Robbo needs a defensive coach. Listening to peoples views on the defence, I find it somewhat bemusing how easily Meekings was let go, whether this was to do with percieved likeihood of return to fitness, cost of a new contract, an attitude problem...yes he may not be fully fit now, but he could be the difference later in the season...and we seem to be quite happy to wait for Zak Elbouzedi and Aaron Doran. And what has happened to Seedorf, he doesn't seem to have played since he got sent off? Meanwhile Oakley who seems to have been to better option to Baird early on, now seems devoid of ideas and energy, whilst Mulraney doesn't seem to want to play at all. So I think we're all now resigned to the fact that getting back up is looking unlikely this season (was it ever?) ....so now it's all about doing enough to stay up, and I can't believe Falkirk are as bad as their league position suggests.

Our next 3 games.....QOS, Falkirk, DUtd..... Can we see ourselves getting points from any of those games. Falkirk possibly given their current league position, but what happens if we are no better or worse off after 10 games in ? Is it time to give youth a chance, all be it some are on loan at other clubs. They might just gave the motivation and desire to win that others clearly don't !!!!!!

It was said by a lot of our players over the last couple of years, that the ICT dressing room was the best they had ever known, and you could see that in the way they would fight for each other, cover for each other and run that extra mile for each other in games. Now you see players squabbling on the pitch when things don't go well, and it comes across like they wouldn't sweat blood for each other. I know that there are a lot of new players, but every new player in the past always commented on the camaraderie in the dressing room and how they were welcomed into the fold. If this has gone, is it down to problems with the managers style, or are Foran's 'bad apples' still there, or is it just a case of a clash of personalities? They certainly don't come across as a 'team' and a lot of time look like a bunch of complete strangers. This is where a manager comes into his own, can he unite the players or has the dressing room been lost?

Very worrying times lies ahead i fear. Forget promotion its just not going to happen. If we can finish away from relegation at this moment i would grab it with both hands. The saddest thing for me is only going back 2 or 3 seasons we had a great team with some great players. Now we have the poorest team Caley Thistle has had for i don,t know how many seasons. A rebuild of the squad has just been done at the club and without a doubt another one is required asap, Well at the end of the season. I think now is the time to start looking for the right players to get this club moving in the right direction again. Have a list ready for the end of the season. Sadly having a good think i honestly cant see many of the current squad i would be confident in taking the club forward again. Sad times and even worse the club has been allowed to go into free fall. The last 12 months is the worse i have seen since the club was founded.

Pretty much reprising what I've written elsewhere....I'm a South Londoner born and bred, as far as I am aware I don't have any Scottish blood in me (just in my soul!), although one ancestry firm suggested my surname (Lyon) was linked to the Farquharson, it could be tosh but the tartan's pretty! I first became aware of ICT one night listening to the radio, now who were they playing?...ah yes Celtic, in that famous victory. I gradually took more notice of Caley over the subsequent years, having a strange desire to find a Scots team to support (although I once toyed with Partick!), I remember being surprisingly upset that Caley were relegated in 2009. I have supported Palace since I was 14 (I'm 59 now) and once I discovered that Caley also play in Red n Blue stripes that sealed the deal. I first saw the stadium in October 2012 whilst on a tour of the Highlands with my eldest daughter, persuading our guide to take a wee diversion. My first live game was Ross County at home 16th March 2013 (we won 2-1 with Charlie Taylor being brought down for the resultant winning penalty). That first trip really did cement what is now a love affair. My first away game was Charlton in a friendly, I've been to two Cup finals, and memorably did the Celtic cup semi final having watched Palace v WBA on the Saturday then taking a Megabus sleeper upto Glasgow where I met up with CaleyMad for the early kick-off. My wife has been up to Inverness twice with me for matches, we both love Inverness, personally I find a walk along the Ness never fails to stir a sense of wellbeing! My eldest daughter nearly got to see Hearts away with me in December a couple of seasons back, but the match was called off due to high winds. Not being from Inverness the pre-merger stuff is very much alien to me, it's clear there is still a legacy that still seems to affect how some people see the club...that said many years ago Palace and Wimbledon toyed with a merger which definitely raised the hackles of most supporters, and of course the infamous relocation of the Wimbledon to Milton Keynes, and subsequent rebirth of Wimbledon localy as AFC underscores what local loyalties mean to people. I think my work colleagues think I'm ever so slightly bonkers, but they enjoyed the celebratory cakes when we won the Cup. I've never seen Palace win anything (unless play-off finals count). Obviously it takes a bit a planning to come up for games working round Palace home games and stuff, but Easyjet are pretty good price wise. Watching Caley is a strange release, certainly different from the madhouse EPL, I really like the stadium's setting and the weather always seem half decent when I come up (although the Celtic home match last March mid-week was effing cold walking back). BTW I'm sure I mention Palace a bit too much on this site, for which I apologise, I'm quite at ease with supporting two teams, and despite the EPL millions, I see both teams in the same light, not necessarily glamourous, perhaps punching above our weight at times, but any honours or success is treasured, and it's always great to get one over the bigger boys!

Is anyone aware of managers/coaches using Biorhythms in conjunction with a player's fitness level? Biorhythms are based on your date of birth and the three main cycles of physical (23 days), emotional (28 days) and mental (33 days) Here's a link to explain further - http://www.igbio.com/whatar fot those not familiar with them. Looking at a player's Biorhythm on match days could determine whether picking a player with high levels may be preferential to picking one with low or lower levels given that they have similar footballing abilities Has anyone got any thoughts on this?

Agree, Kingsmills. Surprised at Falkirk's start to the season; they gubbed us in the league cup and threatened to upset the big boys for promotion last year. He doesn't become a bad manager overnight, so he could do a job here. The question is: Would he want it? Would anybody? Unlike a year ago, this job is a poisoned chalice, with a poor squad, dysfunctional board, empty coffers and collapsing support. Not a very attractive prospect for somebody to take over.

Agreed. One of our strengths from the time of Steve Paterson onwards has been the unity and camaraderie in the dressing room. John Hughes destroyed that and and it has remained broken since. If we can restore that spirit in the dressing room we will be half way to starting our revival and recovery.