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Don’t mean to rain on the 5th place celebration parade, but if you had told the board 12 months ago that Robbo would fail to make the play-offs and at no stage in the season have us look like we would get promoted, would they have given him the job? No chance. The season has been a failure in that respect, but at least the recent fantastic run gives us some hope for the future. It’s like when you come back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3, compared to having thrown away a 3 goal lead. Same outcome in the end, but one way of doing it makes you feel much better than the other!

Glad to see a new positive thread in Robbo's name. Considering the mess the club was in following relegation I think he's played a blinder, and one has to say the Board got their first major decision right. All the quotes below are from September, when fans were understandably jumpy and depressed (TBF there were plenty in support with some well considered views), the last quote is mine!... When we think of the various outcomes against the statements below, it's hard not to feel pretty satisfied about how the season has panned out, despite just missing out on the play-off, given the low and desperate base we started from. A turning point for me is that run of 10 clean sheets from 11 in the Autumn (Defence sorted...tick). The fantastic unbeaten run since the start of March shows that Robbo got to grips with the squad, sorted out the driftwood from the decent, and galvanised them, they responded to him and each other so that we now see that famous 'spirit' return, a key ingredient in any successful side. Signing Austin in January is now looking a masterstoke (as was Donaldson earlier), fortunately we had so many games postponed that his absence from the side due to injury perhaps was as costly as it might have been. Finances/contracts/aquistions and poaching by other teams will all have a bearing on how we start the next season, but hopefully we wont lose too many key players (Vigurs perhaps), the club seems to be quite active already so we should start with a settled and positive squad, the younger ones having benefited from a whole seasons worth of action. The appointment of Robbo shows the benefit of having a wise older head at the helm (Just like Palace with Hodgson)...... gosh I think I have something in my eye! (and nobody say 'plank') ------------------------------------------------- Quotes The board's ludicrous "give the manager's job to someone who didn't even apply" experiment has failed. Robbo is a good guy but he is not what we need - the defence needs sorted out first and foremost and he is not the man to do it. The board has let the club down appointing a manager out of the game for as long as Robertson has, acquisitions have been very poor ................. Genuinely think we will be lucky to stay up at this rate. Now I'm eternally grateful for the job he did last time around but he inherited a very good nucleus of talent ...............and I'm not sure if he's capable of building from scratch. Robbo is and never was the answer, but right now, the Club doesn't even seem to know the question. I have been told on good authority that the players won't play for him this has been going on too long now and rather than starting to make any noticeable difference, Robbo and the coaches seem to be continuing to make all the same mistakes from last season. There quite clearly is a rift in the dressing room. Players were having a go at each other, the discipline is "shot". Tactically we are shocking. I now think he knows he is out of his depth and can't sort it. I quite like the tough words from Robbo about the players performances and attitude, although that's usually a short sentence away from 'losing the changing room'! --------------------------------------------------

Well, an absolutely incredible run to finish the season that nobody could have predicted considering our early season form. The cup win seems to have instilled a belief and confidence in the team that was lacking early on? That and a huge improvement in discipline beginning around the same time (especially Vigurs!) If we can somehow keep this squad together things could be looking up for next season. Thanks Inverness C Thistle it's been a rollercoaster as usual but what would we do without you?

Love this. Love ICT.

I'd rather stick a pen in both eyes !

My brother was up on holiday and took in the last couple of home matches, and couldn't believe it was the same team he saw at the start of the season as they had improved in all departments so much. All we needed was one draw to be a win and we would have made the playoffs, we were certainly the form team in the latter stages of the season. We might lose one or two players from the current crop, although I hope we don't, but I think Robbo knows the way he wants the team to play, and will recruit well for next term. It was one of the strangest seasons I have seen for many a year. I hated most of the early matches, and then my everlasting memory is Tuesday night games, in the freezing rain, it made me long for summer football. Now, I cannot wait for the new season to begin! Am I a glutton for punishment? Such is the life of a football fan.

ICT Supporters Travel Club Committee would like to say a Huge Thank to All who travelled with us this season .We have had another very successful year and couldn't have done it without you .We look forward to seeing you next season and wish you All a lovely summer break .

RiG's bang on with that reply. Robbo and the players deserved a show of appreciation for the effort and that's what we gave them. No celebrations, just a big loud display of support. I know Morton weren't really playing, but we were just brimming with confidence throughout the team, pounding them for the first half hour and playing some great football at times. Seedorf, Chalmers, Oakley, Trafford and McKay are all players i've had my doubts about at times this season, but they all had excellent games which tells us how well the team is working as a unit. This run might not have seen us into the play-offs, but it allows us to go into next season with a positive feeling, something that seemed unimaginable just 5 weeks ago.

So near yet so far. We never believed we could win eight on the spin, but we came so close to doing so. No play offs, but in the last two months, we have been the form team, so hopefully we push on and start the new season well. Hopefully we know who are staying and who are going soon, so any gaps can be plugged. The strategy seems rightly be to look for young, hopefully up and coming players. A few more like Donaldson and Austin will do nicely. A worry about midfield if we lose Vigurs and / or Polly, but Trafford has done well recently and I think there is more to come from Chalmers and Calder has been positive when playing wide midfield. I don't know much about Rooney or Blair, but hopefully they will be useful additions. Realistically we are not ready to go up, much as I would have loved us to, so perhaps signing off on a 12 game unbeaten run is the best outcome. Well done to Robbo for turning things round, and delivering most of what he promised, and well done to the players, particularly with the cup win and the recent run. Roll on the Betfred Cup and the first league game on 4 August. We may even have derbies to look forward to.....

Stephen Finnie last week?

A bit harsh. Robbo took over amongst relative chaos in both the board room and the dressing room. He himself had been out of the game for very many years so it was no surprise that he made some mistakes, some of them fundamental, in his first few months but the last dozen or so games seem to demonstrate that we made the right appointment and, whilst it will be a very tough league again, I have high hopes that next season with confirm that.

Some managers, as well as players just 'suit' some clubs & it's clear that Robbo fits at ICT like a glove! I said on the 'Robbo Out' thread months ago that we needed to give him time - turn of the year would be the earliest we could possibly even begin to judge him. Think he has answered all his critics! There is a positive vibe about the club just now & actually looking forward to next season! He has certainly answered the people who critisised his ability to build a team...the "it was Pele's team last time" argument...the current team is, mainly, Robbo's team!

And Elsdon! Plus, Ridgers was making a mistake pretty much every game. Unrecognisable from the keeper we now know. Having been conceding 2 or 3 week in week out, and 5 at Dunfermline, we have ended up having conceded just 2 more than the lowest goals against tally in the league, quite a turnaround.

I have never bought into the 'we should have got automatic promotion' viewpoint, I can't see on what basis we had any advantage over the teams already down in the Championship, there was no great amount of parachute payments (300k is nothing), our attendances were bound to fall meaning less income, most of the players from our 2014/15 seasons (our most succesful) had departed, several of our most experienced players that were left would have to go or not recieve new contracts (Meekings/Draper/Raven/OFW) our Board was in flux, our manager had been let go, morale was at rock bottom we had no recognised striker, One of our best prospects, Doran, was still injured we were going to have to rebuild using very young and very inexperienced players On the plus side we had Vigurs, Polworth, Tremarco and ........ So in reality coming straight back up was a very tall order, maybe missing out on the play-offs is a disappointment, but the likelihood of us (or any of those participating) going up via the play-offs is very slim, and I would say we are (as of today) in as good a position for next season as those above us.

If Gary thinks those were wild celebrations, he’s led a sheltered life! RiG’s comments bang on the money.

Great result yesterday....we did what we needed to do just in case the Pars slipped up, that's professional I can't wait for next season ... Falkirk away is on the bucket list, (and maybe Ross county away?!?)

To summarise, as a team over the last couple of months we've regained a lot of pride. Very much looking forward to next season.

Love the man, always really wanted him to succeed and have had full faith in him for a while. This will be his first proper season coming up and I predict it will be a good one

Agree with all the comments above. Well done for an excellent team display. They certainly did their part convincingly today and it could have easily been a bigger score. Also a massive shout out to our fans today especially the singing section who sang and drummed enthusiastically throughout and afterwards ... long after it was known how the Dunfermline game was progressing. We've a great range of songs now ... it's moved on a bit from the "give me a c" days.

The negative; that we no longer have a chance of promotion but we knew that, in our heart of hearts, at five to five last Saturday. The positives; despite our poor financial position and despite what the scaremongers and agitators are trying to imply, we are not entering administration any time soon. We have a manager who was clearly rusty after more than a decade away from the game but who now seems to have rediscovered his mojo. We have a squad of players who, after disastrous start to the season and a mediocre middle, have now gelled and have built up considerable confidence and momentum to carry into next season We have, at last, not just one but two forwards capable of scoring with a third young striker full of potential waiting in the wings. We also have the advantage of, as early as April, knowing exactly where we will be next season and with what budget so have months to prepare accordingly and, by the looks of things, already are. All in all much to look forward to and feel positive about next season, including the increasing likelihood of derby matches. I, for one, can hardly wait.

LIVE FROM THURSO

Well, another season in the Championship then...to be honest, if someone had told me we'd still have a chance of making the playoffs a few months ago, I would have assumed it was the relegation playoffs! This is what we probably all expected - us to do the job but lose out to Dunfermline...bit like last season but in reverse.. I'm not too downhearted though...if we can carry on this form & keep most of the team together, we should have a realistic chance of promotion next season...hopefully as champions! Look at St Mirren & think where they were a year or so ago.. All credit to the team for the excellent run we've been on lately, the damage was done long ago at the start of the season...I'd like to think we will start stronger next time around

This is an excellent point. People are saying that we can't compete due to finances or crowds - Livingston have an average crowd of 1000 less than us, they have finished second in the league with a team made up of, not to be unkind, youth players and cast-offs. St Mirren have won the league by miles, clearly the best team in the division. This comes off the back of some absolutely horrible seasons, with some parallels to our own fall. They won a cup but didn't build on it and appointed a shocking manager leading to them being relegated. Last season they had an utter disaster, they were 10th for practically the entire season, didn't win a game until December, only won two games in the first two thirds of the season. They went on a great run and built on that. If we recruit sensibly and retain some of our best players then we can challenge next season - properly challenge rather than the late scramble we've had this season.

Time to stop this baseless scaremongering and concentrate on preparing for a real promotion push next season. It won't be easy on a further reduced budget but that is inevitable with the halving of the parachute payment. We have the basis of a coherent squad, we have confidence and momentum from the last eight games of this season and we have a full pre season without the upheaval of last year to prepare. The one thing we are missing is unity with many bearing grievances for various reasons. TogetherNess has served us well in the past. We need to put those divisions aside and for everyone interested in the club to get fully behind it with a view to bringing top flight football back to the Longman the season after next.

That is very true but when John Robertson first secured promotion to the SPL a decade and a half ago, he did so with a squad of players, largely recruited by Steve Paterson, who, even taking into account the effects of inflation, were paid less than the average is likely to be next season. Those were a group of players who were largely journeymen but were a great blend with fantastic team spirit. We have been promoted before on very limited resources and there is no reason why we can’t be again but recruitment and retention of the right players with the right attitude and level of ambition is key.

I am wary that my repertoire may be mistaken for abuse.

I think that the turnaround may partly be due to Dougal's posts.

I'd rather stick a pen in my eye....