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We have to get stuck in from the first whistle and win the game any way we can or last weeks win will count for nothing! Come on ICT

A lot being said about Ryan Esson recently and his coaching qualifications being up there in comparison to others at the club. Might be worth a chance? Unlike a completely untested manager (like Foran was), he has at least cut his teeth with the youth teams to gain some experience. Is it enough? Perhaps, perhaps not. Maybe there are also other former players who are making their way into management that could be considered for the top job if we dispense with Dodds, or who could become assistants if there is a clearout ... Tokely, Warren, Golly, Meekings to name a few that have come up in local news recently. Think Tremarco is also still in the area is he not? No idea what level of coaching badges any of them have but if they are suitably qualified then they should be considered. Reality is that we are a 2nd tier team with a miniscule budget so whoever we do get is unlikely to be of the highest profile so someone ambitious who wants to show they can do it, or someone with a deep connection to the club who will put their heart into the job will do it for me

Hope Scarlet is well. He was very supportive to me a few years ago after a cancer diagnosis. I very much enjoyed the chit chat when I was off work while receiving treatment.

Arbroath Test Inverness and Arbroath started 2023 with a bang, something's got to give as the New Year big hitters collide at Gayfield on Saturday. Both sides had been struggling to build anything before Xmas but found their goal scoring boots in the New Year games. Inverness put six past Cove Rangers and Arbroath had a stunning 4-2 win at League leaders Dundee. Plenty of changes at Arbroath for Inverness to contend with, however Dick and Dom are still going strong at the helm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket/Bus Info Arbroath Audio available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Venue H2H v Arbroath Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 23 16 4 3 57 19 +38 Away 21 9 6 6 26 22 +4 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 44 25 10 9 83 41 +42 Inverness shading the away fixtures but the games have generally been tight affairs in recent years apart from a rogue 3 - 0 win for the Caley Jags in March 2022. No scoring draw anyone? Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Arbroath - Honours even over last seven meetings 1 - 1 (H) 0 - 0 (A) 0 - 0 (A) 0 - 0 (H) 3 - 0 (H) 0 - 0 (A) 0 - 1 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 1 - 0 (H) 1 - 1 (A) Last away win at Arbroath was a 1 - 0 win back in July 2021 when Shane Sutherland was the difference between the sides in a tight game on a difficult day for football. CTO summary: After a goalless first half Shane Sutherland broke through the middle to drink the ball neatly over Gaston for the opening goal with just over twenty minutes left. A late rally from the hosts should have drawn them level but Inverness hung on grimly to take all three points. In the opening forty-five, Sutherland had an effort cleared off the line and Nouble proved to be an awkward customer as he bulldozed his way around the park spurning the Lichties best chance of the first half. It was a welcome three points but a difficult watch throughout. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Queens Park 19 11 3 5 38 27 36 2. Dundee 19 10 4 5 32 24 34 3. Ayr United 19 9 5 5 38 27 32 4. Morton 18 8 6 4 27 19 30 5. Partick Thistle 20 9 3 8 40 35 30 6. Raith Rovers 20 8 3 9 25 26 27 7. Inverness CT 19 7 5 7 26 27 26 8. Cove Rangers 19 5 6 8 28 34 21 9. Arbroath 20 3 8 9 17 30 17 10. Hamilton Ac. 19 2 5 12 16 38 11 FRIDAY 6TH JANUARY (7:45pm) Raith Rovers v Dundee Fc SATURDAY 7TH JANUARY (3:00pm) Arbroath v Inverness Ayr United v Hamilton Cove R v Queen's Partick v Morton Meetings this season It's the third meeting this season and both previous games had ended all square. No goals back in August in the first fixture and a 1 - 1 draw back at the Caledonian Stadium in November thanks to goals from Nathan Shaw and Kieran Shanks. Mark Ridgers had been benched after the Morton gubbing as we entered our slump. Both sides have only one win in their last six games, but what wins they were. Six of the best including a Billy Mckay hat-trick, his fourth for the Caley Jags, with Devine and a couple of og's. Arbroath stung Dundee with four away from home for the Smokies at Dens Park. McKenna, Hamilton, O'Brien and Hilson put ten man Dundee to the sword and toppled them off their lofty perch. Latest Team News Great to see Mark Ridgers back between the sticks against Cove. Hopefully that's the end of the Ridgers Rift. Zak Delaney returned from injury and Sean Welsh played again but no sign of more recent casualties like Nathan Shaw, Cammy Harper. Roddy MacGrgor or Austin Samuels. Jay Henderson fitted in well on his debut and looks to be an asset and we have also taken young loan players back on board. Ryan Barrett has left the building after his loan deal ended. Wallace Duffy should be available for selection after his suspension last week. Arbroath OUT x4: Lot of changes at Arbroath as they try to save their season. Kareem Isiaka has left Arbroath after his loan deal expired and Kieran Shanks has gone on loan to Peterhead with Ryan Dow moving in the opposite direction. Daniel Fosu has left and Mason Hancock has returned to Aberdeen with a knee injury that has ended his season. IN x4: Yasin Ben El-Mhanni made his debut against Dundee and ran the show in that stunning away win and has plenty of quality. Former West Ham and QPR striker Sean Adarkwa is another new to the Smokies as is midfielder João Baldé coming in from Hibernian. As noted above, the experienced Ryan Dow comes in from Peterhead on an 18 month deal. Midfielder Keaghan Jacobs is in rehab after a knee operation.

Our last three games there have ended 0-0! The one before that we won 1-0. I’d take a 1-0 win tomorrow.

Delaney needs to be switched on, with Mackay tracking back and whoever is on the left of the central pairing needs to be ready to cover. The best approach is to get the ball to Mackay so their winger has to track back to help their right back and limit his ability to cause us trouble as a result.

Listening to Dodds, it doesn't sound like the CEO is offering any money to strengthen in this window. Can't offer what we don't have, I guess. A couple of young loan players to develop instead of developing our own is the most we can 'hope' for it seems.

Sounds like they’ve found a decent winger. Does he play in the left or right? Our full backs are hopefully up to speed on him and keep him out of the game.

Was wondering about that myself. Andy and his team did a great job and it was always good to watch the highlights of the game whether you had been to the game or not. Watching the highlights is just another little thing that connects people with the club. It probably helps to encourage people to attend an extra game or two, or buy some ICT merchandise from the shop. At least there was a report of this week's game on the Club's website, which is more than can be said of our previous victory which was against Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup! That meant there is no mention on the Club's website of what, I believe, was Max Ram's first goal for the club. On the subject of the report of last Saturday's game, I note it was written by someone called Marko Srsen. I know nothing about Marko but I am assuming English is not his first language. Despite that, he has written a very good report. However, although his use of English is generally excellent, there are a few things which don't read well. It would have read much better if someone at the Club had bothered to spend just a couple of minutes with Marko in editing it. Not only would that have made it a better read for us punters, it would have been a great help to Marko in further improving his grasp of our often confusing language. These little things matter to people and make them feel valued. It is just another indication of things not being right at the club.

I had also wondered about the camera. What happened to the wonderful highlights package Andy and his team put together for matches previously, from the other side of the ground? It seems a shame that we've waited so long for a win yet three days later there's no sign of footage of two of the goals, let alone a highlights package.

If it was just struggles on the park, then I'd be right there with you! My worry is that if we allow deeply ingrained problems, with team and club management, to be swept under the carpet every time there's a good result then we will just keep spiralling. That isn't to say we shouldn't have hope, and I'm definitely not calling for booing of players, but Dodds, Robertson, Gardiner, Morrison etc. need to be held to account as they have delivered NOTHING, not even close, to anything they said they would. Quite the opposite in fact. That's not grounds for optimism.

You make a good point Dougal, I like this forum and always have a check on it at around this time of night though I don't always post on it, mainly as I don't want to unnecessarily fall out with members and mods on here as has happened in the past. Tbh I have watched a lot more Rugby this past couple of years, in fact I've watched more Rugby this past fortnight than football, I didn't even watch the world cup apart from bits here and there and also, the new Tennis season is in full swing now so I always watch that especially this time of the year when it's in Australia :). I want to wish all a Happy New year and am making this promise: This year I'm going to try very hard to not fall out with members and try to get liked more , I have a comedic sense of humour which I'd like you peeps to see lol.

And offer Dodds a new contract?