Leaderboard

Playing a full set of play-off games would completely knacker us. Also we have players who will benefit from a couple of weeks without high pressure games to play. We have a lot of weary and jaded legs out there. Personally, I don't think it matters a jot one way or the other. Celtic should absolutely pump us with or without a lay off. I can hold on to the merest slither of hope that a miracle might happen. However, I don't believe in miracles. Fingers crossed though and four leafed clovers all round my little Leprechaun friend said.

But does he have his gold Blue Peter badge?

ICT 2 Dryburgh 1 with goals from Katie Cleland and Julia Scott.

He’s talking about plans for next season so I presume he’s staying. Expect a statement in the next few days.

Lowest league placing since 2002. We've never finished lower than 6th in this tier and this season was the weakest we've ever seen it. Massive opportunity squandered. Get rid.

It is very hard for players to make an impact when they get five or ten minutes every so often. Players need a run of games to bed in and for their confidence to grow, Shaw being a prime example, he was used sparingly at first, but once he got a run of games he has shown his potential.

Aye... all very interesting but, when do the tickets go on sale????

Tell them that if they don't sign a new contract, they don't play in the final.

As a genuine question to the rational, let me ask a straight question, how many ICT fans do you think we have in the following groups 1) ICT ave season ticket holders for the last 5 seasons - I’m sure ICT know but I do not have these figures. 2) Thea ave home attendance for the same period? Where I a. going with this is ICT do not in my opinion have a fan base beyond a couple of thousand. We may have a couple of hundred of fans that will come along for an important game, or where the Celtic, rangers,Hearts or maybe Hibs come to town but that’s about it. The romantic and blinkered may believe there is 5 or 6 thousand dormant ICT supporters just waiting for the return to the hallowed top league. But in the cold light of day we (ICT) have never shown any core support above 3000. Even when we were ‘flying’ in the top league. We may have fans from each of the previous mentioned (and a handful of the rest) that show up for the odd ICT game, but that’s as good as it gets. For me if we want to increase the fans base it’s long term (20 yr) and incremental. That means free tickets for local and remote primary schools each home game. The board will boak at the idea of providing such an offer free but that’s where our long term survival (not these jokers) will be found. Going to the cup final is really just a day out in the national stadium in Glasgow. Any idea we may catch Celtic out for on the day is I am afraid for the fanciful, I can only suggest those that fall into this category do not place any of their hard earned money on ICT winning. It’s throwing your money away! You have a better chance of putting money on how few ICT will let in!!!

I think the same thing happened even more recent than that to Rangers. No one interested in friendlies.

Six league wins at home all season all season (nine way). That's largely where we lost it. Our home form has been really poor for the last few seasons. Frustrating as despite the really poor standard of all teams, we were still only a handful of points away from top. Agree that big changes are needed : we trip ourselves up far too often.

So, with the competitive fixtures we had in mind for the rest of May no longer happening, what does the team do for the next 4 weeks? Teams have no interest in playing friendlies at this time of year. They are either finished up and on holiday, or playing their final league or playoff fixtures. Falkirk had the same problem in 2015. The only way they could get opposition was to travel down south and play Swansea’s youth team, and I recall they won by some ridiculous score. Not the best preparation. Even more unsuitable when you consider that we are up against a team full of international quality. How do we prepare for that?

Caley old girl can you help me out next season.. or gringo but thats just a fluke haha. Come on caley old girl do it for the ladies.

I can't see the Board not offering Dodds a new contract unless there are circumstances we are not aware of. I would be opposed to a contract of more than a year though as his record is decidedly mixed. It is true that we have had a bad run of injuries but Dodds does rather overplay that in order to deflect blame from himself. Before Friday's game he was saying that apart from Sutherland and Walsh, he had a full squad to pick from. One must therefore assume that the 11 he put out on the park were what he considered to be the best 11 in the squad. However, with the exception of Carson for Deas, we had the same starting line up for the 2 woeful defeats at the hands of Hamilton in February. On the other hand, when we thrashed Cove 6-1 on January 2nd, there were 5 in the starting line up who didn't start on Friday night. There is more to our poorer performances than just guys on the injury list. For me the key factor is our ability to hold onto our better players and the ability to recruit new talent. We have never been great at retaining our better players, but that is understandable as players who excel here will always get offers elsewhere which our Board can't match. But we have generally been good on the recruitment side and in recent years it is Robbo who has been the key man here. He has always had an excellent network of contacts. Whatever the the Board decide, it will be vital that we have somebody in the club who can identify and persuade promising young players of the calibre of Delaney, Deas, Henderson, Shaw and Samuels to come to Inverness. Unless we can maintain that ability, the only way we will be able to get out of the Championship is through the back door. Without good recruitment it will take a much more astute coach than Dodds to keep us in the Championship.

The process for a replacement can start now and probably should have started already. Best to have him stay to finish off this season with what we have at the moment. Don’t see much benefit in a new bod trying to do something with a bunch of players when half of them won’t be around next season anyway. So a new broom in place for the opening of the transfer window and the rebuild begins…

What's best for the club, though? Getting in a new manager now and giving him extra time to get a squad together for next season (we have 15 players out of contract/loan), or starting the process less than 6 weeks before the first games are due next season and the majority of players having found themselves new clubs?

Don’t really see any benefit in ditching Dodds before the final. Granted he’s no great tactician but I think he’s earned his day in the limelight and then he can bow out gracefully…

I would let Dodds have the cup final, think it would potentially put off potential candidates if we did get rid of him. We should be doing some work behind the scenes, identify targets we want etc, gauge interest for the role, and need to have a sit down with Dodds and give him a chance to show why he may be the best candidate. We'll at least know that way if he wants to be here and we should be putting in milestones that he needs to reach if he wants to keep the job. Missing out is good for the cup final, but probably bad long term. We need some major rotation throughout playoffs and rest days if wanted the best possible chance to get through.

I was thinking about the Cup Final and how Ryan Christie will no doubt be in demand from broadcasters having played for both clubs in recent years. I then tried to remember who else has played first team football for both clubs - Barry Robson and Mark Brown were the other names that sprung to mind. Knowing that there may well be others I’ve forgotten, I thought I’d get with the times and ask ChatGPT. Here’s the answer!