Leaderboard

It was obvious for more than a year that Robbie Deas would be leaving but we haven't signed a central defender to replace him. Now we are bottom of the league making horrendous defensive errors in every game and are scrambling about trying to sign someone for that position before the deadline. It's appalling management and planning.

Interesting, However i feel you should call into my office on Saturday on Innes Street about 1.45 and we can discuss your anxieties.

My current take on the squad, by position: Goalkeepers Fine. A good solid number one and a cheap number two who we can just about get by with if Ridgers is injured/suspended/gets dropped for having a hissy fit with the manager. That's about as good as anyone in this division can afford at the position. Right-back There's been nothing so far from Davidson to suggest he is a better option than either Duffy (who Dodds seems to want to play at CB), Carson (who Dodds seems to want to play in midfield) or Hyde (who has struggled badly when deployed here in the past) Left-back Last season Harper looked better in a midfield role, and he is still more defensively suspect than I would like. Nicolson could have made a real push for this position before his injury, which is a blow. Delaney can cover here in an emergency, I guess. Not the biggest priority (see below) but I would love another LB so Harper can play higher up the pitch. Centre-back If we go through the season playing two of Devine (who has clearly lost confidence from not having a reliable partner beside him), Duffy and Delaney here then we could well be relegated. We need at least one and possibly two new central defenders in. Central midfield Welsh and Gilmour might be a decent first choice pairing. But if/when Welsh is out there seems to be a real drop-off. MacGregor might be a capable replacement but he's always injured too! The Carson-Gilmour combination doesn't seem to be working though. Hyde hasn't impressed when given the chance previously. Attacking midfield/wide players Obviously we are very lucky to have Shaw, but we don't seem to have adequately replaced Henderson or Daniel Mackay. It doesn't seem like Doran is up to two games a week (or even much more than cameos off the bench) any more. Longstaff is this season's Steven Boyd - a cheap option with potential (if we're lucky) to be a rough diamond. Attack We don't seem to have a team with the quality to bring the best out of Mckay right now, so hard to know if he's in decline or just being let down. Dodds' tactics mean that Samuels and Brooks are almost always deployed wide, where it is clear neither are especially comfortable. Lodovica is the big target man you throw on when you're desperate and doesn't seem to offer enough to justify a bigger role. For me, the priorities for new signings this week are: 1) Central defence - a new defence rather than a new defender please! 2) Another wide player 3) At least one starting quality full-back

Really interesting reading that back (and my own replies lol), still sadly waiting on OCG taking charge. Also sad that a thread from early 2019 is going on about wasteful spending on positions that contribute or generate nothing, lack of communication, lack of interaction with fans, getting kids involved and so on. Here we are 4.5 years later

Delaney was getting good reviews and plaudits on this site last year, although his form tailed off when he got injured. I do think you've got to give the new boys time to settle in and blend together, we pretty much get this type of comment every year...I remember Ridgers being slated as 'not a proper goalkeeper etc' when he first came here. I thought Longstaff was lively against Airdrie when he came on, he virtually made our goal too. Obviously Lodovica doesn't have much of a pedigree, but I saw enough from him on Saturday to suggest he could be useful too us. I'm sure that Davidson and Gilmour will prove solid team players over time. Samuels is a bit hit and miss, but he needs games [how many I hear you ask! but he can be really dangerous, can composure be taught?]. Brooks is a very young player, he's developing, what I liked about him on Saturday was the runs he was making into dangerous areas [but no one was picking him out] It's easy to forget how young many of our players are. But we do need a wise head in the centre of defence

The problem doesn't lie with Dodds, he's just the thin edge of the wedge.

Big Dundee fan I know messaged me to say Anderson's a good signing. "Best in centre midfield but can play on wing too. Scores some good goals and a fair bit of experience now in both divisions". Here's hoping.

Matchday Three It's another tough away day for the Caley Jags as they head to the Excelsior Stadium for a Championship encounter against promoted Airdrieonians, a side that have already beaten us in the League Cup game at the Caledonian Stadium by the odd goal in five. It's scheduled for a 3:00pm kick-off on Saturday as Inverness look for their first points of the season and The Diamonds looking to consolidate their good start to life in the Championship. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/ticket/Bus info £20 Inverness Cup Final Success Max Ram ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ League Cup game at the Caledonian Stadium this season is the only relevant game between these sides in 21 years: 2 - 3 The only highlights for us was a stunning strike from Charlie Gilmour after we gifted Airdrie a two goal start and Billy Mckay's record breaking 102nd goal, a penalty he won then converted. Airdrie benefitted from slack defending, something that has typified our poor start to the season, and scored twice in the first half through Ballantyne and Telfer. Having drawn level our old chum Nikolay Todorov struck the winning blow after more defensive frailties in the final minute. Meh! We also lost the services of young defender Lewis Nicolson that day after he appeared to catch his studs in the turf early in the game. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts 1. Queens Park 3 3 0 0 5 2 9 2. Dundee Utd 2 1 1 0 5 1 4 3. Raith Rovers 2 1 1 0 5 4 4 4. Dunfermline 2 1 1 0 3 2 4 5. Morton 2 1 0 1 5 4 3 6. Airdrieonians 2 1 0 1 3 3 3 7. Ayr United 2 1 0 1 2 3 3 8. Partick Thistle 2 0 1 1 3 4 1 9. Inverness CT 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 10. Arbroath 3 0 0 3 1 7 0 Championship Fixtures Saturday 25th August 3:00pm Airdrieonians v Inverness CT Ayr United v Dundee United Dunfermline v Raith Rovers Morton v Arbroath Partick Thistle v Queen's Park Last Time Out Inverness went down 1-0 at Ayr. A tight game but another defeat, five in a row now. Francis Amartey made the difference with a first half goal and Nathan Shaw hit the post with just the keeper to beat. Our previous fixture was a 1-2 defeat to last seasons bogey boys Queens Park. It was a case of too little too late against the Spiders who took advantage of defensive errors to coast into a two goal lead before Jake Davidson headed in near the final whistle. Dom Thomas and Tommy Robson were the scorers for Queens Park. That opening defeats leave us bottom of the table with Arbroath. We did win something though. We lifted the Inverness Cup in a 4-1 win over Clachnacuddin on Tuesday night. A first half hat-trick from big Harry Lodovica did the damage with youngster Lewis Mackie rounding off the scoring in the second half. Former Inverness youth Calum Ferguson scored the Clach goal in what turned out to be a useful exercise for both clubs. Airdrie ran Ross County close in the League Cup before going out 4-3 after extra time. County looked like putting Airdrie to the sword early on with two goals from Kyle Turner and Jordan White inside seven minutes. Gallagher pulled one back before the break but County restored their two goal advantage two minutes later through Simon Murray. Gallagher scored a late penalty to send the tie to an unlikely extra-time but County won it when Eamonn Brophy scored the winner. In their opening day fixture Airdrie went down 2-1 at Dunfermline (Craig Watson had put Airdrie ahead ) but bounced back to beat Partick Thistle in the next game, McGill and Gallagher the scorers. Latest Team News Inverness still have a few injury doubts. Roddy MacGregor and Lewis Nicolson are out longer term. Sean Welsh and Danny Devine have missed the last couple of games but Austin Samuels and Adam Brooks played for an hour in the Inverness Cup win over Clachnacuddin on Tuesday night. Harry Lodovica got a confidence boosting hat-trick against Clach and Wallace Duffy and Aaron Doran came through unscathed. Defender Max Ram has left the Caley Jags to join English National League North side Gloucester City AFC. Max joined us from Wycombe Wanderers last summer and made 14 appearances for the club, scoring once. Welsh still having problems with his groin so he will miss out again. Keith Bray has been the big success story so far, so hopefully he will get some game time. Airdrieonians have lost Justin Devenny since we last played them a month ago. The 19 year old Northern Irishman has joined Crystal Palace. Player Manager Rhys McCabe left Firhill on a stretcher and is out for a couple of months at least with a knee injury. Calum Gallagher is the top scorer this season with three goals and former Caley Jag Nikolay Todorov and Josh O'Connor have two apiece. Airdrie have signed a midfielder today in former Rangers and St Mirren youth Gavin Gallagher.

It needs to be close to 1897 or I think I will be pointless!

Seriously why are we allowing this dud of a manager to sign players . Wake up chairman the problem lies with Dodds . Are you lot not getting it?

Might be better following them for a good game of football. The best game I have seen this season was at the Clach Park on Tuesday night

Ellie Anderson got the all important goal today that kept the 3 points in the Highlands.

Shaw looked lively and the most likely. This giving goals away and then missing at the other end is becoming habitual and tedious. Could do with developing a habit of not giving away goals and scoring at the other end. Flick the switch…

Morrison is part of this charade at the moment whether u like it or not . It’s up to him to control what is below him .

Just watched the goals. Harper was a bit unlucky that it went in as he’d tracked his man and was trying to stop him getting to it. The problem started when the Airdrie wide player got ahead of two of our players on their left and was able to pick out the ball into the box. He should have been given the space to make the run and pass. For the second, Devine got his feet in a tangle and gifted the ball to the Airdrie player but it was a bit of a “hospital pass” from Davidson that he wasn’t expecting. Davidson could have booted the ball out of play or passed back to Ridgers, both of which were better options given there was an Airdrie player close to Devine. Once again avoidable goals. How many have we conceded this season that we did not assist our opponents with? Not many that I can think of.

The 'highlights' from yesterday now on Airdrie website .... https://www.airdriefc.com/dtv23-24/230826

Have not seen this forum so full of sarcasm for years. Unfortunately it is being displayed out of dismay and a complete inability to do anything about the current situation. It looks like we have to grin and bear it as the damage has already been inflicted. We may have to wait some time whilst our situation festers and it may need dropping to Division One to build again. Fun Boy Three clearly don't give a feck. We are being run in the same manner as Dundee were by a charming, silent assassin - a CEO who knows more about County, both coining it in and probably keeping Dodds as a suitable stool pigeon. I am home next Saturday and for the first time ever I am considering missing the match. I am totally infuriated with all of them and am unsure that I can hold back on my anger and resentment

Unless I'm completely missing something, I'm sorry to say it is beyond comprehension for me that a week before the transfer window closes and with Billy Dodds advising the club are continuing to make real efforts to bring in players (Wyness Shuffle podcast), the club's Sporting Director is working for the radio summarising the Ross County match. I know it's been highlighted in previous threads but to me this is indicative of the state the club seems to be in at the moment - I just can't imagine a situation like it at any other club. Like others have said I'll continue to attend matches and support the players regardless of performances (that's what being a supporter is all about after all) but these are very worrying times and leaves me wondering what on earth is going on ....

We are in a lose lose situation I think. Sack Dodds at great expense and bring in a new manager,also at possibly greater expense. Any new manager would want a clear out I think and bring in his on backroom staff and new players. We are stuck with what we have unfortunately and will be relying on a big turn around in form to avoid disaster. Having said there are far too many at the top table that don't appear to be earning their wage. This needs looking at as a cost saving measure and then, perhaps, we may have funds to negotiate a change of management. Not going to happen though unfortunately.

In terms of change - i.e. giving one or two people notice - we are quite rightly in the dark in terms of privacy. Unless there are some tangible performance clauses in contracts or notice periods are short, it is probably unlikely that we can afford to change things within management. We do not appear to have leaders on the pitch. Sean Welsh is prone to injuries but offers motivation. He has been missed but additionally we need someone like Bobby Mann to act as an anchor and motivator. Is there anyone out there....?

That highlights the potential gravity of the situation. We can’t afford to get rid of him, but the time is fast approaching where, if we don’t start getting results, we can’t afford not to get rid of him either, and we will be heading towards League 1, quite possibly never to return. The Chairman, Board and CEO need to waken up to the situation and start making decisions that are the correct ones for the future of our club.

I really don't see how we can sack Dodds, as they have given him a two year deal to protect him from the sack, as doing it would probably send ICT into administration. Why they never gave him a rolling contract based on results is not beyond me, as it looks like jobs for the boys, not a contract based on performance.

I’m not one to call for Managers’ heads and I said at the start of the season that the time to worry is about five games in. However, being bottom with no points after three games is a major worry, compounded by a losing run of six games if we include the League Cup (have we ever managed that before?), and whatever the position is with Doran and possibly others. We have Dunfermline at home then, after the Challenge Cup game at Arbroath, Raith away and Dundee United at home. That could be another three games without a point. I know margins are tight in this league and that one break could be all it takes to set us off on a winning run. Equally we’ve had deplorable runs mid season in the last two campaigns, so having a bad run at the start will be forgiven if we turn things round and have a good season from the autumn onwards. However, since returning to Inverness nearly 10 years ago I’ve not been as despondent about the prospects for the club as I am now. If we don’t get a result next week, I will join the growing band of fans calling for change, and not just to the management team but to those pulling the strings behind the scenes. I will continue to go to matches and give my full support to the players, but we need to get a grip and turn things round, and if we can’t we need to face reality and make changes before it is too late. Relegation should be unthinkable, but sadly it is not, and I don’t think we will ever recover if we do end up in League 1.

With these idiots running the club ? . Leave it another 4 games and there will be no season left as well as fans and less money . He has already had 2 very poor seasons in a row and this is looking like the worst ever to come . I think going by the forum here , Twitter and Facebook etc 99% of fans have given up on him . Change is needed and need immediately . NO MORE chances . Time for change and not just in coaching . Some very bad going’s on at the club and a lot of unnecessary wages been paid out and starving the club financially.

It's really just unfair the runs of bad luck we have under Dodds isn't it? Between injuries, dressing room unrest and we just don't get the breaks on those fine margins.

We do not have a squad good enough to compete. That much is clear now

Can we sign Alessio Russo and Millie Bright from Englands World Cup side ? That would set the heather on fire.

Get Dodds and Gardiner sacked now @sheepslagger They're taking the pîss out of you.

Read it and weep: https://ictfc.com/airdrieonians-2-1-ictfc-28-08-2023/