Leaderboard

If we can't summon the type of fighting performance required ( dogs of war, blah blah etc ) when it really matters we are going to be found out badly when we go into the playoffs-sideways possession stuff will be laughable against a direct pumped up league one outfit.

Did anyone actually expect Billy to score it? It’s just not happening for him these days.

Looks like you leaving the Market Bar

'Tactics'..........seriously?? We have become an embarrassment.

Firstly, credit to the large travelling away support who were noisy throughout the game. Just a pity about the idiot verbally abusing Samuel in the first half due to his Dingwall connections: totally uncalled for. The game was disappointing. We were the better team throughout, but our inability to turn possession into goals was our undoing yet again. I need to see the Dunfermline goal again as an awkwardly placed pillar obscured my view but it looked like an unchallenged header. Our penalty was a bit soft but we couldn’t capitalise on it. We were much better after Pepple came on and he took his chance well from a difficult angle. We had a few shots but didn’t really test the goalkeeper. I felt there was an urgency amongst the team but it turned to desperation as the game went on, highlighted by an argument between Ridgers and Boyes about who would take a free kick deep into stoppage time. It is out of our hands now and we need to focus on beating Morton on Friday and hoping Queens Park don’t win.

Not sure if this has been discussed, but the dates for the playoffs are officially out now.

Interesting. Four teams in it so a one in four chance, which pretty much corresponds with those outcomes. The odds are against us.

Well I sheepishly slunk into the stadium today, embarrassed by the fact that I hadnt seen the team this year. Other things had taken priority. Other things were more enjoyable. Other things offerred more value for money......things that had always had to take a back seat behind ICT. I was doing my duty, I felt, to support my team in their hour of need. I will travel to Inverness next week also for the denouement. However, I have to say that the product on offer today was so poor. On this evidence our players simply arent good enough. The loanees arent playing for the shirt.......why should they? It is scarcely credible that, had the penalty gone in, we would have won that game. I am not going to single out players.....that was a shitshow. Inept. If we stay up by some miracle then next year will only be worse again and more fans will drift away. I feel sorry for Ridgers who has to watch this every week.

What worries me now is an obviously fired up Queens Park taking on an Airdrie side with their focus on the playoffs. Airdrie are likely to play a weakened side next week and I doubt there will be any favours coming our way.

Same old same old. Plenty of possession but no cutting edge or urgency.

Very smart thinking by Dunc to give Queens Park Sheridan and Welsh 👌

Indeed Johnny boy, we're all going to wake up on Sat morning and not even be in the playoffs, unsure why theres a lot of flapping going on here

FFS Let sleeping dogs lie and re-energise. It ain't over till the Fat Lady sings.

If we do end up in the play offs Travel Club will will be running a bus to both games. Book as usual through Facebook or on 07462218717. Times will be confirmed in due course.

Went to the match yesterday expecting a real battling performance given the seriousness of our position, but what I saw was a bunch of players (not a team), that looked like they really lacked energy. Ridgers did make a few good saves and there was plenty of possession and sideways passing, but not enough fight and desire to keep us out the relegation playoffs. When Billy missed that penalty my heart sank, really felt for him. Summed up our current state of affairs. Even if we do survive in the Championship, I really fear for next season given lack of finances and current structure of the Club.☹️

Depending on results on Friday we could in the relegation play-offs with 42 points finishing 9th but only 3 off 5th. Wild.

Pars TV Highlights

That has been the case this season where we could say we were the better team at many games and the other team pops up and scores a goal and three points to them If we can't score we will not win games. It will be squeaky bum time on Friday night

I’ve just done a bit of research in case anyone is interested We’ve had 16 seasons of playoffs and only 5 times the Championship club has been saved.

It's not the players - it's the manager

We were honking today. Dunfermline had the deckchairs out and still easily handled our limited attacking threat. In a game we simply had to win we probably had 3 good chances over the ninety. We needed to be XL Bully's but instead we got a group of Chihuahuas. I hope I'm wrong but I can't see that side today beating Montrose over two legs.

53/47 possession - 15 shots, 6 on target and 2 blocked, 8 corners and a missed penalty. Sounds like we were under the cosh and the tactics were all wrong.

You being the expert regarding dogs from the hayloft and Dillinger's halcyon days. After today’s results it’s sadly out of our hands all we can do is try and win or at least draw next Saturday and pray QP implode. The great Highland Franchise Experiment has never looked so fragile shame on the so called guardians and blazers. Dougal

Maybe someone should stop Ferguson getting to the game .

I think we have to focus on the fact we have to win on Friday,anything less is no use.The fly in the ointment is our home form.We do that and we can hope Airdrie pull out all the stops against Queens. Maybe we should pair McGregor up front with Samuel at least that way we might get some action on the Morton goal. Well the boys know what they have to do,so we can expect a nail biter.

Bearing in mind our home record being totally horrific, A must win game at home is a very scary prospect!

I'm working on it! Bloody Kerr couldn't hit a barn door ...

I have never been so happy to be so wrong! He still hasn't done anything for us! (Hoping he actually does the same again)!!!

Quick insult another player

That aged well.

Please have a clause in the contract so we can get rid if it does happen.

Dog formation probably isn’t the issue, we’ve got the wrong breed - we need Rottweilers not cuddly Cockapoos! We’re playing ourselves into a position where goal difference might very well now matter. If it stays the same today a draw for QP against Airdrie next week wouldn’t be good enough for them if we beat Morton - but we simply MUST beat Morton otherwise it’s a trip to Montrose…

What formation do the dogs play? Are they available for loan?

Can't believe Welsh has only missed games through suspension since he left. Was he faking injury?

I'm backing Arbroath to take a point at home against QP. After that, it's down to ourselves to do what we need to do. We could be safe after today....... On the other hand, it could be out of our own hands....

Anyone else getting a bit nervous? Jeez, my mind is saying what if this happens and something else happens! Anyway my worry is that after what Ferguson said about Arbroath is it conceivable that they (Arbroath ) would try less hard to win to spite us? We really need a result today, And not a draw.

That’s a very fair comment. It highlights why getting involved with the Supporters Trust is important for everyone who cares about the club. The Trust has made it clear that it won’t invest in shares without commitments from the club, and the commitments sought will have to reflect the views of its members. I know some are sceptical but, I’m my opinion, the recent growth in membership if the Trust and the resulting influence it can bring to bear can only be positive.

Reporting on the Man City game on Thursday, one BBC reporter described Kevin de Bruyne as "the Belgian Duncan Ferguson" after he opened the scoring with a fine headed goal. De Bruyne shows great promise and will surely have been hugely flattered to be described in this way. It occurs to me that the lad might be keen to play here next season and continue his development under the guidance of Big Dunc himself. This could be a great move for ICT as well as for young Kevin. With Doran sadly looking to be past his sell by date, we are lacking a creative midfielder who can score goals and de Bruyne could be just the type of player we need.

This is the wording of the Chairman’s letter to sponsors, with contact details removed: I am writing to you today, firstly to thank you for your backing of our football club, and secondly to appeal to you to kindly continue that support. As I am sure you are aware, we have recently and very disappointingly, had planning refused by Highland Council for the installation of a 4 acre battery energy storage farm on the site of the former Fairways Golf Course, the reason given was due to loss of green space in a private green space area of 200 acres. This is despite the fact that one of our many important and impactful Caley Thistle community projects involves the complete resurrection of a significantly larger green space adjacent to Inverness Royal Academy, which is a ten acre site that will be used as a community hub for the city and beyond, promoting physical and mental health wellbeing for thousands of people both young and old in the Highlands. Our quest to seek planning permission for the battery farm has now been escalated to Scottish Government level and it is our strong expectation that the Highland Council’s decision will be overturned on appeal but this will take a number of months. What this means is that we face significant pressure on our cash flow. To that end, I am writing to all our sponsors to ask if you would be able to help us through this situation by renewing your advertising with us slightly earlier than normal. If you are able to renew by return, it would be hugely appreciated by everyone at ICTFC and will not only help the club continue in our current form, but it will also allow us to continue the great work we do in the city and beyond, especially as we enter our 30th anniversary. If you can help us, we would be able to thank you for that support by offering a 15% discount on last season’s price for an early renewal. If you can help, please contact our Commercial Director Keith Haggart, either on his email address of ——- or by mobile ——-. Finally, as ever, on behalf of myself, the Board of Directors and Executive team, it is a privilege to serve our football club and we thank you for being a part of the club which has represented the city so well in the last 30 years.

I assume our Chairman has been quoted correctly in his letter to sponsors, otherwise the club would probably have issued a correction of some form. What I find really disappointing is that he again makes the argument that permission should be given because the club is making such a positive use use of green space elsewhere in the City. He was rightly criticised on this point by several Councillors at the planning meeting and yet he keeps banging on about it. He just doesn't seem to understand the basic fact that those making the decision on a planning application need to be seen to base their decision on matters pertaining directly to the application. Getting in a public huff about the fact that elected Councillors and Council Officials have not allowed other matters to be a factor in the decision, only further sours the relationship between Club and Council. It is, frankly, naive and embarrassing. The relevant and much stronger "green space" argument is that the proposal contains a commitment to plant a variety of trees and shrubs on the site which will increase both the biodiversity and the carbon capture potential of the site. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of confidence that the decision will be reversed. I also think it would be prudent to plan on the basis that it won't go through. If I was a sponsor I would not be paying my sponsorship early, I would want to be holding back and seeing what the promised financial restructuring involved.

Can you say that again?

As long as we hold them to a draw and Airdrie pull out a win, we should be sound as a pound and be safe on Goal Difference

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Next Friday night will be fun 1. Dundee Utd 35 21 9 5 69 22 72 2. Raith Rovers 35 19 9 7 53 42 66 3. Partick Thistle 35 14 13 8 62 50 55 4. Airdrieonians 35 15 7 13 44 42 52 5. Morton 35 12 9 14 42 43 45 6. Dunfermline 35 11 11 13 40 45 44 7. Ayr United 35 12 7 16 50 58 43 8. Queens Park 35 10 10 15 48 56 40 9. Inverness CT 35 9 12 14 38 39 39 10. Arbroath 35 6 5 24 35 84 23

Might work in our favour, Airdrie will need momentum and good moral going into the playoffs?