Leaderboard

Totally agree with this especially the last paragraph. When we went into admin would we have taken been where we are today with destiny still in our own hands? Of course we would. For the record that game had 0-0 written all over it if Musa had stayed on. Poor Symion is just not ready and I blame DF for allowing us to start this season (before admin) with one suitable keeper. Another issue I need to mention is the negativity and pure self entitlement at end of home games. Players came over at full time yesterday to clap crowd. Dammed if they do and dammed if they don't! Several grown men shouting abuse at players some of whom are still teenagers. I get the frustration but what is this meant to achieve? Can we calming down and get behind the team to get them over the line. Thank goodness we are away next week. Home games seem toxic of late.

Indeed. 0-2 v Kelty and even worse, the 0-1 home to a threadbare Annan side (that I think had 2 over 40s and another 38yo). The constant in both those dismal results was our ‘nil’. The loss of Bavidge has left us with a squad devoid of any goal scoring strikers.

Even Charlie got it wrong this week by being quoted as saying ' Charlie Christie revealed Caley Thistle have already started recruitment and work to shape their squad for PROMOTION next season'. Until we are safe. history shows showing respect to opponents is the best way out of a crisis.

Lack of squad depth, lack of ability to change shape and personnel and our inability to break teams down at home again. Everyone in the league comes to us wanting a point so park the bus and time waste where eventually we either give away soft goals or get countered. Again yesterday we saw a repeat of Alloa and Annan where we could play forever and not score. We are too easy to play against at home. While lack of options especially up front is hurting us, so is no plan B, we continue in the same predictable ways all the time you can see our play becoming more frustrated and ragged. While SK has done a good job, if Savage is expecting promotion next season and not wanting extended league 1 football it will not be lost on him that there is a decision to make around whether SK can bring that even with a better squad.

I was not there but from a psychological point of view did we assume after a superb performance against Cove; relief that Savage was appointed preferred bidder; players being showcased in the Eastgate entre; Kelty reeling from a 6-0 home defeat and manager resignation - that this was an easy game?

As a result of pretty poor performances in the last 2 home games I decided to give the 3-hour drive to Inverness a miss this time around. I'm sure I wasn't the only one, and no doubt some will avoid the next home game on the strength of what they witnessed today. This is why it is so important for a struggling team like ours to really up their game in front of the home crowd. The income generated from a healthy gate is our bread-and-butter, and consistent entertaining football and some home wins will surely boost attendances in subsequent matches. Kells has got his work cut out!

What a load of tosh. where did I say the facts don’t show sk doing well. Apples and oranges I said. If you are going to compare both managers you can’t do it 10 games against 23 games. cant deny sk has done well is me talking, I don’t speak for other “people”. i think you and I will have to agree to disagree. In future I won’t respond to any of your posts so I can’t say anything that is uncalled for. if I have caused you any distress or hurt I Apologise. ps…. You forgot the .com after mr confused.

Maybe he meant promotion from league2

I often find myself in agreement with you, but in this case to say the facts show that Kell has done a great job is surely stretching it a little? The recent facts are that Kelty Hearts, who have no money, Montrose, who have no money, and Annan, similarly penniless, have all left Inverness with three points in their pockets! Despite these somewhat desperate performances we may still avoid a relegation playoff, due in large part to the poor standards of others.

Any info on Dibaga’s injury? If he’s not back next week we’ll need to try for an emergency loan again.

I was thinking that yesterday, our ability to change things. Kellachers substitutions were like for like, playing the same way. how many times over the years have you seen on TV watching Scottish, English football a team a goal down with a few minutes left on the clock put a centre half up front to be a nuisance and cause a bit of havoc in a comfortable defence. billy looked out of sorts yesterday trotting around the middle of the park. An injury, illness, bug or even the trotts themselves? We have a very young bench and few/none who can influence a game. with a few minutes remaining could we have taken billy off and replaced him with the loan boy Ewan from RC, a centre half. Decide who is tallest between him, Devine and savage and put that person up front and put crosses into the box for him to try and create a bit of havoc. Might have got a lucky break and scored. we definitely did not look like scoring the way we were playing. Worth a go?

Apples and oranges. We shouldn’t care who is the better/worse manager, we need to focus on the now. Or AS will get his wish early when he said we hope to be out of this league by next year. The way we played yesterday we might be out of it this year. i have quoted Lee Trevino before, “ I never think about yesterday, can’t do anything about it”. If you are going to persist with comparisons you have to compare like for like. ferguson 10 games Kellacher 23, if my counting is correct, more than twice the games of Ferguson. can’t deny kellacher has done well but as said above we should have made our season safe over the last few games. watching yesterday was like watching a Ferguson team at its worst. Slow in possession letting kelty get 10 behind the ball. Playing sideways and backwards trying to break them down and then getting hit on the fast break, twice. I get admin, no cash, can’t sign players over 20 but yesterday was the same team that put 3 past cove last week.

In such an undeniably poor league such as this almost anyone should have a full time setup “fighting it out at the top of the table”. This is just the latest in what has been a succession of shockingly poor home performances, and I would argue that we should have left the relegation threat behind us weeks ago. There was little evidence of any game plan or structure on show today, and hearing his after match interview, in which he said we should maybe try to get more crosses into the box, and inject more pace into the play - well!!

That wasn't a good idea...

And ifs and buts! We will certainly see Kells see out the remaining (let’s hope 3) games. No question here and he deserves this for what he’s achieved to date. But let’s not be restricted or blind to ‘more of the same’ of Saturday’s game and tactics against Kelty. As I mentioned earlier (half time), why 11 ICT players in our own 18 yard box for at least a couple of corners? No outlet with at least one striker on the half way line to fight for any clearance (hoof) upfield. Surely that (11 men in box) was not a tactic? If it was then you would hope Kells or Billy would see it wasn’t working and effect a change next time round! As the game developed it was clear Kelty (a lot better than I expected {or a few here give credit to } in there set up and ability to break quickly), were able to transfer from a defensive position to attacking with players who could run, carry and pass the ball quickly. Danny and Remi whilst good in the air have no speed whatsoever and are exposed when faced with players of pace. I get it Kells wanted to go for a win, but it would needed to be an own goal on Saturday for us. Dropping a player behind D&R to lock up shop IMO would (should) have been made as a tactical decision. Hindsight’s a great thing and prepared to give Kells the benefit of the doubt here. Won’t be so forgiving if we repeat the same mistakes and don’t learn for the remaining games. bc

Unless Alan Savage has had a major change of mind since he announced the terms of his bid, Scott Kellacher is not going anywhere, nor are Billy McKay, Charlie Christie, Andrew Benjamin or Grassa. He said they would remain part of his team. Notwithstanding that, there’s no way we should be questioning Kel’s future given how he’s got safety within our own hands.

I don't think it is stretching it and a quick look at previous managers shows that his PPG is up there with the best and better than many. John Hughes in 2014/15 is the last time we saw it that high and only in promotion seasons prior was it higher. I've deliberately not mentioned other factors in this (but others have) because it's tough to quantify and whilst we can't judge his ability to put a squad together etc., we are seeing his ability to get much more out of a squad than his predecessor and many other 'good' managers in our history. Not denying there hasn't been disappointing performances and results in there too but that's part of football and judging managers on individual games and not overall results during their tenure is a slippery slope. I think he's already delivered the near impossible by going into the last 3 games with hope of league survival. When he delivers it that will be the miracle. I'd be really disappointed if Kell was removed at the end of the season and think it would be unjust. Weirdly I think he'd be getting less criticism if we hadn't got anywhere near 8th place because people's expectations wouldn't have been raised so high. The ultimate case of being the victim of your own success?

Yeah, although, we've a threadbare inexperienced squad. With a fuller squad, we were second bottom before the 15 points. Without the penalty, we would be easily in the promotion playoffs. We've been pushing for goals but not managing to score. People have been saying we should be more cautious. They tried but we just don't have enough players to just tinker. Mckay can't score and there is no other strikers. We could try centre backs and wingers. Probably will need to but that's not a real solution. Personally, I feel we should just go back to previous. Yes, we couldn't score but as long as we create chances, we still have a route to 3 points. Playing possession with barely any players is not something ICT can do. The whole squad, including management, have accumulated more points than we should have expected. Let's stick with what we have been doing. It's part of the game to criticise after a bad show. We've still got a better than evens chance of getting out of this. At the end of the season, let's see get any rightful seething out and then appreciate that finishing one above the play-offs is success after being fined the equivalent of 5 wins.

If nothing more let’s look to the AS era with a more demanding standard.

That's the disappointing thing, is our inability to change the way we do things. We continually passed the ball around never really believing we would score, but just kept doing it anyway. Maybe sometimes we need to believe it's not going to be our day and settle for the point, which at this stage is better than none. But today we left ourselves totally exposed at the back, searching for a goal that was never going to come. That said it was just awful.

I’m not denying Syzmon could have possibly done better for either goal but Danny and Remi gave him very little protection. Let’s not be focusing on a 17 year old who stepped up to the plate when called upon. Every time our back 4 comes up against pace we struggle.

Absolutely embarrassing performance today. No desire, no passion, no leadership and no urgency. The substitutions were bizarre I felt. The less said about the goals we conceded the better. 3 cup finals left.

A bit alarming and bells ringing a little for me after that performance. I can put a 0-2 result as a one off (it happens for all teams through a season). The performance today however is not the first or second time this season where we have been flat and ‘not up for it’. Hate saying it but today was worse than what I’d see from Duncan Donuts games. I feel we would not have lost today with his tactics. It’s a game I’d hoped we would have secured our place in this division (3) for next season. Not to be, so we have three games to achieve that aim. Last Saturday at this time I was sure we would; today I’m less certain. I still believe it’s within the team however we cannot put in any more performances like today IMO or it will be a perilous few weeks for us all. I don’t want to criticise any player or the management for today’s performance or result. Collectively and to a man they are all responsible. As others have said here, we are a full time team and (on paper) be fitter, better prepared and have our tactics fully in place (and adaptable). If nothing more let’s look to the AS era with a more demanding standard. Can’t afford to put today of as (another) a bad day at the office, we need to learn fast and stop the complacency that affects our game. Fingers crossed for the remaining matches! bc

We could’ve subbed Billy and pushed Bray up front instead. Anything to try something different because it was so clearly not working today!

The AI pictures from Don were better than the football today!

Half time 0-0. Yawn Game done at Kelty’s pace. Why do we need every ICT player in the 18 yard box at corners? Where does that tactic come from! Don’t tell me we’re playing for a point from this game. Looking for a lot better in the second half. bc

Maybe the Jambos would be interested in a new badge?

LOL, next try was even worse. But, its a Heart wearing football boots with a eagle on top

That's the bridge to the dark side.

Your AI has some strange ideas about the markings on the pitch And what bridge has it brought in?

The matchday buses will be operating as normal for tomorrow's game against Kelty Hearts. Buses leave the Bus Station at 1300 and 1415, returning from the Stadium 10 minutes after the full time whistle and then at 1800. Concession passes are valid on all journeys, with the fare for non concessions being £2.40. Bar 94 will be open from 1200 before the game whilst after the game it will remain open for the Calum Jones gig. Courtesy of Stagecoach, a free coach will operate after the gig to the Bus Station and the Caley Club.

The BBC reports Savage as saying that Lionel Nessie will be reinstated as mascot. That seals it for me!

A refreshing topic. Not out of the woods yet, but certainly very positive on the surface. With Charlie Christe perhaps having the interim tag removed from his title, and I personally hope that this is the case, we would have a CEO with intimate knowledge of the club from all areas of operation from the commercial side to the team management side and of course including youth development. Charlie is utterly invested in the club on a level far more than financially and deeply cares for it as any interview you hear shows this. The article I posted in another thread also shows he has a plan to blend youth and experience and to try to get the most sustainable and engaged squad possible. People wondered what he could do for the club after he stepped down as manager. I think this is his role. https://archive.ph/3gzWH With Kells at the helm as manager, we have done well. He has quietly learned his trade under multiple other managers both good and bad and hopefully taken the good stuff into his arsenal. His press conferences are a breath of fresh air, and fan engagement is higher than it has been for years. Although I have not worked it out, his points-per-game ratio must surely be up there among the best so long may that continue. Couple that with the circumstances he is operating under and to not go with him as manager would be sheer lunacy. Billy as his assistant is also a bit of a no-brainer. I am also good with Alan Savage as preferred bidder. Again, we have someone with strong local ties and a desire to see the club come out of the current malaise. Somone who has been involved before and has shown a genuine affection for the club. We may have questions along the way, not least over the 100% ownership statement, or other mechanics of any offer, but no-one else has seriously thrown their hat (and their money) into the ring either on an interim basis like he did, or with a plan for the future and without him this entire conversation might have been moot. Pretty sure there will be many bumps in the road both on and off field in the ensuing days, weeks and months, but at least that roadway seems to be more visible now.

We stopped in Stonehaven for a drink with friends after the game. Got into the company of a couple of Cove fans and it turned into a bit of a session and we ended up kipping at their house. They treated us to an amazing fry up before we got on our way today. In an age where football rivalry can be painted as all bad this was a refreshing experience.

Hamstring. Needs assessed. Kells talking to press/P&J Speaking about Dibaga’s injury, boss Kellacher added afterwards: “Musa has pulled his hamstring – there is no way he could have carried on. “We had to put young Szymon in goals and it was a big ask for the kid. “We will see what the physio says about Musa.”

I'm not even going to try and defend today's performance, but that comment is uncalled for. We were wrong end of the table before administration and if not for the 15pt deduction Kell would have us fighting it out at the top of the table. If the question is where would we be without him the answer is likely battling it out with Dumbarton for the auto relegation spot.

The disrespect for Billy Mckay from some is disgusting or is this what is suppose to pass as football banter these days?