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Today was a day that made me so proud to support Caley Thistle. It would have been no injustice to see us win by 4 or 5 goals, and we were inches away from it. In every position we bettered Hibs, and their players and fans were utterly subdued at the end. Shinnie, Foran and Ross bettered the others on the park merely by virtue of being better tha excellent. Watching Ben Williams going to be interviewed was like watching a man going to his own funeral, and he admitted so himself. It took Hibs rep a while to find anyone willing to face the press. I spoke to Kenny Cameron after the game, and he described both the team and the support as "magnificent" and due thanks. I think he understates things. He also spoke of the fans as being one of the main reasons that this team play out of their skins time and time again; words of a man who cares passionately for his club, and with that fierce passion at the helm we will always succeed. Whatever reason Terry Butcher had for being at the game in the company of his representative, in the Hibs stand is his, and his alone, to explain but it is not the behaviour the Caley Thistle fans would expect or demand of him, no matter the outcome of this saga. Today our team showed why we deserve to be second top of this league, and they also showed why that level of achievement is not dependant on one man, and never will be. Second top? better believe it, it's the least we can achieve this year.

Well, it was always going to end sometime, but he should have gone out on a high, instead of scuttling out out the back door with no notice, not even managing the last match, and skulking along at Easter Road with the opposition before he's officially left. So, ends with not a bang, not even a whimper, but a moonlight flit. Very poor.

This a direct quote from the "Greenmachine" on the Hibees site. If he is saying this then we must have been good. Lets hope we can keep it up when Butcher goes! "First of all I would like to pay tribute to Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas because that Inverness team today were by some distance the best team I have seen at Easter Road this season. Their first half performance in particular was quite breathtaking, the movement of their forwards far too much for the Hibs defence to cope with, everything done at pace...a workrate second to none in the league...and a solid and well-organised defence which coped easily with the quite pathetic efforts from Hibs. They were exactly what I want Hibs to be, and for me put in an almost flawless exhibition of counter-attacking football. How we went in only 2-0 down at half-time god only knows. They knew they had the game won when the penalty (stupidly given away by Collins) went in. A second soon followed and they then just sat in content to let Hibs run about like daft wee laddies. The gulf between those two teams was immense today and it clearly showed the mammoth task Butcher faces in revitalising that team...a job which is going to take at least a couple of years I fear" neksor

Dear me does the mail no know that there's been a merger? However if mo was to get the ict job with foran as assistant I'd be very happy wi that.

We don't hate Hibs. Far from it. We wish we could play them every week.

There was no prospect him of him staying anyway but, for me, his decision to sit in the home stand and accept hospitality in the Hibs boardroom at a match against the team who are effectively still his employers has burned his bridges. I must say that that decision surprised me, I thought Terry would be more respectful to the club who took a chance on him when his stock and reputation was at a low ebb.

Terry, I thank you for all your efforts and successes with ICT and for all the good work you've done for us. You are a genuinely good guy. Its just a shame that more people couldn't be bothered to turn up to support Inverness at home games during your tenure and I can understand your frustration with that. However, now that you are leaving us I imagine that your career in management will be propelled onwards and upwards to greater managerial successes - just like your predecessors who left Inverness for greater things......like.....eh...Steve Paterson......eh.....John Robertson.....eh.....Craig Brewster............!!! You had a job for life here at ICT Tel. We have a history of being patient with our managers with no sackings to date. Hibs on the other hand will give you 12 months (max) to re-float their sinking ship. It will be a tough job at Hibs - and probably a thankless one too - but all the best to you!

1/ 2/ correct 3/ a Premiership team 2nd in the league ..cup semi ..ave crowds 1500/3500 (shocking)..bigger crowds around the bread stall in my local Asda !! 4/ Jealousy 5/ Chris Hogg You may get more at the bread stall in your local Asda but for a club that is less than 20 years old i dont think we are doing that bad in a up coming city while trying to get local support away from the old filth. We didn't have a team in the top flight 19 years ago, you did. You are over 100 years old and been able to establish the foundations to grow a support and a club in the capital city city of the country so yes you are bound to have higher support yet we gubbed you today, sit second and have a semi final. Tell me with you 8,000 fans today and bigger crowds that you can generate why it isn't your club in this position. Even St Johnstone who have even lower crowds than us are higher than you. At the end of day we have no bitterness towards Hibs as a club i just think you cant accept that you are ***** and have been for longer than just Fenlon's period in charge

Have you had your therapist's permission ?

Some quick observations 1. Oh great, a crowd wank thread 2. Yes ICT have smaller attendances than other teams in the league blah, blah, blah 3. If you're going to slag off our crowds at least put some more work into it. You've pinned our crowds as 1,500, 2000 and 3,500. That's quite a degree of variance in your argument 4. I wouldn't say there is any bitterness towards HIbs though I think Butcher might have tainted his stock with ICT fans in the last day or so 5. Regardless of how much he cost James Collins is shite

As I write this, Butcher is probably sitting in some poncy Edinburgh wine bar with Petrie picking over the bones of a dismal defeat. What he should be doing is celebrating a great victory with a great bunch of lads by picking the bones out of a fish supper.

And I am more intelligent, charismatic, popular, ...........etc.,etc. likes please

I think the point is that the current ICT Manager should not be "neutral"

Why does everybody 'suck-up' to IHE? Anything he posts, regardless of how profound or speculative seems to be met with overwhelming approval. He could post a picture of a tin of Heinz beans and submit a random caption of 'Butcher's last meal' or some utter drivel and get around a dozen 'likes'!!!

I'm still trying to work out which job at the Sunday Mail Mo actually wants.

"Butcher isn't the messiah. He's done a great job here the last few years, but it took just that - a few years." Your right! he's not the Messiah; he's just a very naught boy!

Simplest thing to have done was stay away

But if Butcher resigned he and ICT would both lose out on a lot of money and Terry is only playing hard ball fer the sake of us. He is sacrificing a lot and deserves more support.

Hibs sinking to new depths. Sending scouts onto CTO to identify possible targets in January.

What a find Scaffolder07 is. Signing of the season for CTO. Enjoyed yesterday more than any other game so far this season, which is saying something. The support was tremendous - the last 5-10 minutes of sustained , defiant singing/crowing was what going to the football is all about. The players should be proud of their response to what was a potentially difficult week - they didn't just grind out a result but utterly dominated, and played some classy, on-the-deck football. Certain players looked truly liberated yesterday - it was thrilling to see Graeme Shinnie running at the midfield and Nick Ross in the hole, putting through clever through balls and linking so well with McKay. If that sort of performance is a sign of things to come post-Butcher, then, notwithstanding the amazing job he has done for us, I am optimistic and excited about the future.

Mo and Fo has to be considered as an option. Foran as Assistant and player as well. Deserves it, whatever. I guess Richie will be in FOR A NOD from the Board. No disturbing of the team , no new Manager to blood and fit in, no wariness from the players towards the new Manager. No new plans or techniques to upset the apple cart. Onward and upward. Worth a thought and maybe a trial try-out. Looks like this team is a train on a roll that nothing can derail. Holy smokes...how can we be so lucky! Turbulent and exciting times. New blood is maybe what we need. Obviously Mo and Steve were not as close to T B as maybe we thought and that's GREAT for ICT. Roll on the next gemme.

There's no doubt he's done a good job here, but equally his behaviour this last week has not been good. To be fair, there is clearly a lot we don't know about his reasons for wanting to go to Hibs and his feelings toward ICT and the Inverness area. He may well feel torn and he may well feel hurt by the hostile reaction he has received from the Inverness fans. What he needs to understand is that the reason for the fans reaction is that they wanted him to stay and are very disappointed at the manner of his likely departure. Should the deal fall through then he still has a contract here. For me he would have 2 options. Firstly, if he wants to go then he should resign. How can the players have any trust in him if it is clear he wants away? Secondly, if he wants to stay, then he should put pen to paper and sign a new contract, apologise unreservedly for his conduct this week and pledge real commitment to the club. I have been critical of him these last few days but were the deal to fall through then I for one would welcome him back provided he gave a strong and sincere commitment. The management team he has built around him works for this club and there is unfinished business. It would actually be good to put this all behind us and get on with that business. We may not be a big glamorous club but Butcher is lucky to have us. If he could just accept that then we could all kiss and make up, so to speak, and he could go on and achieve things he can be justly proud of. I think he's behaved very poorly this week but I for one would be prepared to forgive.

My eyes must be getting worse I thought the poster was ex-coN man.

We really should've won that game 4 or 5-0. I thinkif the deflection from the defender that hit the post not long after we went 2-0 up had gone in we'd have probably scored six. Richie Foran was magnificent, after a display like that I don't think it'd be a bad idea to make him player-manager for the rest of the season. Dominant in the park, good on the ball and utterly committed. I love the man. Graeme Shinnie had one of his best games I've seen him, he defended dilligently, didn't get caught out of position and was a huge attacking threat. He runs so directly with the ball but from right back he can cut inside and cause problems. I can't think of another attacking full back who plays on his opposite side, it must be unusual for opposition players to deal with. Nick Ross also had a magnificent game. I've often thought that Nick Ross looked as though he kept threatening to up his game to another level but never really delivered. Today he arrived, perhaps the goal gave him confidence but he seemed to find space, he used the ball brilliantly and attacked Hibs aggressively and directly. On another day he could well have bagged a couple of assists, the little dinks and through balls for McKay almost came off several times. I'm really pleased for him, if he keeps that going he'll be a replacement for Andy Shinnie. I also enjoyed Dean Brill falling over every time he moved more than five yards.

I don't get Terry's sudden, and disloyal, decision to jump ship at a time when the season holds so much promise. Some silverware and a place in Europe to play for, a settled team playing good football. For what? More money, sure, but a poisoned chalice of a job if ever there was one, one where he likely won't have the total control and freedom he enjoyed here, with a team playing some woeful football. Maybe he retrospectively regretted turning down Barnsley, given the dip we had after that, but if so, Hibs is surely no comparison. Barnsley was a vastly superior offer for him. If he had determined to go, then surely he would have been in a far better position if he had finished the season with us, as per contract, taking us to perhaps our finest season and a place in Europe. Then he could have left with dignity, his stock high and had his pick from no doubt plenty of good offers, all with time for us to replace him. As it is, suddenly dropping the reins with no, as yet, explanation, and not taking us for his last game, is rank and very disillusioning. IMHO, he will regret it, but I hope the board choose wisely and are very firm in saying to him "Keep your fecking hands off our players! Find your own" I hope, in particular, that they write into any agreement, that he cannot take any in January. On the positive side, we must be a very attractive position for aspiring and established managers.

I would have thought that either at the point that the Board gave permision for Butcher to talk with Hibs or when Butcher and Hibs agreed terms and informed our Board, the Board would effectively have put Butcher's contract on hold. At that point he is not doing the job he is contracted to do and therefore should not be paid. If that was the case then it would be reasonable for him to state that he is a neutral for the game. But what I find distasteful is the fact that he was at the ground with the Hibs Board and yet still there is no announcement. The very fact that he was there in those circumstances was a clear statement of what the position is, so why not just make a verbal statement? All that needed to be said is that personal terms have been agreed and that a further statement will be made following discussion between the clubs regarding compensation. If he didn't want to say that, he should simply have stayed away. Inverness fans and the Board have been very supportive to Butcher over the years but his antics this week show him in a very bad light. He's a big boy at a big club now so he thinks he can treat those at the little club who have been supportive of him with disdain. Complete lack of class.

As an ex employee of ICTFC, I still remember the day Terry & Mo arrived at the club. In my opinion ,they both breathed a new lease of life to Caley Thistle and I can't help but feel sad to hear about their imminent departure. Any time I needed either of their help for the Commercial side of the club they never refused and made my job that bit easier as they both understood why the football and non football club needed to be a line of one. They were fantastic for CaleyThistle, I think as an ex employee, a fan and someone who loves in this town who ever comes in has a hard act to follow. Whatever you think of them both they were great and supportive to me and I wish them both the very best.

Been otherwise occupied the past day or so what's the jive with our management?- Renegade/ICTChris - Manager OCG - Assistant IHE - Sports Psychologist Dougal - PR manager

I fully expect TB's new 3 year deal with ICT to be announced first thing tomorrow morning. By the ever accurate BBC.

Manager: Malpas Assit Man: Robbo Player/Coach: Foran and Marsella to carry on doing what he's doing I would take that

Terry Butcher wasn't exactly a success to begin with and seems to have done alright for himself. I would certainly give Maurice the opportunity as it would ensure continuity and he has been very much involved with the players unlike a completely new manager who would have to start from scratch. There should definitely be a place for Foran in some role as he has been an integral part of our recent successes.

He was there still in the official capacity of manger of ICT - bottom feckin line.

Foran has a key role to play - that's for sure. it was a nice touch yesterday when he encouraged the players over to the fans at the end. Hopefully Terry stays and we can put all of this chat to rest though.

ICT Not if we are League Cup holders and have enjoyed a foray into Europe under a new manager. I hope you're right I am almost never right. Just ask Mrs Kingsmills...

Based on Swindon and Motherwell I would have some doubts, but to be fair, Mo has earned first refusal on the job. And isn't his record in our dugout played 3 won 3?

Are you completely deluded? He sneaked behind our back and agreed terms without permission before Hibs even approached us. He made our chairman look like a fool telling the bbc they were wrong. He didn't even have the balls to step into the dugout. Doesn't surprise me to hear such retarded comments from a H I VEE tbh. Utter bollox ..you are the bitter & deluded one ..hibs were above board in everything they done ..dry yer ******* eyes & get over it !!! My eyes are dry thanks! Can you quit the smack and translate the rest please You shouldn't make statements you cant substantiate Rival. Nobody believes Butcher sneaked behind anyones back bar yourself. Can't substantiate Alex, but people have suspicions that something happened before Tuesday. Wether it was Hibs, his agent or Butcher himself, I suspect contact was made.

Did we not give Brewster the boot, quite literally?

I dont really fancy getting Levein. He's a decent manager and he knows how to get a youth set up working well but his teams generally are bruisers.

Mo and Duncs could be be a better option

Scaffolder ,with a name like yours one can only shudder when we see you come on here. However, so be it, you must be in your own mind SHARP as a tack, green as a BLADE of grass and DEADLY as a masked raider gone sour. Are you the executioner or the guy who carries the wee hanky to wipe the blood off the block after the chopping is over? Approach the Hibees and offer your services 'cos the team apparently needs a chopping and a copping in order that it has the slightest chance of rising up the league again to prominence like it once had in the days of Turnbull and Pat Stanton. Just so you know, I once went to see the Hibs every other week for 6 Years when I lived in Edinburgh as a callow youth of some 28 years (about 1966). And I really enjoyed Easter road on the terracing across from the main stand. In these days the crowd was always about 12,000 average and today's crowd, presumably including a large contingent from Inverness, would be regarded as something of a disaster and a matter of great concern. If Butcher fails to make an immediate positive impact and the crowds dwindle even further where will his salary come from and who will come in as your next Manager. I feel sorry for the current state of affairs at Easter Road because past good times and loyalty can't be forgotten easily and I do wish your club the very best --so long as it is achieved by honest endeavour and commitment to the team. So, to be honest, nobody on here hates the Hibs, just your remarks I fear. Thank you for quoting some of my remarks. Be assured that these were not criticisms of Hibs in any way just directed at the underhand way that this has unfolded which smacks of a lack of integrity of purpose which does nobody any credit or good. And , remember the old adage..." if it can happen to me then it can happen to you as well" and you won't like it one bit when it does. And the older adage that a leopard does not change his spots.!!! Who do you think I am referring to? Think about it and get a touch of foreboding as the future unfolds. By the way, Caledonian F.C and Thistle F.C. were each formed WELL over 120 years ago so the pedigree may even be more sterling than that of Hibs. Our current success has been achieved because we are honest injuns and have character in the characters in our team. Sounds like some of your players don't even seem to want to try very hard which, if correct, is rather shameful especially when the chips are down. Good luck to Hibernian F.C. Mr S.

The one guy i feel sorry for in this whole saga is Jimmy Nichol! How many clubs has this guy been Assistant at only for the manager to get sacked or leave, he takes over as caretaker and then is sent on his merry way to find another club. Repeat!

1/ 2/ correct 3/ a Premiership team 2nd in the league ..cup semi ..ave crowds 1500/3500 (shocking)..bigger crowds around the bread stall in my local Asda !! 4/ Jealousy 5/ Chris Hogg

:laugh:

I prefer Tinnies in Motion. Or perhaps Terry's Emotion.

I would like to see Kevin Macdonald back in Inverness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_MacDonald_(footballer)

That is a truly disgraceful thing for the ICT manager to say at an ICT game. Just GTF right now Butcher.

That is better than a certain manager who has to inflate his ego every year and deflate his followers !!

Top 5 of this season. Foran - good leader, grafter,midfield dynamo, and chips in with goals too. McKay - A touch of class about him, top scorer, good touch, superb finisher. Meekings - Solid defender, good with the ball at his feet, great vision. Doran - Skillful creative player who always looks dangerous on the ball. Brill - Save hands, rarely makes a mistake, good shot stopper, commands his defense well.

By which time the oil will long since have run out! Separation is for ever - not just for Christmas!