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As above, calling for Yogi's head at this point is a joke. 3 points off top 6, still in the cup. Despite our poor form, this season can still be a success.

Not sure I agree. Hughes took the plaudits last year, and rightly so, including a Manager Of The Year award by doing well with a team very largely put together by his predecessor. This season we are faring much much less well in the league with a team much more of his own creation. Yes we have lost important players but it's not as if he hasn't been allowed to bring in more than half a dozen of his own players in replacement. Who's fault is it that so many of those have proved such a disappointment ? He rightly got credit for success. It's right that he bears a substantial part of the blame for this season's relative failure but we are not Celtic fans and are not calling for his head we just want him to get it right and to do so before we end up in the Championship.

Named in the latest Scotland U21 squad. Well done

We need to look at the facts, last season we had 2 of the best players in the league in Christie and Shinnie who are now gone. We also lost a hell of a player in Watkins. The squad was pretty settled, we had no real injury worries throughout and the same players played week in week out. This season there has been new faces, probably the biggest injury crisis in the league and to be honest a tougher league with Aberdeen improving and Hearts coming in. We have been in the quarter finals of both cups (still have a fantastic chance in one of them to reach another final given the draw) we have hovered around mid table all season and to be honest if we go on a wee run of wins who's to say a miracle couldn't happen and we finish 4th? Yes we can't be complacent as we could still end up in a dogfight for relegation. But we have one of the smallest budgets in the league, we need to be realistic, Hughes can't work miracles every season like last but to me he's a damn good manager and I think the criticism of him is a touch unfair. If we stay up, given the good cup runs we have to say its been a successful season. We need to stop dreaming of last season, if it ever happens again, wonderful, but we just aren't a big enough club to be doing the things we did last season every season.

Maybe we were doing an injustice to Russel Latapy and it was his influence and creativity that produced good performances last year. Difficult to see where the next goal or win is going to come from, but we will never have a better opportunity than Saturday to rectify this with Hamilton at home.

last line of the Courier article indicates he has been offered a 3 year contract http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/Sport/Football/Liam-Polworth-handed-first-Scotland-under-21-call-up-10032016.htm

Handy that Chris has posted on here because now I can just copy and paste my P & B post Great post from Chris as per usual. We didn't manage a single shot on target last night against a team that has won twice since the start of December and who absolutely dominated us for the majority of the game. Roberts had a couple of good half chances either side of half time. The first seemed to be a missed clearance by a Saints defender and Roberts took an age to control the ball and have a shot and when he did get an effort away it didn't even trouble Mannus. The other effort came as Vigurs pounced on a poor back pass from Anderson and cleverly back heeled it for Roberts who dragged his shot wide, possibly via a deflection. Saints however had numerous chances to score but it wasn't until the 84th minute the finally went ahead. With that goal from Kane 50% of the goals ICT have conceded have been in the last 15 minutes of a game. 50%. That's ridiculous. No complaints about the earlier penalty decision. Looked a desperate lunge from Warren at the time and having seen the highlights I can't see any reason not to have awarded the penalty and give him a second yellow. Cracking save from OFW though. With some of the saves he has been making recently you'd have to imagine he will be our number one keeper next season. Chris is right when he says that conceding late is largely down to our style of play. By sitting so deep we encourage the opposition to put pressure on us and we frequently make mistakes. Twice last night Tansey played dangerous balls across the back line and was intercepted. The number of last ditch 'heroic' style challenges we need to make is concerning. Tremarco alone made three such challenges last night and Warren and Devine also chipped in with a couple of desperate blocks. It's mind boggling why we choose to invite so much pressure on ourselves and end up making costly errors. Having games in hand is all well and good but not if you are losing the games and seldom creating anything resembling a chance during those games. As Chris has said we created nothing of note against Hearts, a couple of chances against Hibs and another couple tonight. A handful of (half) chances over three games is desperate stuff. The emphasis on possession is all well and good but you need to actually try and create something with the ball which is something we don't seem to do. According to the BBC both sides last night had roughly an equal share of the ball. The shots on and off target tell you which team was actually trying to create something when they had the ball. I know folk will say that we've got players out but the guys that are in the team now haven't just been plucked off the street. The majority of them have played most of the season for us so far so I don't injuries can be used as that much of an excuse. Our style of play is horrible. It's boring to watch. It's negative, slow and timid. We play with absolutely no width in the team. Polworth was free at least 3 or 4 times last night down the right and every time he was overlooked for a short pass back to either the defence or goal keeper. On the rare occasions we did get the ball wide the final delivery into the box was well below par. Williams would routinely scuff his crosses or not even beat the first man. As Chris rightly points out if you are going to play with a target man up front you need to offer him some support. Have midfielders running on to his knock downs and, given the formation we played last night, use your full backs to offer some width to cross it into the box for your target man. I don't think we did that once last night. Fair play to the Fair City Unity squad (:laugh:) last night. Never stopped signing all through the game. But what were Saint Johnstone playing at watering the pitch before the game? Were they trying to turn it into a bog?

Time to get behind the team as supporters.The highs of last season were amazing. But staying in the top league is always the priority. Wage packet size, number of supporters we punch above our weight and knee jerk reactions to our current circumstances are negating the bigger picture. Can't believe in a footballing year which has given our club European football and a national trophy that we as supporters can be so fickle. Only a couple of weeks ago we beat the team being touted as potential league winners.This is when we should be digging deep and sticking together both on and off the field.

I certainly don't think Russell leaving and Brian Rice coming in has improved the situation. The circumstances of Russell's leaving have always struck me as a bit odd...

We were absolutely dire last night. Having to change things around in terms of strikers isn't ideal and altering the shape of the team to include a target man must've been difficult but our performance was negative, timid and dull. We played 3-5-2 with Polworth and Williams as wing backs, Tansey, Draper and Vigurs in midfield and Roberts playing 'off' Hughes up front. I thought Hughes actually did well. He isn't the most elegant player but when we hit the ball up to his chest or head he generally took it down or flicked it on. I don't think you could ask much more of him, the problem was that the rest of he team was so deep that he was completely isolated. At one point in the second half he headed a long ball back to Roberts who ran at St Johnstone but our entire team were back in our own half, meaning you are relying on Roberts beating two players and pinging in a wonder goal, which isn't going to happen often with any player. We are so focussed on possession that we go backwards and drop deep to maintain it but can't actually play in the oppositions half. Playing with a target man and Wing backs we should've tried to push up and allowed them to either get crosses in for Hughes or at least hit diagonals for him to knock down to runners but we were so deep all we could offer was a long ball to an isolated target. This meant that we didn't create any chances, were pushed deeper and deeper and ended up defending for our lives. You do that and the opposition are bound to score. This style is one reason why we've been conceding so many late goals, we don't impose ourselves on games and end up hanging in constantly only to be broken. We are in serious trouble. I've been to three games in the last week and in that time we've created one real chance, the goal from Mutumbo at Easyer Road. That game from players making forward runs, with and without the ball, something we haven't done in any of the other games and we only did in that game because we were going out of the cup. Our main striker has scored one goal in two and half months, our defence can't cope with the pressure our style puts it under, our best creative player (Tansey) is in horrible form. Accies on Saturday is huge for us, a must win.

I really can't believe some of the optimism on here. This season is now ALL about survival. We have a lot of casualties, we are playing poorly, our confidence is at a low ebb, the level of indiscipline from our senior players is shocking, the backing of the fans is brittle - and Yogi, from a tactical and man management perspective appears to have lost the plot and it appears may well be losing the togetherness factor as well. You simply can't keep chopping and changing the way that we have been. I would take 3 points against Hamilton above beating the Hibees. If we carry on NOT picking up points we are in BIG trouble when the bottom six games kick off.

There is a lot of anger and frustration which is not in the least surprising or unreasonable but apart from 'Shaun' who's views can generally be discounted, I don't hear anyone 'calling for yogi's head'. However, given our current form and the manager's apparent inability to do much about it, to say that the league should be no problem is complacent in the extreme. Lose again on Saturday and we are right in the mix for the battle to avoid the play off place with Dundee United still not out of the equation. Yes, with the players at our disposal we should probably just about scrape to safety but the league is very far from being 'no problem'.

I agree with most of what has been said. I listened to the radio commentary, and a defeat seemed inevitable in the second half. Now is the time to really get behind the players and Manager and give them our support to hopefully secure safety in the league and continue our cup dream. Let's help to make it another season to remember for the right reasons!

This season has been a bit of a car crash from the beginning. The first home game had a great atmosphere and buzz about it, as did our play. Then Astra scored. Since then we have struggled to create anything. Our signings, and let's give yogi the curtousy of considering otherwise, have been dreadful by in large. Nobody scouted at the end of last season except wedderburn. Everyone else has come via a trial or from his distant memory. Except vigurs of course who we happened to find in the gym. It really is shake your head stuff. i certainly wasn't expecting the highs of last season but we should still have had enough to be well clear of relegation. Forget about top 6 now. Let's just win a couple of games and get some breathing space between ourselves and killie . Also forget about trying to be pretty now. We've been found out. Press our players and then we're clueless. i said to someone after a few games and all the injuries, that this season is just a write off. Bar a few games it has just been a season of utter frustration on and off the park. lets get our heads down and battle for a win on saturday

And has pretty much done feck all at Hibs.

You do release buying a striker isn't like buying a tin of beans at the supermarket. We have a small budget and struggle to attract players. A tin of beans full of juice and no beans is no use, may as well keep ur money til you find the a quality Heinz tin which has a dent but you have found behind all the other white beans. I don't even like beans. Should have used tuna as an example. I like tuna

I think we are in serious trouble of being dragged into relegation playoff places

In response to your eloquent and reasoned arguments, I have just two words... Alex Fisher

I see Joe Gorman has signed a pre-contract with Airdrie. Doubt his 'Blow away the Orangemen' Twitter comments went down well with some of the locals though...

Working nights and enforced sobriety has sadly taken its toll

Well deserved. Had a bit of a dip in form and confidence lately but who in the team hasn't. Come on Yogi get him signed up.....

Ok I think we need to calm down. I am worried and a potential play off is hovering dangerously close. I haven't seen us play this season but it has been frustrating to perform well one week and then terrible. We have outplayed Celtic on their own turf for 50 minutes and beaten the sheep. Those performances were full of in your face direct play that we created from. Why cant we do that all the time? I do believe our biggest loss has been Watkins with his pace to change the tempo in a game, we haven't got that. This years team is not as good but would it be the end of the world if we didn't make the top 6 but survived and got to another final and potential defence of the trophy is good. Next week is huge with a 6 pointer with Hamilton, opportunity to get to Hampden and the derby. Win all 3 by any means and top 6 is still on with a semi to come which may just see us hit form. Lose and its a very rocky end to what has been a inconsistent season. If we do beat Hamilton and killie are at pittordrie we could go 8 clear and although the hard work doesn't stop I will definitely breathe a little easier.

This type of attitude is part of the reason why we're in the position we're in. We can't afford to be complacent.

Failing that, a scrappy 1-0 will do just fine.

They were definitely keeping themselves warm. I kept myself occupied at half-time thinking up anagrams of "Fair City Unity", none of which I can publicise.

Really can't believe guys calling for Yogi's head. Still in the cup, and the league should be no problem.

Don't forget the Fair City Unity. Them boys were quality.

Other shoppers with similar budgets manage to acquire a couple of tins of beans but then again they don't fill their trolleys with a dozen cans of spaghetti hoops in the way we do....

Amongst all this doom and gloom, let's balance it out by considering the positives from tonight's performance.

That was really shambolic. In the first half polworth on at least 4 occasions was clear down the right and in loads of space and he was ignored every time and the ball ended up either being punted or given to Tremarco who I really don't know how he is in the team, oh yeah because Hughes only signs midfielders these days! saints were equally poor until the last 5 minutes of the first then they took control. they dominated the second half and I expected Tremarco to be the likely to be red carded, but it was warren 2 bookings - no complaints. liam hughes tried to hold the ball up, upfront and did ok but had no support. good penalty save but the inevitable came shortly after. so frustrating as it has been most of the season since the Europa games started. The signings this year have overall been poor and not necessarily in individual quality but the types Hughes has brought in. We have nothing good upfront and even when storey has been playing he seems to have been playing wide. dont really know where we are going to go this season. My head says we won't beat hibs but might just get clear of the relegation playoff place. I hope to be wrong and we go onto the final again and make the top six. Mmmm and how the hell can saints justify £5 for parking?

I find the incidence of flu among footballers quite alarmingly high while, in contrast, they never seem to get colds.

More a case of lions led by a donkey.....

Mikey Diamond - please look after this fine young man

Not forgetting, of course, our other 'ex' at Barnsley, Sam Winnall. He has been an even more prolific scorer, and has just been nominated for the League 1 Fans Player of the Month, for the second month running. What would we give for either of them to be back here now?

RIP Ross, and condolences to all those who knew him and are grieving at this time. I personally did not know Ross, but I do know plenty of people who did, all of whom have spoken of a good bloke with a huge passion for ICT. Very sad indeed.

We had three decent players (not great given our past Scottish heritage) in Watkins, Shinney and Christie and that's the difference. Take them out of the team and we are very ordinary. JH alluded to this in his interview before the StJ match recalling the loss of Billy McKay etc, it's quite clear Hughes is frustrated at the loss of our best players, I read it as a comment directed to the board.If we lose to Hamilton at the weekend I believe we will be in the play off position, if you can't score you can't win. It would be a strange coincidence if Falkirk whom we beat in the final relegate us as they did some years ago. Quite frankly, given our current form I would not bet on us to beat Falkirk. Fact is the level of the SPL is awful, our fomer 1st div team under Patterson would be comfortably in the top six, that's how far the standard has fallen.

Could have happened on Sunday. Warren is the most indisciplined eejit we have had fer years. Take away the captains role asap.

Jings mon I never realised that Dundee Motherwell and Partick have managed to drag themselves so far away from us