buckett

Aye, we were unbeatable for the first part of the season. Too many draws though, often in games we should have won. I think we built on the previous season though, and it's all part of a gradual improvement process. Let's see what next season brings - I'm optimistic that we'll be challenging for automatic promotion this time round.

They got what they deserved. Being a bit ICT biased, I was reluctant to jump on the refereeing bandwagon when they played us. However, having watched today's game as a neutral with a very slight DUFC bias I'm convinced that all the big decisions seemed to go United's way, including the sending off (which should never have been!). Wonder why that would be? At least the referees seem to have a bit of consistency now - they all seem to favour Dundee United!!! So congratulations St Mirren. Down to 10 men and with the referee seemingly a DUFC supporter, they still managed to win!!

Aye, that's him!

That's the best we can do until Mr. Rich comes along and invests donates some serious money. We've got an impressive youth squad at the moment - I'd like to get 2 or 3 years out of the ones that make the grade before flogging them on though. Early last season we had Mackay and MacGregor getting the odd game and initially impressing. I hope we'll see a bit more of that this season, and that Brazilian fellow who's name currently escapes me!

Yes, noticed that. No a bad game though - didn't intend to watch but flicked over to check the score and I was hooked! 2nd leg on Sunday should be a cracker!

I'm quite impressed that this season shows an improvement over last season. Could that be purely due to 2 home games against our neighbours? Or are the crowds really returning to the Caley Stadium?

Looks like the balance of power in Highland football has shifted. Just wondering if that's the way it's going to stay. Are we destined to be in their shadow for the foreseeable future?

Alan Simpson takes it all in his stride. Brilliant!!! ?

Hope I'm wrong but I've got a bad feeling about this one. My earlier optimism is somewhat diminished!

At our level it's all about loyalty. As soon as we become successful, our managers tend to be lured away by bigger clubs who can offer better wages and conditions than we can. Are we all so loyal to our employers that we would reject an offer from a rival employer which doubled our wages? I think not, so we have no right to criticise an ICT manager who takes up a better offer. Sadly that is our current position - bring in a manager we can afford, encourage him to succeed on a shoestring budget, and if he does, then he soon gets snapped up by a bigger club, and we're back to square one. As for loyalty, well I don't think we'll get much better than the current incumbent. He's been here before, been lured away, and eventually, for various reasons, come back. Somehow I think he'll be with us for a good while yet and so I'm optimistic about the next few years.

2 that I can think of.

Spot on my evil friend! "Fan" is short for fanatic and any fanatic worth his or her salt would go to EVERY game and indeed every event involving ICT or ICT players. I don't, and am happy to admit I'm not a fanatic. However, I am a supporter and even although I live over a hundred miles from Inverness, I try to get to every home game I can, and possibly the odd Hampden outing!

Suggested something like this a few years back but there didn't seem to be much interest. The basis being that some people can't always get to the home games but perhaps would like to contribute to the club's funds anyway, and if there was a facility to allow this I think there could be a reasonable number of takers. I'd be up for it anyway!

It's a job!

A winning team would be an attraction! Or a team that wins now and again!

Kevin MacDonald, Billy Urquhart . . . .

Richie Hart struck terror into Row Z whenever he lined up to take a shot. Brilliant midfielder though!

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Jordan White, He used to be sh!te, But now he's alright! First game I been to for a while (due to working away) and thoroughly enjoyed it - very entertaining but sometimes frustrating. Fairly close first half, although we just about edged it. A lot of build-up play on the outside of the box but just seemed nobody had the confidence to shoot. Often screaming for someone to just blooter it in and see what happened. First 20 minutes of the second half was shooting practice for ICT. Seems we need a bit more! And then, just as Ayr looked like they might be starting to get back into the game, Mr White scores. The balance of play changed after that, with Ayr having a bit more possession, but we could have nicked another, maybe 2. The last 5 minutes or so we were guilty of a bit of time-wasting around the corner flags, holding on till the final whistle, although I think most of us would have preferred to see the team going all out for another goal. Can't knock it though - great to get a home win!! Throughout, Tremarco impressed, with his ball control and constantly tormenting the Ayr midfield. Doran put in a shift too, but seemed to tire a bit towards the end. McHattie seemed solid enough and picked out some nice passes. McCart and Donaldson can take a lot of credit for the clean sheet. Oh aye, and Jordan White - dunno what all the fuss is about. He's alright!!!

If our Board was seriously looking at promotion this season, then they would be pumping money into the club and Robbo would have a better range of players to achieve this aim. Existing players would then be parting company with the club, but Robbo wouldn't. Robbo would then win promotion, like he did the last time he was with us, and the Board pumped money into the club. Money, as it turns out, that the club couldn't really afford!

Happy New Year to you too Scarlet, and here's hoping we'll be supporting a Premiership team by July!

Scarlet, I don't think that remark was directed at you. More likely at the subject of the thread, with a touch of irony characteristic of that particular poster!!

Yes, best wishes Scotty. Hope it all works out!

"Shocking stuff", "Shocking complacency", "Truly shocked" - there's a lot of shock on this thread! I'm shocked at all this "faux outrage"

Maybe a bit of an over-generalisation there, in my opinion anyway. I certainly have no issue with Irish Catholics and haven't witnessed this sort of thing in the part of Scotland I inhabit, but I take your point if you're referring to the Strathclyde region.