Scarlet Pimple

Down to earth football and JUST WHAT THE DR. ORDERED. Very entertaining .Pity you rareley see the bunnets these days... eh?

T B can have all the personality and charisma in the world but if his decisions about brininging in loanees, i.e only temporary players really, and players from far away with no possibility of identfication with this area, then what good is it? The ideas floated around here about scouring the lower divisions is equally as good as the ones about going to English teams for loanees. And I am sure that it is likely that we can get them for a small amount of money. I just do not subscribe to the view that any player coming in on loan from way down south is ever going to have his heart committed to ICT and, to be quite honest , I don't see Terry being that emotionally committed either. Success and recognition for being a winner is probably his motivator. Later, if he stays in Inverness this might change. In the short term I think he has his hands full ,judging by his policy to date, to get this team into the upper echelons of the SPL. It's all about time and I don't feel that he has a lot of it at his disposal. To set up a winning, consistent and stable team he needs more time, more players committed exclusively to ICT.....AND and more players with experience. And, in all categories, being Scottish.

OMG. Born Caley , you must be nearly, (but not quite) as old as the Pimple. And all this time I have been thinking of you as being an enthusiastic youngster..... Obviously one of us is having memory problems--you remember it as an evening game and I remember it as being an afternoon one,. Did Caley have flooodlights in these days? If so, they were not on. . Therefore it must havp played on a Summer evening....eh?

TICHY--WHAT A GUY. iMAGINE YOU DIGGING THAT ONE UP. YES! I WAS 17 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME THAT I SAW A 'FOREIGN 'TEAM AT T IT WAS A CLEAR, FAIR DAY AND LEICESTER WERE IN THE WHITE STRIP. I also remember that the English boys were taller and fitter than the select lads. Does anybody else remember that game by any chance>

I remember a game between them in the 1950's, . They played in a white strip then.....? Leicester won by a couple of goals. Is anybody interested...?

One other option , if they can't afford the financial costs of releasing him, would have been to simply not allow him to function as manager and telling someone else within the club to take over these duties. This would be morally devastating to the Manager and not the right thing to do but if the club feels that desperate measures are justified, because they cannot afford the cash outlay of terminating his contract, then the only argument that they could probably muster in favour of such a move would be that they felt to save it then clearly they must feel that his presence can do nothing more for the protection of the club and its future. The object would be, in this case, to try to force him to leave but it would also cause even more confusion -- i.e if he was to hang around instead of departing without a settlement. Pity that club--their troubles never seem to cease. Hopefully, the wisdom of the Caley Thistle Board will prevail in all future events affecting our club and they can weather all future financial storms. Phew!

Looks like we spent an awful lot of money , one way or the other, on this promotion to the SPL gig. Maybe Ross County have more very wealthy backers than us. Wouldn't be surprised if Mr MacGregpor is one of them. We should scratch their back if we ever want the same treatment in return, at a later date. Apart from that , it is the right thing to do.

Seer? IHE Are ye no gettin' too auld fer that caper? Brahan, or All Bran, ? Postulate and Prognosticate or Regulate and de-Constipate? Ach weel, it all ends the same way!.................comments invited? Be nice, now.

Thinking back--a long way--I am reminded that the average gate at the Caley park on Telford Street was about 3,000. The difference between the two comparisons is, of course, the cost of getting in. Methinks that MUST have something to do with it--especially in these times.

Caley D I have no idea whether this man played half decent or like a goon. But I DO like YOUR attitude and, if his attitude was as bad as you say it was, then I fully agree with you and would not waste a minute before sending him packing s a complete failure. Not having ability is irritating but a no fault situation; but not being willing to try is a sin and a half. Do they think the money fans pay when they enter the park costs them nothing to earn?

Testing season. Deferred judgement so I am also in the Neither sat or dis sat column. We will all get our chance to judge his performance next season. Hopefully (on my knees ) he will stop going for the loanees. Concentrate on spirit and ensure the defence becomes settled and stoic-- that is, resistant to all attacks. And the rest will take care of itself.

At last the long ball stuff has an upside--it stops the full backs constantly passing to each other instead of trying to get the ball up the park. Doesn't that just gall you --looks either cynical indifference to the theory of attack or just lazy, safety first stuff or get the responsibilty of losing the ball off my back? Back and fore like yo-yos sometimes. -- is that what the fan pays for?

Well I can hardly imagine that it's to do with poor wages England and these Eastern moguls are bringing in huge sums of money to try to buy success. But back to the main thrust.- in Canada almost all parents in a family are working. Unless the mother ha several kids and can't trust a nanny . Therefore when she comes home frazzled because she has to go shopping after work etc, she is too tired to worry about what the kids do. Mostly she just wants some peace and quiet. I don't know what it currently is like in Scotland re football but I still see quite a few kids out in the street here playing mostly street hockey.

That's dead right---Caledonain and Thistle survived for many a long year without T.V. But they did not spend huge amounts of money on players either. Their stadiums and facilities were modest and they had few, if any,about winning the Scottish Cup. If they started to win games in the Scottish Cup, then the fans got really excited and attended matches in droves. They existed on providing honest endeavour and the odd few thrills. What is so blinking great about being in the SPL anyway? Come on! Be very honest. Where has it got most teams? Why, into debt, of course and living beyond their means, for sure. The glory that SPL membership brings is illusory at best. Few major, if any, English,European or Spanish teams (for example) have ever come to Inverness on serious football duty and are immediately forgotten about afterwards. TV deals have simply allowed underfunded and under-achieving teams in Scotland to survive, get the idea that they are able to compete on a par with the Big boys (Old Firm), and one day will be on some kind of a par in terms of the number of spectators thay they can attrcat. Ity's a house of cards buiklt on a weak and dangerous foundatyion of little more than dreams. People don't attend matches because of, IMHO, four factors.: 1.Too high a price for tickets in the current economic atmosphere. 2.Games are played in miserable conditions when fans are physically in distress and the incidence of injuries is much higher on the field of play. All games must be changed, rationally, to summer footballl. 3.T.V.-- Stop the broadcast live of SPL games and attendances should go up. 4. Boredom and lack of emotional satisfaction and little in the way of supporting entertainment. The Americans and Canadians go all out to provide this kind of attraction whether it be cheer-leading, drum corps, high school bands , or the Cirque de Soleil in miniature. It all adds up to a sense of going to a game for a total fun package. and a real day out for the family. So, the clubs don't have the money to put on this kind of show, you say? Exactly! Which must mean that something is radically wrong, right? In short, it's a self-perpetuating scenario with no obvious means of escape and the clubs are deluding themselves into thinking that they can attract fans by pretending they are a big cut above the Highland League or Division 1 or 2 so to speak. I will summarise these feelings this way, Rangers problems are a chance to re-vamp Scottish Football right across the Board, bringing in more equality by distributing the overall income MUCH MORE FAIRLY. Then some clubs may start to flourish. The attendances at home games involving Rangers and Celtic for the clubs are down so these two clubs no longer are a guarantee for the other clubs to survive. By contrast, the negative influence asserted by these two large teams is disproportionately higher on the SPL in particular, and on Scottish Football in general, compared to their positive influence. Getting rid of one or the other offers a chance for fresh air to blow in and release pent up frustrations and energy which are currently being battened down and fostering the above delusions that the clubs below these teams are in a League where they can compete on equal terms with them. Will these suggestions be adopted in the short term? What do you think?

Manfer has a lot of good pointed arrows in his quiver. Right now I am quivering that this team does not have a lot of points nor arrows pointing in the right direction. Based o his contract Terry has to stay for another year or his departure and settlement will bring ICT to their knees financially. Unless we get relegated and he resigns voluntarily, of course. Looking at the highlights, admittedly only a tiny slice of the game, one cannot but be impressed with the comparison between the two teams. Dundeed Utd looked confident, determined, had accurate and effective passing, seemingly with a purpose, and knew where the goal was. Meanwhile, ICT appeared to be doing a bit of standing around in admiration --or desperation. or a little bit of befuddlement. Where was Tade's vaunted power and aggression? With his size and mobility he should have been able to carve through that defence and at the very least terrify them to death consistently but he looked like a moth on a mothball awaiting his orange juice to be brought to him on a platter. Leisurely like. Nice strike on goal I suppose but never likely to trouble the goalie so why did he not run into the goalmouth instead...? Don't you just get the impression that each player seems to be waiting for another to win the game? I would rather see younger , very energetic and aggressive players trying hard than the more experienced players just flitting around doing what they feel is all that they need to do to get by. So, in the absence of any constructive suggestion in present circumstances I just have to agree with the post that says Terry should concentrate on the local boys and the Highland Academy etc.

Who would have thunk it?

Oh well, there's nothing like never letting up on a player who has actually served ICT well in past years. Sure makes one feel better about our team doesn't it? And, from all accounts, his last game was much better wasn't it? C'mon guys, as far as spirits are concerned I wonder if the ones you sometimes seem to favour are those out of a bottle? O.K. Last chance gulch. Let's have a spirited riposte to wake us up a wee bit.

Hayes by a country mile. England players may be talented, but positioning and reflexive actions were pedantic (slow) and pathetic. However, great goal by Robbens--energetic and very determined approach and showed great evasive , opportunistic skills. Wheeee.

Settling this team now should be Terry's priority. So, I agree with IHE's post above. The seemingly constant instability means he must be tearing his hair out and going round in mental circles trying to figure out his best options. Now that the injury thing seems to have settled down, it also seems as if we have too much talent available and too many bewildering choices with few standouts which would otherwise allow for a no-brainer team selection. Hopefully things will continue to gel. Hate to say this, but if some (but not all) of the loanees were recalled to England etc. it might help him. OH! If only we could get some younger Scottish players in, preferably Highland lads, and had the time to train and develop them.......Sigh.

Robbo was not ever going to be a permanant fixture in Methil and I remember he was more of a caretaker manager than that. Does nayone think that he and Terry would get along...

With gates a slow as 600 at home, how could any team at their level attract someone who could make a real difference? Apart from his wages how could he make changes that would ocunt without the financial backing he wold need? ] And what player of real calibre would play in Methil unless he was at the end of his career or was a very determined youngster who didn't care where he played, just so long as he got a game. The closure of the nearby coal pits did not help in any way. I once lived across the street from the Manager of the large Wellesley pit just up the road from Methil and everybdy in that area felt the draught after they faded from the scene. Keep poking away John. You are an interesting charecter., so hope you manage to stay in the game in a meaningful way.

I am frightened almost to post anything after what I have read on here today. Scotty was up at 7a.m. but I would have had to get up at 4.a.m for the start of this one. But I can't help thinking about what Terry did to this Caley Thistle team at the end of last season and I honestly just have that remaining nagging doubt that this is a serious contributing factor in all of this. At the time I was shocked at his wholesale clearout , especially when many of the players he culled had sterling records as far as their commitment and loyalty to ICT werte concerned. AND experience to boot. Regardless of how well Mr Butcher felt that he was qualified to build a team of world beaters, I could not ever see how his hell-for -leather and "de'il tak the hindmost" approach to the obtaining of success for "HIS" team could ever succeed without being accompanied by the huge risk that he was taking in doing this. It was not prudent, at least IMHO, to have practically no experienced players left in reserve . It did not leave any room for manoever if things went wrong, since he could not ever now call upon a backup of proven players who would have the established team spirit to hold it all together and show the right example to the younger players that Terry felt that he could bring in. Apart from Foran, who can these younger players now turn to for guidance and support and/or inspiration? The injury situation suffered by the team has helped to bring out all the weakness in his strategy to date and the fact that the players who are on loan must now have one eye on their futures elsewhere only serves to exacerbate the challenge. Why should they play their hearts out, and also possibly risk injury, when their loyalty surely can hardly lie with ICT ? And, lastly, players on loan to the club are not the answer to anything as far as the future development and stability of the club is concerned. They are too young and inexperienced to be relied upon for one thing --at least not for several years. And Terry must be relying on the word of Managers who are hundreds of miles away on the matter of their play and their personality traits, which essentially means that he will always be faced with the uncertainty of his bringing them in "sight unseen" as it were. Not exactly a recipe for possible success is it and but it IS a drain on club funds whilst this process is being pursued? I would love someone to contradict my views with powerful arguments that would convince me that I am wrong but, alas, I just dont see it or get it at the moment. So, using this strategy is stop-gap at best and a recipe for league places which are likely to always be close to the relegation zone at worst.

Well that was neat. post still beng constructed and it posted itself without my telling it to. Now I wonder why. Hmmmm?

Great difficulty in getting this site to open up today. Trying to use the new UK connection but doing so means access is very slow on all accounts, However, in now and listening to the match on Sportsound. Five minutes to coffee time which is 7.45 a.m. here Sounds as if you are having snow or cold and poor weather ...very cold and wet and genertally not great for the Arthur-Itis.