Scarlet Pimple

Butcher and Malpas cannot be fired because it would well-nigh bankrupt the team. However, as time goes along and wins still do not materialise, the current set-up could become untenable. The stability of the Managers' position offers a fall-back position for them which could become a disincentive to getting the best out of the team and the big question is will Terry and Mo lose more heart than they could already be suffering by viewing the apparently lacklustre and no-real-fight effort against St Johnston. Heh!Terry seemed awfully muted in his comments about the team's performamce. So, why did the team not play-on from the St Mirren high instead of raging along with confidence? THAT scares me.Losing is one thing but rolling over and dying at the first whiff of a North wind is not the spirit of a real Highland team. Read into that whatever you like. So, is it a case of too many Southern boys in the team with no real heart? If so they are doing themselves no favour at all because if they do have real ability do they think it will shine through on this insipid canvas and attract the attention of the brilliant Southern Managers? Answer--not bl--dy likely. The problem also is this fantastic loan situation scenario which always will be tentative and terrifying ..here today and gone tomorrow. Players with one foot in Inverness and one mind in Birmingham--just the ticket for Caley Thistle.Yeah right! Terry , try telling them to fess-up or f..k off. Bench them and play some 2nd or 3rd team lads in their stead..that will show them withouhaving to sceam at them. This is serious business so send the flipping message. Or is it a form of complacency setting in every time they win a gam? It looks as if Tansey can have a go but blooters the ball frequently over the bar which is far from profeessional and indicates a lack of desire to get it right on the training ground. Same old , same old. Also, Tade must be brought back from the front line and used as a battering ram type prober since He is very unlikely to score a lot of goals right up front(if any more at all). The rot could become a very large rut....'nuff said Terence and Maurice? P.s Get your gear on Terry and show them how it is done for ten minutes on the park. That would send a REAL message to the younger element, I would warrant. Certainly shake their complacency , if nothing else. Think I am being too tough, friends? Feel free ........

Oh well. it's now 12.45 a.m. and I have just began to wake up. And take it all in. DOH! But remember, friends , that the Pimple said a month or so ago that the team would start to roll after 13 games. Well, including the cup game and the N. of Scotland cup game, we are there now. Unless I am not supposed to count the above two extra games qhwn qw hve to wait a tad longer. So, let's see what transpires from here-on in. Exciting times are ahead.....

The Moderators on this forum are as fair and restrained as you will get anywhere else. And, so long as you are non-abusive to other posters, you are always allowed a fair hearing. Concentrate on putting your own point of view and don't be so ready to attack other posters or their viewpoints.If you have a problem with that, there is no use sending this Pimple a querulous P.M. --better send it to IHE who is a highly trained psychoanalyst with the added gift of being related to the Brahan Seer. Listen to him carefully and if you are not more confused afterwards than you were before, just mull it over and .... dae as you-all are telt. And it is true that the greater part of the positive posts are frequently from much older folks with a vision which reaches farther than the next win or loss.Which youse youngsters simply don't have, so be kind to us older yins and defer to our superior judgement....eh? As for Managers--they come and go and every Manager must be given a fair chance to complete his plan without having to fear for his position at the club evertytime there is a downturn in the performance, or goals or wins. Management, like team performances , are frequently cyclical and the wise Board understands this and is settling in for the long term. Running a football team is like the see-saw of life--now you are up and now you are down. But it's also a lot of fun...eh?

Which is?

Slightly harsh isn't the name for it....

What? Dougall on a fishing trip? Why that must be right since bollocks rhymes with rowlocks.... This Board decision could turn out to be the smartest move of the season. Inspired even. It should improve the stability of the club, give confidence to the players and reduce the nervousness of a Management team which some fans have been reviewing in a negative light.With an assured future for the foreseeable time Terry and Mo can calm down and spend their energy on the players and on team strategy/tactics. If it does not bring an upbeat tone to this club I will be very surprised indeed. With George Fraser keeping his very competent eye on what is transpiringanand his elegant finger in the pieto assist the able Kenny Cameron how canm thius club now fail? Great decision . Great future for Inverness Caley Thistle.

Great oaks from little acorns grow chums.

Yes. Please lay off Foran..everything good which has been said about him is true and he is invaluable. He seems to pop up in the right place and can score goals. And if he doesn't score he's still laying off great balls in the box or makes a deft flick here and a defter flick there.So he is a dangerous player and his experience needs to be there to steady the ship. His heading in the box is one of his strongest attributes and a couple of games ago I think it was, he was VERY unlucky not to score when it hit the post because it was a cracking header.Also we should not try to undermine this already developing team by making clucking noises every time he just doesn't quite make it and you can't fault him for effort. Who would replace him I wonder ..eh? Time to say nice things and get off his back I think . Praise where praise is due--that's the best way to get the best out of him.

Sorted C'mon! Who comes on here to be that serious? Life is too short! IHE once said he came on here to relax and the Pimple does the same. Problem is that coming on here can become more than that - when you get the bug, and admire the web site, it's a serious infection. Still, IHE, when you get to be as old as you and me, and maybe retired, it's the mini highlight of the day. Like going into the sauna for 45 minutes when the wife thinks you are out washing the car and she canna find you.

Tokely does seem to be doing the business in the highlights. Some of his last ditch efforts have been very impressive. Dods? Yes he was something else but Tokely s such a great servant of ICT that I do hope his ultimate testimonial will reflect his dedication and efforts , and loyalty, in spades. What a servant!

AAYS A LOT FOR PROCTOR THAT HE HAS KEPT GRITTING IT OUT IN the face of unmitigated negative criticism. In the past he had some very good games for ICT and Terry must find his best position for him to shine. Glad that he had a stuffy and positive game. Deserves it.

IHE - you really are a naughty boy. Personally speaking this one was right over my head, being just a wee Canajin frae the boondocks of Vancouver an' all. You-all are crafty and artful and ah jist cannae keep up. Good wind-up Itchy. :biggrin:

Tade is a hard worker whereas Rooney tended to be a lurker, waiting for the pass. Tade can outstrip virtually anyone with his pace and strength. He is an asset to tht team any which way you look at it. IMHO

Encouraging and positive post from Caley D. Just what the Dr ordered these days. If we can win the next game we will be about back to strength which should allow us to really start getting points on the board.

If Gregory Tade was pulled back into midfield ,then, who would you suggest that Terry puts in his place as a striker? And the same question re Foran? If Tade is not deadly up front, surely he could be pulled back with advantage and this would take the pressure off him to score goals. It does seem odd that a fella who is not a natural goalscorer is obliged to consistently play this role. Removing him would take the pressure off and free up his energy to run ...and run.. . and stride forward and take strikes at goal. The defences would not be able to take their eyes off of him and it would disturb their concentration. If Tade's power lies in his size and strength--then use it Terry. With Hayes and Doran back and foraging on the wings and running at the defence, as often as possible, the opportunities could improve for the two types of strikers that I have mentioned to be more effective . That makes three powerful players running at the defences causing confusion and, hopefully,mistakes in the opposition ranks. Hayes and Doran can get in behind the defences and Tade can LURK.If the oposition tries to man-match all three of them, then they would have to leave gaps in their central defence in all the right places for ICT to exploit. Simple and sorted. You would need two powerful and skilfull strikers up front if Tade was in midfield running at the opposition and keeping them off balance. He certainly doesn't seem to have too much trouble turning defenders and getting in behind them.If used to his maximum potential he could be a more and more important player and able to wear down the other sides and make them very nervous. They would even have to put two men on him eventually which could open up their defences even more and keep them nervous. Just a couple of thoughts..Back to the question then?

TADE -----Totally Awesome Dude, Ectually!

How's Proctor performing?

Hardly any posters on here today. Hope they are at the match.

Looks like Manny wrote the report but, whoever was the scribe --it was gooooood as usual.

Dougal, just to lighten you up a bit here : I have to inform you that you really should go because the highlight of the evening will be the guest appearance of ...."The Bare Naked Ladies" and M/C for the evening will be Caley D in his birthday suit. A big crowd is expected, bar-r-ing any unfortunate occurrence that stops the patrons from arriving--like a sudden blast of very cold air from Siberia; in which case Caley D will have a very serious problem unless he has a warm swaddling cloth for his wee bairney, Willie. And IHE , you be nice to Dougal, now, since he might try to upstage Caley D by coming in from the Willie-derness dressed in spandex with pom-poms in all the right places.

Although the team is beginning to gel together it is still young and inexperienced. So it is probably going to be a slow process to say the least. If we avoid relegation this season I will heave a sigh of relief. I also happen to think that the next goal that ICT scores is going to give the team a big lift and could result in a surge of confidence throughout the team. It would be nice if Gregory scored it since he does his share of work and then some. If he had a bit more composure and a wee bit more skill he would be a crcaker. It is a bit of a puzzle why he didn't try to loft the ball over the Celtic goalie last Saturday but he is no Messi so lety's concentrate on what he does right. Foran was very unlucky not to score with that header and he deserved it .Caley are just not getting the bounce of the ball just now but truth to tell class acts and class teams tend to make their own breaks I suppose. I can't wait for all the injuries to clear up because then we should look for a better team altogether and Terry can try to mould a team for the future. The one last concern that I do have, however, is the presence of so many loanees in the team --as someone said above he should be trying to get in players for the future and not just for stopgaps. All that is doing is playing at little Dutch boys pushing their fist into the seawall to stop the ocean breaking open the hole.

You could be on to something there. Low balls to the corners seem to be his nemesis. Tade--when he gets the ball and starts to run at goal do you get a twinge of a feeling that he just will be unlikely to score. If so then why not use him ( as someone just said)as a feeder to a more determined and more likely lad up front. Maybe one of the newbies could Chip-pendale it in with aplomb. And, no, aplomb is not an apple bomb. It's a nonchalant , confident attitude. With a smile , of course.

And what was wrong with making gradual changes at the beginning of the season, as opposed to hell-for-leather, don't hold yer breath or you won't see it, type of thing? A forced vegetable is not tasty and patience is a virtue. NO one wants Terry to fail in any way and who would replece him even IF his head did roll--John Robertson? WEll, that would not be a poor choice but Robbo seems to be a bit of a mercurial wanderlust type of chappie and would that be good for the future of ICT. Frankly, who would be willing to come tothe highlands ? Terry has to go to the end of the season and,anyway,there are better days ahead. Ask the Oracle, IHE

Good post Charles.