Scarlet Pimple

Well, they might just drum up business so encouragement is the way to go...

IBM Please take your wife to the football and she will understand why you must support the team as a priority.

Oh dear! How the mighty hath fallen --or so it seems. And where do we go from here.....? For sure, continual booing and screaming at players won't do anything to bring back the good old days. Encouragement, and holding your tongue if you can't shout anything positive, is a far better strategy for the future. Now, it's true that I haven't seen one single game live this season and precious few video clips because they are few and far between, so who am I to judge except for the fact that what I have just said seems to have the same respective negative and positive effects in any situation other than in football. So what's good for the Goose is good for the Gander I reckon and don't forget that nothing remains the same for ever. So there are better days ahead but either prior to, or after, worse days. The latter scenario being very possible in the short term. Get used to it, stop moaning and offer encouragement instead. An already down team needs motivation, not cruel jibes. Racehorses are finely fed, stroked, exercised and trained animals --but the very best don't always win. Some have different temperaments and some need a wee bit of the whip to wake them up and realise that more is expected of them at the crucial points in the race ; whereas others run their hearts out and don't need the whip at all and sometimes need to be restrained before they exhaust themselves too early in the race. The latter have that competitive spirit, grit and determination which alone motivates them to win with furlongs to spare, not to mention the jockey's disposition and temperament which can spur a horse on to greatness if both of them get into sync with each other. Animals have a sixth sense and they either seem to like you or not right off the bat. Meaning? Just this in simpler terms....our new Manager has the ball at his feet and will either sink or swim depending on how he stands and motivates the players. Regrettably, John Robertson is the fall guy. He must find a way, either by means of chats or by example, to get the very best out of all the individual players. He can do this quietly with each player, in the background, or openly in a full meeting with all the players at once. Initially, I advocate the first way since this gives each player a real chance to get to know his manager as a human being and to advise him of his personal feelings, goals and needs. For the player, to just speak up will assist him to cope with an already depressing situation and this initial "hearing' will have to find J R listening attentively more than talking himself to death. If he listens intently to what is being said he can offer encouragement as the conversation progresses. When all players have had this opportunity of a one-on one chat then the general meetings can be open to all comment as a TEAM and the Manager must stimulate free and honest discussion. This is down to personality and I think that J R has the capability within him to sense that praise and encouragement is the right course to follow. Otherwise, he may be doomed. IMHO.

The evening during which Caley beat Celtic in front of a stunned crowd....and handily...(remember "supercaledfragislistic"...etc ) contained superb players plus, as in the semi-final in the year we won the Scottish cup, which was an absolute corker of a team. Remember the end of this latter game when Celtic seemed to be out on their fee, completely bamboozled by wee Caley, and simply did not know which way to turn to stop us running rings around them, was one of the most incredible games, and sets of players I have yet seen in my young life/. I will never forget either game. We were magnificent in every way.

BDU-------interesting post. Maybe not that far off the mark; let me ruminate on it , though....

That's right, ' It looks like fake identity doesn't it? . Another one for the Donald to capture and emote about. But stranger than strange, bejabbers. I just cannot believe that the player on the video is the same guy on our books. The only thing that they have in common is the fact that they both have dark skin. --mind you, Schjussen has hardly played a game for us in the first team so how can one really judge him? Comments please?

Renegade--it's the we're and te're that gets you down isn't it?

Rafferty......(of celluloid fame )

Well, who was that player in the video allegedly named Schussen? Total chalk from cheese it seems from afar The difference seem to be a comparison of the sublime to the ridiculous and that needs an explanation surely?

Video is amazing! The guy shown here has a cool head, is a thinker, and has an absolutely outstanding image in his mind of exactly where the goal is and how to enter it with panache. Sitting on the sidelines will never do him or our ICT club any good at all. e need goals. John Robertson., what is the score here regarding playing him and why has he not featured almost at all this season? That video shows a silky smooth and quick mind, bejabbers. A gobsmacked Scarlet Pimple .

'n Tatties

If the players in the current team are not interested then take firm action. Ditch most of those involved, put in the youngsters and watch at least great effort from them. At the same time, ensure that the current first team players watch the game and maybe they might learn something of great value from the nuances of commitment, energy output and thirst for a win? ' Just ruminating as to how to turn this around? Then judge the reactions of the fans....

Constant advertising (whether static in place advertising or just continual reminders throughout the city) means continually reminding the public of the existence of the club and the fact that the club is trying hard to get the fans through the turnstyles. And is their enough funding available for TV ads? What about Yellow Page advertising? Is this available in Britain? In North America it's affordable and if you really want to make a splash then you can purchase one of these very large pages offering the world to the punters ......... ?.

Moogthurso--my thoughts exactly. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

A challenging question and very well put Blair! An open question begging for an answer? Yes. Living some 6,000 Kilometers away I rely entirely on this site to keep me up to date with goings on and newbies always see things in a new light and often from a different angle. The contacts I have had with both the last and, latterly, the current Chairman of the Board simply asking whether or not the video for viewers will continue have been singularly unsuccessful. The last Chairman ignored the contact completely and the current CEO replied belatedly that he knew nothing about these videos, but that he would look into it and reply. To date I still await this gentleman's reply......? If he thinks I am a far-away Mouse who doesn't count then he should reflect on the fact that my Grandfather was a very important actor in the cartoon film industry going under the name of Mickey and I now have many monied friends in San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles who might be looking for a new investment, fame in Europe and more fortune. Who knows, it's a good policy to be nice to people on the way up so that they will be nice to you when your star wanes and you are on the way down. And good manners maketh man. The new onsite shop looks smallish but otherwise fabulous but communication with fans MUST improve if this Board wants any kind of rallying to the flag by what appears to be a really cheesed-off fan base.

Robert;;...." Phew!" Short and sweet .

If it is as bad as you say, should the club send out the young 'uns for the fans to at least see desire and 100% commitment in the hearts of the players? The stats indicate a horrific tale..re corners, fouls etc.etc.

Terry Butcher again? Where does that rumour originate from, pray? Seems Bizarre. Even if there was any truth to it , even a glimmer, I would imagine that any fan who remembers his history, in order to secure a move. would be sufficient reason to move on really quickly from wasting thoughts on him as a realistic prospect.

Hmmm!. We do have a lot to consider don't we? I have only seen a few games last season on the Overseas video link so am reluctant to pass judgement. And also, since I can't see the newbies in action now because there are no more videos for us Overseas persons, I can't honestly say that I could put a name to the players' faces apart from the older established ones at least. As for John Robertson, when I was watching his last online video comments after the game, I began to cringe realising that what is being handed to him is not his bag at all and he seemed to be squirming to find adequate words to express his frustration and disappointment. Also, I got the impression that unless something drastic happens in the very near future to change things he could run out of ideas. You know, you can't make a whistle out of a pig's ear and how many times can he change things around with no very positive result but accompanied by huge disappointment. Sadly, this team does seem to lack real depth and experience and ICT is not the only option open to him. I'm not suggesting JR is a quitter but how much utter frustration can he absorb without thinking more and more about going back to Edinburgh?

Apart from stating that Doofers Dad has a gift of seeing right into the heart of matters and has rang my bell more than once, I regret that Pimpledom only catches spies, robbers and rats but has little insight into this season's team having never seen them in person and has been stopped from viewing overseas punters' special videos by a cash-strapped management. But we soldier on as we should. And thank you very much indeed to whoever has gifted us the "after the match, U Tube videos," Over and out.

Enough of this romancing the stone, lads. My eyes are moist because I will never forget the final when Caley Thistle won the Scottish Cup.That final goal propelled me to leap off my comfy couch, jump at least two feet in the air and missing the hanging ceiling fan by no more than two inches and punch the air beside one of my former employees who has remained a friend of myself and my son. If I had had a tenant in my basement suite at that precise moment I am sure she would have ran screaming out the door because the sound I made was a cross between a shriek and a bellow from ma banshee. Anyway, no doubt about it, that kind of experience cements loyalty like no other ever could. And Very fond memories too. It's like having an organism --- which is either a small beastie or a small orgasm. Sooooooo.... Eagle --I can look it up but the surname Lyon is a pretty pukka Monicker unless I am mistaken. The lord Lyon King at Arms is a rather famous accolade for a VIP isn't it. O.K I will deffo look it up for you under a clan surname website that I like a lot, is well researched and interesting. Caley Mad in Berks, yes you are definitely old at 75. But once you reach 79 you get a second breath and another kick at the cattie, you hope your eyesight improves, you now hope that your constantly very tight and sore lower back would relent and when your wife has a coughing fit, because she swallowed a prune stone, you think she is laughing at, and abusing, you since she is 20 years younger than you are. Your sojourns across the Atlantic interest me too since , like you, I have spent a large part of my life outside the U K, you In Winnipeg (where the snow is deeper and the frosted snowpersons more rigid than in the far reaches of the USSR ) trying to recover from that affliction called "frozen brass b.lls on a monkey" and me for liking it so much in the very beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia that I stayed there against all odds. for the last 43 or so years. Where, incidentally, I am more afflicted by ice hockey than I am about the local NASL football team, the Whitecaps. So, to wind up this blether, my loyalty to ICT which was first germinated in the stand at Telford street when I was introduced to senior Highland League soccer for the first time by a dear friend of mine who is now 89 years old and still gong strong, will always pull me back to the birth of the Blues (no pun intended) and the last exciting and wonderful few years and probably until the end of time.

There you go . That post deserves a mark and no mistake.

Not to be too critical but what, exactly , can Mr. Cathro bring to the Highlands? He also seemed to fail in the" motivation of players department" and Hearts couldn't spare enough time to allow him to make his mark. I fear he is a bit too cerebral compared to a perhaps more down-to-earth Manager. He would also command another big salary and probably would not stay at a lower level club like ICT . I just don't see him alongside J. Robertson who has a mind of his own. .Last, but by no means least , seriously, do you think that this "High Flyer" manager would admit that he is not as great as he might think by coming to a relegated team who is still not consistently winning matches?

It's 4.20a.m. and I woke up for no reason . So what better than to come on here and let the emotions surge in the quiet of the morning non-sunrise (rain.) Nothing but boiling sun for the pasts 4 months with no rain will fry your brain. Time to see the bright side of the equation. That was good and interesting post from Sipage. Depending on which language you choose, the user name reads either "yes, read on MacDuff" or "If I had a penny for your thoughts on this page I would be rich." Either way , welcome to the site and for a bit more of your realism and fan power. Sisons greetings from the Wild West of the Canadian Wilderness.

Too much bitterness and unrealism there methinks Pump Fake. When you were born no one promised you a painless life and the promised land. And how would you recognise the good without the backdrop of the bad to highlight the former state? i.e. Things are in balance as they should be. Disappointment has been with us now for a good few months but you have still stuck around, right? So I am assuming yer wee heart is still close to this team. So buck up, suck it up and lets all soldier on together to a brighter future with good victories but with a stiff upper lip when we lose. After all, aren't losses supposed to make us stronger? Look at IHE, a waxing sobersides at all the poor stuff coming our way but reminiscing about the past great times and keeping balanced, determined not to spoil the next good times or run of luck when it happens. And we never know what's round the corner do we? Keep yer powder dry I say ad prepare fro future successes.