RiG

Some chat on P & B about Storey signing for Aberdeen. If true so much for the whole "We can't offer him a deal because Swindon have first option on him" line we were getting.

I accept that but if you're really unhappy about something why should you just keep lining up each week to face up the same disappointment? Look at Newcastle fans. Infuriated by the way that Ashley runs the club and while most turn up week in week or a large and increasing number don't and they have had several protests which have involved walkouts or just not attending games at all. I'm sure they take no pleasure in not going to see their team but why should they just turn up every week and accept what's going on at their club? I should be clear I am not encouraging anyone not to renew their season ticket just asking the question if you are not happy with something, and clearly some fans are not happy with certain things at the club, why should they just hand over something in the region of £300 no questions asked? Agree with most of this. I doubt most folk are expecting 3rd and a Scottish Cup win every year. But people go to games to be entertained and unfortunately we've had some mind numbingly dull games this season. Off the top of my head beating Aberdeen 2 - 1, Partick 4 - 1, County 3 - 0 and the 4 - 3 win in Hamilton are the only games that got me really excited this season.

McGinn thinks his stock is higher than Dundee and is contemplating a move away from them so I doubt we would be high on his list of top destinations. Given that Alan Archibald has confirmed that Bannigan will leave Partick I wonder if this means a) he is joining us or, more likely, b) he will sign for Aberdeen (they were in for him in January) which would also be good as it might lessen the chances of them coming in for Tansey.

Every time I sway on renewing, and this year I'm really swaying as transport up for games from the central belt is rotten, this is what I always keep thinking of. I'm not happy with things at ICT right now but regardless I've always said support the club rather the manager or board. That said, if you're really not happy with something as a paying customer you'd stop going to somewhere like a Tesco. Is this any different?

Where is it documented that Foran is the highest earner at the club? It would be a shame to see him go but we've not really missed him over the last couple of seasons have we? Whilst it's always sad to see a club icon move on retaining someone like Storey over Foran is what we've got to look to do. If he is one of the higher earners, and I'm sure he is, his wages would be far better spent on a Storey or getting Mckay back i.e. a player not at the end of his career.

Really poor end of season affair lightened up by MacKinnon being a colossal ned and scrapping with his coaching staff as he was bundled off the pitch and one of the ICT fans charging across the stand to celebrate the Williams 'goal' before realising it had been chalked off For some reason, after turning in a wonderful performance against Partick, we seem to have returned to our timid, non threatening, slow passing game. Whereas Draper and others had been snapping at the heels of Partick players winning the ball and providing great support further forward for the likes of Storey we seemed significantly less inclined to attack with anyone other than Storey, Williams and Polworth. Draper and Tansey were lined up exceptionally deep with Meekings and Tremarco seldom supporting on the flanks. It was like we had put the brakes on for this one despite 7th place and some potentially important prize money up for grabs. The best move of the game for us came when Storey scampered free on the left flank and crossed for Williams who finished well but had apparently just drifted offside. Hard to tell from where we were. A quick free kick from Vigurs released Devine and he tackled the ball into the net. Decent finish for a defender. Hamilton had largely been restricted to shots from range with a couple looking like they flew pretty close to OFW goal. Second half was sadly a very timid affair from us in attacking sense best exemplified when Williams had the ball on the right flank and the ICT players alongside him stood completely still. There was little movement off the ball to create space for either a pass or for the player who had the ball. We seemed happy to knock the ball around and protect the one goal lead. Draper (I think) did find Polworth with a superb through ball but he shot right at McGovern. MacKinnon, perhaps the biggest ned in Scottish football, was sent off for clashing with Vigurs. Looked like he threw an elbow in the direction of Vigurs after a challenge which strangely brought only a yellow card before he then mouthed off at the red and was shown a second yellow. As he went off he clashed with the Accies coaching staff and was restrained before appearing to launch himself at however was holding him back. Bizarre. For most of the latter part of the second half we were defending deeper and deeper as we clung on to the lead. Hamiltons best chance came when a clever and quick free kick nearly caught us out but somehow the final shot from an Accies player, from about 3 yards out, was ballooned into the retail park. Not going to complain too much about a win but having seen what the team can do when it is set up correctly it seems bizarre to put the brakes on and reign the side back.

Okay, well, I've not called for him to be sacked, or said he is uninspiring or fit for purpose here but feel free to carry on with your reductio ad absurdum if you so wish. We're not just talking about the ability of individual players here though. It's the approach to the players we are signing like the copious amounts of midfielders we have when we've been needing at least one other striker for over a year. I'm not disputing that some players don't work out. We saw it a lot under Butcher as well where players would arrive and leave within a year, mostly loan signings. But as has been mentioned already Hughes has significantly under performed in his dealings in the transfer market. Both in the quality of the players he has brought in but also the 'types' of players he has signed. The wrong areas of the team have been reinforced over the last few months. And yes, if a player flops then the manager is largely responsible for that. I'm not for one moment saying that Hughes is the only manager to have signed a duffer (look at some of the guff Ferguson signed at Man United like Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson and Bebe (without even seeing him play by all accounts) but, as far as his signings at ICT go, they have been poor and I find it surprising that some posters are so ready to just overlook this.

But none of us are football managers who are expected to at least have some nous in the transfer market. That is part of John Hughes's job and it is not something which he has excelled at since he came to the club. Hughes has been backed by the board better than any ICT manager in history and yet his dealings in the transfer market can be described as, at best, poor. It doesn't exactly inspire you to believe that he can replace someone like Raven if / when he leaves in the summer. It's puzzling that you seem so willing to overlook this without even a second thought.

Interesting... http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/669042/Exclusive-Dundee-United-face-points-deduction-fine-fielding-ineligible-player-News-Gossip

Is this Hughes responding to those comments from Cameron? http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36255908

A few folk have said we have the smallest budget in the league. Has anyone got the figures to show that we have less money than the likes of Hamilton?

'Amicable decision to part ways' perhaps? It's another dose of telt from the board to Hughes. Can't recall the last time we had this if indeed we ever did.

Blair Alston of Falkirk is out of contract at the end of the season. If Falkirk aren't promoted maybe we can get put an offer in. Saint Johnstone have apparently offered a contract.

Well it's not going to be Osman who has signed a new deal at Partick. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/14479574.Partick_Thistle_captain_Abdul_Osman_signs_new_deal_at_Firhill/

First time I've ever seen a steward being thrown out of the ground

Absolutely no chance there were 3,600 there. Everyone in the ground could have fitted in the North Stand. Lucky if there was 2,200 there which I think is the capacity of the North / South stands?

Interesting. You seem to want everyone to take what Hughes says as gospel yet display a very distrusting attitude towards what the board say. I wonder why that is...

Totally hypothetical but would fans prefer Hughes stayed or, given we would get some decent cash for him should he leave, would they prefer to receive a lovely dollop of cash and then use that to retain the likes of Storey, Raven etc.

I'm sure there's a more appropriate thread to boost than this but I'm too lazy to find it. Anyway, reports suggest that Mixu will be sacked by United. What are the chances that they will come after Hughes again? https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/dundee-united-set-sack-mixu-paatelainen-manager/

Not much to add from what AM has said. We were much more positive in an attacking sense. Gone was the lethargic sideways passing replaced by direct attacking play initiated by rapid closing down of Partick players when they had the ball. Draper, Polworth and Roberts were really impressive in terms of their work rate to close down opposing players. We don't get that with Vigurs and whilst he is no doubt a talented player I feel he lacks the same level of determination to clamp down on opposition players with the same effectiveness as the players mentioned above. Mutumbo had his best game for us in what I would say is his best position (just behind a striker although we didn't play with one again as Storey was deployed on the right hand side of the pitch but it worked). Some of his flicks and tricks don't come off but he is very good at playing cute little passes in behind the last man for a team mate to run on to. I'm not his biggest fan but he was very impressive. Tremarco and Meekings also got further forward than I have seen them do in a long time. It was almost a return to the gung ho days of Paterson as more often than not our defence typically ended up being Devine, Warren and Tansey just in front of them such was the relentless attacking down the flanks from out full backs. Partick, as AM said, gave up really quite quickly which was surprising. That said we shouldn't take anything away from ICT as we were really quite good. It's just a shame that we've emphasised so much on possession for possessions sake instead of actually trying to attack other teams like we did on Saturday. Hoping for a continuation on Friday night against what will surely be a dispirited Dundee United side.

Well that's my week ruined

Why do we seldom get told that players are injured? Seems a pretty standard thing for a club to report on.

Andrew Shinnie and Billy Mckay...

Agree with that. It's an absolute "Sit down" statement from the board to Hughes and his recent comments.

Fair enough. Football fans are mostly idiots (and I include myself in that sweeping generalisation as well). ICT fans will moan if we pass the ball along the back screaming for the players to get it forward at which point, when the ball is launched forward, the same fans will rage about, erm, launching the ball forward. Just ignore them and get behind the team.