Huisdean

Make no mistake,  Hamilton are there for the taking but only if Ferguson picks the correct team. As people have already said, People and Lawal have to start and Longstaff needs to be dropped as he is offering nothing.  Not convinced that Macgregor is the saviour some posters think (they're going on past reputation imo) but if things not going to plan,  he needs to ge brought on earlier than he has been. 

If Austin Samuel's is fit, I would be tempted to throw him on later in the game as he has real pace which we lack. We also need to go at Hamilton from the off and put them under pressure as I think they will struggle.  Their pitch certainly helped them last night as it was awful.

What's the issue here. As a season ticket holder, I'm happy to pay for the play off games.  I certainly had no expectation that it would be included in my season ticket. I  guess the club have got it wrong in terms of what they stated but given we need as much revenue as we can, so you need to pay.

As an aside, interesting to note from the Courier article how the  Championship have been stitched up by the Premier league. 

I think the criticism of Ferguson is way over the top and, realistically,  the club cannot afford to pay him off.

Without doubt he has made mistakes but he is learning his trade and his lack of knowledge of football at this level didn't help. There gave been signs in the last few games that he was starting to make things work. Don't forget the mess that Dodds left with no real strikers apart from Billy, who let's face it, isn't as sharp as he once was. 

I think we will win through the play offs and if we do, the hard work will start to get a team together next season. Don't forget, some posters on here would have been happy  with Imrie as manager.

Yet again absolute joke of a linesman and referee have cost us. Referee and standside linseman are simply not up to standard. Will we ever get a decision as it also looked like we could have had a penalty at the end of the first half yet inexplicably the ref gives a foul to Morton.

3 hours ago, RednBlackComeback said:

We'll pass the ball sideways and backwards most of the night in the vain hope that a draw will be enough. Morton will score with their only chance of the game and we'll lose 1-0. Oakley will be the goalscorer

We haven't played like this for at least the last 6 games. Players will go for it I'm sure, just need that bit of luck that was missing against Raith. I do genuinely think we are playing better recently but it's taken far too long for that to happen.  Need desperately to get the first goal tonight. 

What exactly will a boycott if spending with the club achieve. It could seriously damage the already poor financial position of the club. If it succeeds in removing the CEO and Chairman,  then their replacements will inherit a much more difficult situation and so the finances worsen even more.

The club needs investment for sure but how we get that I don't know. Greater fan investment similar to what happens at Hearts would be great but, being realistic,  cannot see the numbers adding up for ICT.

Maybe there is a simpler solution to all this and simply more of our fans could actually turn up for games instead of endlessly moaning.

Deserved win in terrible conditions at times. Thought we played at a better tempo today and created a lot of chances. Arbroath were poor but some of our interplay was really good and sharp. Samuel fully deserving of MOM but was kicked and held the whole game with no protection from the ref. 

Officiating was really poor again, do we actually train referees any more or are they just allowed to make up their own decisions. 

38 minutes ago, STFU said:

I wonder how many of the several dozen (or more) drivers who don't park at the stadium to save themselves giving a fiver to the club have been writing to councillors demanding they back a project required to support the club because they're broke?

Not the same thing at all. I  don't park at the stadium because I think £5 is ridiculous and also getting out of the casr park can be time consuming.  It's also easier for me to get home by parking in the Longman.

Happy to give the club money buying food, merchandise etc but draw the line at paying £90 minimum  a season for parking. 

17 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

One concern is not just the additional defenders but that they seem to be no help at our set pieces and haven't introduced any additional ariel threat during our limited opportunities in the opposite box. The quality of crossing doesn't help but why are we crowding the goal line rather than having runners into the 6 yard box to attack the ball?

Totally agree. It's the same with not keeping at least one man up the park  when the opposition had a corner. All that does is that if we clear the ball, it's going to come right back into us and also invites more opposition players into our box. Basic basic tactics that Ferguson needs to see and change.

We are not quite as one dimensional dimensional as stated. There have been signs in the last 2 games of what we are trying to do but the problems are further further up thee field as little or no support for Billy or McAllister today. Anderson tries and does well but Gilmour Gilmour sits far to deep at times. As for Shaw,  what has happened to him?. He has been dreadful yet never seems to be subbed. Definitely missed Samuel today and that might have made a difference.  Must win game coming up next week so Ferguson needs to start earning his money and stop the baffling substitions. 

Off topic slightly I know but surely thus is the time fir all ICT fans to start turning up and supporting the team thereby generating some more cash for the manager. 

Fully appreciate that the recent home games have not been the most exciting but , to me at least, it just seems like giving some fans another reason not to attend (not that some need one).

If we get relegated,  don't think we will, then that could be the end of full-time football for some time, so it's up to the fans to get behind the manager and team

 Moan all you want at the board but at least turn up to help the team.

Agree with IHE. The other main problem is the lack of pace in midfield and up front.  That seriously needs to be addressed but we also sit far too deep at times.  It is quite common for Ferguson to be urging the players to get further up the pitch. Get that sorted and done with pace will surely help.

22 hours ago, old caley girl said:

Exactly! 2 sides to every story?

The quote given to me was that Welsh was behaving like  Communist Shop Steward,  preventing certain directors speaking directly to the players and dictating everything go through him. This did not come from any directors or players but from fellow season ticket holders I have known for many years. Cannot categorically say these statements are true but have no reason to doubt the sources. 

On 1/13/2024 at 7:35 PM, MacOne said:

I have it from players directly that he has been running the team, and club down at every opportunity this season.  Add in the FACT he has played very few games for us whilst drawing a wage, this is the best decision made by the new manager so far.

Welsh had made it clear he didn't want to play for the club again and everything had to go through him from the club. Good servant as he was, the club cannot be dictated to by a player in this manner.

How can Max Anderson be cup tied when he hasn't played any Scottish cup ties this season?

On 11/5/2023 at 3:45 PM, STFU said:

My decision to stop attending games and spending any money with the club has nothing to do with performances on the pitch and it is the same for a few others.

We may be seeing an improvement in performances on the pitch (and I'm enjoying that), but there's zero sign of improvement off of it, and that is every bit as much a threat to the club.  Arguably more.

Forgive me if I don't subscribe to the papering over of the cracks.

How is this helping the team. It seems that we have a core of "supporters " who profess to support the team but won't actually attend any games as they believe, in that doing so, they give support to the board. What garbage,  if more fans actually attended games, instead of finding reasons to not attend,  we may be in a better position financially and be able to challenge the board more robust.

Whatever you think of the board, the majority have invested substantially in the club, with little hope of any return.  True, they have made mistakes and communication is terrible but they have put their money into the club. It's a pity some fans don't want to put theirs into the club because they don't like the board or CEO.

2 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

Doran and Welsh.......how is maintaining contracts for these guys sustainable. Slow and poor recruitment along with inability to be proactive in new deals for existing players the last few seasons has ultimately allowed deals for these players to be put in place due to desperation and no alternatives with the same old outcomes.

These are a Robbo and Dodds legacy issue and exemplifies our poor recruitment strategy.

Have to disagree on this. Wr are a much better team with Welsh in it and he has been sorely missed this season. My understanding is that he played with an injury at the back end of last season and this has been the problem for the start of this season. Don't know if the injury sustained at Nairn is a similar injury.

Doran can also still do a job for us in the Championship. His latest injury is a hamstring one which can happen to any player. Ferguson had obviously thought he was good enough to start the last 2 games.

Meant to say Dodds but perhaps Dodo is more appropriate  

Definitely 442. Dodos has seen sense at last. Shaw the best player on the park by a country mile.  Need a second goal though and probably would have had it but for a horrendous decision by the far side linesman for offside against Brooks. 

I have to say that I had to phone the club as had a problem renewing my season ticket on line, now a senior citizen. Phone answered first time and problem sorted by a very friendly and efficient female staff member. 

1 hour ago, STFU said:

IN FAIRNESS if they hadn't ****** around with the kick off time, then it would have been far less of an issue.

....and bloody bravo for concessions who are being subsidised by the rest of us.

Sorry for ranting at you, but our club...and the game....are going to **** and the apologists are doing sod all but enabling them.

First point I agree with you. 

Your second point is hugely disappointing and condescending . I have worked for 47 years, and paid tax and NI for most of that and am still paying tax though now only working part time. A concessionary bus fare is about the only "perk" I use having claimed nothing in return so you ain't subsidising me. 

Not sure what more the club can do on the cup final but if more supporters turned, like they did for the Ayr game, maybe the club wouldn't be in such a difficult position financially. 

I'm not a happy clapper but some of the criticism of the club on here is just not warranted. 

Did we deserve to lose, absolutely not, did we deserve to win, probably just about, should we have had a draw, most certainly. 

Poor team performance for most of the game with Allardice, Devine and Deas poor. Disagree with you Johndo on not changing the winning cup team as this game was made for Carson and Samuels as well but the tactical genius that is Billy Dodds got the team selection wrong again. This defeat is really hard to take as Ayr were poor as well and won't go any further in the play offs. They were there for the taking but we let ourselves down. 

I have to say that Ayr were also helped by poor officiating. Billy was clearly fouled in the build up to Ayrs second goal, as he was most of the game but that clown of a referee refused to give the fouls. Stand side linesman was also poor with debatable call for Ayr's first goal and also for Samuels goal as I'm convinced it came off an Ayr player. 

We're playing poorly all over the pitch with Deas looking looking particularly error prone. Having said that, Ayr haven't really threatened. Goal looked offside from where I was sitting but officials are their usual poor self. How the ref missed a blatant hand ball by an Ayr player which led to him getting a shot on goal was unbelievable. 

Ludicrous post. We should get as many tickets as we can sell. Cup finals are a different game so average league attendances shouldn't come into ir. How many times of Celtic's season ticket holders attended the Morton cup tie for example loo

The problem with Dodds is that we have had mid season slumps this season and last which have potentially cost us the Championship. While injuries have played a part this season, Dodds was culpable on both occasions by not altering tactics or team selections until it was too late (for example the home win  against Arbroath last season which then kick started our run to the play offs). 

I simply don't believe he can change things tactically when needed and that has cost us big time. We do need fresh blood at the club and Kellagher and Wilson need to go as well