Huisdean

But then again, if the Jags had got into the league instead of Ferranti Thistle, they would surely have started to attract a bigger support similar to what you suggest for Caley. Let's be honest, both supports had dwindled dramatically pre the merger and the days of 5/6000 at local derbies had long gone.

Time to change that on Sunday then

And remember the fuss when we let Munro and Tokely go, perhaps Butcher got that correct (I think he did) despite all the nonsense spouted on here by certain posters

A classic case of Gollum evening things up after he realsied he had made a mistake for the Motherwell penalty perhaps?

Don't think Hogg will play as asking a lot for him to play 2 games on the trot after such a long time out. Meekings to centre back and Raven back in would be the only changes. We need to play as we did against Motherwell as if we can get ahead, Utd don't pose the same attacking threat as Motherwell. Need to get ahead early in this game and if we can do that, i am convinced we will win.

The problem that needs to be solved here however is that the fand want a bigger league but the clubs don't as it gives them less games and less revenue especially the clubs who want 2 games against Celtic, and previously Rangers as big money spinners. Until that is resolved, there is absolutely no chance of a bigger leagie in my opinion. I also think fans missed a big opportunity this season in that there was a lot of talk of boycotts of games, not turning up to watch your team again if Rangers were allowed to stay in the SPL/Division 1 as the clubs wanted their money. However the clubs listened to their fans, and by and large the fans kicked the clubs in the teeth by not turning up in greater numbers. Had the fans done so, there would have been a much better chance of getting bigger leagues agreed. I also think part of the problem is the increase in season tickets now sold. 20 years ago, it would have been nothing like the levels at all clubs today as more folk turned up on the day to watch and thiswas more affordable for them. Wioth the clubs relying so heavily on season ticket sales, I think that inflates the on the day price and is a barrier to some fans attending.

Not sure if intentional Scotty but two words in your post may well sum up IHE!!

Agree totally, he backs out of tackles and doesnt run with the ball. I know he is young but he should be loaned to a lower team first.. Why do you think he is with us!.

Sorry but are you genuine.? Roberts is the most Pish player we've ever had. Maybe not the best but that comment is just ridiculous and don't forget, he is still a youngster. He does have fair bit of skill but needs to improve his workrate and the defensive side of the game.

You're a hard man to please tm4j. I voted Reguero for 3 points as felt his handling was first class, he was alert throughout the game and gave the defence confidence throughout the game.

I think the only thing for sure on this is we will have Celtic and County away guaranteed.

True but in the heat of the moment and when you are disappointed, easier said that done when some idiot shouts abuse at you. There were a few comments from fans at the end of the game directed at Butcher from the main stand that were just ridiculous. Some fans really do need to get a grip and take a long hard look at themselves. I wonder why some of them even come to see us as some of these fans I have yet to hear shout anything positive or encouraging towards the team at all. What abuse was shouted ?Along the lines of you're ****ing useless Butcher, get xx(player) ****ing off as he's useless etc. The same people also are like that in most games with the players as well and I have had arguments with some of these people in the past about getting behind their team instead of always being negative. Perhaps, because of the low crowd, lebvel of disappointment and general quiteness of the fans, especially at the end, these commenst seemed to be more audible than usual.

Neigh lad Time to hoof this into touch (or maybe a burger)

True but in the heat of the moment and when you are disappointed, easier said that done when some idiot shouts abuse at you. There were a few comments from fans at the end of the game directed at Butcher from the main stand that were just ridiculous. Some fans really do need to get a grip and take a long hard look at themselves. I wonder why some of them even come to see us as some of these fans I have yet to hear shout anything positive or encouraging towards the team at all.

What messing with the defence??. No subs made to that area, only Devine coming on to strengthen the midfield where we were styarting to come under pressure. Had we won the game, that substitution would haver been viewed as correct. As someine ahs already said, it was not the timing or niumber of subs, just we couldn't take our chances, end of story (and a blatant penalty!)

I think both these posts seem to nail what is happening, attendance wise bang on the head. As Renegade says, the town doesn't appear to lve the club. Why that is, I don't know but maybe I can give an example. Yesterday, 2 rows back from where I was sitting, there was one loud fan who started moaning from the first minute. After 10 minutes, I had to turn round to say him, why do you bother supporting ICT when all you have done is moan and some of my fellow fans then started to back me up. I know yesterday was a poor performance, can't remember the last time I felt so let down by the performance, but that incident is typical of a lot of fans whose negativity knows no bounds and I am sur ewere down fans who are more positive.

Think we definitely need the new manager appointes as soon as possible as he will have his own ideas on players that should be used. I do think we need to blood, not necessarily younger players but uncapped players who have potential and give them a run in the team while retaining a core of older more experienced players as well.That was the problem with Levein and many of his predecessors that they refused to blood younger/uncapped players which will only come back to haunt you in the end. Would Levein have played Rhodes last night if he was in charge, I doubt it and ebven if he didn't havea great game, he still scored two goals. Now is the chance for the new manager to remove the deadwood from the squad and get Scotalnd on the up again

4-3-3 will not work as a formation as Motherwell will simply overun us in midfield with numbers. It will also only work, in my opinion, if the other team plays the same formation which simply will not happen. The constant change of formations has to be avoided as it causes more problems than it solves. Let's find a formation that works and suits the palyers we have and stick to it.

Totally agree. This just gives an unfair advantage to two teams who already disadvantage the rest of Scottish football enough

IHE is right, Easter Road is a much better venue than Hampden which would be nowhere near full and devoid of atmosphere. Only other option would be Pittodrie which I would prefer if only as both teams then have to travel (but doesn't have the additional benefits Johndo suggests, well [perhaps one of them!)

I think HeilanDee has hit the nail on the head. Gone, or certainly going, are the days of the die hard supporter who attends week in week out no matter what the team is doing. Fans are much more fickle now and everybody wants to be seenm as an individual, not follow the "tribal" layalty of a football fan. There are also so many alternatives to football now, that were not always available in the past, that it is a lot easier to find another option fror something to do on a Saturday than going to watch a game.

Thats exactly where the problem lyes. The overwhelming majority of People just dont care. Why is that? I think price is the biggest bugbear Don't agree at all that price is the biggest bugbear. It is to those who want to attend but cannot afford it financially but there are many people in Inverness who can afford to attend and do so when it suits them. That is their right but, as Caley D has alluded to, many appear to just constantly moan/take from the club rather than give something back. That "giving something back" can be in many forms such as attending more games, volunteering to help the club, buying merchandise etc. Heaven forbid we get relegated or suffer severe finacial difficulties because of the apathy of large sections of the public in Inverness as you can be sure there will be a lot of "public" support at that point but it will be too late. Inverness will get the team and level of football it deserves if attendances do not start to pick up.

but.............as I have said on another thread, if referees get the basic decisions correct, this negates a lot of the media attention that they get. Why a referee cannot get the basics correct is beyond me. Brine's performance in the second hald was astonishingly poor and could have cost us the game on another night. The goal gave County a great lift which they would not otherwise have got. The fact that they were poor and unable to take advantage of the many dodgy decisions that went their way should not mask the impact Brines had on the game in the second half. His poor refereeing effectively made the game a lot poorer in the second half.

Fillu appreciate where you are coming from and your point about players and referees having an off day is well made. However the referees can help themselves in some areas and that is by getting the basic decisions correct in games. How often do we see blatant fouls not given, throw ins/corners given to the wrong team etc etc. I think if referees got the basic decisions correct, this would diffuse a lot of the flak they are getting now. Of course there will always be contraversial decions where the refreee has to call it as he sees it without the benefit of seeing 10 replays but I would argue that if the really basic errors you see week in week out from referess were cut out, the situation would improve. I also think the media have a lot to answer for as, with all the replays they have, they can and do have a go at referees rarely indicating that the refreee could not see the incident how the multiple cameras have caught it. Something has to be done to improve the quality of refrees however and the SFA have to take the lead on that. Just quietly dropping them down a level/grade does nothing. I also think the SFA is hugely culpable with the younger referees coming through by turning them into virtual robots. The younger referees seem to be brainwashed by the SFA that thye must referee in a certain way which takes away the refrees discretion to deal with certain situations. If a refereee did that nowadays, he would probably be marked down hweres in days gone by, common sense would have been exercised by the referee but they are now too afraid to do this.