IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

Well that was certainly how to come down to earth with a feckin bump but let's hope it is also a wake up call - but there are some worrying weaknesses. And nobody should come up with the excuse that it was only a friendly etc. TB was clearly up fer this given the amount of shouting that he did and when they equalised we practically went to a full feckin press. There was no doubt whatsoever that we really wanted to win this, Sure it didn't look the best of playing surfaces, it is a tight pitch and they were a stuffy wee team who played 7-8defensively most of the time and they did surprisingly last the pace well. Ii is all very well plaing nice football but our final ball was mostly woefully misfit or misplaced and we looked like a selection of Ray feckin Wilkins. We either tried to lob the defence to use McKay's pace or cut the ball back to the 18yard line which became obvious and blocked. The lack of a forward line and a holding centre forward was clear as day. We tried to pass the feckin ball in to the net !! i will give you my answer after a detailed breakdown individually. ESSON ### Didnt really have that much to do and couldn't be faulted fer either goal but his kicking was poor tonite. COOPER ## Went off injured early doors but looked like a wee knock. Having said that he wasn't having the best of games and lost his man on 2-3 occasions - being saved by Foran. FORAN #####. A feckin master class in the art of sweeping. He was inspirational MEEKINGS ###. OK but he doesn't do it for me as a centrall defender.He was solid enuff but again he had Forana running the show beside him. G.SHINNIE ### Superb first 45 capped by the goal (was it his rite foot ?). He was solid at the back and was a real danger going forward, especially when inter passing with his bruvver. Seemed to be affected by Doran practically playing as a left winger in the second half and rarely attacked. TUDOR-JONES. ###. Nice to see him back but he was gingerish in the tackle which is understandable. Clearly needs more games under his belt and those are running out. DRAPER. ####. I thought that he had improved from Saturday. He is going to be a really good holding player and did pick out a pass or two tonite. SUTHERLAND ##. Sorry but I thought that the Hedge had a more movement. I can see what TB is thinking now - he ain't the new Hayes he is the new Foran as that was the role he was given tonite -except he ain't Richie Foran either. Wide left and Ryan aiming 70-80% kicks at his head fer the flick on. Shane got a touch to one of them. And most his passes when backwards and not even feckin sideways. The poor lad is in the Proctor confidence trap. He actually played better later on when he came off the wing. Doran ## Well he reminded me of Jonny Hayes tonite - Flattering to deceive although he did have some nice touches. AsIsaid before Idont know why he played all his time in the second hand on the left as that appeared to affect GS SHINNIE,A. ###. He put in a great feckin shift with some lovely touches but where was he playing. he was almost the playmaker and 15-20 yards further back than he needed to be and left McKay isolated most of the time. McKay. ###. Again put in a great shift but he was caught offside too often although the through balls were also delayed as well. He simply does not have the physique or the strength to take on the lone striker role. Lots of substitutes - I will stick to comments on those that I felt made an impact : Nick Ross went wide right and that is where and when we looked the most dangerous and were looking to hit the feckin bye line. I realy like the boy Oswell and he is going to be a good one but he ain't built up enuff for the SPL yet and he isn't that good in the air - but he does have skill and pace and an eye for goal. Connor Pepperpot is a wee feckin dynamo a who will be a good sub. At least he tried a feckin shot on goal when he had an opportunity and he was praised by TB for doing so. So what to do ?? To begin with where the feck are Warren, Raven and King. Are they going to be ready as that looked like TB's team fer Midden. Foran will be fine at the back if needed but fire him back up on the left. Worried that we are going to go fer Jones and Draper as we only need one of them. Either put Shinnie in central mi and gamble on Oswell or what about McKay rite and Foran and Shinnie up front ?

Wow - a Freudian slip from a seer has got to be concerning !!

ALBA ??

I would say that the early signs are promising and what was looking like a repeat of last season has been pulled around to a fair degree - but lets not get ahead of ourselves - we have a relatively untried squad at SPL level and one that is worryingly injury prone. In many ways we may have actually benefitted from the financial constraints as there has been a significant injection of hoof - which will probably mean that this is more than a consolidation period. Let's hope for an early survival plus a cup run.

Chorley rules the world.

I can't believe that the "Happy Clapper Brigade" are shingling already. Some people look at the strengths and weaknesses, granted often from a personal perspective but it is usually conveyed in a constructive manner. I don't feel that there were any real negatives yesterday - some "concerns " which will hopefully be ironed out by the start of the season. I was heartened to see a ICT team trying to play football most of the time. There were some groans when the hoof came but that is needed at times, I also felt a sense of togetherness and I also feel that there is a bit more structure to the system but I would like to see plans B and C we also have a squad that covers itself more and have mostly more than one option for most positions. Foran was a true leader yesterday, Doran could be the next Hayes, Cooper can only get better, A.Shinnie can be a big player this season and we have youth and pace to keep on the bench and that could lead to match winning replacements. But, to me the major concern still is up front. I really do not feel that McKay can play up there on his own, especially away from home. Shane is not a wide player and I really do not understand TB's persistence. We need to find a Hayes like role for Doran and. A more effective role for A.Shinnie - in the hole would be my choice - more attacking at home but slightly withdrawn away. There is no lack of defensive midfielders but who is going to be a playmaker - my vote would go to Nick Ross. My only other concern is that TB favours the new boys and that the likes of Ross, Morrison and even Shane are left warming the bench. A lesser concern is that we wrap up Oswell in cotton wool. I have seen enuff yesterday to have no hesitation in chucking him in at the deep end.

Here is how I would line up at Brechin : Reguero Cooper Meekings King Shinnie,G. McKay Morrison Ross Doran Shinnie,A.. Oswell This how I would look to line up at Midden: Eason Meekings. King. Warren Shinnie,G. Ross. Draper. Foran. Doran Shinnie,A. Oswell This is how I expect TB to line up at Midden Eason Meekings. King. Warren. Shinnie,G. Sutherland Draper. Foran Doran Shinnie,A. McKay

Thank feck for the fairways WIFI !! - fecked up the smileys though !!!

OK let's get down to the feckin nitty gritty !! ESSON Will be as reliable as ever and possibly even more so when he has a Real Mad goalie in competition. RAVEN Early days but he was hesitant and unsure and wholly concentrating on defence. He really didn't inspire me but glad that his head injury is not as bad as it first looked. COOPER Now he does suggest that he has a future - very strong in the tackle and tries to play football - not ready fer central defence yet but a reliable defensive back up. Give him 2-3 years at this level and he will be a fine, fine defender. MEERKAAT Put in a fine shift - again I do not think that he is a first choice central defender but he will be another cover and probably the fist choice right back. G.SHINNIE No doubt that he is now one of the first on the team sheet and still looks like he could do a job anywhere down the left side. SUTHERLAND HE IS NOT A WIDE PLAYER - He is more like David Haye than Jonny Hayes - I fear that he is going to end up like Proctor !! FORAN He will be the most important player of the lot this season as he will compete and play anywhere. I am even going to suggest that he may well be best utilised in central defence as he has the "head" for it, he is a great tackler, distributor and good in the air. DRAPER The IHE jury is out - he aint fit and he is not a creative midfielder - he is the holder and Foran and Draper do not equate. DORAN Now he is the new Jonny Hayes so stick him in the same role. A SHINNIE I think that he could be our most influential player but where the feck is he playing - fer feck sake play him the old Bingham role - just behind the front one or two with a licence to roam and cause real damage. McKAY Real good shift but what about playing him in the wide rite role which Shane is in at the moment. He has the pace and movement to take that on. OSWELL Now this is one that I would love to see have a run his movement and pace and watching the line were impressive today and so was his finishing. He really could be the next Rooney or better. ROSS Needs to be stuck in central midfield and given a run or else we are going to ruin a good in. MORRISON Disappointed with him today - has to realy prove that he isn't just a squad player. PEPPER - on in the last feckin minute and I didn't even get the chance to se if he had a cute erse or not. Tactically though we tried mostly to play football against a bunch of animals - way more positives than negatives - play the style of today and we will entertain - I was well pleased today.

This type of sponsorship would have been more apt - The Gypsy Travelling Boutique Stadium.

2012 - Global Construction do the upgrading work in Dingwall within a tight timescale in an era of significant financial input to the club from the Global Energy chairman so Ross County call it the Global Energy Stadium. 2005 - Tulloch Construction do the upgradiing work in Inverness within a tight timescale in an era of significant financial input to the club from the Tulloch Group through its chairman so Caley Thistle call it the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. So what's your point, caller.....????? Or are you just trying to highlight the significant difference, which is that "Tulloch Caledonian Stadium" has two more syllables? You really have been gudgified havent you ? Coming from me - what do you feckin think that the "point" was.

Lets just say that the video is far apter than you would initially understand sweetie Proctor is a 100%er in respect of committment. At ICT many of us felt that he was played out of position as a central defender and his confidence was shot at as he made some crucial errors at the back. If he wasnt being played as a centre back he was played as a full back.To be honest he still made mistakes at full back. He probably didnt make any more than some others but his mistakes always appeared to be capitalised on by the opposition. Then his mistakes were noticed more quickly by the fans. He does try to play football and he is surprisingly good in the air. IMHO his best position would be as a defensive "holding" midfield player although I could see him as a wide right midfielder as well. So he may not fit the "solid defender" bill but he appears to be stepping down a grade.

Break a leg as they say in showbusiness !!

And solar powered floodlights :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

"Victoria Park will have a new name when Ross County make their SPL debut in 2 weeks’ time. Following its extensive close-season upgrade to bring it up to SPL standards, the ground will be known as, the Global Energy Stadium." :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Cant wait to start the chant "We're on the march to the Global Energy Stadium !!!!!"

I suspect that his nickname is Ruth.

10 feckin nil nil feckin ten is a decent performance !!

0-6 last nite and 0-10 last tonite ya silly mare. And feck me I can just picture Mrs Ferbin on Come Dine with Me. :lol:

Fer fecks sake - County sell season tickets by the number of feckin eyes of the purchaser. It is like a dream come true fer the gypsies and the opportunity of a lifetime in case it doesnt happen ever again. And actually good luck to them but they will soon get disillusioned and it will not feckin last - even if they stay up. Some will put their life savings on this as I am sure that we also did. BUT just look how their management have fared this season in comparison with our bunch of feckin muppets !! All this thread proves is that Charlie Bannerman and Dougal are budding feckin gudgies and gudding feckin budgies.

:clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: feck me - I was getting worried there for a minute !!

Dougal is the one flapping his gloved hand up and down. Two seats to his left, shouting his head off, sits SMEE (such was his trauma, he hasn't actually attended a game at TCS since). Gloved hand = Muppet

Is that 5-0 or 0-5 and the own goals are flying in.

Hopefully James Proctor is intelligent and charismatic There can only be one! There can be only one

Two feckin points - I thought it was a wind up as I can never get a feckin wireless signal in Muir of Ord - and it should have stated 0-1 Buchan, Buchan who the feck is Kevin Buchan ??