IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

I was reliably informed exactly one month ago that he was six weeks away from fitness.

I was in the pub last weekend discussing the concerns over recent performances and whether Terry had any fault in it. I can remember Harry Truman said "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." and then Carl Bach pondered and added "According to my principles, every master has his true and certain value. Praise and criticism cannot change any of that. Only the work itself praises and criticizes the master, and therefore I leave to everyone his own value." I suspect he was in his usual existential spliff mode but Leslie Fiedler rather poignantly added that "All good criticism should be judged the way art is. You shouldn't read it the way you read history or science". Then Paula Abdul, evidently being on the pisshh all day, slurred out "Constructive criticism is about finding something good and positive to soften the blow to the real critique of what really went on." On the road back to the Govan Hilton with some prawn crackers wee Lao Tzu put his arms around my shoulders and said "Theses clackers are rubbery but you tell yer friend Telly from mee that a good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves. I think I then went on Face Book and contacted TelBoy.

Apparently my seat was specially reserved by a Mr Bennett and sponsored by Orion.

Was it about your growth hormone ?

Feck me Scarlet - " AlL I hope is that the niggly comments on here don't infect the players because the team does not need that if it wants to get up off the floor." CALEY Thistle players have given assurances they are determined to rediscover their passion and spirit after manager Terry Butcher held crunch talks with the squad. The 45-minute group forum was the first time Butcher had given his men a chance to speak frankly about where the campaign has gone wrong in light of the side dropping out of the SPL top six earlier this week. Following the 2-0 loss at home to Dundee United on Tuesday night, the Inverness manager cancelled the players' day off on Wednesday in favour of extra training. He also gave them a chance to voice their opinions on the recent form and the season as a whole. "It was looking at everything," Butcher said. "We talked about what happened at the start of the season and what has happened in the last few months. "It was them that chatted to us more than us to them, which was really good. "We threw it open to them and they came back with some very forthright honest views and opinions and it cleared the air. "It made us really refocus on what we have to do and get back to what we do best and I'm very pleased about that. "I think sometimes you need a bit of feedback and need to let the players have their say because we are all in this together." Butcher usually holds shorter review meetings with the squad every couple of weeks, allowing them to express their views but not in such an manner. "This time it was deliberately thrown open to everybody and I haven't done it before like this but we felt it was the right thing to do," explained Butcher, who normally carries out wider assessments with assistant manager Maurice Malpas rather than the squad. "If you have been in this game as long as Maurice and I have been you know there are times during the season where you reach a stage like this and think where are we going to go now? It's not a crossroads, but it's like putting the season on pause, assessing it to see where we are before we hit the play button again, then we're off. "They needed a bit of reassurance and we needed a bit of reassurance that we are on the right track and that we are doing things how we want to do them, but I think there is a real collective unit even more so now to be strong for each other and there was a real reassessment of their spirit and how we can move on. Do ya think my psychic powers have worked or was it this thread ? RESPECT

Fine analogy SP - but why didnt you simply put the lad in to another position and see how he got on ? Or why didnt you put him in the front line, put him back in the office boy position - if he failed again - for a couple of weeks and then restore him ? Or why did you not consider that if he has good looks ya persevere, despite protestations, as you had taken the chance on him in the first instance ? Why didnt you try him out withn a different member of staff than he was usually used to work with ? The moral of the story as James Joyce once whispered in my ear is ?A man's errors are his portals of discovery.? When the team is off the boil - ya check out the kettle and the instructions - ya then fill it up again and keep a closer eye on it as it comes to the boil - if it falters ya have more idea of what is going wrong - ya either replace a faulty part or adjust the settings. What lies ahead fer Terry and Mo - realisation of what has been going wrong - getting everybody together and sorting it out -moving on again, staying around for a bit longer and proving that they can take an "average" club to a higher level - and then proving themselves as managers / coaches and moving on to higher heights - or preferably retiring to a Highland retreat.

Fair comment but the malaise is travelling away from home and performances have steadily deteriorated. As I alluded to players may not be playing to their full potentials when they are played out of position, playing with different partners and systems week to week and on the field and on the bench the next. That is confidence sapping and demoralising - and there is that feel recently. Of course Terry and Mo are frustrated but they are also reactive - they could be trying to hard - surely ya hook a hoofer ? As fer yer second paragraph Eric fits the bill but keeps on coming back. The last line is spot on and really what I am tying to put across.

Phoned up fer ma ticket - asked for North Stand Section G - lad came back and said that there was a seat but felt that he had to infom me that it was four rows from the back and was used by "the young boys" for an unofficial Singing Section - I replied "That will do nicely thanks " - SORTED

Filling it up with John Smiths Cold

Does this mean that we will have to start practising weekend binge drinking in early June ?

Mmmm - That is why I chose to post in to a New Topic as most responses are to the original post or are peeple simply not debating the points that I made. In most vocations you are in a continuous learning curve and taking criticism and responding constructively is a positive "skill" in itself. Why are peeple appearing so protectiely defensive _ it wouldnt surprise me if Terry and Mo werent prepared to admit to making mistakes. It just frustrates me that blame is regularly being apportioned to individual players, the skill levels of some players, pitches, the fans, funding and the media - fer fecks sake the peeple in charge have to take some of the accountability. I was even contemplating another post but better add it on here - I feel that we are really suffering from not being able to play regular B team or reserve fixtures in a more competitive nature. I keep on hearing about individuals performing well on the training grounds - I know some skilled individuals who looked like world beaters on the training grounds but could not bear that out when it came to the nitty gritty. You just cant wholly rely on the training ground to look at yer options for a game in the SPL. The training ground should be where dead ball and set plays should be practised.

The reason that I posted on new topic is that my "point" differs significantly in context to Mr Magic Roundabout - although fer once he has offered an understandable statement. My post does not allude to whether Messrs Butcher and Malpas have taken the club far enuff but relates more to constructive criticism and apportioning of some blame to an apparently protected dynamic duo - in many ways it is an observation that, if heeded and followed, could actually lead IMHO to the Messiah and Miss Marples actually taking the club to a higher plain.

On a bus ?

Its not carless its CAREFREE

You are not getting the drift - we all have our favourites and our perspectives - that will always be the entitlement of the fans and doubtless we could all come up with our favoured selections - but that "skill" should be the mark and the imposition of the manager - I am calling for consistency all round - not reactivity or damaging changeability.

16.50

Terry and Mo have done wonders for ICT in many ways but they also appear to be "protected species" in terms of criticism. Shure they have had their problems in regard to injuries, suspensions etc and probably more than most teams with a similar budget etc - especially in regard to important players BUT: Some of their tactical, positional and selection changes have been very reactive - often in respect of a game to game mentality. I am very surprised that they have not especially settled on the first choice back four, sticking by it, keeping the main men in the same position if available, using the individuals in reserve to fill in particular positions and being frankly brutal and consistent in this respect. Playing individuals "out of position" does nothing for those players either or the ones they depose. And blind faith in certain individuals - which clearly frustrates the fans must have an effect on the players. Their also appears to be a game to game "blame" mentality adopted by fans I am afraid that central midfield is very much the same scenario. It simply doesnt help the team, individuals, morale and confidence not knowing if you are playing from week to week, not knowing what position that you are playing in or what tactics and formation that the team are going to adopt. Only Esson, Hayes, Foran and Rooney appear to have been exempted plus for long periods it has tended to apply to Shinnie and Ross - and are those players the ones who have also performed more consistently ? Do Terry and MO actually know what their best X1 is ? This is not a Terry and Mo out call but they have to shoulder a lot of the blame for the last few months. They won the SFL by sticking to the same game plan - why not start it off again in the SPL - starting now. If they had faith in the system and the players that started last nite they should have the conviction - and the B88lixcks to adhere to it. and before I get lamblasted have a look again at the Best x1 thread as last nights selection was NOT that far away from what many of the armchair pundits selected. Getting Top 6 is now a bonus but continuity and improvement is all I am asking for - plus a win against the Old Filth and a day out at Hampden. My advice to Tel is to pick his teams like he picks his red wine.

So where does the "we" come from ? And it is ICT not ITC Lawrence. Were you at Tannadice ? Were you at Ibrox ? Were you at Parkhead ? Were you at Rugby Park ? No - we were. What fecker asked you to visit ? Must have been a whining, disloyal sweetie rustler - go and watch the Old firm if ya want to glory hunt in Scotland.

Wow Scarlet - there must be some feckin poor reception in the Rockies - You have picked on the three best performers from a debacle - In the POY ratings I went Esson (5); Rooney (3) and Foran (1). Hogg will come good but it was a loss of concentration with the attempted pass to Duff - plus the ball sat up just rite for the wee Hibby - no way that Esson could have seen that coming. But when the feck did Eric Djebi Zadi tackle - I missed them both.

It was Nick Ross who didnt track back and he also didnt track back in the move that started the second goal as well. But I thought that Doran stayed wide rite in the second half ??

ESSON ROSSCOE MUNRO HOGG SHINNIE DUFF DORAN ROSS HAYES ROONEY FORAN

The bottom line is that if we get back to 100% and play to our strengths we will be 5th or 6th - and lets stop looking at other teams fixtures - we put a winning run on and that is it - SIMPLES

Forgot to mention wee McDonald - looks lively but is he a wee Dean or a budding Craig ?

In regard to Midden and Easter Road - how can you justify one approach - totally over the top and then wholly lenient ?

That was the worstwell it made the top ten - trip I have ever been on. It was like wtaching two teams playing each other after the split knowing that they were safe from relegation. In my book that simply is'nt good enuff. There was a lack of committment from some individuals and I am afraid that - tactically - Terry and Mo got it all wrong. Have also to remark that it was the best Hibee Home support that I have witnessed in years and unfortunately we were like a home support for the majority of the time. I suppose it may have been becos of trepidation following our last visit but I was actually shocked by the mass exodus when they scored the late second. It was HIGHLY EMBARRAASING. ESSON If Ryan doesnt get a Scotland call off - even if it is a one -off sign of recognition - then Craig Levein should give us a clear decision rationale. In my book he was the only player who "performed" and therefore - once again - my MOM. DUFF I have always liked him as a right back but that isnt his preferred and looking more like not his best position. He is solid enuff but he lost his usual composure and trying to pass the ball out of defence and simply hoofed it most of the time - or was that tactical?? He was also lost playing against Riordan who played deeper and had far, far, far too much time on the ball. HOGG Coming back to a club where you have enjoyed life for years is always going to be difficult. He did well enuff but the lack of concentration which led to the first goal is not the ilk of an experienced and seasoned campaigner. ROSSCOE Determination, effort and committment are integral qualities of Mr Tokely but playing as a central defender isnt. Yes he did OK but he gets out of position too often. He makes up for his defects with his passion and tackling but he needs to go back to his favoured position. You could ahve said that he should have equalised but it was a full back in a shooting position and that can go horribly wrong. GRANTY I suppose that Terry had no choice but he simply isnt a left back and it will be interesting to see what will happen when Shinnie and Gillet return - as both are preferences. It will also be intersting to see if Terry has the "balls" to play Granty and Hogg together - as he should do - and what he then does with Rosscoe and Duff. DORAN He has displayed promise and potential but what was on show at Easter Road was his lack of experience and naievity. He simply did not suus Riordan or the wee boy at left back who scored the first goal. He looked "lost" at times. He evidently does not come up to a Johnny Hayes replacement as he wasnt played to stick wide and he wasnt prioritised to be given the ball - I would have liked to have seen him in the Hayes role. DUNCAN A la Rosscoe - sure he works his butt off and is a leg end but these are the kind of games where Russell becomes anonymous. He plays in the hole when all Hibee threats are out wide. He cant play a pass out - unless he is feeding Hayes - and he just watches the hoofs going over his head. COX Like Russell in many ways but I think that he is a better player to be in the "hole" role. Simple passes he can do well but intricate passes he cant. ERIC DJEBI-ZADI That is his name to me as he has similar skill and appears to do little wrong in the eye of Mr Butcher - I would prefer to play with 10 men. That may sound harsh but he is being carried. FORAN I thought that he palyed really well - freer after Eric went off - if only we could provide him with better service. ROONEY As per Foran - I feel that he gets better game by game although by his standards he should have got a brace - dont know who looked the more perplexed when he was hooked - Adam or me ?? ROSS Where exactly did he play when he came on ? It is time to let we Nick have a run as the creative central midfielder. Will wait to watch the highlights but did Nick miss the runner for the first goal or was it Doran. So Tel got the tactics all wrong yesterday and the icing on the cake was to replace Rooney with Sutherland with 2-3 minutes left - especially when we had a free kick in a very promising position. I see in the papers that Terry said that he picked up 14 "strangers" on the A9 and would be chucking them off on the way back. Personally I would have fecked them all off at half time with a rite rollicking and sent back 11 good men in their proper positions and with an apparent will to play football and win. Post match I was asked will we still make the top 6 and have we lost our way - My response was that we will be in the top 6 and we wont be going back to Easter Road this season and the second response was a subtle play on words - " we have simply lost our Hayes !!" HOGG