CaleyD

Taking a slightly different approach to who I think should be appointed I decided to step back and see if I could fathom out what the team needed right now. It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that our squad seem lost at the moment, they are without a leader and without someone to give them the kick up the erse they need to get them going again. Moving beyond that and looking at what is needed to take the club forward, we need a strong leader, someone who isn't mates with half the guys on the park, who isn't going to get caught up in the trap of showing players too much loyalty and playing them when better options are left on the bench....that is something Pele, Robbo, Brewster and Charlie have all been guilty of at some point or other. Pele brought attractive football to ICT, Robbo brought us a style of football that suited the higher level, Brewster brought fitness and Charlie brought loyalty. I think the time has come for some experience. A manager who has a bit of a track record, can be a leader and isn't afraid to crack heads when they need cracked. Someone who will put fire into the belly of the squad and feed the fans what is needed to get them off their erse, behind the team and a true 12th man. Only one man on the list so far that meets the criteria and that is Warnock. I near fell off my seat when I read that he was interested and as good as told ICT to make him an offer....it doesn't get much better than that IMO, so what the feck are we waiting for?

I see no harm in the meeting. If they want to listen they will, if they have no intention of listening they won't..it's as simple as that. However, I am also of the opinion that the club have become far too detached from the core fan base in recent years and I like the positive signs since Alan Savage came to the chair of attempts to re-establish that connection. On the face of it he seems to have realised that so much has happened in the last couple of seasons to p!ss us (the fans) right off and is attempting to reverse that trend. The above reaction - i.e. "it's a waste of time" - is a product of the detachment that has developed. Had this been a few years ago then the fans would have welcomed the opportunity with open arms as, at that time, we felt we were being listened too. A good example of that is when we were faced with the ground share in order to secure promotion. The club came to the fans, asked what they wanted and acted accordingly. Fans thought that was a great thing for the club to have done and turned up in their droves. I am as cynical as the next person about the reasons for the meeting or what will come out of it, but if we don't give it a go then we'll never know and the club can then continue to dismiss us by saying they gave us the opportunity in the past and we turned it down. In short, regardless of your view/stance then you should if at all possible get your erse down to the stadium tomorrow night if for no other reason than to support the fans voice and ensure we still have that voice should it ever come to a situation when you do have something you want to say.

Ummm...point of note. I know he wasn't/isn't manager but Donald Park came back!!!

Thanks Mee - The secret to a long marriage....tie the knot then feck off to another country...like his style :015: I lmow Robbo and Sutherland had words at the time of his departure, more of a personality clash than anything else I believe. With them not having to work together since Sutherland moved on then I think the rest of the Board may not be so quick to dismiss his return.

5 Votes for Brewster....I really should contact him and tell him it's only one account/vote per person :015:

Wife??? - Better not tell his fiance about the that :015:

Maybe I should come in disguise? :023:

I think the "revealing" interview he gave during the summer was more a cry for help than anything else.

What makes you think ?200k is outwith our budget for the managerial position?

- A class act as a player both with ICT and Caley and Thistle before hand. - A guiding hand and regular point of call for advice to those Managers that came before him. - An inspiration to many of those he worked with, both on and off the pitch. - The hand that steered the ship to some great results during his time in charge. Total Respect to a man who has given so much of himself to the cause. For the memories you've left us with and to your future success :drinking08:

DBS, CC has just stepped down due to pressure of the job and you are talking about replacing him with a man who was put on gardening leave due to stress of the job!!!

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Large dram on IHE if any of these make it to print tomorrow :015:

I don't mind being quoted or summarised but I made no allegation that anyone acted without having Caley Thistle at Heart. Also, as Scotty says, Mike Smith has nothing to do with the playing side of the club. Mike Smith may have had the finger pointed at him for many a thing and upset more than his fair share of people, some may like to know what he does to justify his position and salary, but I think this is taking it too far.

Crowley...nice bloke, just very misunderstood :024:

CHRISTIE Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo Echo Delta OVER

IMO, the re-appointment of Brewster or the promotion of Park would not be healthy for the club as they have previously allowed themselves to be swayed by other powers at the club. We need a Manager who is their own man, and for that to happen other people at the club need to be removed or put firmly in their place.

I know many find it hard to take IHE seriously, or indeed understand where he is coming from or what he is rabbiting on about half the time but you'd do well to listen to him in this case as his "insights" are spot on. Here is my take on things........ The only thing Charlie is guilty of is being ICT through and through and this has clouded his judgment of what was best for the team and even more so what was best for him. There's no secret in the fact that he was persuaded and pushed into taking the Managers job full-time when Brewster left. He has allowed far too many things to happen because the club have insisted it was "for the good of the team". He was pressured into the signing of Niculae which blew his budget despite knowing deep down that we needed to be spending to strengthen in other areas. At the end of last season he wanted to move a couple of players on, he was not allowed to do so. After the Rangers game, he stated that he had shown too much loyalty to some players, then only a few days later he said he would be giving these players another chance....did nobody find that all a bit suspect and do you all think it was really CC showing these players too much loyalty or indeed was it the club showing these players too much loyalty? Do you not see that Charlie had his hand forced and had to do a u-turn on his statement made after the Rangers game? As to dressing room unrest, yes it exists, many people (including myself) predicted it would be the case this season, but they predicted it for all the wrong reasons. It has very little to do with Niculae other than him being the catalyst. There is unrest because Charlie is not being allowed to play the team he wants, the way he wants. He has lost the confidence of half of the squad because he has not stood up to the bullies behind the scenes and it is the players who are suffering. There are certain people at the club who think they are playing a game of Championship Manager, sitting on their erse behind the scenes pulling the strings and for the sake of the club it has to stop and it has to stop now. Charlie is a beaten man, not beaten by the team, the results or our league position, but beaten by those he thought were friends, colleagues and counterparts. If they haven't totally destroyed his will and his passion for this club then I hope he uses some of the energy he has left to come out and tell the whole truth before this club is dragged to the wall. As for Donald Park, I fully expect his resignation to be forthcoming in the very near future. Unfortunately I do not expect to see the resignation of those who have created this situation, those who have worked (intentionally or otherwise) to tear the heart from the ICT Legend that is Charlie Christie. Regardless of whether you ever thought he was the right man for the job, he did not deserve this. Don't expect to see any experienced managers coming our way, those on the power trip would not allow in the same manner as they have prevented it previously as it would threaten their own position. I've said it on here before that the problems at ICT were coming from further up the line and been ignored, perhaps now people will start to see the truth. Charlie has ample managerial ability, I do not expect him to take any other position at the club (especially long term) and foresee him taking a step back, perhaps managing at a lower level. That is where we will see the true Charlie Christie thrive - in an environment where he can be his own man, make his own decisions and rise and fall by his own hand. SOmething which he should have been allowed to do with us.

Very wise words indeed as there's a lot more to the situation at TCS than people currently know or may ever know.

Once I got back from my round the world cruise....... Buy back the stadium and stick ?10 million in a Trust from which ICT would get the interest. That should give them about ?1 million to work with on an annual basis. I'd also hire back Pele as Sports Psychologist and Craig Brewster as Fitness Coach. The only other condition I would have is that when they get round to expanding the stadium that I get a Penthouse flat at the top of one of the Corner Pods - best view in Inverness out over the Firth and wouldn't have to get out of my bed to watch the footie :015: On the personal front...I've always wanted to learn to fly a helicopter. Other than that it would be a nice car, nice house, making sure family are looked after and invest in some small businesses (maybe some venture capital investments). Oh yeah...and I'd never waste my money on another lottery ticket :001:

Arab4ever, you should have had a word with the C*unty fans before starting a thread like this. Altogether now....."we're top of the league and you're no" :023:

Is all the extra games Hastings played during the summer catching up with him? Has playing at Centre Back for Canada caused the issue where he seems to drift in and give players too much space out wide? Does he have half an eye on the upcoming International Friendlies? Discuss..........

Well said Alex, there's hardly an abundance of suitable players out there and we aren't the only ones looking for a centre back, it's all too easy to be spouting that CC etc should have been doing more when in truth many haven't a clue what has or hasn't been going on behind the scenes.

Noticed he was subbed with about 20 mins to go today in a 1-0 loss to Stranraer. Was he just knackered after all the football he's been playing of late or was it purely tactical? (I'm scared to suggest the possibility of injury)

Some people, despite claiming to be fans, only appear when they have an excuse to stick the knife in.