ictchris

Russell's best period was in the last days of Pele, in 2002.  He was magnificent then and our title challange faltered that season after he was suspended and then injured.

St Mirren are a big physical side and i fear (like the first game of the season) Graham Bayne will struggle to win the aerial battle. 

Bayne played 10 minutes on the opening day when we were already losing.

Which former Caley Thistle player had a trial at Norwich early in his career?

A move to a Championship side would be fantastic for Dods at this stage in his career.

If he is to move in January, I do hope we search out a replacement.

I'm going through for my second game of the season.  Don't think any of my mates from Sneck are going down, might see what my brother is up to although he's probably working.  I'm not ersed if I'm on my lonesome though.  :003:

Final whistle please

0-2 now Stokes again

Someone teach Andy Walker to look at the right camera  :006:

Classic stuff during the Celtic-Benfica game from Archie McPherson though

Archie: It's paradoxical that Celtic bought Vennegor of Hesselink for the Champions League only for him not to have played a game

Walker: Apart from the game at Old Trafford, where he scored the first goal

Archie: Yes, er, well, um, no games at Parkhead

Archie: A good ball in their from Nakmamara... [whoooooooooo?]

Archie: I think Maloney's held on to the ball just too long for this chance...

[Maloney plays perfect pass to Miller who bangs it in]

Archie: er, goal!

I wouldn't be too disapointed with that as a starting lineup... it's nice for ICT to have some squad depth... and even nicer to have forwards scoring goals in & out of the reserves

Don't be so stupid Harry, that line up would only have got a point at Ibrox  :006:

Brewster went into Tannadice and cleared the 'deadwood' out - McInnes, Fernandez, Miller, Ritchie, McIntyre etc but he hasn't replaced them with any real quality.  The players he has brought in aren't the sort you can build a team around:

Noel Hunt - A nippy little player with good skills but doesn't score many goals.

Steven Robb - Decent enough but not inspirational.

Craig Conway - One for the future, but perhaps a bit raw for the here and now.

David Proctor - Again, a decent enough player but not someone you'd have in the spine of your team (unless you are Sandy Crom)

Apparently the Kalvenes guy is a decent player so that's one plus point.

The big thing about United is that they don't seem to have any strikers - they punted McIntyre and Miller, Brewster has all but retired, Samuel has scored about ten goals in the last three years and, as above, Hunt isn't prolific.  Considering Brewsters best transfer with us was signing Dargo, who turned out to be a 20 goal a season buy, and that he was a cracking forward himself (I think we can refer to Brewster the player in the past tense) it's rather puzzling.

Apparenlty the Celtic fans were singing "Eddie's gonna sack you" at yesterdays game :015:

I hope we get stuck right into Rangers, they are a team full of prancing wimps.

Marvin Andrews moving to Raith isn't entirely a football decision I'm sure.

He also has a serious knee injury he is treating using 'faith healing'.

Price Waterhouse Cooper have published their annual report into Scottish football finances, covering the last season full statistics were available for, 2004/05.  For the first time Caley thistle are included in the report.  I can't find a link to it anywhere but here are some of the important stats from the report, nicked from P&B

All figures are in £,000's.

NET ASSETS (Assets - liabilities)

Dundee………………. – 9,402

Dunfermline………… –9,026

Hearts………………... – 6,677

Livingston…………… - 5,490

Dundee Utd……….. – 3,730

ICT………………….. ... +419

Aberdeen……………… +740

Motherwell…………… +1,178

Kilmarnock…………… +2,467

Hibs…………………..... +2,368

Celtic…………………... +16,215

Rangers………………..+78,839

WAGES

Celtic………………… 37,394

Rangers….………….27,303

Aberdeen………………4,636

Hearts…………………..4,541

Livingston……………..3,689

Kilmarnock…….…….3,512

Dundee Utd………….3,492

Hibs……………………...3,326

Dunfermline………….2,569

Motherwell……………2,404

Dundee…………………1,943

ICT……………………....1,310

NET DEBT

Rangers…………………23,148

Hearts…………………..21,526

Celtic…………………...19,503

Kilmarnock…………..13,025

Dundee………………….11,800

Aberdeen……………….9,374

Hibs…………………….....9,295

Dunfermline……………7,933

Dundee Utd………….…7,354

Livingston……………...5,616

Motherwell………………635

ICT………………………..(134)

I think these figures show what an achievement we have made being so successful in the SPL considering the financial disparity between us and our rivals.  I can't believe Livingston paid nearly three times as much in wages than we did that season, anyone who saw us win 4-1 at Almondvale in 2005 must've thought the Livi players were paying to play rather than being paid!  Also, how have Dundee and Dunfermline stayed in business being insolvent to the tune of £10,000,000 each?  :010:

Is Zander Sutherland left or right sided?

I do think that Rory has potential, he seems to lack confidence sometimes but is capable of making an impact.

Dancing around the living room there  :001: :015:

From today's Press and Journal:

CALEY JAGS JUST WANT TO GET HOME JOY OUT OF THEIR SYSTEM 

More Headlines | Back to home page 

ANDREW DICKSON

08:50 - 30 September 2006 

Caley Jags boss Charlie Christie will change the system against Dunfermline in Inverness today - because of the way opposition teams now approach games in the Highland capital.

When Caley Jags first came into the SPL, opponents played open football on their trips north.

Inverness were the ones who usually profited - with the result that, in recent months, visiting teams have been more cautious.

That has led to Christie's men failing to win any of their five home games in the league and cup against top-flight clubs so far this season, losing to both St Mirren and Falkirk.

Consequently, Christie and his players worked on a different formation in training this week and are ready to shelve the standard 4-4-2 set-up they normally use.

Christie wants to close the clear gap between his midfielders and forwards. He insists it can be used without changing personnel, but it appears suited to players currently not in his starting 11 - such as Richie Hart and Liam Keogh.

Christie said: "I am very aware of the fact I want to change a team which is actually playing well at the moment. It is a strange thing to be considering.

"But I am also conscious of a need to get players into the final third of the park much faster.

"It is not rocket science. We just have to get support to the front men on a quick and regular basis and that is something we have been working on.

"Teams have changed the way they approach playing us when we are at home and, without second-guessing Jim Leishman, I'd imagine his side will be pretty cautious against us.

"I am not saying they will sit back as such, but the onus will be on to try to break them down a little more than we have against teams here in the past.

"I have already given a fair bit of thought about what I want to do and will continue to do so in the hours ahead of the game.

"We won't be doing anything too drastic and could even give the same players already in the team more scope to play further forward without dropping folk.

"But without naming names, some players are better at doing that than others, who are perhaps better at dropping short and taking the ball or playing deeper."

Dennis Wyness is available for Caley Thistle again after he recovered from the dislocated shoulder he suffered against Hearts five weeks ago.

That means Christie has a full squad to choose from for Dunfermline's trip north.

Fair enough aye, but he's not been found guilty of anything yet. So by banning him from away grounds then they're handing out punishments for cases that haven't even been proven yet.

Many people are given conditions to follow before they go to trial - not to approach any witnesses or go to certain places, for example.

Killie View

Scotland On Sunday View

Sunday Herald View

1-1 Dargs

1-0 Killie, Colin Nish header from a corner

No.

Our home form is poor, but as noted by several on here, this is not something that has been restricted to Charlie's reign.  The way we use our limited resources dictates that we are more effective away from home.  We are four points clear of relegation and have had a relatively difficult start to the season - we have played last season's champions, last season's runners up and two other top six sides from last year so far.  Losing to St Mirren was a disappointing result but they have shown that they are a capable SPL side since then.

If we are going to look to judge Charlie it should be at a much later stage.

I'm not arsed that Charlie doesn't pat the players on the back - the players are grown men, not bairns.  Roy Keane wrote in his autobiography that when he played for Nottingham Forest he made a mistake and at half time Brian Clough punched him in the face in the dressing room, it hardly did him or NFFC any harm.

Regarding Charlie, I think that BridgeEnder makes a good point (as usual).  Charlie is unproven but has had a decent time since taking over.  We do have a problem getting results at home, this pre-dates Charlie.  I think that we need, as has been said, to utilise wide areas better at home, although my opinion is based on second hand evidence as I can't make many home games anymore.