Renegade

Does anyone else agree that ICT are regularly holding far too many players back for set pieces. I noticed on Saturday that a few times during the first half that when Partick got a corner or a free kick near the box, every ICT player was back, including the strikers, though in the second half one or two were staying forward. Surely it would be better to hold at least one player forward at all times, especially if ICT go on the counter attack. It would also help if the ball is knocked or headed clear, if there's someone forward, he can try and gain possesion, but if everyones back then the opposition can take control and have another attack at goal. Another thing as well is, I noticed at times that when Partick had a corner, they were only holding one guy back, who was standing on the half way line. If ICT had held one forward, chanced are they'd have held two back, had ICT held two forward, PArtick would've held three back, and so on. Now I'm not advocating puting five or six players forward, but if ICT were to keep a couple of guys forward then chances are it would diminish the opposition attack, by them having to hold more players back, players who could potentially cause some problems in the box had they been there. Discuss.

Go on your own then.

There was also a "home" North of Scotland Cup fixture against Clach at Grant Street last season.

I thought he was quite good myself.

Everythings just perfect isn't it...

A bit like you then...

Aye, I thought he was alright as well. Wouldn't have taken him off actually.

Tokely's suspended and Duff's out for the season.

:) Oh sugar I forgot about that. As you can see I've had to put Proctor back in but it didn't mean I wanted him to be in it.

Bulvitis the Bombscare and Proctor were both shocking today, but where's the person waiting in the wings to replace them? Enough cover at RB with Tokely coming back soon but there's no decent cover for CB. Need a CB desperately come the January transfer window.

------------------------------------------------Esson--------------------------------------------------------------- -------------Proctor---------------------------Munro--------------------------Golabek--------------------------- ---Ross----------------------McBain----------------------------Cox-----------------------------Hayes---------- ---------------------Rooney------------------Foran------------------Djebi-Zadi--------------------------------- Subs - Shinnie, Sanchez, Barrowman, Eagle, Bulvitis This is a semi final so attacking football as to be used, Esson keeps his place, Proctor stays in despite being rubbish today. Shinnie played well today but he's on the bench due to not being big enough to play in a three man back line. Ross keeps his place at right midfield, with McBain coming in for the poor Duncan. Cox stays in even though he wasn't in the game much to day, with Hayes on the left wing. Foran keeps his place with Rooney joining him along with Lionel Djebi-Zadi, who can use his height and pace to attack the County back line, and doesn't need to come back and defend an should he make a mistake it isn't in a sucidal position and there's enough players back to cover.

Tokely and Golabek both have knocks.

Renegade's results are in: Esson - :022: :022: :022: - Did the best he could today but was let down by a shocking defence. Went forward in the last minute as well. Thistle could've scored four or five if it wasn't for him. Proctor - :020: :020: :020: - Absolutely shocking. Has no idea what to do and Tokely can't come back soon enough. Bulvitis - :020: :020: - Punt back to Latvia please. Today's winner of the wooden spoon award. Absolutely dreadful, another one who knows hee haw about what to do. Just rubbish. Munro - :022: - Did the best he could with what he had today. Decent cross for the second goal as well. Shinnie - :022: :022: :022: - Very good league debut. Decent crosser, decent passer, good going forward. Definately one for the future. Ross - :022: :022: :022: - Another decent debut. Good going forward and put the effort in. Cox - - Not in the game at all today. Duncan - :( :( :( - Another contender for the Wooden Spoon Award. Can't pass to save his life, a poor first touch and a dreadful header and mistake for the second goal. I was calling for him to be included this week but at this rate he doesn't deserve to be included. Utter, utter rubbish. Bring back McBain. Hayes - :024: :) :) - Not in the game much in the first half but was good in the second. Decent pace and decent attacking. Certainly put the effort in. Barrowman - :024: - At times looked to do okay but isn't getting the distribution he needs at all. Suprised to see him taken off at half time too. Foran - :thumb04: :thumb04: :thumb04: - Put the effort in for 90 minutes and took his goal well. SUBS Rooney - :thumb04: - Looked decent when he came on and took his penalty well. Sanchez - :huh: - Don't see what all the fuss is about at all. What exactly does he add to the team? If the ball ain't right in front of him he doesn't know what to do, and seems petrified to shoot. There was times he just didn't look interested as well and his free kicks and corners were terrible. Djebi-Zadi - :mellow: - Put the effort in but his first touch constantly lets him down. Should've gone into the centre-forward postiton but stayed too much on the wing. Butcher/Malpas - :( - So much for the "three pronged attack", the first half was all punt, punt, punt. 3 down at half time and he sticks to 4-4-2 and takes a striker off. It's not what a decent manager would do. And it's not just that, half the team seemed disinterested in the first half and there was no fight in them at all. Ball control was shocking too, for most of the squad and they should be working on that in training. Referee - Not too bad, maybe gave a couple of free kicks the wrong way but did alright. Perhaps a penalty for hand ball in the last couple of minutes as well but nor he nor the linesman had any chance of seeing it.

It said it was definately on BBC Alba in the Record in the week.

Well that first have has to be one of the most gutless ICT performances I have seen in a long time. Three goals by a team who were hardly Real Madrid, gift wrapped and ready for Christmas. Both teams started out playing garbage long ball football and for the whole first half the vast majority of the ICT team, bar Shinnie, Ross, Hayes and Foran actually looked interested. Esson did the best he could, but had little chances with such a shocking defence. Partick should never ever be three up at half time, the two teams were fairly evenly matched for the most of the first half. Shinnie to me is the glimmer of hope for the future in the ICT squad. For a guy who was making his ICT league debut, I thought he looked excellent. A good passer, not afraid to go in for the tackle, decent going forward, not a bad crosser. The only thing is, is he big enough? He's yet to fill out, but at this rate might be decent moved into the midfield. He certainly has the capabilities to do it well. I was quite surprised to see Barrowman taken off at half time. He and Foran, might not have had the distribution, but Barrowman did at times seem to the effort in. For me, Sanchez did little if anything for large parts. Didn't seem interested for parts at all. If the ball wasn't right there in front of him, he didn't know what to do. The goals were decent. Definately a penalty, which Rooney took well. Foran's goal was also well taken in the malee between himself, a Partick defender and the goalie. Unlucky not to equalise, with everyone thrown forward including Ryan Esson, but Sanchez's distribution let him down. His corners were poor and not even on the proper line to take them from. His free kicks were poor as well. There was a few calls for penalties in the box and malees which could've led to goals but it wasn't to be. Butcher needs to sort thing out desperately, but I aint convinced he knows where the problems are, and is not the man for the job.

From what was said in the Coureir earlier, I reckon we're far more likely to see three strikers tomorrow. Chances are it'll either be a 3-4-3 or a 4-3-3 formation.

I reckon the SFA were right to keep Burley on. He hardly has a great team, or any good players at all. Jose Mourinho could be boss and Scotland still wouldn't qualify. Not just that, he had some awful luck. The Boozegate malarky, how much booze did Burley drink? None (or very liitle). There were a couple of dreadful misses. How many did Burley miss? None. The SFA were right to keep him on IMO and had they booted him might become a bit triggerhappy, sacking managers after every campaign when they didn't qualify. Burley doing just as good, if not a better one if it were Souness or McLeish or {insert likely candidate name here}.

Nope, nope and nope.

He was past his sell by date when he came back a few seasons ago. Great the first time round, absolutely rubbish now.

Alright suit yourself... <_<

"Russell Duncan, Lionel Djebi-Zadi and David Proctor are in contention to start against fellow promotion hopefuls Partick ? who beat Dunfermline 2-0 last Saturday ? because Ross Tokely and Robert Eagle remain doubtful after injury ruled them out of the cup tie." Quote from the article. That sounds to me like Lionel could be in Butcher's plans to start. Could also be Journalistic spin too of course.

Our good friend Phil McGuire! Apparently he's there for a few months before going to play in America.

According to today's Courier, Butchers quite keen on starting with three strikers (Foran, Sanchez and Barrowman), and is looking at re-introducing Lionel Djebi-Zadi should Eagle be out so presumably that'll be three strikers with Lionel at left wing! Can't wait for the game now. Also says that as well as Lionel, David Proctor and Russell Duncan are all in contention for a starting spot.

Didn't know there was anything about the Cox scouts on and it was not off here I learnt it off. I have no idea how Roy McBain's happiness cycle works, but I have heard from a source with presumably more knowledge than I do that Duncan is very unhappy about not getting a game.

According to someone on P&B, Wyness is off to Queen of the South on loan.