Renegade

Having a look about earlier and found this about Butcher's time as Sydney boss. It's an interesting point. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/ To get the video, go about half way down and click on the Featured Videos and then the "Stoppage Time: Foreign Coaches. Butcher is mentioned about 1 minutes 50 seconds in.

Everythings just perfect isn't it... Not when you fail to use an apostrophe. I don't know how to make a come back so I'll just be petty.

You just have to read some of those rules and laugh. Can't take a picture or film something? That's madness. The one that made me think was the one about ther teams colours. Wearing a scarf or something of the opposition or a rival team is one thing, but come on. Going by those rules, if I wandered into Caley Stadium with say a Cwymbran Town hat on, am I going going to be taken away and put in jail? Absolute madness. It also shows how little freedom there is at football these. There'd be more freedom if Josef Stalin was in charge. Notice this, here if you ask for a Coke at the pie shop, they pour the Coke into a paper cup. In some countries at games, they just give you a bottle. It's bizarre the way things are here. Are they worried I'm going to go on a rampage with my empty bottle!? But to me all this proves one thing, the board don't like us. By us I mean, we the supporters. They might say they "want" us but in truth they don't. Shoot me down if you want but that's the feel these days. They don't care about us. Look how they're trying to kill some aspects of the home support. They might say they want a big crowd and get right behind the team and so on, but the only reason they said as it'll be more money in their pockets.

Really? From what I can see at the back, there's Lionel who can have some dreadful games, there's Proctor who was just awful on Saturday and the County game and then there's Bulvitis. He just doesn't bare thinking about. Did he? I thought he started 4-4-2.

Can someone please tell me why, not just ICT but essentially every team in Scotland just now, when the goalkeeper is taking a goal kick, they all move to one side? No-ones every really properly explained why it happens and I've never worked out why it happens myself. It happens everytime without fail. They're like sheep following the leader. But here's the thing. Why do they do it? Is it something like that Esson is told to punt the ball into a certain area, is it something to do with the wind moving the ball in a certain direction? It seems to happen everytime without fail. I've even seen people like David Proctor playing right back moving over so far that he's over into the centre/left hand side of the field. If I were boss, I'd be telling a couple of guys to stay in the centre of the field and when everyone moves over to one side, run over to the other side where Esson can ping the ball at them. If they aint too far away the ball doesn't even need to leave the ground and if they are a bit further away, he can punt it out to them where, should one of them control it properly, run down the wing with it, being a lot of space to cross the ball into the box. Discuss.

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.

HT - ICT 1-2 Ross County FT - ICT 1-4 Ross County ICT 1st scorer - Hayes Ross County 1st scorer - Keddie Attendance - 5,438

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...

You can hardly give Butcher credit for a technicality. Thought he did pretty well at Coventry. Kept them safely in the First Division, whilst making a profit. I also thought both Brentford and Sydney were too trigger-happy and had bigger problems than constantly changing manager when instant success wasn't achieved. With Coventry I recollect reading he was sacked due to a new owner coming and he wanted his own man in, though then you could make the argument, had he been that good he would've kept it. I don't know much about Brentford but with Sydney (who seem to have a different manager every season), he took a fairly decent passing side into one that punted long balls at every opportunity. But it wasn't just that, he fell out with the media awful quick, and when the going got tough, Butcher insulted their newspapers and coffee. They also took great offence to his "hobo" like appearance on the bench. But the main thing was his style of play and didn't play the regular attacking style that takes place in Australia. Here is an open letter sent to Butcher in the Sydney Morning Herald by former Australian internationalist and now TV pundit, Craig Foster. Foster's Letter And here is Butcher's reply: Butcher's Letter There used to be a YouTube video of another Australian TV pundit, Les Murray letting rip on his feeling on Butcher after Sydney had done quite well the next season after Butcher went, but that seems to have disappeared. What if he'd left at the end of last season? His record would then say simply, got Inverness relegated. But how many believe it was his fault? Sometimes the truth isn't all that simple as just looking at sacking statistics. It wasn' all entirely Butcher's fault for relegation, the main damage was done by Brewster and the Board, but his bizarre team selections, especially in the final game definately played a role.

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.