Renegade

An unstoppable strike that was possibly a keeper error? It's one or the other, it can't be both! The only positive is we can't be as poor as that again......I hope.

Cameron MacKay. Seem him a quite a lot in the reserve league and he looks a solid keeper to me. Could well go on to be our first choice one day IMO. I take it if we'd signed a scorer and not a keeper people would be saying "Why have we signed a guy who can score goals and not another keeper?!". Aye....right.

To be fair Fon Williams did have a good game yesterday. Between a choice of continuing with Esson though and bringing a striker who can finish or bring in a third keeper, I know what I would choose.

Here's an idea. Why don't all ICT fans march to the club shop first thing on Monday morning and buy the new kits so the club can loads of money to sign more players? Oh wait........it's not on sale yet....or in the club shop. Ah well, just as the club got its priorities in order. I mean, with a new striker so badly needed, surely they wouldn't do something mental like sign a third keeper. Uh oh.....

This might sound quite left-field, but isn't Cammy Keith that player in the Highland League with a mental goal record? I know the standard isn't as high but with a record like that (especially at Keith who aren't always one of the better teams), he must be doing something right. It worked for Cowdenbeath with Greg Stewart (who came from an even lower level).

A vile performance this afternoon. Out-thought and out-fought by Motherwell. They looked fitter and far more organised, both offensively and defensively than we did. Do we do any attacking movement training at all? Simply, we were ghastly. It's a long time since I've seen a performance so poor as that. To not create any clear cut chances at all against a team, who even by today's standards were no great shakes, is shocking. Do we actually want to attack? Today seemed like one big ball retention exercise.....and a poor one at that. A massive contrast to Motherwell. When they won the ball they were slick and broke with pace, getting men forward. We seemed almost ashamed of that type of football at times. Basically, going by today's showing, the score doesn't matter. There was no urge to attack at all. It was all about retaining the ball even in the latter stages. As others have said, Fon Williams kept the score down and Christie and Mutombo actually looked like they were trying. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but Lopez is a waste of space. Not interested and not good enough. This season's Claude Gnakpa or Tarmo Kink. Terry Butcher had many faults, but to be fair, he could look at the squad and know what we needed. Mckay left months and it never really looked like Ofere was going to stay, yet the season's started and we're still yet to bring anyone in who looks close to being a finisher. It's really strikes to me as panic stations all of a sudden. We need another striker and a more attacking philosophy quick or it could be a very long season ahead.

HT - 0-0 FT - 0-0 ICT - Doran Motherwell - Clarkson Time of 1st Goal - 21

I'm actually quite content with the defence. More than enough IMO. Actually, we don't *really* need a left-back either. Both Tremarco and Williams are natural left-backs, while Raven, Wedderburn and Roberts have all be known to play there. I recollect Gary Warren saying when he signed that he can play 'anywhere across the back four' so that's another option. We're more than covered in the centre with Devine, Warren, Wedderburn and Meekings, though Foran, Draper, Raven, Tremarco and Horner can all play in there. Right back is fine as well with Raven, Meekings and Horner, though we can also put Vincent, Polworth and Devine in there. So there you go. More than enough coverage in defence. We need a proper finisher far more than another defender in any form IMO.

I see a Nigerian football website is saying Ofere turned down ICT and two other Scottish clubs. Wonder who that would've been then? Wouldn't be surprised if Dundee United was one of them actually. Could explain why St Johnstone went for Sutton as well. Perhaps Ofere was their first choice. He would be their 'type' of player.

I would prefer it in the alphabetical 1970s Dutch style actually.

So with numbers 13, 18, 21 and 23 available, Mutombo goes for......number 28! What is up with that?! I see Wedderburn is number 15. Would've suited number 18 IMO.

I can't understand this attitude of "We need a goalscorer but they cost £X thousand and we don't have that so nevermind". We paid £30,000 for Rooney and a similar amount for Iain Stewart. Hardly megabucks. Mckay was free, so was Wyness, so was Ofere, so was Paul Ritchie and so was Craig Dargo. This is the season we need to show if we're willing to make the step up and top six should be the aim.....no, the expectation. There's nothing worse than this whole "shiny happy people holding hands, we're just happy to be here and hope we stay up" mentality and we should be beyond that now. There's nothing more negative than just being happy with just staying up. On the whole though, I'm quite optimistic about this season. As we saw in the Astra games, we've still got a strong base of the squad but we desperately need a goalscorer. If we find one, we could surprise a few people again this season. If we don't, it could be a frustrating season, but we should still be able to make the top six.

^ Gutted he didn't call it.

I've heard that. Seemingly he's agreed a deal and spent the weekend sorting things out at home and will be unveiled this week. No idea how true that is but that's the story I heard. Called it!

Found the competition of Josh Magennis too much for him? Why we shouldn't sign him in a nutshell! In terms of bringing players in, does the window really impact us really? We've hardly paid a fee for a player in years. Williams was £10,000 (I think) and before that it must've been Rooney in 2008.

A washed up never-was trouble making waste of space. No chance.

Its interesting you say that because I was looking on Football Manager 2015 (I know) for information on Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo and it said that his best postition is central midfield/attacking central midfielder but he can also play up front which would explain his lack of goals over the years. That would fit more with the style of player he was against Nairn. Wikipedia also alludes to him being a midfielder at one point. As I've said previously, he looks more a Watkins/Christie than a Mckay and that info would go along with what we saw.

I've heard that. Seemingly he's agreed a deal and spent the weekend sorting things out at home and will be unveiled this week. No idea how true that is but that's the story I heard.

He seems to still have *some* interest in adding to that position when he brought Norburn in on trial. He also allegedly offered a contract to Iain Vigurs (he didn't want to return apparently). Nothing about "credit", but Black's a ball player who I can see Hughes wanting to take a chance on. I wouldn't look to sign him myself, but I can see Yogi taking a punt.

I wonder if Yogi will/has offered a deal to Ian Black. Seemingly he's considering signing for Berwick after going on trial. I wouldn't offer him a deal myself, but I can see Yogi viewing him as his 'type of player'.

Strange he's gone to a club in (kind of) northern Scotland. Talk was he was always back home in Edinburgh. Funnily enough, I had high hopes for him. Thought he looked a decent player.

Technically, we are the 'home' team. Presume it's been changed to be up there then.

When and where do we play Halkirk in the North of Scotland Cup? I see we're the home side and they beat Orkney to play us.

Find it hard to believe that by the looks of things, we've prioritised another goalkeeper (that we arguably didn't need) over a striker who can finish. Lopez's attitude summed it up for me in the second half where Williams got into the side of the box and drove a low cross in. You'd think most strikers would be desparate to get onto it and tap it home, but Lopez showed no drive at all, keeping at the leisurely one pace he'd shown all game. That's not a 'lack of fitness', that's laziness. That moment has met with a lot of derision from the fans around me and rightly so. He wouldn't have scored if the game was still going on. Also, we need to move Doran back onto the right. He's not a left winger and never will be. No left foot (hence why he pirouettes every time he gets the ball) and his long range shooting isn't that good either. Get him back onto the right where Butcher had him and driving crosses in on his stronger foot.