Renegade

The Gellions are chartering a plane I believe. Christ, hope it lands in the right place!

​I agree with that point in isolation, but let's do the maths here: (3rd in league + 1st in Scottish Cup) > (2nd in league + knocked out of Cup at first hurdle) ​Also bearing in mind that ICT have a far smaller budget and probably inferior facilities compared to Aberdeen. I find it hard to believe that any fan of a Premiership team, given the choice between a Scottish Cup win and 3rd place or 2nd and opening round cup defeats wouldn't choose the former. ​There was no choice offered? It was merely what was harder to achieve. Celtic didn't win the Scottish Cup, however I think we'd all agree they are far better (squad wise) than the rest of us. However, the budget argument ... you are 100% correct. ​With what we have at hand compared to Aberdeen IMO what we achieved was far more difficult. Aberdeen probably have the second largest budget and probably some of the best training facilities in the league. They should be finishing second. We though, have overachieved big style.

​I agree with that point in isolation, but let's do the maths here: (3rd in league + 1st in Scottish Cup) > (2nd in league + knocked out of Cup at first hurdle) ​Also bearing in mind that ICT have a far smaller budget and probably inferior facilities compared to Aberdeen. IMO it's a far harder task for a club like ICT to achieve what we did with what we have at hand than for Aberdeen (the second largest club in the league at this point) to achieve second. I find it hard to believe that any fan of a Premiership team, given the choice between a Scottish Cup win and 3rd place or 2nd and opening round cup defeats wouldn't choose the former.

​Seriously, he's useless. Comes on and is completely anonymous. When he signed, I remember looking up a few Middlesbrough sites to see what their fans said about him. Most said essentially what we've come to see: a one trick pony who shoots from range and not much else. No desire to get involved in the game, no impact and no drive. That's exactly what we've seen. We have offered him a deal though I see. God knows why!

That's a shame, I thought he had potential (unless it was his choice to leave of course).

I agree with Yogi's plan in bringing in a keeper on loan, but should Ofere and Ross (and guessing that Kink isn't coming back) sign up for next season, I'd say there's not many we'd need to bring in at all. I feel we're pretty well covered in defence already. As mentioned elsewhere, I reckon Williams could really blossom in the Shinnie-style wing back role and obviously we already have Tremarco. At right back, should Raven be out you've got Meekings who can slot in there, as well as Vincent, Horner and Devine if we're really stuck. We've seen in the past that Devine, Tremarco and Draper can go into centre-back no problem and you could get away with putting Foran, Horner (who's played there in the U20s) and Raven in there (Raven started out as a CB at Liverpool). We're well covered in central midfield and on the whole out wide, so one more tear-away-style winger with decent pace would be a nice to have, but we could survive without one. Again I'm banking on Tarmo Kink not returning. To be honest, I wouldn't lose any sleep if he didn't - he looked hopeless everytime he played! Should Ofere stay and with Ferguson in the first team, I'd like to see one more Mckay/Dargo style striker brought in. I don't know if Ferguson's ready to make the step-up just yet, but I'd like to see a some poacher type partner Ofere. So, that's three players, a keeper, a striker and a winger, on the presumption that Ross and Ofere stay. In truth though, should everyone stay fit, we could survive without bringing anyone in in the summer.

Has Baptie definitely been released? I did see him on that PFA Player Availability, but the likes of John Sutton were also on it as well despite being offered a new deal at Motherwell. I've always thought Baptie looked a player whenever I saw him.

That picture made me sad.

I see theoretically we could well be the first club to ever play Slaven Billic or Marcelo Bielsa's West Ham. Yogi up against Bielsa - football hipsters of the world unite!

The SNP aren't stupid. There won't be a second referendum until they know they'll win it. For that reason, unless there's some major change (the EU in/out could be it), there won't be another referendum until polling shows support for Yes is constantly polling in the upper 50%. It will happen through time and I believe independence in the long run is inevitable but the timing is the big factor. If we had another referendum tomorrow, I believe the result would be slightly closer, but not that much. Quebec seemed to have shown that you can reject independence once, but twice would would kill it, for a couple of decades anyway. Putting aside comments by Sturgeon, Salmond and all the rest. Just because a referendum votes goes one way, doesn't mean it should stand forever. By that logic, if someone wins a constituency or an election with over 50%, they should rule forever. People views, arguments and circumstances change and with only 6% needed to swing the result, the issue won't be gone for a long time yet.....perhaps until it happens.

I seem to recall Butcher always saying that the players in the Scottish market were pricing themselves too high for us hence why he always bought from England. ​In terms of players from the Premiership and the upper teams in the Championship then maybe, but would a player in the lower echelons who we could bring through as Cowdenbeath and now Dundee did with Stewart be demanding megabucks? Not a chance.

I've wondered a wee bit at times, particularly under Butcher, if we're focusing too much down south and potentially missing out on players in Scotland. As we all know, Steve Paterson was very good with the Highland League and there must be players we could bring through floating around in Scotland. I see up until 2010, Greg Stewart was playing for Syngenta Amateurs. This season he was nominated for Player of the Year. There must be others like him out there.

Is this a sort of 'Orkney Select'? Do none of their clubs enter then? They're a new club in the North Caledonian League (I think).

I see we're the home team in that fixture. Now if Halkirk get through, I could see the game being moved there, but what about if it's Orkney? I can't see the game being played at the Caledonian Stadium. Will we move the game to somewhere further north, Wick for example? Unless we went for somewhere else in Inverness, Grant Street? Northern Meeting Park? That wee place Inverness City play at?

Good post. Well executed. Will read again.

Some are making it sound like the whole place booed him. Utter nonsense. As I said before, he got a massive cheer. If one or two saddos did boo him though then they are classless and should hang their heads in shame.

I see Nairn are playing Ross County and Aberdeen this pre-season. Will they finally get round to playing us this year?

Ah yes, facilitated by a club who went bust and it's phoenix club were not good enough to win promotion from the second tier and were gubbed home and away by a team who were rotten all season. Hearts' challenging at the top end of league was facilitated by money they didn't have. Hibs have been rubbish for years. You could also argue as well that we didn't achieve second this year because of a rejuvenated Aberdeen. A team who were pretty rotten in the years you harp back to. The Premiership (it's not called the SPFL by the way) would be weakened had these teams been in it, not the other way round. Maybe we shouldn't talk about ICT's accomplishments until the traditional 'big' Scottish teams are back. That means no gloating until Clyde, Queen's Park and Vale of Leven are back in the top tier!

I might be wrong but I think it was Macrae I saw playing for the U20s a couple of months back playing in the number 10 role. I thought he looked a player.

Notice that the tweet said that talks were continuing with Ofere. Does that suggest then that Watkins (who's certainly away), Ross and Kink are away? I think it might do. Did Devine not sign a two year deal by the way?

As has been mentioned a few times on here lately, we offered him a deal a few months back but we are apparently the last club he wants to sign for.

Holding up the ball and linking up play is one of things Ofere has done very well since he signed. Also, considering that he still probably isn't fully fit, I don't think his current goal ratio is something to be dismissed and he's one of the strongest headers of the ball I've seen at ICT in a long time. I noticed elsewhere you said you don't frequent the Caley Stadium very often. Perhaps had you seen him play more often, you wouldn't be dismissing him as quickly as you are.

I can only presume you've only ever seen Ofere play in the cup final. Since joining the club, he's been very good on the whole IMO. Saying we couldn't build a strike force around him is simply laughable.

Who cares? It was a celebratory event. I think everyone else there would've forgotten how he was introduced by now until you brought it up and even if they did remember, simply wouldn't care..........like any normal person.

Does that include Calum Ferguson then? He seems to be in a bit of a grey area in this regard. Interesting though that he wasn't on the bench for the Celtic game. One would think that suggests that he's leaving the building (provided he wasn't injured of course). Bare in mind, Jason Brown and Ali Sutherland have signed new deals and were on the bench, but Baptie has not been offered a deal and wasn't. Wonder if the same can be said for Ferguson then?