Highlandbadger

Well we were p**h today and got the result we deserved. I have a number of comments and questions. Everyone around me could see after 15 minutes that St Mirren had not come to play fast attacking attractive football so.... Why must we stick to playing 4-4-2? ...is it in the Caley Thistle constitution? It escapes me why Stuart Golabek got the left back role today ahead of Richard Hastings or Alan Morgan..he had a nightmare and to me demonstrated that he is struggling to compete at this level...and we were not playing a top class team. We missed Roscoe getting up and down the right hand side and the width that that gives us on the break...if Caff is to continue playing there he needs to develop this aspect of his game. Tacticly I think Charlie made some howlers today. Why do we hit high balls up for 2 strikers whose skills are mainly with the ball at their feet? Where is our width? When you are trying to break down a team that gets 10 men behind the ball in defence, you need to stretch them....we could not do this. I was delighted to see young Stuart Sloane on the bench and expected him to have a run at their defence in the second half.....why didn't he get a chance? What were the subs all about today? Keogh for Duncan? what was the tactic behind that? Russell was no worse than many today and better than some yet he gets taken off for Keogh. I then thought that Keogh would push on behind the 2 strikers and we would change our shape...eh no....he slots into where Ducan was...what was the point in that? Then we come to Bayne for Golabek !! Half right, Golabek should have been taken off earlier, but with 10 minutes to go, we finally decide to go 3-4-3 to chase the game. 3 strikers are fine but the problem was still the same, no width and no one getting the ball to any of them. The 2 players to give you pace and width are both left sitting on the bench. I can't understand this. Charlie must have been watching a different game. Far too much being played through the middle...the big St Midden defenders ate it all up no problem. Is Black and Rankin going to work in the middle? Time will tell...not sure yet, though Rankin's challenge & cross for Dargo's goal was excellent. I don't think Barry Wilson is a 90 minute player now, and we need to use him more appropriately. We are not running at defenders with the ball and taking them on enough down the flanks...we need a wide player in the starting 11 that is going to do this...now!! Sorry Charlie but I think you have a lot of thinking to do and it's going to be a long season with performances like today. :007: :007: :007: :007:

I thought he had an excellent match. He had a couple of stops to make in the first 15 minutes where if he hadn't held on to the ball, he could have gifted it to an incoming striker. His shot handling was good, he was happy to come for cross balls and his kicking was secure (only 1 mistake there)....no mix ups with his defenders. Mark Brown mark 2 ??

What a stupid comment Brew, to the team and city who gave you yer chance....well it looks like you might get found out now. With continuing improvement like this season, and good performances, we will start to get more fans through the turnstile...we are a young city with a new SPL team but we learn fast and can hold our own against the so-called big city teams. Perhaps it's time to remind our Arab friends that with both the Dundee 'city' clubs in trouble one way or another, the unthinkable might come back on the agenda...MERGER TIME...... Bobby Mann & Craig Brewster...what a management team.....?...OK it's only a dream....

It's got to be Hibees...home or away...it's always good to start with 3 points in the bag..

Absolutely agree CaleyD.......the game needs crowds to build performances and encourage players. Potential ICT fans who live locally should put their £140+ to a season ticket and get out to the game....much more healthy that watching the OF on TV. Problem is that SANTANA, like the others ,is now getting a stranglehold on live sports coverage. It's only a matter of a few years now, before the cost of this coverage will begin to soar, folks will stop subscribing, income will fall, the deals will stop and the SPL clubs will be back in the mire again having paid big money to players and invested on the back of TV income which will dry up. Appreciate ex-pats position but nothing is better than going to sporting events and being part of the occasion.

As a season ticket holder, I don't have a problem with the club trying to get some new fans and generate a bit of interest at the end of the season for the last game. The problem is the match will be low key and probably not that attractive to the casual supporter. If the club want to make a gesture of rewarding loyalty to season ticket holders, how about a couple of free entries to friendlies at the start of next season? :?:

I don't think Juanjo has a future with ICT as his style does not fit with our team ethic and workrate. He continually flattered to deceive...you got about 15 minutes running out of him in a 90 minute game. So he occasionally produced a flash of genius but not enough in my view to justify extending his contract. Agree his injury was unfortunate but even if he had stayed fit, if he had continued to perform the way he was, I think Brew would have dropped him permanently. Now is the time to focus on getting the youngsters involved and grow our own stars.