Kind of Blue

In terms of the pay structure and the "lower" level class of player the club has the ability to attract there is, IMO, no doubt it is punching above its weight. We are sitting in a good position at the moment and have performed well in the previous 2 seasons but this can not be taken for granted and we can in no way feel the club is a natural mid-table side. That right will have to be fought hard for every game and every season. I'm very happy for this club to punch above its weight if it means that we stay in the spl and finish as high as it can.

The Courier on Tuesday (24/10) will be revealing the identity of the investor.

Great free kicks but he must give us more in midfield. Hopefully today will be the start of better things from him.

Good point there Bridge_Ender. Our problem is getting players here in the first instance but once there here (apart from Dodds, Bingham etc) they are quite settled at the club and the location.

Inverness Courier - praise from Saint Sandy is a rare and precious thing and it should be treasured until the next blast. :004:

So the advice that Black has taken from his manager and others appears to have gone in one ear and out the other. I've not seen the tackle last Saturday so I can't comment on it. Some reports say it was a harsh booking others say it was a lunge and he was lucky not to get sent off. I think what he needs to learn quick is how to tackle hard but fairly. You can be as competitive and tough in the tackle as you like but still do it fairly and without being wreckless or going in two footed. Ian you're a marked man with regard to refs, you need to wise up or you're going to spend a large part of season suspended and also risk loosing your place.

Rig, this is an interesting thread. Two years ago, as a result of bungling Bertie, I would have had no hesitation in saying the ICT result would give bigger satisfaction. But Walter Smith has given back my enthusiasm for supporting Scotland and I was delighted with the French result. However, on balance I still have a greater support for ICT than I do for Scotland.

I can just imagine some of posts on here if we got a humping due to playing an attacking formation. Let's get real, we must use similar tactics that have brought away success in the past.

Mantis, now I know why you were asking if the Stranglers in 2006 were as good as in 1978. I saw them in the Edinburgh Playhouse in 1980 and that was an excellent gig. One of the best venues I've been to was the Glasgow Barrowlands to see Robert Plant.

To be fair to the HN they on the whole give ICT good positive coverage.

There can be no excuses for the lack of the 50/50 draw. The club must try and maximise its revenue on match days, it's very disappointing that something as basic as organising the 50/50 draw has not been carried. Mike you're the Chief Executive and you're ultimately responsible for ensuring these types of jobs are done. This basic failure must not be repeated.

I had my reservations about Rankin's suitabilty before he joined us (especially at the price paid), and nothing that I've seen from him so far has changed my mind. He really needs to find the pace of game quickly and stamp his authority in the midfield, otherwise we will be carrying a passenger in the team.

Apparently the ref told Barry Wilson that if Black didn't cool down he would be off if there was any more incident from him. I think half time came at just the right time or otherwise we would have been down to 10 men. I would like to see Black getting a rest for 3 or 4 games and give Ritchie Hart a run instead. By all accounts Hart made a good contribution when he came on.

Well done to the lads for another good away performance and result. Mark Brown again came to our rescue with a fabulous save. I am growing increasily irritated with Ian Black's lack of discipline. Six booking so far and lucky not to get sent off today. In addition to this he is giving away possession too easily and making frequent stray passes. In short, he needs to curb his temper, learn how to tackle, and learn when to play a simple ball.

eD waiter, you're such a cynic. The Stranglers were excellent, and went down really well with the audience - a good night was had by all. I don't think I missed much at the stadium.

I heard a whisper today that Morven Reid (the Operation Manger) will not be coming back to ICT after her maternity leave is finished. If this news is correct I would like to wish her all the best and say thanks for doing a good job in difficult circumstances ie moving to Aberdeen at short notice and adapting to life in the spl. It was an extremely big learning curve for everybody at the club and I think Morven had more than her fair share to contend with. I also hear that our new Chairman is already stamping his authority (in a good way) behind the scenes and has a clear view of how he wants to see the club progress. Interesting times ahead, I think.

I went to the Iron Works (Inversnekkie's new music venue) to see Whole Lotta Led last night. The band were great and the venue is very impressive - it's something that Inverness has been lacking for sometime. Hopefully, the venue will be able to attract some decent bands. The Stranglers are playing next month and that should be a great night.

Our opening sequence of games against top 6 (excluding St Mirren) sides was always going to make it difficult to get points on board. I think the team has done well to get draws against Aberdeen, Hibs and Celtic. The team is now approaching a sequence of games against sides that we must take points off ie Motherwell and DU. At the end of September we will have a much better idea of of how the season is going to pan out.

I would like to see Ritchie Hart get a start. I think we're missing his bite and shooting ability in the midfield. There shouldn't be too many other changes, apart from maybe playing Bayne along side Wyness.

Charlie B and Sophia, good posts - I agree. I was at the Stenhousemuir game and will never forget Thomson's fantastic strike. I was also in the Stenhousemuir Social Club when the Rangers tie was announced much to everybody's delight. I don't remember our fans causing any hassle.

Black, IMO, was lucky not to get booked for his petulant over-reaction to the ref. I also thought he was trying to be overly elaborate at times which led to stray passes and getting caught in possession. If he learns to play the simple ball and keep his temper in check, he has the potential to become a big player (hopefully for us).

Dodds was solid and played his part with rest of the defence to record a well deserved clean sheet. If the defence can perform like this for the rest of the season then we will have no relegation worries.

I think it's premature to make an assumption about attendances after only 2 games. The crowd for the St Mirren match was 4,267, of which just over 800 were away fans. There were about 3,600 home fans, and that figure is on par with previous SPL games against "unglamourous" opposition. The time to pass judgement on the crowds will be once we've played every team at home.

He never struck me as much of a player, but good luck to him anyway.

As Hastings was an important player in the defence last season I would like to know Charlie's thoughts behind his selection of Golly instead of Hastings. Did Golly have a better pre-season or look better in the friendlies? I think there were others in the defence and midfield last Saturday that didn't cover themselves in glory. Bring on the Dons and what better time to record the first win against them. We need to go back to basics ie make it hard for the other team to paly against us, and then hit on the break. This is the style of play that ensured our 2 seasons (so far) in the spl, and I don't see any reason to cahnge. BTW, I didn't hear any cheering in the main stand when Golly got subbed).