tm4tj

Jamboree in Leith Inverness fans are heading down to Leith looking for a party. It's our first crack at the Scottish League Cup semi-finals after eighteen years as a football club. It maybe does not have the fascination and romance of the Scottish Cup, but nonetheless it is one of the major domestic competitions in Scotland although the fans don't seem to get quite so enthusiastic about the occasion. Inverness will hope to have over 2,000 fans in attendance at the neutral venue of Easter Road, a mere stones throw away from our opposition's headquarters of Tynecastle. The Jambo's were looking to fill the rest of the stadium, but unless there is a massive surge of ticket sales in the last few days, there will be plenty of seats left for casual visitors on Saturday. But let's not worry about those that won't turn up and concentrate on those that will make the effort and the players who will be taking part in this penultimate round of the competition, once more named Scottish Communities League Cup sponsored by the Scottish Government. Inverness have seen off Arbroath, Stenhousemuir and The Rangers, all away from home so this visit to Edinburgh should hold no fears for the high flying Caley Jags. The Warriors proved to be the most difficult of our opponents on a difficult night for football, but Inverness went through 6-5 on penalties after the ninety minutes and extra time had ended 1-1. Ryan Esson was the hero that night, saving Darren Smith's spot-kick to send the Highlanders into the next round. He can't get back into the starting eleven now as Antonio Reguero has kept him out since being thrust into action at the end of September, ironically due to an injury to Esson. Hearts ended the hopes of Livingston in the third round and they also needed the help of a penalty shoot-out to progress, ousting Dundee United in the quarter final by five penalties to four, the game ending 1-1 after ninety. Caley Jags warmed up for this game by trouncing Aberdeen 3-0 last weekend with a devastating second half performance where Billy (he scores when he wants) McKay netting a superb double and Andy Shinnie scoring an equally impressive opener as the Dons wilted under a barrage of slick attacking play and showboating skills akin to Messi or Ronaldo. The Jambo's, meanwhile were suffering at the hands of Celtic, going down heavily by 4-1, their lack of firepower evident at Parkhead and indeed throughout this current campaign. We probably go into this one as favourites given the relative league positions, and on current form, you can't argue with that. It's not normally our most productive scenario, but this is a one off game for the chance to get to a national final' and our post winter break form has maintained the standard set before New Year so let's give it a go. Capital Caley has eventually bought a new laptop and he will tell us more in the build up to the big game................. Caley Thistles first ever League Cup Semi Final on Saturday comes one day before the fourth anniversary of Terry and Mo’s appointment as management team. The feel good factor at the Caledonian Stadium is at an all time high. Terry and Mo have the team flying high in 2nd spot in the league with a Scottish Cup game against Kilmarnock still to come after our League Cup Semi Final. Many people are considering Caley Thistle to be favourites for this game. Hearts have plenty of troubles on and off the park but they will be boosted by their fans numbers supporting them in their home city. Invernessian Hearts supporter Ewan Murray has been busy tweeting away this week asking why the Caley Thistle support is so low. But with now over 2,000 tickets sold for a January match in the Lowlands many Caley Thistle fans consider this a success. Caley Jags fans are delighted with Scottish football hall of famer Terry Butcher. Turning down the Barnsley position even though he was offered an estimated £10,000,000 per week has brought a breathe of fresh air into Scottish football as a whole. Hearts fans however are far from happy with Mr Magoo. John also has the dubious award of being the most bizarrely dressed manager in the SPL. Who wears a shirt and tie with track suit bottoms?! There is hope for Hearts however. With the lifting of their transfer embargo, late on Thursday night Magoo signed Ngoo. The main story of course is whether it’s a silent N. Hearts have Ngoo, and we have McKay. Billy has scored 20 goals this season and has attracted the interest from who ever journalists from tabloids choose. Billy who scores when he wants is a contender for the Golden Boot so here’s hoping he chooses to score at least 3 against the Jam Tarts on Saturday I’m sure we all wish for as successful a day as we had on Saturday 26th January 2002. Caley Thistle headed to Edinburgh to play Hearts in the Scottish Cup. Out numbered but not out sung Caley Thistle stormed to a 3-1 win with goals from Ross Tokely, Dennis Wyness and David Bagan. A repeat of that score line for Caley Thistle will send us to our first ever major final. The victors will play against either Celtic or the Midden. The likely team line up will be the same as the Aberdeen game. Reguero, Dave the Rave, Meekings, Warren, G. Shinnie, Doran, Draper, OTJ, Foran, A. Shinnie and the Nessie Messi. (Are we actually calling him that?!). Towards the end of last weeks emphatic victory over the Fit Likers saw Nick Ross making an appearance. He looked sharp and as we go into an important part of the season it is great to have him back in the squad. Terry Butcher stated in the press this week that reaching the League Cup final means everything to the club. He’s right. We’ve come far in our 19 years existence but we can reach even further. Some fans are dreaming of Europe but we need to take one game at a time. Saturdays game is the biggest game of our season so far. What a great time to be a Caley Thistle supporter. No matter the result, I’m sure we’ll all have a great day out. Many of the Caley Thistle faithful will be meeting in the Four in Hand pub (owned by Paul Kane) pre match. It’s exclusively for Caley Thistle fans on Saturday so see you all there! It’s been 4 years of Terry and Mo! We’re all behind Butcher. We’re all behind the team. Lets make some noise for the Caley Thistle boys! CapitalCaleys prediction: Nope. Sorry to disappoint. Sitting on the fence and not jinxing it this time!!! ***Latest Team News*** Inverness have remained relatively injury free this season and I would expect an unchanged lineup from the side that beat Aberdeen at the weekend. Only Chris Hogg and Simon King remain out. Inverness have also added 19 year old Charlie Taylor from Leeds United for the rest of the season. Charlie is a full back and will add some competition for the back line in the push for Europe. He Scores When He Wants:- Congratulations to Billy McKay who has been called up to the Northern Irish squad for the forthcoming international against Malta on 6th February, his second calling. Rumour has it that Lionel Messi has an image of Billy McKay printed on his T-shirt and he reveals it everytime he scores as a tribute to the wee man. It's true I tell you, true, see here................. Hearts will have striker Michael Ngoo available as he has completed his loan move from Liverpool. Callum Paterson will miss out through injury. Dale Carrick is a doubt but Ryan Stevenson and Darren Barr are both banned although captain Marius Zaliukas returns from suspension. Granny Dainger will not be offered a new contract at the end of the season, this comes on top of Hearts Defender Ryan McGowan leaving the club to sign a two-year deal with Shandong Luneng Taishan. (that's number 24 on the menu) The Highlands are ours, and soon we hope to conquer the capital, lets leave it to these guys...................from the excellent caleyjags.com page.

Who needs summer football The winter break has come and gone, we are still in second place, and what better way to kick off 2013 than a home game against Aberdeen. Winter break, I hear you say. It's been like the bloody Caribbean in Inverness this first week, T shirts at 10:00pm at night, almost like a girls night out in Geordie land. It looks as though Michael Fish might be the SPL's meteorological advisor as the snow has arrived just in time for the restart of the footie season. Mind you, the monotony of the mundane winter break was broken when Butcher almost went from Tinks to Tykes, but his heart ruled his head and he remains manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The January sales have seen Inverness sign on 20 year old Danny Devine after the Northern Irish defender was freed by parent club Fleetwood, and decided against extending his stay at Wrexham where he had been farmed out to for three months. Aberdeen, have lost Andrew Considine for the season through injury. The 25 year old defender broke his leg in the 3-1 victory over Dundee and has since undergone surgery. Craig Brown has lost one player but welcomes back to training Ryan Jack from a similar injury. Huddersfield Town are interested in Ryan Fraser, but not as interested as Bournemouth who look to be favourites for his signature. The young winger has had a magnificent season for the Dons since breaking into the squad on a regular basis and has earned the unwanted tag of the most fouled player in the SPL. Since we last played the Dons five games ago, we have remained unbeaten gaining nine points during that run. Wins over Hibs and Dundee, with draws against United, St Johnstone and St Mirren. We also ended our run of scoring in every game this season, drawing a blank at Perth. Aberdeen have seven points from six fixtures since then, beating Dundee and St Johnstone, but losing out to Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Hearts whilst drawing their last outing at home to the Arabs. Aberdeen have quietly gone about their business and have crept into fifth place in the SPL to sit just three points adrift of Inverness in second spot. The Dons have potential match winners in Niall McGinn who has scored 14 league goals this season and none other than our very own ex-player Jonny Hayes who can produce something out of nothing to change a game. Joe Shaughnessy, the young Irish defender who has just been named young player of the month for December is enjoying a steady run in the side and has extended his contract until 2015. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t1ztm8GyNgM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> ***Latest Team News*** Inverness defender Chris Hogg will resume full training on Monday after his lengthy lay off with a horrific knee injury that sidelined him for over a year. We just need to get Simon King fighting fit and that will be a clean bill of health for the squad. Josh Meekings has recovered and will rejoin the squad having missed the last two games. Danny Devine could make the bench after his move North. Jason Oswell has left the Inverness camp after making only two subs apearances for the Caley Jags, mainly due to the form of strikers Billy McKay and Andrew Shinnie. Andy Shinnie has to make the next move in the contract talks with Inverness according to the manager. A contract has been offered and Inverness await a decision from the Scotland international midfielder. Aberdeen will be without Andrew Considine who has suffered a broken leg. Hughes, Milsom, and Osbourne are fit again and will be added to the squad, but Clark, Jack and Naismith will miss out. Ryan Fraser has played his last game for the Dons after signing for Bournemouth on a three and a half year contract believed to be around £400K. Good luck to the much fouled youngster who has a bright future ahead of him. tm4tj Prediction:- It's hard to tell how teams react to these enforced lay-offs as it often disrupts the continuity of the performances. We have slowed up a little in our last two games, coming from behind twice to draw with the Buddies in a tough Boxing Day spectacle, and a tense no scoring draw at Perth with Billy McKay drawing a blank in both games. These games can be nervy affairs and neither side will want to lose ground in the race for best of the rest which has me leaning towards a goalless draw. However, the Butcher bounce could tilt it in our favour and we might just sneak a narrow but welcome three points. :ictscarf:

Butcher nails his colours to the mast Terry Butcher has turned down the chance to manage Championship strugglers Barnsley to continue the work he started at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Terry thanked the club for giving him the opportunity to conduct talks with Barnsley, and after giving it some thought has decided that he has some unfinished business to sort out right here and said "I have decided that my future lies at Inverness. We have been going extremely well to be second in the SPL, still in the Scottish Cup and with a League Cup semi final to look forward to later this month. "I have also brought people to this club and, on reflection, feel that I should remain with them to try and continue the good work. My focus is now firmly on that." Terry had based his decisions purely on footballing reasons, nothing else, and obviously with the club going along nicely he has plenty of reasons to remain where his heart is, but the Barnsley directors sold the club really well to Terry and he had a long hard look at the facts but the decision he has reached has fairly cheered up a bleak midwinter break. I see this as a good example being shown to the players who are mulling over contract extensions, when the manager can see Inverness as a club going places above a Championship side, then surely that sends the right message right through to the core of this club and can only breed positivity for the coming fixtures. Maybe a knighthood is out of the question, but Sir Terence of Butcher and Lord of Inverness is a certainty at the Queens next hand outs. Yes Terry, the Highlands Are Yours. Plenty of delighted fans on the forum in CTO, and rightly so. The man we have put our trust in, has returned the favour and deserves plenty of backing from the fans for the faith he has shown in our club. Here's Terry to tell us all about it...........