alternative maryhill

The Blue Lagoon on Argyle Street is absolutely howfing. They'll go to Gennaro's on Great Western Road if they've got any sense.

The Fon Williams situation is beyond ridiculous now and must be resolved. He had a poor season last season, but at least part of that can be attributed to playing through injury early on, and he would still be an upgrade on what we have now. Ridgers has made several dreadful blunders, his confidence must be shot, and the evidence on the pitch is that his teammates don't trust him. The fact that the defensive unit collectively looked so weak again yesterday is also a source of real concern for the next few games. Teams will come up against us knowing that if they throw everything at us going forward, we're likely to crack. Yesterday we conceded from a player allowed to go through one on one with the keeper, from a cross ball into a crowded penalty area, from a (superb) snap shot from distance, and from a player being allowed too much time and space on the edge of the penalty area: we look vulnerable in multiple areas, in other words. If we continue to ship goals like this, then it can surely only damage confidence and morale further, which in turn is likely to affect how we play as a team, and on current evidence we simply don't have enough going forward to compensate for our deficiencies in defence; this is not a Steve Paterson-vintage throw-in-three-score-seven ICT side. The shape did look better in the first half hour yesterday: as I noted against Brechin, Trafford's dogged work chasing everything and breaking up play at the base of midfield frees Vigurs and Polworth to play to their strengths, and yesterday Polworth in particular was excellent, our busiest and most potent attacking threat, despite missing a sitter when one-on-one with Craig Samson. Vigurs had some fine touches linking play too, and Baird worked hard again and deserved his goal. Calder quickly frustrated however - after looking lively early on, he seemed to get brushed off the ball too easily thereafter and seemed too ready to go down under very little contact - while Cooper simply disappeared about halfway through the first half; we offered next to nothing down the right. Hopefully St Mirren will be one of the strongest teams we will face this season, but the next two games must be seen as serious tests of how we match up in this league - pre-season, I'd have had Livingston and Dumbarton down as the most likely candidates to occupy two of the bottom three spots, with Brechin in the other. Neither has started particularly well, but both had decent results yesterday. Hopefully Tremarco will be fit enough to return to the starting line-up against Livvy - he's not going to solve our defensive problems, but he'll be a far more intimidating opponent than Chalmers, he'll hopefully be able to organise the defence a little better during play, and despite being primarily a defender, he'll probably still offer more threat on the left than we showed yesterday. Beyond that, our options still seem limited, and where we do seem to have a better one - i.e. Fon Williams - then we should use it.

Was nervous about this after the absolute car crash of a performance at East End Park, but in the end it was more comfortable than I could have hoped. There wasn't a great deal in the first half - we probably had slightly more of the ball, but chances were pretty even. Looks like Vigurs got a bit lucky with a deflection for our first, and Mckay wasn't really challenged for his header back across goal for the second. We pretty much controlled the second half, though, and it was good to see the likes of Polworth playing with freedom and confidence. The key to our improvement over the past couple of games seems to have been the introduction of Charlie Trafford. I wasn't up for the Morton game, so this was my first look at him. He seems a very unfussy player and just sits in front of the defence, looking to break up attacks and then hold the ball until he can send someone away, but having him there allows Vigurs to try to dictate play a little further forward and allows Polworth, who looked much improved yesterday, to drive forward. Connor Bell also impressed, playing in a left-sided attacking role for most of the game before moving to the right when Calder game on, and I'd have him starting on one of those sides in place of Mulraney from now on. On the other side, Cooper contributed less, especially in the first half, but his movement and composure for his goal were excellent. I'm still unconvinced by our defence: Raven had a solid game, but Elsdon, Mckay and Chalmers are all capable of looking hasty in the challenge and uncertain in possession. They weren't troubled all that often, but against teams with tricky, pacey attacking players such as Cardle, they will struggle. Having Gary Warren and particularly Carl Tremarco back should make a difference, however, as much for their leadership qualities and presence as their defensive ability. It was great to see another decent travelling support getting right behind the team. The stewarding of the young team looked pretty heavy-handed to me, as if they were expecting trouble from the start. Otherwise, it's a cracking set-up at Brechin, with the wee bar beneath the stand and the ability to move easily between stand and terraces. A bit of a faff to get to from Glasgow if you don't drive, though, so I won't be bothering going up for this Challenge Cup nonsense against Aberdeen colts next week. Looking forward to the rest of September: intriguing fixtures against clubs I have't seen us play for a few years - St Mirren, Livvy, Dumbarton and Queens - and we should have a much clearer idea of how the team is developing and how we match up in this division by the end of the month.

Really interesting to hear how detailed and candid Robbo's analysis was of the challenges the squad is facing. If those were the players he mentioned that hadn't had first team experience, however, then he's incorrect. Chalmers played quite frequently for both Falkirk and Motherwell, I think; pretty sure he played against us, in fact. And Calder made a few appearances for Dundee, and also Doncaster, I think. Not sure about the likes of Oakley or Seedorf though.

On Saturday, Baird was one of only two of our players who looked like he knew what to do on a football pitch. I would like to see Bell given a chance, but instead of Oakley or Zscusschen rather than Baird.

Not sure where you picked this up from, but it wasn't the case. He looked off the pace and his first touch was dreadful. No worse than most of the rest of the team though. For me, Baird was probably the best of a truly appalling bunch. He won't score many, and he needs to build up a better understanding with Oakley, but he worked very hard and actually tried to play with his head up and link play, which was more than almost everyone else did. I say 'almost' because Vigurs did try to do this too, and neither was helped by the apparent reluctance of so many of our players to actually make meaningful off-the-ball runs. The frustrating thing about Vigurs again today - and he's always done it, so I don't think he's ever going to be able to change it - is that he has a tendency to stand and wait for a ball that he should be favourite for rather than going and making it his; there were a couple of occasions today where balls to him were stolen off him by more combative and committed-looking Dunfermline players. We're never going to be able to retain possession long enough to control midfield unless we can pair Vigurs with someone who will make up for this shortcoming of his. Another point worth making is how obvious it was that the back four have no confidence in Mark Ridgers: Ridgers was the most at fault for the opening goal, although Mckay and Seedorf were also culpable, iirc, but when you have already-shaky defenders subsequently trying to clear their lines by flicking the ball back over their own shoulders rather than play it back to the keeper even though there are no attackers within 20 yards of him, then you have to address that as a matter of urgency in training, and perhaps consider your selections.

This pretty much sums up what I thought, especially the points re. Chalmers, Calder, Zschusschen, Draper and Polworth (although the stats on Polworth ICTChris quoted recently did give me pause for thought about whether he is in fact more effective playing in a wider area, if at all). I also felt that Vigurs played well and that it looked like he was trying to take more responsibility for making things happen than has previously been the case, but I wish he was more vocal and more of an organiser - it looks like Robbo might be trying to build play around him this year, but this will only happen if he's a commanding and inspiring presence as well as a skillful one. This sort of presence was really needed yesterday with Draper playing in such a subdued and apparently restrained way - I still feel that it would be his preference to be away before the transfer window closes, and that it'll probably happen. The strikers did show some good touches and combinations and each finished his goal well, but I think that we need to keep in perspective who we were playing here - it was Forfar, a team that finished the group in bottom place with a single point, despite that group containing a team from a tier lower than them. IMHO it's far too early to make predictions about how effective they're likely to be as a partnership against better quality opposition, or about how many goals Baird is likely to score - he's a proven goalscorer, but has never been a hugely prolific one. Lastly, while the central defenders didn't do a great deal wrong, I do feel that we lacked a commanding presence with good positional sense who is able to build play well from the back - there were a few wild punts yesterday, and while Mckay is vocal and committed, he does have a tendency to get dragged out of position and last season was sometimes too easily beaten for strength and pace. When Warren returns, he should provide enough of the required experience and steadiness alongside Mckay, but Warren did have an error-strewn season himself last year, and in the long term the obvious aspiration must be to find another Meekings or Dods-type player, who can really own the penalty box at Championship level and hopefully beyond.

I didn't hear John Robertson's interview, but I'm a bit uneasy with the idea that he's publicly criticising his players so early, even if there is some truth in what he says. With so many changes in the squad, it's surely imperative to try to foster a sense of unity and team spirit - a few seasons ago, we'd often hear players commenting on how close-knit the squad was, and how essential team bonding is in a relatively remote place like Inverness. Inevitably that closeness will have been lost to some extent with so many players moving on, and if it is to be rebuilt, then it probably has to come from the top. I don't think the process will be helped by the manager questioning players' professionalism when so many of them still barely know each other, or each others' games. Re. yesterday's performance, I echo what most people have said about Seedorf being our best player both defensively and in an attacking sense. Baird worked hard enough without really threatening, offside goal apart. Oakley did look more effective than Zschusschen when he came on, but in the past our strikers have often been slow to come on to a game, and Zschusschen needs to be given the opportunity to develop an understanding with his team-mates. Elsdon looked naive positionally for Falkirk's opener, but given how inexperienced he is, this is hopefully something that will develop with time. Overall, there was certainly a lack of fluency about the team compared to those of a few seasons ago, but it's still far, far too early to make any meaningful predictions about how we might do this season based on these games - many of the players barely know each other, and even the manager won't really know the players' strengths and weaknesses in a match context until he's seen them play several more times and tried out several more line-ups. It'll be September at least, and probably later, before any of us can really feel familiar with the players' games and know what our most effective formation and starting line up are.

I wouldn't be seen dead with one personally, but given some of the social media spats between supporters on Twitter recently, they have the potential for all sorts of interesting scenes: *prominent ICT tweeter holds up personalised scarf* Fellow supporter: 'Hang on. Didn't you call me an ******** on Twitter recently?' *savage beating ensues*

That sort of macho, intimidatory style of management did seem to work at one time, but even Ferguson acknowledges that it has had its day - and that can only be a good thing. The Calderwood case is different though - it's a matter of public record that he mocked, humiliated and then ostracised Ryan O'Leary when the player opened up to him about suffering from depression. That's an absolute abuse of his duty of care to his player. I would be very, very unhappy with him becoming our manager.

Really concerned by that line-up. Did Foran really stand on the Firhill touchline last week watching that dreadful performance and think to himself, 'more of this against County, please'? We created absolutely nothing, and simply swapping Draper and Tremarco for Polworth and Mckay and keeping the same shape is unlikely to change that.

We picked up 14 points out of the first 36 available, and have picked up 8 out of 45 in the last 15 games. There were a handful of decent performances in those 15 games - the two against Rangers, albeit a poor Rangers, spring to mind - but also some of the worst I can remember seeing, especially those in Perth and Hamilton. Regardless of how or where you apportion blame, there is no evidence of real improvement in the team as a whole: Mckay is certainly a cut above what we've had up front for most of the season, but we still lack firepower and we're still making far too many mistakes at the back. Therefore, I can't see how we're going to pick up the number of points that would have seen us safe in previous seasons. Best hope is for Motherwell to sink deeper into turmoil after McGhee's departure rather than getting a bounce, and for Hamilton to have used up all their luck last night, but my feeling is that we'll be in the bottom two.

Exactly this. Although we only conceded our second just before half time in the cup fixture, I thought we looked hopelessly out of our depth for pretty much the entire game, and didn't succeed in preventing Celtic from playing the way we did in the first half of our last league fixture at Celtic Park. It will be harder to press Celtic as effectively as we did Hearts and Rangers for most of those games, but with the greater dynamism of Polworth in midfield and pace of Mulraney wide right, we hopefully won't be chasing shadows quite as much as we were in the cup game.

^^^ This, particularly the stuff about Mckay. Excellent post. Just last night's simple action of sticking with the same team from Tynecastle despite more experienced players coming back into the frame also probably had some impact, psychologically. McCart and Mulraney showed real increases in confidence on the field last night, having been shown that Foran has confidence in them. Mulraney in particular is starting to look like he could be the player we hoped he would be after his performances in the League Cup.

Absolutely. By his final season, with Warren and Meekings pretty established, he'd got it right, but keeping Tokely at CB in the closing games of his first season was costly, and the decision to free Munro when he did contributed to a couple of pretty rocky seasons, although some would argue that that was part of a necessary transition.

The Foran XI looks stronger than the IHE XI, imho. The three in the middle was a big part of our ability to remain competitive throughout the game yesterday, and Anier hasn't shown enough in any of his games to warrant a start. In fact, if we were going to throw a second striker in there, I'd be inclined to give Ebbe his chance.

I'd be surprised if at least one of Warren or Mckay - probably the former, because he is club captain and a more natural centre half than Mckay despite his dodgy form this season - doesn't come in for McCart, to offer more experience. Otherwise, I think he needs to go with the same against Rangers. That was a really hard-fought point: Hearts weren't at their best, but we pressed them and prevented them from taking hold of the game in a way we simply didn't do against Hamilton or (more understandably) Celtic. Mckay's hold-up play and movement up front were superb, and Cole looks a good outlet, although he has too much of a tendency to turn into trouble - I'd like to see him try to get a bit wider at times. Mulraney was less effective than Cole going forward, but his tracking back to put additional pressure on Hearts when they were in possession was really impressive. At the back, Raven and Tremarco both really stepped up to help protect the inexperienced central defensive partnership, of whom Laing looked the more assured, although both did well. The key, though, was the use of our three most dynamic central midfielders in their best positions, something most of us have been crying out for. Having Polworth, Tansey and Draper in the centre means that any one or two of them can push up when required, while the other one or two of them sit deeper. That's how it worked yesterday, with Tansey managing to get forward more than he has for months, and having his most effective game since at least Rangers on Christmas Eve. For all that Foran rates Vigurs' ability, surely after witnessing yesterday's performance he must recognise that this greater dynamism and controlled aggression in midfield is what we need if we're to stand any chance of finishing above 11th spot.

The use of inverted commas around 'support' is a particularly classy touch here.

I went for Hamilton as it was the worst all-round performance I can remember seeing from us, cut us further adrift from our nearest relegation rivals, and probably increased their confidence while diminishing ours. And for the simple reason that it was the lowest I've felt at an ICT game this season.

There's not a chance in hell we're getting safe. We're far too slow and too error-prone at the back, there isn't enough presence, or composure, or pace in midfield, we have no creativity in the wide areas and few discernible tactics. Celtic are an excellent side, but I reckon any other Premiership club would have given them more of a game today. Earlier in the season, we did at least manage to stop them playing for 45 minutes; today, they were miles quicker to everything, we were incapable of closing them down at all and ended up just resorting to embarrassing fouls. I hate seeing an ICT team trying to kick opponents off the park, but if they must do it, they should at least make sure it works. At the back, Warren looked lost; up front, Anier was completely anonymous. Normally I really look forward to a game at Tynecastle, but I can't see anything other than an easy Hearts win, now they seem to have come on to a bit of form. I'd like to see Polworth come into central midfield as he at least offers a little more pace and fight than Vigurs (who, to be fair, was no worse than Tansey or Draper today); Mulraney should maybe be given another chance from the start, although I still suspect he has very little end product, and as Anier did so little, why not stick in Ebbe, who looks a bit of a handful. Maybe the sort of player who could be useful in the Championship.

Because I can't be arsed typing it out again, lazy cut and paste of my post on P&B in response to a still-pessimistic Accies supporter who suggested that we would probably 'have the guts' to get rid of Foran before it's too late: I'm not sure the board will have the guts. They gave him a four-year contract - presumably the cheap option, although it was sold as building for the future - so it would cost them a fair bit to pay him off. The decision they face now is whether it's worth getting shot and hoping we can get someone in who can keep the club up, or accepting that we're going down and starting to budget for a season in the Championship. There's absolutely no way we're staying up under Foran though - the central midfield partnership that won the Scottish Cup and got us to a clear third two seasons ago looked scared of the ball tonight, and he had two more central midfielders allegedly playing wide. We've looked clueless tactically for months now, and if he's lost the dressing room, as it appears, then it's game over. I genuinely can't remember witnessing a worse ICT performance, and that includes a game when we were 5-0 down to Airdrie at half time, when Steve Paterson had presumably had the players in the casino until 7am the night before. Just to add: I'm not sure whether we do have the right balance of players to stay up even under a more experienced manager, but I do know that most of the players on show tonight are capable of playing with far more guile and far more passion than they showed tonight. Also, while Foran slating the players tonight post-match was understandable, I don't think it's likely to produce the positive reaction that we badly need, especially as his tactics have been so clearly at fault too. Don't ask me who a suitable replacement would be, though, because I don't have a clue.

Yeah. Can't wait.

Yawn. Our 9th cup tie against Celtic since 2000 (including the 3-1 game), in the two competitions. Give us a break.