CELTIC1CALEY3

Having just returned having been to Celtic Park yesterday, Celtic were actually outstanding. We have caused them significant trouble over the years but no one really expected any repeat performances. We come back at least £100k richer as a club, Aberdeen used to get battered worse than us,and we can now focus on one competition. Apart from recent history with our poor run in the league, there is no reason why we cannot squeeze points out of the next three very difficult games despite the adversity starting this Saturday with a lot of injuries and key suspensions. In addition Billy King was injured against Celtic but is unavailable against his parent club. Hearts will have a certain focus on the Scottish Cup replay and possibly on the next round if they get a good draw. Problems started yesterday with the second goal (its nature and timing) just before half time. We worked very hard in the first half despite playing a team who are completely undefeated on the domestic front this season. Had we come out at 1-0 for the second half the game might have been much tighter. We have now got that game out of our system and if we refer to Hamilton's far worse trouncing at Celtic Park last season (19 Jan 2016 and 8-1) , they dusted themselves down and reacted very positively to the result. We can rest assurred that everyone connected with the club will do everything this week to do the same.

..a big huddle....

...and from a Rangers fan ' Clancy was also the ref who bottled it when the Inverness player was clean through and got taken out by Sviatchenko. Even Sutton was slating him. ' I like that word bottled!

Ryan Calder Essen, David Hastings Raven, Gary Warren-Mann, Brad Tokely McKay, Carl Golabek Tremarco, Greg Christie Tansey, Ross McCulloch Draper, Iain Sheerin Vigurs, Billy Wilson King Billy Wyness Mckay Henry Teasdale Anier Subs confirmed - Aaron Bavidge Doran, Larnell Glancy Cole and Scott Byers Boden Manager Richie Ronaldo Foran ns

Dear IHE Further to our recent conversations, I noticed yesterday that both linesmen were unable to control their flags in the high wind and that this lead to a goal being disallowed for Inverness and to King Billy getting booked for questioning this frequent problem. I am sorry for this act of God and will correct it next time at Paradise. Please ensure all players fight like demented tigers and do not let a little Moussa steel the show. This is your moment, Your obedient servant Lord Believe

Gary has to be available for the Celtic game. However, we have three players suspended for the Hearts game (that will be Gary's first SPFL game after the 11th.) http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/Disciplinary/CurrentSuspensions/Season2016/17/PlayerSuspensions/LOS30 (02 FEB 2017) VM.pdf So against Hearts expect Drapes in the back four unless Josh is back.

Who can save us?

Ryan Essen will need to come back this Saturday if we lose through another GK error.

This is the time to believe we can get up to 10th place. After that we can revise our aspirations. However, here are some inspirational quotes to help us help the team: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/03/bill-shankly-quotes.html

Hang on a minute. Teams like Aberdeen and Mothewell have considerable experience fighting the drop. We have relatively little and from a motivational point of view we gained ground yesterday with a poor performance. We now focus on Hamilton and for either manager, a win will feel like an enormous boost. Potentially Hamilton have more to lose so may start more motivated - they have supporters boycotting the club, Canning is on a slightly worse run than ICT. It is difficult to imagine a second consecutive worse performance. So we all need to be positive about this game. Against Partick we eventually put out a solid back five. They all played well. The front six were out of sorts!! That does not mean that the six selected for Hamilton cannot take on a much better shape and will Billy likely to return we have another option. Boden is due to get some time and luck. Let us not go down the route chosen by the Hamilton supporters or indeed those of Kilmarnock. Steady as we go and focus wholeheartedly on not losing to Hamilton.

Source?

Ryan Christie to Aberdeen....

Absolutely massive game for us. Difficult to know who will be available after the injuries.

££££££

From Hellgin away to Hellagain away - or half of a 3,600 gate to half of perhaps a 40,000 gate plus TV receipts. Celtic will expect put 10 past us. Interesting bit of psychology by Brendan Rogers ''I am not thinking about the Treble.....''

Doumbaya's disallowed goal looked very unfair from where I stood directly behind the goal. It was power and precision with no obvious infringement by any ICT player - one assumes the referee saw something we could not see. Wonder what he told Richie.

Curiously enough they were all injured. Cole was indeed a class act today and his loan extension could be absolutely invaluable.

Very fair and very decent. Positive management and all inclusive leadership style which needs to motivate everyone to get some positive results in the next month or so.

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/442177/scottish-league-two-forfar-and-stirling-finish-all-square-elgin-win-five-goal-thriller-and-arbroath-thump-berwick/ ''MARK NICOLSON admits cup fever is gripping Elgin —– and warned Inverness Caley Thistle a major upset is on the cards. City face the Premiership club in the Scottish Cup this weekend. And Nicolson — who holds the club record for appearances at Borough Briggs — knows this will be a game in a million for Elgin. He said: “All the boys are buzzing for next week now. It will be a big game for Elgin and the area as a whole. “This is my tenth season here and there have been a lot of great matches, but this is one I’m really looking forward to. “I know a lot of people still think of it as a big derby so there’s going to be a lot of people at the game. “What I would say is it’s not a game where we are just going to turn up. We are going to go out and try to win it ...''

Richie is the one suddenly sapped of confidence. His bearded look and voice do not currently inspire and after both Motherwell and County, he sounds very down but is not blaming the players. Fergie came close to the sack but survived and the rest is history. I am sure Richie will do the honourable thing even though he appears to have a 4 year contract - bound to be performance clauses in that though - if we capitulate to Elgin and Partick. We were asleep for the first few minutes of each half yesterday but overall played well. I had said in advance of the game that Lonsana needed a rest as indeed did Cole. Once those players were replaced we began to play well but were exposed by the third goal. The club has the players to get results against Elgin and Partick but should we lose against Partick, that will be the key moment for action on the managerial front.

We need to get it sorted on the pitch immediately and then take each game as it comes. Too many probaly thought that after Richie won manager of the month that we were on easy street. Lots of games were winnable. Yet here we are probably on the worse run in our history, in danger of being cut adrift, and we still think things will be all right. Motherwell was a must win according to Richie. Prior to the somewhat fluke opener by Motherwell, my aspiration was not to lose a point as so often happened in the relegation year. Despite a lot of effort, we were unable to fight back. We lost another point. One that would have taken us above Hamilton and kept Motherwell in our sights. I suspect we will see some changes for the Ross County game. Lonsana needs a rest. Aaron has a good record against County. Fisher needs a start possibly with Billy on the other wing. We definitely need to freshen up the attack. As for the three in midfield I suspect it will be Drapes, Tansey and Cole or Vigurs. Vigurs is more likely to get the nod because he knows County well, he did work hard against Motherwell and it seems Fulham want Cole back or elsewhere.

Keegan and Toshack, Rooney and Hayes, Doumbouya and Boden.....his only senior goal was against County so he might well get the call on Hogmanay...

DS and Tullochs...

Outstanding gift if confirmed.

The starting position is probably the belief we will not get relegated by being a more attack minded team. After a spell at the bottom that focussed minds, we had a fortuitous run, that lead to Richie being named Manager of the Month. Since then things have gone really pear shaped. We are not currently showing attack minded qualities that get results and the attack is far from being the best form of defence. Injuries and suspensions are an issue for all clubs beyond Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen. We cannot use that as an excuse. The club has a problem attracting supporters so to develop a stronger defence culture might lead to a further decline in attendances and support. However, to survive, we do need to tighten up at the back and that needs to happen pretty soon with December to the winter break looking to be a dangerous time. A defeat in Dingwall on the 31st could lead to a long and worrying January break that restarts with our bogey team Partick. To survive we need more than ever the spirit of 'Stronger together'. Like many relegated sides, the players we have can produce results if they operate better as a unit. Josh may well seek to move on in January and that could exacerbate the defensive problem but that is a known possibility.