CELTIC1CALEY3

Clearly not popular with some people. However, let's stand back and zoom on one year assuming we avoid relegation. Even assuming a churn of some players we are likely to pick up some good players. The most positive aspect has to be that we have forwards who at some stage will click and score goals. It is impossible for players like Bannerman, Rooney and Wood to gain further experience and not score goals. Wood has yet to be tied down on a new contract but if he is we'd have three goog strikers and inevitably a new player will emerge possibly again from the Resrves e.g. Shane Sutherland. The relegation fight this year is real for about 8 clubs. That still remains the driver to improve performances. Brewster must be improving as a Manager given the pressure from a less than supportive home crowd. Who's to say he will accept an extension but if he earns it surely more people should try and get behind the club at a very difficult time.

We should congratulate not denigrate him for this. On the theme of competence, Hearts are run by a bank, but still cannot transfer wages on time. Craig has never had a liquidity problem with players wages to contend with.

Dear Mr Barrowman, A lot of the Inverness supporters share your frustration although pre-season we do recall you waiting and waiting to make up your mind whilst playing little games on your social networking site. We were pleased when you scored against Aberdeen. We thought a bee had stung you after you scored against Kilmarnock. A lot of us thought we could have done better than you against Hearts given the fact you had a football and an enormous net in front of you with less than 7% of its area impeded by a non goal keeping player. However, you are a professional and we just watch so I guess we would have bodged it too. Against Kilmarnock it did seem unfair that Dougie's goal went in like a magic bullet and Woodie jumped like a spectator at a Runrig concert and somehow the friggin ball hit his head and bounced over the line. You then scored our best goal of the game and later discover Brewster used his mobile to alert the linesman it was offside. It's so unfair. Anyway, all players who have joined us from Ross County have been successes so knuckle down and start scoring. That will get rid of your frustrations, Yours I M Jolly

Just a thought not on sympathy but based on the fact he has skill, is determined, is experienced and always plays better after Christmas. In a young team I agree with Barry that experience is vital. The supporters still like him and who cares if he is used sparingly. A few months more from him is the least we can expect the club to provide for. Then next year he can go and manage Elgin.

Did Neil Lennon teach you that when you were at Celtic? Yer Spanish compatriot Juanjo would not be impressed.

The 'home' fans are not always the most supportive of their team. Indeed they are quite fickle. I have just noticed this on the BBC site about the economic down turn. 'As with so much in the economy, that has several local knock-on effects, not just for construction industry jobs but to Falkirk football club. Keir Homes had to withdraw its sponsorship of the club's north stand and the team's shorts. And the club has had to introduce three-for-two ticket offers to combat falling gates - yet another sign that the downturn affects every part of the life. ' With half season tickets on offer I just wondered whether ICT could now take a big gamble by reducing prices for these perhaps to 3:2. I know some season ticket holders might winge at having paid full price but realistically we all should put something into the club especially if we (collective) perhaps reduce the confidence of the players on match days.

What's this about 'Killie and Inverness CT are kicking lumps out of each other' on the BBC site?

Rory will get some action today. Barrowman is highly motivated to prove a point against Killie - if ever he pulls the finger out it will be today so expect him to feature.

Curiously enough Celtic haven't lost for 10 games. The chances of us getting a result down there are slim, but stranger things have happened.

Berra gifted us an easy goal at Tynecastle a few years back - last Saturday he was immense. Jamie is a lad who has come a long way this season. Mistakes make or break you and I suspect he will be much stronger as a result. Great achievement to get a cap.

Having reflected, 'What has Brew achieved as a Manager?' He starts fairly well, then moves. He wins nothing and does not achieve much of note in Cups - ICT's roots. For one reason, or another, he is an absolute disaster at United taking them on an amazing run of home (and away) defeats. He re-starts 'unfinished' business at ICT. After pulling us out of a big hole he has a good run of results then down hill we go but with Gretna in freefall our safety is not an issue. Our results are very poor, we fail in Cups, we end up in our worst league position in the SPL. Brew is perhaps in denial that he has to retire as a player. He starts 2008/09 on a high. We beat Aberdeen on the first day then start losing to virtually all other teams. We seem to underestimate Arbroath and Morton before 'back luck and adverse refeeing decisions' see us lose against Falkirk. We seem to be playing 'good' football but there appears to be a major motivational issue with quite a few players. Even Brewster seems very rattled against Falkirk. Our role as SPL charity continues unabated as we provide three points to virtually every team that travels north under Brew's stewardship. Supporters remain critical although this is a feature of all teams in the SPL.

Rangers did it under Sounness. Legally under SPL Rules we need a compliant pitch. We could change the dimensions for each game. If we do, we should install an undersoil sprocket for the Standside linesman to overcome their inability to work out the offside rule.

There are currently 12 Managers in the SPL all getting some form of dogs abuse. We know one team will get relegated this year. Somebody will cop it. Injuries or other circumstances will pershap conspire to take a team down. Once again we expect ICT to punch above its weight with players being rewarded less well we believe than most other SPL teams. Partly this is our fault for not supporting the club - money does not grow on trees and if more loyalty were shown to support the club beyond a few wealthy chairmen and loyal sponsers we might be slightly better off. Hibs are such a club but currently sit just above us. So is Brew the deciding factor? Regardless of his ability as a player, this is man management. Do we blame him for the slow start against Falkirk? Do we blame him for the defence failing to close down Higdon the other night? Do we blame him for blooding youth this season? There are clear aspects of his personality that will demotivate players. However, as a manager he is learning and I think there are positives in this area. On Wednesday he went for it at half time. ICT are generally far better attacking teams because backing off leads to regular disasters. I am not a great fan of Brew but there is good and bad in all managers and currently there are just about enough good bitds to show he is cutting his teeth. I recall the abuse Calderwood was getting at Dunfermline in the year we webnt there in the CIS Cup and beat them on penalties. Levein was unpopular at Leicester. Strachan has his critics at Celtic despite phenomenal success. Jim Jefferies has had periods of deep unpopularity in the business. Recently we heard Paatelainen was on his way out of Hibs. Yogi was allegedly close to the chop at Falkirk. Reid is fine because he is new. Rangers season is now over. McGee is currently safe. Laszlo will drop his guard at some stage and be stabbed in the back without ceremony. As for Gus, three more straight defeats and he will not be the man to take the Buddies into the new stadium. So has anyone other than IHE extracted an SPL Manager's brain to discover what genes they have to absorb such persistent abuse? What is their cracking point? Is it just a nervy Director of Football who puts them out of their misery? Think on the bright side, we could have taken Malpas.

Ross County's famous goalie, I M Knackered, formerly a night club bouncer and aspirational male model in Inverness, has been rested. Ross County have made it clear that he has not been dropped. This is perhaps understandable given his weight. His Manager has played down suggestions that Charlie Christie on a secret spying mission to a Ross County Training Session at the Fluke Inn had tentatively suggested that consuming 6 steak and kidney pies in one training session was beyond even Bobby Mann. The said keeper had taken offence at this but was unable to move fast enough before Charlie had legged it. Nevertheless, I M Knackered had tumbled and we believe caused some damage to property, players and officials as he fell. Following a number of calls to the BBC concerning a possible earthquake in Inverness, people have been advised that no such geological event took place. Mr Roy Mee, who lives adjacent to the Fluke, reported damage to his chimney stack. Today Ross County have decided to rest their regular keeper for the trip to Perth. Coach Driver Mr Sandy Heid from Dingwall was quoted as saying 'This would relieve the aging Ross County Team Bus from considerable stress, particularly going up hills, as Mr Souter was half the size of I M Knackered or That Big Bullock as he is known to the fans.'

November looks like a long hard month. It would be easy to panic tonight but we must recognise the fact that Rangers were on the face of it pretty stunning in the first half. Charlie certainly knew when to throw in the towel. Brew went on and on into a deep depression of defeats at Dundee United. This time he does not need to seek a massive compensation package. Rumour has it that he has already offered to resign in the last month so as a fair club we should give him until 5.00 pm after the Hearts game to demonstrate that he can get good results out of a team when the chips are down. If not we should accept his offer. If we make progress we should get behind him and the team because Inverness without SPL football will be much poorer for years to come. On an annual basis this Club responds to a crisis. Hopefully all those connected with it see that we are at least slipping into one and the only way out is not to look for sympathy, criticise referees even though they have clearly made mistakes, but to quietly get some positive results.

Where is Marius when we need him?

I spoke to him at the Barry Wilson testimonial and he seemed happy working offshore. If he can regain a hunger for the game and avoid injury he has the talent. An interesting move which needs an understanding supportive Manager to help him rebuild.

We need real graft in the next few weeks - the bottom spot is becoming like a magnet. If we persist in believing we have no right to sink into it we will. We should not laugh at Aberdeen because they have the resources to get out of the mess. Last year we criticised - or some did - Marius for failing to be a prolific scorer. Our forwards need to work very hard in the next 6 games or else we could be back where Brew started. Sorry to be negative but this is a scary league this year.

Taxi for Brewster if does not offer Black a decent three year contract.

Ian Black will one day be worth a fortune - he will outstay Brewster and potentially have a better career.

Well Mrs Mann, what's wee Bobby up to tonight? Auch ma wee baby is modelling yon 46'' shorts at a Markie's fashion show. Now tell me Mrs Yardley, what size shorts does yon Mark wear playing for the Heathmount Arms?

This is good news not least for Rory and Woody. There's a new lad working his way up. For Shane this is just the beginning but extremely well done to have beaten the quality you have beaten to achieve this.

Ian needs to settle down and get maybe two good seasons in then he would be able to select a big club of his choice. He has a long way to go but he is moving in the right direction. A Charlie Christie type performance against Celtic in October would raise his stock but he has to reach a level of performance where a move to a big club is more than good money sitting on a bench and then being sold on a few years later to find himself back at the start - even though a few quid richer.

If we go on a winning streak, Brew's name will be linked with vacancies. Our supporters will say 'Hands off!' If we go on a losing streak, the supporters will help drown him and the team. Nobody can win in football surely?

Fraser did not make a mistake, he gave Kilmarnock an early lead so they would get cocky, Jim Jefferies would lose the head, and Fowler would get sent off, Bannerman would work harder, Imrie would show that he is a winner, and Black would show that if he waits two years, takes his time, he will be come a great player, and finally, that McGuire, despite abuse, would completely bamboozle a Scottish International goal keeper into watching a mis hit shot nestle into the net to equalise.