acharacleoracle

You are entitled to your opinion but some of us feel that after 16 years in senior football there should be at least 4-5 players from the area making regular first team appearances.

One comment that caught my eye was this and how depressing it was to read it, "There are enough players around the British market for us to continue to be competitive within a budget." Has Sutherland adopted the Butcher ethos and will the ICT become a local free zone?. If budget is a consideration then we need to design a team around local lads that have come through the youth system, right now this is not happening, the local lads routinely get dumped aged 17-19 and the full time places given to players from the south and beyond. We want to see a few local heroes instead of the rubbish Butcher has brought in, there is very little to get excited about right now.

Exactly what I was thinking. Can't believe Sutherland would simply pour the cash into the proverbial black hole.

Saw this tucked away in the stadium ownership thread and I think it deserves a thread all of its own. David Sutherland, The Scotsman interview. Please click, read and comment.

Showing my age now but I remember as a kid visiting Poole and going to Ted Macdougalls shop back in the late 70's. Bit of a legend down there I believe.

Having read the topic on Stadium Ownership it occurred to me that the club has control over absolutely none of the assets as they have been creatively accounted for in a series of holdings and trusts set up to service the interest payments in a tax efficient way. When the club Inverness Caledonian Thistle was created and the club took up its position in the football league, a fair number of investors bought into the club by the way of share issue (although this investment is probably better described as a donation), plus over the years others have dipped into their pockets or companies pockets and bought more. The proceeds raised were used to build the stadium etc. This prompts a couple of questions: 1.As a result of the lack of assets what would the value of one of these shares be now, they originally cost ?1 each?. 2.Does the lack of assets and control thereof make the club unattractive to potential investors?.

Didn't see this till I read the paper a few minutes ago. Another embarrassing day for the club and whoever is behind this move. Its surprises me when they wonder why people are getting pretty hacked off with the club, this season has exemplified their incompetence. It does at least prove one thing, they read this forum. Its a complete mess and becoming a real joke down there but they just don't seem to see it. Full support for CD on this one, standing up for free speech, well done.

Pull yourself together Man, resorting to a man made chemical solution should be avoided at all costs, may I suggest an greener, organic remedy to put the lead back in your pencil. ?Horny Goat Weed?, a fine herb rumoured to grow in abundance in and around the Dingwall area, I believe the local farmer does a brisk trade supplying the herb but be warned he has been known to shaft non locals looking to buy. (shafts a few locals to no doubt). County players swear by it apparently, following its recent introduction as a performance enhancing supplement Horny Goat Weed seems an effective cure for BDS, Brewsters Droop Syndrome. So less of the limp excuses, try a little Horny Goat Weed and keep your pecker up.

For me its not just this Saturdays game thats important , Dundee, then County followed by Motherwell in the cup, the next three Saturdays will shape our season. Confident?, no.

We are now 12 points of the pace and I can't see where we are going to gain the ground to catch up and overhaul Dundee. I sincerely hope the board have a contingency plan in place to replace Butcher in the very near future, quite frankly he's had his chance and its not working, he's a spent force with little to offer.

Its sad to think that the Elgin option is the only one open to these youngsters, it hasn't worked in the past and I don't think it will do now. What is the point of sending out youngsters to a club that can't even attract highland league players due to lack of money and a horrendous fixture schedule. The club no longer do under 19 or reserve team football so its going to be very difficult to give the youngsters coming through any sort of chance.

You can understand people for not turning out considering the fog. I was sat just up from the half way line and struggled to see the goal, I wonder what sort of view those in the north stand got of it?.

You have hit it on the head when you say "we need players who are willing to stay at the club long term". We need a mix of local lads and players brought in who are willing to commit to the club to bring back the football we have enjoyed in the past. Paterson did it over a number of seasons and the results came through which in turn laid the foundations for the SPL. We are back at the bottom now and a considered long term approach and rebuild is required.

Its clear and has been since last season Butcher is an inept manager, some people are just not cut out for management and he is one of them. I have said this on many occasions but here it is again. We lost our SPL status due to his tactical blundering in key games. Following relegation he dumped as many of the previous managers players as he could in a bid to create his team without consideration to those already there. He has failed repeatedly to identify the fact our back four are and have been a complete liability, the Bulvitus signing has not worked, he loved Zadi but its obvious he is a disaster waiting to happen and bringing in Golly has added little. Yesterday highlighted this, Derek Holmes looked a good stone overweight but terrorised our back four, scoring after 32 seconds with Bulvitus AWOL. They ripped us apart on the wings all afternoon, Tokely couldn't tackle to save himself. Butcher brought in a completely new midfield in preference to building up what was already there. The midfield should have been built around Vigurs, Duncan, Mcbain and Foran with the like of Ross and Gillespie being brought in to gain experience and build for the future, instead we have had to watch Eagle, Stratford, Cox and Hayes run around lost, devoid of ideas and failing miserably to provide the forwards with service. Up front Foran seems wasted here I would much prefer to see him in midfield. Sanchez or whichever forward is selected to play along side Foran do not seem to be able to play off him in support or benefit from his work to create goals. On the field we lack leadership Munro is struggling with his own game never mind masterminding those around him. Off the field the manager fails to inspire and there is little in the way of tactics. His method of preparation is also suspect, the team just does not look fit enough to me. Modern football teams use up to date training methods Butchers method is truly archaic and just not good enough. Butchers body language suggests a man under pressure struggling to find the answer to problems that he has created for himself. After his spat with crowd in the main stand and along with the mass exit after the 3rd goal he must realise that the tide is turning against him and I wonder what it is that is keeping him from chucking it in. To survive he is going to have to turn things around pretty fast, a lot of people are getting hacked of now. If and when he does go his successor has an awful job ahead of him it may be a case of a long term rebuild and a few seasons in the 1st.

Time for Butcher to go and take his dead beat signings with him. Absolute joke of a performance. What was the comment from the crowd in the main stand that TB reacted to so badly to?. Poor reaction from TB.

Butcher cannot see past "his" signings regardless of their ability and form. I certainly think Roy has something to offer at the moment.

Agreed, its becoming a bit of a mess down there at TCs, we look and play like a struggling 1st division team.

We looked like a struggling 1st division side yesterday and we got exactly what we deserved after a very poor first half performance. Pre match TB worked the press like he does every week and made his usual comments about making important changes to the squad but quite frankly these changes made little difference. Once again we were exposed at the back and the midfield failed to deliver, tactically the team lacked imagination and there was no leadership on or off the field. Post match comments are now starting to sound very repetative. He had the squad in for a punishment session today, I wonder what that consisted off, a few miles of running no doubt.

Its going take more than a Sunday punishment session to sort this lot out!.

In the words of Jim Royle "Good points, well made, Bar-berra"

Are Morton going to be the whipping boys this season?. I'd be more than little worried if we didn't pick three points from them.

Caleyboy goes with Butchers choice, jeez, it took him 9 months to realise Lionel is a dud!!!.

Simply baffling.

OK boys and girls time to get this thread back on track. Thanks to those who have taken the time to add comments. The questions were quite simple: 1.Why were no Scottish players signed during Buthchers signing spree?. 2.As Scotland Asst coach is this a good example to set for other Scottish Managers to follow? 3.Why sign so many youngsters when we have plenty of them coming up through the youth system?. 4.And were all these signings made simply to oust our previous managers players?. There have been some interesting replies so let me summarise but please read their entire posts to get their full opinion. Old Caley Girl says ?leave them alone they are only youngsters?, so do will leave them to wander, leaderless down the abyss?. Jaggie 1994 reckons ?they need time to gel? and ?they play better away from home? Sorted ?I share this mans views? Caley D ?Fianancial prudence, a confirmed Butcher fan and a Lionel fan as well? Alex Macleod ? out of 300 unemployed Scottish players non are good enough? Theman4thejob ? suggests the club have brought this situation on themselves with the straight back up line? The names Brewster and Christie have crept into the threads but lets not go there they have been done to death in other topics over the last couple of years. By the way I am not suggesting anything in the way of a crisis, hopefully, Saturday was just a blip. I am simply questioning Butchers signing strategy and seeking the views of others. Reading through all the replies I have also got to ask a couple more questions: Is it possible for Butcher to hold down both of his coaching roles and give 100% to both?. And what did happen between Butcher and Dale Gillespie?.

Exactly a couple of experienced players and less of the unexperienced and retained the services of known talent.