RossP

The Sheep are on fire… pray for snow! Sunday will see Inverness host Aberdeen where a win for either side will secure second position for now. An Aberdeen win will put them only two points behind leaders Celtic who slipped up by drawing at home to Ross County who hit the bottom again, despite this battling point at Parkhead. Inverness have hit their customary Xmas slump, losing their last two fixtures whilst the Dons are on a bit of a roll with six wins in their last seven games, the only loss coming against Celtic. They will be looking to make it five in a row whereas Inverness will be hoping to stop the rot after two consecutive defeats. Transfer speculation is rife around Inverness and Graeme Shinnie is the subject of most of it. Aberdeen are one of a few clubs allegedly putting a package together hoping to attract the Caley Jags vice captain to the East, but Birmingham City might be more lucrative for Graeme and the opportunity to join up with his brother, Andy in the English championship. Josh Meekings, Gary Warren, Aaron Doran, Marley Watkins and Billy McKay are all key figures at the Caledonian Stadium, but the January transfer window is looming large and that's always an uncomfortable time for selling clubs. RossP has taken time off from his Xmas duties to put together this excellent preview for us......................... Inverness Caledonian Thistle host Aberdeen in this festive fixture, where both sides will be desperate to take advantage of title challenger Celtic’s Saturday slip to relegation fodder Ross County. Also with the good form of top six challengers Hamilton and St Johnstone, John Hughes and Derek McInnes really cannot afford to drop points this weekend. Recent form There’s not much of a pattern to the results between the two sides, each earning 5 wins in the last 13 games with the remaining fixtures ending in a draw (including the Cup Final in March). Inverness CT had been sitting pretty with Celtic at the top of the SPFL a mere two fixtures ago… before a capitulation against Partick Thistle and further dropped points against the form team in the country St Johnstone caused a tumble down the table. Whilst some of the embarrassment from the Partick game was rectified with a fairly solid performance last weekend, fans will be worried that this slump is the start of our almost annual decline in results over the winter period. Aberdeen could hardly be in better form going into Sunday’s game, where they have 7 league wins out of 8; all with clean sheets. As was the case last season many of their results were won by one goal, and with such a Scrooge-like defence if they go a goal up they will likely see the game out for a win. Their fans have also been excitedly looking at the SPFL table and predicted that two wins from their next two games would see them sit top of the league. Dangermen Rather than focus on Goodwillie and McGinn who have the most assists in the league, or the multitude of ex-ICT players now playing in red; I’ll instead highlight Ryan Jack who should be starring for Scotland according to the Dons fans (the same bunch that were incandescent at the exclusion of players like Anderson, Langfield, Reynolds and Pawlett from the national side). Despite their red tinted glasses giving them an unrealistic analysis of Jack’s ability it does need to be said that he is a very effective player and one that will cause Tansey significant worry in the middle of the pitch. Strong in the tackle, quick to move the ball and a great ‘football brain’ to find space to operate, he could play at English Championship level - which he will definitely have to in order to jump ahead of Scotland fringe players like Arfield, Bryson, McDonald, Bridcutt and Cairney who all deserve to be selected ahead of Jack in my opinion. Shay Logan is a player who will probably spend more time in our half than his own and that is where his best strength lies. A fast and direct full back, He found great joy in the last fixture between ICT and Aberdeen counterattacking in the space that Shinnie left when stranded up the pitch. Had his crossing matched his shooting that day, the 3-2 scoreline could have been much worse for ICT. With Logan pushing up the pitch it will allow extra numbers of Aberdeen's attacking players to operate in the ICT penalty area - a worrying sign when all have already scored several goals this season. Team news Inverness have lost Ross Draper for two games due to a needless reaction in the St Johnstone match earning him a straight red card. Whilst many of his team mates came to his defence in the national press, it is increasingly apparent that his reckless challenges warrant the referee attention he’s been receiving. With Draper missing, Hughes has to decide whether to install Vincent, Shinnie, Williams, Polworth or Ross in the CM role next to Tansey. With his comments at looking to avoid ringing changes I would anticipate that Vincent will play in the middle instead of his usual ineffective position on the right of midfield, allowing Watkins to come back into the starting line up. Aberdeen usually have an injury crisis when we meet, but on Sunday they will only be missing long term absentees Anderson, Flood and Low. McInnes has demonstrated a tactical masterclass in the forward positions, playing nearly all his players in ‘unfamiliar’ positions and still inspiring positive performances and results. This will probably continue with the only question mark being whether Goodwillie will pay for his petulant reaction after being substituted against Kilmarnock. RossP Prediction Many ICT fans commented last weekend that we are looking increasingly toothless up front and that the chances we were once creating are now increasingly harder to come by. Perhaps opposition teams have discovered if they press our defence and midfield whilst squeezing their back line forward, we are prone to errors similar to the short passback from Ryan Christie which led to the Brian Graham dive for the winning penalty. This will likely be on John Hughes’ mind when selecting his team and tactics for the weekend, where Aberdeen will at times be pushing Logan into wide midfield whilst the fluid attacking midfield of Pawlett, Hayes, Jack, McGinn, Rooney and Goodwillie are constantly interchanging positions. This may be a match where we have to surrender the possession play that Hughes craves in order to play a more direct game where Watkins, Mckay and our wide men look to challenge for the ball in the Aberdeen corners of the pitch – a tactic the team learned under former manager Terry Butcher. If this is indeed his tactic, expect the guile of Ryan Christie and Aaron Doran to be sacrificed for the energy and physicality of Danny Williams and James Vincent. As an ICT fan who has lived and worked in Aberdeen for over a decade, this is the fixture I want to win most. Dons fans are a smug bunch (when things are going well for their team) and this year I’ve found it even more nauseating if you add in their slavering of reported target Shinnie. I unfortunately don’t see us getting a win in this fixture as the Dons are playing extremely confidently and with a big support backing them, it wouldn’t surprise me if they ran out comfortable winners by one or two goals. I’d love to be proven wrong though!

Bring along a friend for a fiver A tough home fixture this weekend as Inverness prepare to face the Arabs in what promises to be an entertaining game for only a fiver (if you have a friend). They are the second top scorers in the division although they have conceded four more than Inverness. Based on that we should be looking at goals this Saturday. Dundee United can be a handful when they are in full flow as we have witnessed before, circa the 0-5 cup thrashing meted out less than a year ago. On closer inspection, we shot ourselves in the foot that day with some comedy defending and ended the game with nine men. Not a good idea playing the free scoring United. Strangely enough, Willie Collum was referee that day as well, he was the man in the middle last weekend where he booked eight and sent off Ryan Christie. We are spared that ignominy against United as Kevin Clancy is the man in charge come 3:00pm on Saturday. Let's hope he allows the game to flow better than the stop start affair last weekend and the fans can enjoy a footballing extravaganza instead of an ego trip for the man in the middle. He has not refereed us yet this season, but he did dish out seven yellow cards last Friday in the Hamilton Aberdeen game. Ach well, you pays your money, you takes your chance! As the heading says, bring along a friend for a fiver. Here's a wee fun quiz ahead of the Arabfest........... RossP has scoured the internet and has scribed this preview for us It’s second against third this weekend, with both teams keen to catch Hamilton Accies who are currently marching towards Champions League football in style. There will be plenty of interest in this game from fans and media alike, but unfortunately it’ll be due to the front page stories that have this week clouded Dundee United’s solid start to the season. I will avoid talking about those issues though by focusing on the game in hand. Inverness will look to attack from the very start, to strike a blow to United’s good form and keep pundits talking about how we are punching above our weight. A win would also give us some revenge for United knocking us out of the Scottish Cup last season. Previous meetings/current form As a betting man, I’ll be putting my money on there being goals in this game. In the last 27 meetings between the sides there has only been one 0-0 draw, with 15 of those games having both teams scoring. United are currently the second highest scorers in the division with goals being spread around the team, indicating that it will be a tough ask to get a clean sheet. Despite their lofty position in the league table, their players and fans have spoken openly about the below par performances that they are putting on the pitch. Their recent 1-0 win at home to Partick Thistle was a particular worry for the team, where they were very fortunate to escape with three points. Both teams flooded their midfield which perhaps nullified any creative, free flowing football and that unfortunately could be the order of the day on Saturday as well, given our likely formation. Inverness have also been inconsistent with performances since our fantastic early season form dipped. A defeat to Aberdeen and draw to Ross County preceded last weekend’s 1-0 win away to a toothless St Mirren. We were perhaps unlucky not to be further ahead at the break with several chances dropping to a hardworking (but currently goal shy) Billy Mckay. The second half saw one of our best defensive displays, with the organised two banks of four restricting the Buddies to wayward long range efforts. That result was essential considering the magnitude of getting results from this weekend’s game and our next game against Celtic. Dangermen Nadir Ciftci is a player who likes to take a game by the scruff of the neck to influence it… just ask Graeme Shinnie in last year’s League Cup win! There is plenty of evidence to suggest he is a player who could be perceived as lazy or petulant, but the moments of brilliance he’s shown on the pitch since joining in 2013 have lit up the SPFL. His close control and ability to hold the ball up as a lone striker has allowed United to play with a very attacking midfield who are all capable of scoring goals. Highland lads Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay Steven are offered a lot of space when Ciftci is marked closely and with Chris Erskine and Ryan Dow, they have contributed to most of their team’s goals in recent seasons. John Rankin in between his jobs as a Herbalife salesman, PFA Scotland chairman and football commentator has been outstanding with Paul Paton at the centre of Dundee United’s midfield. As an ex-Inverness and Ross County player we are well aware of his abilities to spread play quickly up the pitch, in addition to being able to score the odd spectacular long range effort, but it has been in his latter years that his defensive abilities have shone. ‘Mopping up’ in front of his defenders and giving the ball to the more attacking players ahead of him has given his team a counter attacking, direct style that has suited their blend of pace and skill. He will be operating in the area of the pitch that Ryan Christie would have played, so perhaps Hughes will consider going with a two man attack to either move Rankin further back or give him licence to wander further forward, which would then create spaces for us to utilise. Latest team news Inverness Caledonian Thistle like last previous weeks are only missing club captain Richie Foran through injury. This weekend will see Ryan Christie and Ross Draper miss out however, due to suspension. John Hughes will have plenty to ponder over who to utilise to replace the creativity of the former and the battling qualities of the latter. I would like to see Vincent or Polworth brought into the Draper position – however I fully expect Hughes to move Williams or Shinnie into that role, perhaps in an effort to match the running of Stuart Armstrong. I have longed for a return to the side for local lad Nick Ross who is one of the best passers in the team and Saturday’s game provides an excellent opportunity for him to have an impact. Again though, I anticipate Hughes moving one of our wider players, like Doran, into the Christie role. ***Update on availability is that Ross Draper has not quite passed the bookings threshold, not for the want of trying some might say, but he will be available for selection this weekend. Dundee United are hopeful that Hull City loanee Conor Townsend, John Souttar and Mario Balati will all return to the squad following injury layoffs. Paul Paton and Mark Wilson have both been ruled out whilst the club carries out an internal investigation into their recent off the pitch antics. At least Stuart Armstrong is getting some practice for the law degree that he is currently studying… RossP Prediction: For ICT to get anything from this game we are going to have to put on one of our strongest defensive performances of the season. The direct running of Dow, GMS, Armstrong and Ciftci is one of the league’s most prolific attacking forces and will provide a strong test for the likes of Raven and Shinnie, who have struggled with similar attacking style recently against Partick Thistle. This may be the game that Hughes changes our formation to a 4-4-2, to force the Dundee United defence of former ICT trialist Callum Morris and recent signing Jarosław Fojut deeper than they would like to be. I would like to see us pepper Radosław Cierniak’s goal with shots and crosses, as it will be through his poor handling that we will have our greatest opportunity to score. Polworth and Tansey are vital to this tactic with their long range shooting accuracy and I could see Billy Mckay getting back on the goal trail tapping home any scraps in the box. In terms of a result, I can see us being backed into the ropes for much of the game, but should we get the first goal I can see that being a big body blow to Dundee United’s chances of getting back into the game – hence my prediction of a 2-1 win with us conceding from an attack late on in the lane. Game, I mean game.

New start for Ibra Paisley is the destination this weekend as we return to domestic football. Our last 45 minutes were highly entertaining as we clawed back Ross County in the Highland derby to snatch a point. The first half was instantly forgettable as we never turned up and our neighbours deservedly took the plaudits. At the end of the day a point apiece was about right and it was a tale of two keepers, both in outstanding form in each half. Inverness have signed Ibra Sekajja until the New Year from Crystal Palace and John Hughes has challenged the pacey forward to earn himself an extension to his contract by helping Inverness to get back on track and add some goals to the account to take the load off Billy McKay, who has been finding it hard going this season as defences keep a close eye on him. RossP is your author this week and he lays it out neatly for you to ponder over. I wrote ahead of the Partick Thistle encounter that following an international break, ICT tend to under perform. This was swiftly followed by a 3-1 defeat which could have been greater had it not been for Dean Brill saving a late penalty. Perhaps any momentum prior to the break is lost, concentration takes time to return or maybe the likes of Billy Mckay and Ryan Christie suffer fatigue from the travels across the continent? Whatever the reasons are it is essential that this pattern is broken for our season to progress and this weekend’s fixture at St Mirren will provide a stern test for our side. Previous meetings/Current form Games against St Mirren generate memories of Ross Tokely getting pelters from a clamorous Buddies support, Gary Warren being awarded the Nobel Peace prize for correcting a referee’s decision to caution Steven Thompson and on regular occasions - a victory for Inverness Caledonian Thistle. A record of only 10 defeats in the 47 matches between the sides, with only one St Mirren win in the last 12 meetings is a fantastic return and one that our opponents will be desperate to alter. After a horrible start where they were rooted to the bottom of the table with our Highland neighbours, there appeared to be no turnaround in sight. Their new look strike force of Marwood, Ball and Caldwell couldn’t fill the Thompson sized hole in their attack and that showed with their return of 0 goals from the first four SPFL games this season. New manager Tommy Craig was already under pressure from a support who felt that his appointment was a cheap and easy option, which would not take the club any further forward. Results have picked up in recent weeks however, with points picked up against St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Partick Thistle that have perhaps given Craig some respite from his critics. What’s notable is that many of these points have been won very late on in the game – an 87th minute winner, an 86th minute equaliser and a 90th minute winner. I for one will be biting my nails entering the final chapter of the game. After a fantastic start to the campaign, we’ve suffered since the first international break winning only 4 points from a possible 12. The once formidable defence that didn’t give an inch to the opposition has been shipping goals and our main source of goals Mckay hasn’t scored since his opening day strike against (league leaders!) Hamilton. The first half in the 1-1 Ross County game a fortnight ago saw us have a performance that many would bill as our worst under Hughes, or perhaps any manager! What was more reassuring was the response in the second half, where the players reacted well to a formation change and different approach to moving the ball up the pitch. More chances were created in that 45 minutes than we had created in several games added together, and an unlikely 3 points was only thwarted by former player Mark Brown’s heroics in goals. Dangermen Kenny McLean – Eyebrows rose at McLean’s decision to re-sign at St Mirren this summer, as many people in Scottish football felt this was his time to make the step up to one of the many English Championship clubs reported to be interested in him. A naturally attacking centre midfielder, he will be a real threat in and outside the box as he is very capable of scoring from distance. His energy and workrate will also suit this game where he will be expected to harry our midfield pair of Tansey and Draper when they have the ball. John McGinn – Another young midfielder who has been tipped to move onto bigger and better things, he will also be a vital part in any plan to press our defence and midfield when they have the ball. He more than matched Scott Brown in St Mirren’s recent game against Celtic and won’t shirk challenging a player as strong as Draper. Jim Goodwin – Despite being a yellow card waiting to happen, Goodwin has been a formidable opponent in any Inverness v St Mirren games I’ve seen. He is able to break up play and show excellent positional sense when operating in the middle of the park. I’ve seen him be a bombscare at centre half though, so I hope he will be operating there at the weekend. Latest Team News Inverness Caledonian Thistle have no fresh injury concerns for the visit to Paisley, with only Richie Foran missing through injury. New signing Ibra Sekajja will come into the match day squad on a high after his goal in the Under 20 development league match against Motherwell. It remains to be seen whether Hughes sees him as a partner for Mckay or someone to challenge for the sole striker role however. The personnel will likely be the same eleven that started against Ross County, but only Hughes knows if it will be as the usual 4-2-3-1 formation or the 4-4-2 that worked so well in the second half in that game. St Mirren:-There are contrasting comments online regarding the injuries of Gregg Wylde, Jeroen Tesselaar, Isaac Osbourne and Eli Plummer but even with their potential return, Tommy Craig may opt to keep the same side that won against St Johnstone. The latest word on the street is that Wylde is out for a couple of weeks after having surgery on a groin problem. Tesselaar and Plummer are in contention for a return to the team. Steven Thompson remains out for the long term. RossP prediction:- It is a tough one to predict given the unpredictability of which ICT team will turn up. This is a game where we need to play the ball to the wings in my opinion, as St Mirren have a lot of energy and skill in the middle of the pitch. If the likes of Doran and Watkins have positive performances I can see us scoring goals past an unspectacular St Mirren defence. I don’t see us keeping a clean sheet however, so I will go with a late equaliser for St Mirren in a 1-1 draw. I can also see there being a penalty in this game, since we haven’t seen a converted one for or against this season - law of averages n' that.

“One Glasgow team beaten, two to go” A tough away fixture this week as Inverness take on Partick Thistle at Firhill, a ground that we are not overly familiar with being victorious at, with only two wins in ten attempts. Inverness received a boost prior to heading south with the news that the club scooped all three awards from the Scottish Premiership for the month of August. John Hughes, Ross Draper and Ryan Christie picked up the gongs as Manager, player and young player of the month. Fantastic recognition for Yogi's new style of play and just reward for the players carrying out their orders and executing it to perfection so far. Iain Auld chats to Yogi about the awards and RossP picked out Kallum Higginbotham as a threat, check out this clip to see a tale of the unexpected. RossP has been studying form for this game and his preview is ready for your viewing.................... Partick Thistle v. Inverness Caledonian Thistle Saturday’s match v. Partick Thistle is the first of two trips to Glasgow in quick succession, with the League Cup game v. Rangers taking place three days after. Our trips south this season have been profitable thus far, following wins against Motherwell and Hamilton. John Hughes will look to continue this good form after the unwelcome interruption of the international break, unlike the previous season when we returned to club football with a 2-1 defeat at home to Partick. Previous meetings/Current form Partick and Inverness have played each other 24 times competitively and have shared the spoils evenly, with both teams earning 8 wins and drawing 6 times. Such is the close competition between the teams, which the last 8 games have not seen either side win by more than one goal. With this in mind it is essential that Inverness continue their flawless defensive record, where Dean Brill has gone 598 minutes without conceding in the SPFL; a record only bettered by Celtic’s former goal keeper Fraser Forster. The last game between the sides saw Inverness earn a 1-0 home win with Billy Mckay getting the only goal. What jumped out when I looked back at the team that day is that every player in the match day squad has been retained this season, further highlighting our efforts in ensuring personnel continuity. On the topic of continuity… Partick Thistle got their season off to a flier with a comprehensive 4-0 win v a Ross County side that featured more than half a dozen players making their debut. After having to wait until February for a home win last season, Alan Archibald will have been delighted to come up against such a poor team as County that early in this campaign. Partick’s form has dropped somewhat since that emphatic win however, with only a point being earned from their next three games v. Dundee, Hamilton and Aberdeen. Dangermen Kallum Higginbotham – A diminutive winger, who scored an impressive 9 goals last season and topped the assist table with 11 goals created. He is a skilful player, who drives at opposition full backs and looks to cut inside to get a shot at goal. Higginbotham’s goals tend to be long range efforts, so expect him to strike the ball early whenever he gets a sight at goal. Referees have also taken note of his tendency to anticipate challenges, as demonstrated by his yellow card for diving earlier this season. Ryan Stevenson – Striker/midfielder, recently joined from relegated Hearts. Stevenson will likely be fired up for this game following a humiliating semi-final defeat to Inverness, where he is remembered for high-fiving Hearts fans as he went to take a corner, seconds before Nick Ross scored our dramatic equaliser. Like Higginbotham, he is capable of scoring spectacular goals. Gary Fraser – A player who has excelled this season, where he’s provided steel in the middle of the pitch, in addition to a goal threat. His excellent start to the campaign has somewhat buried his negative early days at Partick where he was given a lengthy ban for "punching a player on the opposing team" and "thereafter kicking him repeatedly on the head and body" in an under 20 game. I don’t think he would be stupid enough to try a similar approach to Ross Draper… Latest Team News Inverness Caledonian Thistle ICT should have a near fully fit squad to choose from, with only Richie Foran still missing. Warren, Devine and Vincent have all missed some games this season but all are back in training and looking to get back into the first eleven. Billy Mckay returns in high spirits from his match winning contribution in Hungary for the Northern Ireland national team, whilst Ryan Christie may require some rest after his travels to Slovakia and Luxembourg this week with the Scotland Under 21 squad. Partick Thistle It should be a full strength squad for Partick, who will want to get their season back on track as soon as possible. They have added to their team with the signing of Nathan Eccleston prior to today’s game; a striker who has spent much of his career on loan to various lower league teams from Liverpool and Blackpool. His scoring record of 5 goals from 60 career games in the English Leagues won’t be giving Dean Brill too many nightmares, should he start. Goalkeeper Scott Fox also returns from suspension following his absurd red card v. Dundee, and Archibald may be tempted to restore him between the sticks following their recent SPFL defeats. Whoever Archibald picks in goals, Partick fans will be concerned about their defenders in front, with Balatoni and Muirhead delivering unconvincing performances so far and some indecision on who their strongest fullbacks are. Latest news coming from Firhill has Gary Fraser out for a possible three months with a knee stress fracture, and he is not alone as Sean Welsh misses out as well. RossP Prediction:- I don’t see there being too many goals in this game and with the recent matches between the sides keeping them at most 1 goal apart, I would anticipate a similar outcome in Saturday’s game. Straight from the football cliché looker – the first goal is vital. If Inverness open the scoring, most bookies would provide extremely high odds for us then coming away without any points. However, I worry that the international break has broken our momentum somewhat and would not be surprised if the match finished a draw. My heart says 1-0 ICT win, but my head (and bookies slip) will say 1-1. I hope that Hughes gives Ryan Christie a rest for this game, to recover from what has been a physically draining start to the season for the young star. In his place I would like to see Nick Ross make a start as he will do the necessary closing down of opposition players and still be able to provide the creative passes that Christie has given the team since he burst into the side. Ross would also go into the team in good form, having scored against Aberdeen in a recent Development League match. How I think John Hughes will line up: How I would line up: