ICTRoughi

In no circumstance do I blame the players. I feel that they are doing what they are told to do and this is the result of it. I feel that Yogi has tried to go and change too much too soon and he's trying to do this with tired players too - a recipe for disaster. Yogi should make these changes during pre season and not a period where we are playing 13 games in 46 days. I can understand Yogi's style of play, he is trying to play nice football but the ulterior motivate is to try and restrict the opposition scoring and keep the clean sheet. At this current moment, I feel that the tactics are designed to keep a clean sheet rather than go and win a match which we were used to under Butcher.

I am sat above the ICT dugout and a good view of it and I definitely do recall Russell Latapy making a brief appearance.

As I said in another thread that I wouldn't be surprised if we go to Parkhead again and low and behold we are going to Parkhead again on a Sunday too, least it's a 3pm KO though. I would have been at the end of my tether if it was a 12.15 KO. Rest of the fixtures are fine and I am looking forward to Sheep up here on a Friday night.

The only positive with Robbo coming in would be that he's done his homework on ICT. He is usually at the TCS every home game with the BBC and can see what our strengthes and weaknesses are. It's never good to go back and just look at Craig Brewsters second reign. I personally think the board missed a massive opportunity by not appointing Paul Hartley and his back room staff at Alloa considering how easy and professional they were to deal with.

I have finally made myself watch the highlights on the on the SPFL youtube and I just want to 'highlight' some of the issues that have been discussed about lack of width at the moment. First Example: Look at how much space is being sacrificed - at home too! To be fair to the lads, moments later Greg Tansey cracked it off the post but I was amazed that we went through the middle and if Tremarco was allowed to exploit the flanks then Billy Mckay would have been supported. What should have happend: The annoying thing is that if Butcher was here then the above would have happened and we could have scored. Second Example: Granted that Ryan Christie did go on to score in this example but look at the right hand side of the pitch, Billy is crying out for the ball and he was a break away from a goal. Third Example: As you can see again, the wide right is empty and you can see that the narrow style of play has drawn Motherwell in and this was at a point where David Raven could have been wide right looking for the ball and getting a cross into the box and create a goal scoring opportunity and again support for Billy. Sadly Raven was taken off and a central midfielder was placed at Right Back - ridiculous. Final Example: Not just attacking, defensively we are leaving too much space for the oppostiton to get into spaces and they utilise them and are more clinical with the ball. The most annoying factor about the missing space in the wings is that you have Nick Ross on the bench that would love to exploit the flanks but he isn't getting a look in.

He was there tonight and made a brief appearance. Must of been sitting in the dugout. Oh well apologies to RL. Every time I looked it was only Scott Kellacher I saw To be fair to you it was that brief if you blinked you missed it. Kellacher was very active last night.

He was there tonight and made a brief appearance. Must of been sitting in the dugout.

Just in from the game and to be perfectly honest it was not good enough. Motherwell were not even that good tonight but again it's the same story where we leave too much space in the park and we conceded a goal. I really can't get my head around why Yogi said yesterday that the game was a 100% must win game but then chose to play 5 defenders with 5 attacking midfielders on the bench? Talk about playing for a draw! With this tactic I am finding the most frustrating thing is that we find some good space on the wings but yet we pass it back to the back four and keeper - fecks that all about? Carl Tremarco and credit to him I could see him buggering the system and got in some decent crosses from the left and if I was the manager of ICT he would be playing at left back regularly and with Graeme Shinnie pushing up in to the left wing. Gareth Bale started off as a left back and got played as a left winger and look at him now being bought for £100m playing for Real Madrid. Graeme Shinnie has a fantastic left peg on him and could reach a high level as an attacking winger. I found at times that him and Tremarco linked up so well on the wing but again it was the same crap by playing it too narrow and not getting the best out of the players we have. I didn't understand why Ryan Esson was in goals tonight but fair play to him I don't think he really had that bad of a game. It was the back four leaving too much space for Motherwell to utilise and pretty much did half the work for Motherwell. Their second goal, they couldn't have had an easier goal if they tried. Why did Yogi take off David Raven? In all honesty I didn't think he should have been taken off because he had a reasonable game and it left us without a right back and we played Greg Tansey at RB? The only positivity I can take from tonight was Ryan Christie's goal really deserving of it and what a strike it was! He adds so much energy and attacking play to our team, He MUST start on Friday. Just looking at the stats, we've conceded 18 goals in the last 9 games and we have only won 1 game in the last 9 - Not good enough.

Always like when Craig Thomson referees our games. Always let's the games flow and doesn't make it all about him unlike Gollum.

HT: 0-1 FT: 2-2 1st ICT: Watkins 1st M'Well: Sutton First Goal: 10 mins

Pre match back in February for an Under 20s match, I sat and watched Russell Latapy train the team, this was probably when he was starting at ICT. Anyways, for roughly 10 mins, the U20 were practising counter attacking and scoring goals most times in doing so. I thought it was pretty strange because I rarely see a team practise counter attacking in a pre match training before. To cut a long story short, it worked and the U20s won 3-0 from really good counter attack play. So pre match training successful? - I think so. I see Russell Latapy on the touchline and he does give a few instructions but usually after big Yogi comes out and shouts 10 times louder. From what I have gathered, Scott Kellacher does a lot for the first team, so maybe Russell does his bit in training. Who knows?

I agree Dougal that Christie and Polworth should start because I felt last Saturday they had a good game and in all honesty don't merit being dropped - regardless of being local lads. I don't agree however with dropping Dean Brill though. Ryan Esson hasn't played a game of football since the 4th of Feburary in an Under 20s match. From what I have gathered, Ryan isn't really that bothered about playing anymore and focusing on his coaching. Looking back at last Saturday after we were down to 10 men, Dean Brill made an absolute belter of a save to keep the match a draw so in all honesty, maybe a draw last Saturday was the fair result. Dropping Dean Brill wouldn't help his confidence whatsoever but for what it's worth I do share the same concern about his kicking and the current tactics aren't helping matters either.

Brill Raven Warren Devine Tremarco Draper Tansey Watkins Christie Shinnie Mckay

I am just gonna leave this here - worth a watch.

Not really my cup of tea but I just think he wouldn't work out up here. Anyways, it's probably disrespectful to speak about other appointments while Yogi is contracted with us but I was just generally curious to see what the other realistic options were because I can't think of one. I am content with John Hughes being manager.

I'll give you Ian Murray, that's a good shout but Casba Laszlo? Jesus wept.

You really don't like Dean Brill

There you go sums it up, there's no realistic other candidate that would be worthy of the job. I have stated that the club missed a trick with not opting for Paul Hartley and Co but the other side of it maybe we dodged a bullet. Also not forgetting with John Hughes being a long term contract we'd have to pay compensation for sacking him which would render the whole appointment pointless.

HT: 0-0 FT: 2-1 1st ICT: Tansey 1st St Mirren: McGowan First Goal: 15 mins

Genuine question. If we sacked John Hughes, who would we replace him with? Jimmy Calderwood? Pat Fenlon? Derek Adams? I personally feel that John Hughes deserves to be manager next season so that he can have the summer before the new season to get his ideas implemented into the team so that all players are comfortable. I agree that now is not the time to be making changes within the squad and pre season is the best time to be doing that but when John Hughes came in it has been busy from the off and he's tried the best that he can do with what he's got at the moment. I am at the viewpoint that success won't happen overnight when changes happen but I think given time it will all click together and John Hughes and Inverness CT could be the perfect marriage.

Also a point I would like to add, Ryan Esson hasn't played U20 level for over a month so I am not convinced Esson in goals is the answer.

I don't think dropping our number 1 goalkeeper is really an option, fair enough he would get rested but he would lose a lot of confidence in doing so. As OCG above said that Dean Brill had a really good game last Saturday and we got a clean sheet. I watched the second goal for United a few times to get a good understanding of it and most definitely the last person to blame is Dean Brill for conceding. David Raven passes back to the keeper - fair enough nobody was really challenging him and Dean Brill could pass to Josh Meekings Dean Brill passes to Josh Meekings - You could argue that Dean Brill could have cleared it but the safest option was to pass to Josh Meekings which he did. Josh Meekings passes back to Dean Brill - This is where the issue lies. Ryan Dow could easily intercept as he was fairly close to Josh Meekings to intercept and he does so. Graeme Shinnie was in clear passing space so all Josh Meekings needed to do was turn with the ball or turn and clear it. Passing back was never the safest option and it put Dean Brill in an awkward position. therefore Josh Meekings is at fault for this goal and I find it harsh on Dean Brill to be accused to be at fault over this. However I must confess that I am finding Dean Brill's kicking an issue at the moment. All the home games in the last month, it looks like Dean feels quite awkward when he gets passed back to.

too much ball retention......sound familiar???? There wasn't too much passing back to the keeper but I felt even with Nick Ross and Ali Sutherland in the team we were lacking width in the team and playing quite narrow in certain parts of the game.

Brill Raven Warren Devine Tremarco Foran Draper Watkins Tansey Shinnie Mckay

Full Time in Dingwall was 3-1 to Hibs. I felt that the game was pretty even despite the scoreline suggests. We played with a fairly strong U20 side with Nick Ross, Danny Williams and Danny Devine coming into the side as 'senior' players. Ryan Christie had a good game and generally making a nuiscence of himself for the Hibs defence in the hole behind the striker. Liam Polworth was playing a holding role in Midfield and I thought he was our man of the match IMO. Getting the ball from deep and pushing the team forward. He got on the score sheet again today and it was an absolutely cool, well taken goal to equalise. Adam Evans had a good game aswell despite not scoring. He held the ball up really well and out muscled a few of the Hibs defenders which was pleasing. Him and Billy up front in the final 30/20 mins of games may be worth a shout. Nick Ross was drafted in and he didn't really do much if I am perfectly honest. He added width to the team which is fair enough but didn't really produce much today. Danny Williams played in the centre of the mid and he had an okay game. He misplaced some of his passes and often left too much of a gap for Hibs players to utilise that space. I can't really be too critical of him because you could see he wasn't really comfortable in that position and wanted to be on the wings. One player for Hibs that I was really impressed with is the boy Zoubir. He was one of the wingers for Hibs and just walked through our defence adding width to Hibs which is something we need in the first team and part of today's youth game. I felt that the team were doing too much ball retention and they got punished in the later stages of the second half for Hibs to score their third. Cammy MacKay was the goalkeeper today and he is probably my preferred choice for U20s and probably a back up to Dean Brill for next season. He had a good game. Made some good saves today but the second goal no keeper would have saved it and the third goal Hibs walked it in but at no fault of the keepers. So all in all, I felt the U20s should have got a draw at least but silly defending costed them.