Eagle4Caley

I take my ICT scarf to Palace anyway....whereas I wore a vintage red n blue stripe Palace shirt to Hampden for the final!

ICT being faced with the brutal realtities of football, especially a small club with little income in a financially poor league. I don't understand the vagaries of football contracts but we seem to be unable to offer the sort of long term contracts that would have allowed us to get some return of the development of Shinnie and Watkins. I suspect the fee will be driven more by what we need now, i.e. funds and a proper striker. If we get £500k for Christie plus a loanback and even a decent player on loan that will be a half decent deal. Yes would be great to get more for him, but seriously doubt Celtic have much competition for his transfer, as I believe, Ryan has some draw to Celtic. I can't imagine him going to an English club where he would disappear into obscurity.

Thanks NoHo.... Palace are of course my English team (and the shared colours are just one reason for my affinity to ICT), it could certainly turn out to be a special season. Palace are often considered to be 'punching above our weight' and in London terms are certainly second fiddle to Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs....I would save level with West Ham, but they have been 'given' the old Olympic Stadium on favourable terms. Certainly have been a bit of a 'yo-yo' club as well....but the difference for Palace over Caley is the amount of money swirling around the EPL...we have got (over?) rewarded for coming 11th and 10th in the past two seasons, about £145M, whereas ICT have got rewarded bugger all for decent league finishes in the past two years and winning a cup....which is why Caley are losing all of their best players.

The side issue with Palace is watching the Newcastle fans go bonkers at Pardew's decent run with us having driven him out last season. Certainly the best away record in the EPL this calendar year is something to be proud of

My impressions from down based on snippets in the press, BBC and bits of highlights was that Mutombo was a half decent player, who probably should have gotten on the scoresheet....My impressions from this forum on Lopez is that he is useless (or has some qualities but either unfit or unsuited to Scottish Football)..... is Mutombo worse than Lopez?

In any event Yogi will have to come up with a Plan C in Mutombo's enforced absence.... however  I now see BBC reporting on Celtic's bid for Ryan Christie, if he were to disappear by Tuesday night for the £500K then there can be no greater example of the financial predicament the club is in that a potential relegation (as a consequence of being able to bring decent replacements) is not a significant threat to the clubs existance compared to not being able to balance the books. Some talk of a loan back though, so perhaps the best deal we can hope for??

Definitely a season where Yogi will need our backing to get through a sticky time

Just saw the goals and sending off on SSN, biggest blow is Mutombo, one the one hand seems more like a booking because it didn't look that dangerous, but I guess if you wrap your levels round a player it is....maybe the ref sent him off for being plain stupid.

Good news??? Given the injuries, we are not getting stuff, Mutombo does look a decent enough player, the international break might see a player back from injury and we're not cast adrift

I've not yet seen any highlights from this game, my first instinct at seeing the line up was that Yogi was going for damage limitation, this against a team that seems to be hoovering up the best of the talent in the SPL and the only team in the league that have some capacity to hold their own in the early stages of the Champions League. Given that our defence is somewhat makeshift, and the midfield not the settled unit from last season I suspect the 'easiness' of the two early goals was down to Celtic's overall superiority. Given our previous recent heavy defeats at Celtic Park, coming away with only a -2 adjustment to our goal difference is almost a plus. Goals for Christie and Lopez even if Celtic had switched off is still morale boosting for those two players...whether the result would have been much different if they had played the whole game is a moot point. I'd be interested in how, those who were there, rated the contribution of Vigurs and Mutombu, my instinct are that these are useful additions that strengthen the side (even if Vigurs recruitment is controversial for some).

Given that Dundee Utd our rivals for third place for much of last season were smashed at Hamilton, it sort of puts our result in some perspective.

I've booked to come up for the Hearts game away in December, with my daughter....that's starting to look a tough game already!

It's a sickener to lose a goal and two points late on, but with an unrecognisable defence and a new attack, two men short on the bench, it sounds like we played well, great to score a goal and secured a point at a difficult place to go

So pretty satisfied, well done Caley

Bottom.... I afraid, we'd have been lucky to get even a win, I mean who would have scored the goals??

That's barely disguised code for 'we're in the s#it'  

I am happy with Devine at CB, but if Meekings is missing against St Johnstone, I think we need to play Draper as the other CB. Tremarco being injured is also a problem as I see him as a decent LB (not in Shinnie's class obviously)...so Horner has to play there

With Vincent out (for how long?) Wedderburn can play next to Tansey, which gives us Williams and Christie to give us energy and creativity....Mutumbo and Lopez are left up front
Which leaves us nothing on the bench other than Polworth    and the one think that I don't understand with Yogi is why we don't put our youngsters on the bench even if only for the matchday experience....or can't we even afford the sub's fee?

Let's hope that Mutombo is a real find, as without any real threat up front the ball will just keep coming at us.....Celtic away in a few weeks will be like the Alamo! On the bright side Fon-Williams sounds like a half decent keeper

This is probably true...my only beef here is that you'd think the club would have spent what they had on a striker....or shall we say more than one. Even non-league teams ensure they have some strikers!  Am I being unfair, is Roberts a striker?   6 goals in 42 appearances last year and 10yellows+1 red, suggests an interesting contribution if he gets fit

Unfortunately what is also true is that signing players on short term contracts means the best players like Shinnie and Watkins go without us getting any compensation....does a three year or four year contract cost that much more at the outset? If we had needed to sell either of Shinnie or Watkins early for budgetary reasons people would understand.

Blimey my concern for the defence has come much sooner than I expected with Warren getting injured and out seemingly for some time, and Meekings having a bad enough knock to be subbed for the second half with Warren already off

Injuries are already at crisis level with Doran out (how come?) Foran starting to look an unlikely contributor, no sign of Roberts, and Tremarco out (for how long?)...to start the first game of the season with a subs bench short of numbers is very worrying

Of the new guys, Lopez does not appear to be giving much cause for optimism, Wedderburn off very early yesterday (for tactical reasons?) but heard some decent reports. Mutumbo only on for an hour so too early to judge although it sounds like he was an improvement

This looks like a season where we are going to be caught out for having a threadbare squad, and a failure to invest in true strikers with any quality about them...if ever a large influx in the playing squad were needed it is now, but I think this is unlikely to happen.....it occurs to me that with the difference in TV money between SPL and championship not that great, it doesn't justify the cost of transfers and wages when the budget to run the club on is so small

It is of course way too early to write a season off, but there is something about Blackpool's situation last season that seems reminiscent here... a relegation scrape I think it is then!

After a brilliant season last year, how do people think we are going to do this year in the league?

I must say that I have some trepidation that our squad is even more threadbare than last year, where we started with one recognised striker in Mckay, sold him, soldiered on for most of the spring with Watkins chipping in with goals, and Ofere finally getting chances and despite being a lump, scoring a decent number of important goals. However both Watkins and Ofere have gone, replaced by what? Too soon to rate Lopez I guess, and Foran is back (sort of) and if he can get match fit over the season, might be a useful contributor still. I hear we may have Mutombo signed by the weekend, although I'm not clear if he is actually a striker. Somehow I feel much will depend on whether Doran kicks on, whether Christie can maintain and improve on his achievement last season, and if Williams steps up fully to replace the influence Watkins had on games.

Midfield is strong for us, as long as Tansey and Draper don't miss too many games through injury, Vincent is less injury-prone than previous seasons, and Williams/Christie/Doran regularly provide the creativity. I have no idea what Roberts is like

Defence will rely alot on Meekings, Warren and Devine staying fit...although it's frightening to think how exposed we would be if we lost two of those three for any length of time

I'm sure I sound a bit pessimistic which is unlike me, the upside is looking at what other teams have done in the transfer window, which is pretty uninspiring, but shows how little money is in the SPL.

So I think Yogi is going to really earn his money this year, and a 6 game August looks like a crucial period for us.....if Yogi feels we punched above our weight last season, which is probably true then this season we may be in for a hard slog..... I hope people realise that a repeat of last season's finish is unlikely and come the end of the season we might be 'celebrating' being top of the bottom half (oops I've said it now)

Given the awkward flight times Easyjet are offering, it looks like my trips up to see ICT will be away games.

Come on you Caley.... if you can do this, we could have the delights of East London next!

As an 'outsider' not even born in Scotland let alone the lovely Inverness, this is quite an interesting thread for me.....on the one hand I would like to think everyone from Inverness would celebrate ICT winning the Cup, however I am reminded that football more than any sport is incredibly tribal (and there's nothing wrong in that) and just because the level of support for the two teams that amalgamated was small in relative terms it probably isn't a surprise that some in Inverness still only identify with their original team, it would be the same if the two Manchester or Liverpool clubs were to merge for instance.   Back in the day there was a proposal for Palace and Wimbledon to merge which created quite a stir at that time...indeed when Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes a very large proportion of their support were having none of it and formed AFC Wimbledon, whilst arguably MK Dons have gone on to decent things, but as a completely different entity.

People often say that that if you cut them their teams colours run through them such is the bond.... I still would like to think that no-one will have begrudged ICT their triumph given the joint ancestry

At the end of the day Graham Shinnie was the guy who lifted the cup for ICT, and as far as I am concerned has always put in a proper shift for us and moved on at the end of his contract not after forcing a move

It's a fact of life that a footballers career is short and they will always be looking for a decent (or better payday) as we all do, and if a 'bigger' * club comes calling that tends to be the way of the world....

My only regret is that we got no fee for him

'bigger'* = I have no wish to debate what bigger means except to say that even though my other club Palace have finished 10th and 11th in the EPL that wont stop a whole range of clubs above and below us trying (sometimes successfully) to nick any of our players that have shown decent form, often on the basis that they have a bigger fanbase (and hence resources), pedigree, or better prospects to tempt them with

 

 

TO NAELIFTS !!

 

What game was that before / after?

 

 

Birmingham - don't you recognise the dodgy pub in the background?

 

I was at that game with Caleymad...it seems suuuch a long time ago, and after the match there were a few concerns for the season from some,  ended up OK didn't it?

Tremarco for me...he put in a great shift on Saturday, until he stood on the ball!      It can happen to anyone...remember Stevie Gerrards slip last year against Chelsea.

If Watkins is going I see Williams being more influential furthur forward

Down to the nitty gritty now. We played poorly and let Falkirk dictate for long spells. Ofere could have stayed in his hotel. It would have been nice to finish with a flourish but it never happened, however, the result was important and it's our name on the trophy. I thought Devine played well again and Watkins showed his power, took his goal brilliantly and did the spade work for the winner. Grin stuck to face, unable to remove it.    

I thought we had everything under control first half, but I agree about Ofere...the worst I've seen him play, and both Christie and Doran were a bit too quiet 2nd half, which meant we were over-run.....Devine was superb, must have won virtually every header. I actually thought Tremarco was having a very good game until he trod on the ball!   Watkins was superb and the difference between the two teams, and Vincent's run from his own penalty box to support Watkins and get to that loose ball will live with me for ever

I will wait a little longer to see how he replaces the players leaving before agreeing he is truly the messiah.

although this has been an exceptional season yogi is reaping the rewards for all the work the previous management team put in, finding players and getting them up to inverness.

Surely he's already brought ICT to the promised land, by winning 'The Cup' getting us into Europe, and a top three finish in the league.....given the level of resources available compared to others, that's almost as good as it gets

I understand your comment about reaping the rewards of others...but that is the case for virtually every successful team (other than perhaps Revies Leeds, Ferguson's Man Utd , and Wenger at Arsenal)...getting this much out of players that are 'not your own' is probably more credible. Look at my other team Palace this season, and compare Pardew with Warnock and how much better one did than the other with virtually the same players...interestingly 6 of Palace's regulars actual played in the championship under Dougie Freedman some 5 managers ago!

Yogi has a very different test next season, as we adjust to life without Shinnie, possibly Watkins and Ofere......I see the Europa Cup as a rather different pre-season diversion to a tough challenge of finishing in the top six again

To be fair to the BBC, I watched Sportscene saturday night at my hotel, and thought they did a pretty good job and covered ICT's victory from every angle!

I even saw a bit of the victory bash on BBC Breakfast this morning...down here in the south!

The card display was amazing! Well done to all involved....when I saw the pictures of it I choked!

I think Falkirk tried sonething similar but it was a bit phish....or maybe they were waving the white flag!

Leaving Gatwick now!

Could very well be wearing a red and blue stripped shirt come Saturday....although the badge will look a bit different!

Great result.

To put together a winning run at the end of the season, guaranteeing Europa Cup football and seemingly ignoring the fact we have a 'wee' game to finish the season on, is pretty impressive, and is providing the momentum needed to finish the job

This season is going to be very difficult to better next year

Just have to get past next week...hopefully Celtic will spend the match enjoying lifting the Championship cup and not inflicting retribution....if they start then Warren at least can risk getting sent off by taking out Scott Brown

With Palace ruining Stevie G's send off, I've had one of those lovely football weekends

Inverness Caley Thistle....what a season, can it get any better.......I think it can!

Ofere must be the signing of the season!