Eagle4Caley

What about W Duffy or Davidson? We certainly need two 'experienced' defenders IMV [not least as if needs be one could go up front if we are chasing a game] So maybe Brooks, Gilmour, Davidson, Ferguson

It's a bummer... but only 5 points, I take that as motivation for a faster start than usual!

To be a going concern, we need some sort of balanced team of some seniors to mix with all the young lads It would not be a surprise to see a couple of senior players asked to act as Player Manager and Coach [no doubt with assitance from Charlie Christie], with the entire 1st Team staff axed. [Palace did that in 1998 with Attilio Lomardo and Tomas Brolin]... in terms of senior players, that's Billy Mckay, Devine, Gilmour and Wallace Duffy, pick two from there. [Mckay and Devine would be my pick]. We need to keep hold of Savage to give us some sort of solid defence. After that I guess it going to be a squad of 15 [two goalies, leaves 13 outfield] ....it will be a long season Not too sure who is on the injury list at the mo

Blimey I hadn't realised that, ....that's what happened away to Dundee United in March....Ridgers was so far out of his goal [the United player got a lucky deflection to get the ball but was still an accurate shot to hit the open goal], Ridgers clearly not learning from that mistake

Yes, prompted, I looked at other L1 teams attendances, and [not sure why I was shocked] only QotS gets four figure attendances, most of the others well under. Given the other potential income streams [which is b#gger all prize and TV money, small amounts of local sponsorship, hospitality, merchandise...we rarely get any fees from players moving on] it's hardly surprisely most teams are part-time [I presume the players get just a match fee], and since relegation from the Premiership, a full time Caley would always be struggling without a rich benefactor, or some non-football related scheme [which Caley seem to have tried but only made things worse] To put the numbers into context, I was at National League Sutton United today, and the attendance was 3,400. In my time as a Palace supporter we have diced with death several times, most recently in June 2010 when we were hours from being liquidated [we avoided relegation too despite a points deduction on the last day of the season] so this is not new territory for me [still horrible]. As ever I am hopefully that Caley will exist in some form, ideally when we are away to QotS in November, when I am booked to fly up!...I wonder what the team will look like.

Picking on a young lad because of who his dad is, is pathetic and shows football fans up in a very poor light, I'd hope Inverness fans were a bit better than, It's bullying nothing less...obviously football does see this sort of thing a lot, esp Managers, Directors and of course footballers of colour. It goes with the territory, but you don't see this in any other sport. I often wonder if football fans would think it acceptable if colleagues routinely abused them in their workplace, for simply who you are, or because they are inexperienced, perhaps out of their depth. I also wonder why football fans think this is postive to overall performances on the field, one might think that young Ferguson would be pretty nervous going on the field, that might affect the whole team too.

It's different, modern and clever IMV, but we all have our own opinions that are valid I actually like it so much, that I can see me getting it as a tattoo! [there you go, confirms I am cheap and tacky!]

So I am going to pull the pin out of the grenade and metaphorically lob it....was the Kelty Hearts plan [on a financial/retention level] not a bad idea... albeit in an ideal world we would need a dual training base option for the youngsters and the day before any match, and in an even more ideal world, a hotel at one end of the ground with a floor dedicated to playing staff, [run by someone like Premier Inn, not the club!] which might address short accommodation issues, obviously would help with that suggestion if I had £10m in my back pocket...but as a long term solution ?

If I re-write that bit "So in the end fans got what they wanted. Dodds out....with Ferguson being appointed" as I would agree that people weren't clamouring for Big Dunc, just anyone else! That probably a more accurate reflection. I'd also love to understand how the likes of Greenock Morton and Queens Park with ave attendances lower that ICT can actively recruit some of our better players, when it looks like we couldn't afford it in the Championship...is it a case of a management team taking large lumps of cash out of the club as salaries?

Just for the sake of discussion If we think back a year, there were plenty of fans, who were gunning for Billy Dodds, because of his annoying knack of going on long runs without winning, and I suspect an annoying interview manner. A Cup Final appearance v a failed league campaign was not the season we wanted. I went to Airdrie away late August and he got plenty of abuse. Yet he was capable of galvanising a team to recover and go on winning runs [usually when he had enough fit players] and but for injuries might have won the play-offs [?] in 2022. Not sure the playing style delighted too many fans ... but in my time probably only Butcher, Hughes [albeit briefly, before tiki-taki] and even briefer, Neil McCann [the best Manager we never had?] have come close to playing the football that kept fans happy. So in the end fans got what they wanted. Dodds out Ferguson in, and the briefest of honeymoon's, before it all went t#ts up Now we know the true, parlous state of the clubs finances, which must have been a factor in recruitment, I wonder if given the option fans would turn back the clock a year and decide to back Dodds? A tricky call given the run he was on when he got sacked

Feels like a real punch in the gut, don't know what else to say, anyone using this forum will know he was a big part of the ICT community. A big loss at an already difficult time for club supporters Did we meet him before the Scottish Cup Final Sandy?, albeit briefly

Why oh why do some of our 'fans' feel the ned to barrack certain players. Savage is a decent player at the start of his career and from when I have seen hime he has looked pretty good, quite why, when the club is in a perilous position some feel it necessary to undermine a player who could be key to our survival or progress is beyond me. Liam Polworth got some poor treatment and that I suspect would have helped his decision to leave [and how we have missed him...and Vigurs as creatives in midfield]. Remember if players who play for us were top top players who never made any mistakes they wouldn't be playing for us. This is a make or break season where our survival hangs by a thread...lets not shoot ourselves in th foot by alienating players

Actually sounds quite encouraging.

I guess it is a bit of 'Hobsons choice'....season ticket money and match day income, are practically the only income the club has, no major sponsor, no TV money, no prize money, no significant income streams. If everyone waits for SG to be out of the club, there may be no club to support. Think back to a year, there was an increasing call for 'Dodds out' because people felt despite a Cup Final and a play-off campaign the previous season, he did not have the wherewithal to get us out of the league...People got what they wanted and big Dunc came in and got us out of the league...the wrong way Our income levels have clearly not been enough over quite a few years and we are in very serious trouble....will we still be in existence this time next year and in a top four league at that? The board has rolled the dice to try and improve cashflow and none seem to have worked [or left us worse off] and communication is clearly a problem [keeping quiet is perhaps a panic measure to try and keep some control]. Who will come in now? I understand your position, but communally everyone is now 'rolling the dice' I reckon staying in League one and staying in existence will be a major achievement this year

Karma has it, that he'll score the winning goal that confirms our promotion [not saying which season though]

I must say as a Palace fan I love the new kit, and what a team we have if we can keep hold of them all [ the end of the season was as fab as it was a bit ***** for Caley], maybe we can emulate Caley and finally qualify for Europe! I rather like the new ICT home kit and after the disappointment of relegation, and a terribly unsettled close season, I am strangely excited by the new season coming up...who knows what team we will put out! I am waiting for that fixture list to come out so I can plot my trip up to Annan Athletic!

Was happy to donate, and its wonderful to see so many people including ICT players and ex-players, and other clubs fans supporting this This has reminded me of Tom Walsh's travails, I saw him go off at Partick Thistle in the play-off game, and he has gone through hell since, anyone know what his current situation is

Annan Athletic is definitely on my horizon, I can get the West Coast mainline train from London to Carlisle and then its half an hour from Carlisle, probably an overnighter in Carlisle. Dumbarton is also an possibilty, obvs will still try to get to home games. I felt once we ended up in the relegation play-offs, we were unlikely to beat Hamilton. Annoyingly we missed out on safety by small margins, as we did promotion play-offs the year before. I see quite a few blaming the players for having no fight, I'm not sure thats true, tactic's seem more to blame, and as I said several times lack of a proper winger. [Shaw and Longstaff could probably have done the job, but Shaw was used as a centralised player-maker before his injuries, I thought Longstaff showed promise but was out injured too long too] We had some injuries, but I still think a team that included Devine, Savage, Boyes, Harper, Kerr, McKay, Alex Samuel, Duffy, Gilmour, Laval, Ujdur and Anderson should have been good enough...I never really understood why Bray was allowd out on loan either, he seemed to be the stand out player at the start of the season. Ferguson managed a new manager bounce, but seemed to run out of ideas quite quickly. Still we got rid of Doddsball.... I wonder how people who wanted him out feel now, was that the right decision with the wrong replacement? I kind of understand the reasoning behind using Kelty as a training base, but obviously also understand why that rankles, it might ease one problem, but what happens to the youth team? Frankly the size of our home crowd, is always going to be an issue from the financial point of view, I just wish I could win the Euromillions, but until then, it seems hand-to-mouth stuff Anyway hopefully ICT can keep going, it might be a slow process to get back to the better times, but hopefully we will come back stronger...eventually

This was a bit like when we lost to Dundee United at home Yes...I do feel we have enough in us to stay up even if we do it via the dreaded play-off. Caveat to that is Samuel staying fit along with Kerr, Anderon and McAllister. Defensively we are in good shape. I still think that Austin Samuels could have a role especially if we end up in the play-offs

On one hand that might seem beneficial, but on the other we would miss out on TV coverage, which if not providing much or any cash does provide a showcase for players which might persuade some to stay/come here Likewise the teams in the Championship next season are the ones who will bring the larger away attendances, which if not necessarily massive, make a difference in the cashflow margins when every pound matters [Of course if Ross County were to get relegated, it would see a couple of better pay days] Arguably wages costs will be lower in League 1, but how low can a club go and attract/retain players? I have no idea what prize money looks like in the Championship or League 1, anyone have any idea?

We haven't had a proper winger for the majority of the season, IMV that's basically the problem. But we do have a big strong battling CF in Samuels. Imagine him with Henderson on the wing. Kerr as RB is defintely a step up from David Carson [and I like Carson, and its a shame he left as Right Midfield would be sorted] ...it's sods law and ironic that Welsh's replacement in Gilmour picked up a season ending injury. Fortunately Kerr has ably moved into CM and Duffy has come in and weighed in with a couple of important goals Good to see Longstaff back, he just needs to put some decent crosses in for the next four games, only two teams have a better defensive record than us, so even a few extra goals will be the difference either avoiding the relegation play-offs or winning then. After that who knows what happens next As for next week, someone needs to kick Welsh just above the knee early in the game, just enough, so he spends the rest of it hobbling around.

I enjoyed my first trip up to Dundee and an overnight stop near the Waterfront allowed me to take in V&A Design Museum and Discovery Point before my coach/plane/coach/train/bus replacement service trip back on the Sunday United's ground is quirky, and there was a good atmosphere in the away end [does chants of 'sack the board' count!] I thought we were competitive given the respective teams league positions. United had the better chances [and twice the number], and we have Ridgers to thank in part for keeping us in the game, but we also created some dangerous moments and I thought we were perhaps on top in the second half before their fluke [?] goal. Boy do we miss a decent winger though... last year Jay Henderson was impressing, the year before Logan Chalmers added some guile, and the year before Kai Kennedy added energy. Sadly for us Longstaff is injured, and Shaw has [when fit] been playing too deep in my view [presumably as the 'creative' midfielder]. I'd would say Alex Samuel would benefit from someone who put in a cross or two [in addition to Harper/Duffy's forays upfield] Was a bit surprised to see Pepple paired upfront with Samuel ahead of McKay [was this saving legs, a move to be more physical upfront or a tactical ploy?]. In part it worked because although Pepple doesn't look blessed with a lot a pace, he did occupy the defenders and did well with the cross that set up our goal. And when McKay came on he looked lively. Samuel worked hard all game and he does seem to appreciate the fans as well [he also got warm applause from us when he was subbed], I think he has a key role to play in us staying up. Ridgers was generally good and kept us in the game, but I'd say his kicking is average at best, certainly in this game and he was caught way out of his goal from his own kick, although 9 times out of 10 no one would have attempted Moults audacious shot For me Kerr was the pick of our team and ensured we were competitive in midfield, Anderson next to him was quietly effective and might have scored, and [ignoring the one moment of excessive timewasting which annoyed the Uited fans] I thought Lawal looked good, showing plenty of pace, energy and some skills. Can we keep this midfield together, with Harper overlapping for the remainder of the season? Given the number of shots that Dundee had, and Ridgers heriocs, you might think our back line was poor, but for me Savage was good as Central CB [a decent signing in my view] and I like Boyes at Left CB, Carragher was decent enough too. A tricky selection headache for big Dunc as Devine is probably best at central CB and Ujdur was by all accounts pretty good when he first joined [we might need all of them on the pitch in a frantic run-in or relegation play-off!] So a fun filled afternoon, with postives and an enjoyable weekend...at this point of the season a Billy Doods team would suddenly start winning, can we go up a gear? what rabbits can Big Dunc pull out of the hat? We certainly need to do better at home if we are to stay up, and do better against the mid-table teams. Here's hoping.

Since we have no wingers in that Shaw and Longstaff are out, maybe it's time [if he's actually fit] to give Austin Samuels a run out wide, a couple of seasons back, he and McKay had a purple patch, where they looked dangerous together. This time run Billy probably needs to sit deeper so that Alex Samuel can lead the line. I'm hoping Boyes is fully fit too as he strikes me as someone who could play out from the back. We do seem to suffer from a lot of injuries, what happened to McAllister, he scored two game ago, then is out injured. MacGregor suffering another set back. I still think we should recall Keith Bray from loan if we can. I am flying up for the Dundee United match next week, which could be interesting given their shock [?] defeat to Dunfermline. It's an away match which might be in our favour

Mind you we beat Raith at their place too, stuck 3 past Partick, were so close at home to Dundee United, stuck 4 past Queens Parks. We have our moments. What we need is a Doods-esque run of straight wins Our home form is a problem, but got to say the difference in atmosphere between a Caley home and and away match is quite stark.

TBF I would say most of the loanees brought in under Fergie, have done pretty well [apart from Sheridan] Has Gilmour picked up the Welsh curse? We probably need another RB as Kerr is the only guy in midfield with experience other than Doran who isn't really a 95min game after game chap I still think we should recall Bray if we can, and Hyde come to think of it Our injury list is almost Dodds-esque At least we have a surplus of attackers at the moment [if they could learn to score!]