CaleyHedgehog

Yep, someone new please. We want to be known as a club that discovers managers, not one that takes sloppy seconds.

I'm sure that there will be no shortage of applicants for the manager post. It provides a very good platform for anyone with the right skills to show exactly how good they can be. I think there will be a number of applicants who are young, dynamic and full of hunger for success and a determination to prove that they can do well out there. For me this is the type of manager I'd like to see (rather than a been there, done that type who sees ICT as a bit of a second best option). I think that this type of manager would fit in well with the general ethos within the team to be the best they can be and to always strive to prove the doubters wrong. I don't think mega wages would be a problem either as this type of manager would want the job, not for the money involved, but in order to prove their worth. Of course this all sounds very idealistic, and where the downfall would be would be that when success follows, it would only be a matter of time before our manager would start looking at bigger (but not necessarily better) prospects. This would be the point where maybe we have to be realistic and accept that once this seed has been sown it always signals the beginning of the end. We have seen it time and time again and whether a manager is tempted to take up a lucrative offer or is persuaded to stay, at that point they start to distance themselves from their role at ICT, so really what is the point in trying to hang on to someone who no longer wishes to be there. We have to perhaps change our mindset to see it as flattering that our club is seen as a great place for an aspiring manager and rather than feel rejected when they move on, be proud that Inverness played a part in their career and that they hopefully have happy memories of a successful time at our club. In other words we are like a feeder club for managers. I know how upsetting it is to see managers, and players too, being picked off by other clubs (Aberdeen for one), but if we can accept that this is how things are likely to play out then we can enjoy our clubs part in producing promising managers. And of course, we always get the last laugh anyway when 'The Curse of Caley Thistle' strikes when the try to reproduce what they had here elsewhere! I hope the team are enjoying their holidays and not getting too caught up in all this - I have every faith in them carrying us through whatever lies ahead and I hope Dave the Rave has not even started to think about packing up yet.

Sorry, I should have said player/manager.

David Raven for manager?

John is going to find himself stuck up there if he climbs any further. I do think that without the injuries we could have been looking at a very different finish to the season and Yogi has to get some of the credit for that with his style of play, BUT Yogi was not the man responsible for bringing most of these players to the club in the first place and lately especially he seems to be a man who can rub the board, players and fans up the wrong way with his antics. This cannot be good for the club, especially at this time when deals should be being done. And just for the record I think it has been the 'average' players who have been 'incredible', they are my heroes. Also a word for Dean Brill - a fantastic goalie for us until his injury, I'd be sorry to see him go.

Oh Caley D, you'd look really cute in pink!

I just wish something would happen to move the Yogi v The Board situation on a bit, because at the moment no business is going to be done with contracts and signing up new players until this is sorted. Very damaging for the club.

Fun in the sun! Just what was needed for the last day of the season. A good send off for those moving on. Onwards and upwards.

Definitely renewing, same seats and good crack with our neighbours in the North stand and agree with the above comments.

I just hope we win or draw at the weekend or we are entitled to feel very aggrieved at the decision not to allow a replay. Matters are not helped when our manager seems to be quite content about the decision not to replay or give ICT points according to his comments in todays P & J. Hopefully the boys are feeling a bit hard done to as well and go out and give it laldy in our last game. I hope so, I've had to miss a few games lately, but I'm aiming to be there. Enjoy your holiday boys - it's been a long hard season, but you're still the best.

Do I need to pop down to Harry Gows for the cakes I promised if DR got signed?

This statement from the board is, to me, confirmation that the discussions that we take part in on CaleyThistleOnline are being witnessed and considered by the board and therefore our opinions are valued. Rather than a 'them and us' type of club, we belong to one where we all have roles to fulfil and without all the different groups considering each other, we would not have ICTFC. Well done to the board. Thank you for listening. (Now if you could you just find a contract for David Raven, I'll buy the cakes for your next board room meeting?).

Yes. Come back Young Team. We just didn't appreciate what your noise levels brought enough. There is a difference between being acceptably vocal and being offensive to others around you (especially with the family type fan base that we now have at ICT), but it is a football match after all and hopefully some of the more mature fans sitting around the young 'uns can gently guide them when they push the boundaries too far. They are just finding their way in the world and if we just criticise they won't learn. I know that I have pointed out to a couple of lads in the past about their choice of words with very young children sitting behind them, they apologised immediately and I don't think any offence was caused to them by me. It wasn't a big deal and if they had been sat amongst adults it would have been fine to use that language. I love to hear the young ones singing and I'm sure it spurs the team on. Please, please be noisy again before the end of the season.

Oops - 'Stand by Me' that is!

Apologies if someone has already suggested this one but are we good enough for a rousing rendition of the tune that Dave the Rave made his own when he covered it at the Scottish Cup celebrations in the Northern Meeting Park (can be seen again on Youtube). Anyone play the guitar?

I have just completed this survey and urge others to do the same. It's very quick to do - the least questions I've ever seen in a survey and we all like a good moan about the media. So here's a chance to help out a student and air your views at the same time.

Thank you all for the good wishes. I really didn't mean for it to be 'all about me'' (although my friends would say that I love to be the centre of attention), I had just wanted to show how football has the ability to let you forget your worries for a while. It's not the most important thing in the world but it is a great form of escapism for us fans. I usually only go to the home games; but I have to say I admire those of you who make the time and spend the money to go regularly to the away games as well. You must really give the team a boost when they see/hear you all on their travels. It sounds like great crack, but I'm sure there are many long boring journeys home when the results don't go our way, so well done to the travelling support for the team.

Thank you jagster.

It's disappointing not to make top six, especially after coming so close, but it's not the first time - I'm sure we've missed out on top six on goal difference before now. Personally I think that provided we can finish these last few games strongly then the team have done No Bad considering all the injuries this season. Some people say you can't use that as an excuse, but I don't see why not as it has affected team selection all season. I wonder if the board could do with being a little more transparent with the clubs finances. It's great to support a club who are not in debt and not to be worrying about the threat of administration all the time, but it's also galling to watch other clubs come in and pick off our players. They don't all have big turn outs at games so why can they afford what we can't. Maybe if we could understand a bit more about what comes in and what goes out, we would understand the decision making better. At Christmas time I was diagnosed with a potentially life threatening illness and have been receiving various forms of treatment since then. I'm doing well and hope that things will turn out alright in the end but I have found that the only time that I forget completely about my ill health is on a Saturday afternoon (or Sunday lunchtime or Tuesday evening depending on TV schedules) when I'm watching Caley Thistle play. It doesn't seem to matter if the game is good, bad or just plain ugly, it has the ability to take my mind off every thing else for a couple of hours and I have been grateful for that. At the end of the day, it is just a game and I would hate for the pressure on our players to affect their lives with their families away from the football pitch. I like to think they enjoy being in Inverness for all the things that life has to offer them away from football up here as well as at the club. Life is too short and none of us know what's waiting around the corner. In the worst case scenario, where the team would end up relegated, upsetting as it would be, it wouldn't be the end of the world. They'd still be our team and we'd still support them and to tell the truth I quite enjoyed the season we spent after we were relegated - no ugly sisters, refs seemed fairer and less likely to cave under pressure from fans and the league was tight and competitive, where each week seemed to involve lots of reshuffling of the table - football was fun again (although I'd still rather avoid it if possible this season). Onward and upward Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club on your amazing journey. I can't ever imagine supporting anyone else.

Nobody seems as concerned about the health of the Aberdeen team arriving into the germfest, as they were about our players - funny that.

Oops I mean Monday.

And on the BBC news, Aberdeen are saying that Hearts told them yesterday (Tuesday) that they were sure all would be fine for Fridays game. It must be great to be able to see into the future.

They should be made to forfeit the game - I'm sure they would manage to find a team then.

Disgusted

I certainly think that by allowing games to be called off through illness, there is a lot of scope for individual clubs to use this to gain all sorts of unfair advantages such as letting players rest when they have a run of games close together, managing to alter which games players with suspensions are suspended for and waiting for injured key players who are close to making a return etc. It is up to each club to decide at the start of the season and during the transfer window, how many players they think they need and then they should just have to get on with it like we have done. If a team truly cannot put a team on the pitch then they should forfeit the game.