Robert

Feelings are understandably running high, but I can’t see a change before the end of the season and then only if Dodds is out of contract. Our tactics are strange at times, particularly high balls to the likes of Mckay, Boyd and Doran. We are best when we play it fast and keep it on the ground, but we don’t see that often now, possibly as the players covering the injuries are not comfortable playing that way. We are also shy about shooting, opting for an extra pass far too often. How much if that is down to the Head Coach, we can only guess. However, the injury run must be having an impact. We have had up to 9 missing for weeks, and there could be something in the training regime contributing to that: we can only guess again. We don’t even know, unless I have missed it, what the outlook in the near future is for Delaney, Allardice, Welsh, MacGregor, Samuels or Mckay. I just wonder how recent games would have gone if our starting 11 had been: Ridgers Carson Devine Deas Delaney Allardice Welsh Samuels MacGregor Mackay Mckay That is 8 changes from Saturday and I do feel we’d have got a better outcome. I think we all need to accept nothing will happen until the end of the season.

I wondered that too. I’d say three of the twelve tables were away fans so nine tables were taken by local people or businesses. With the right package, they should be able to fill it every home game in my opinion. It is a good offering. Perhaps drop the free bar to reduce the cost per seat as it would be balanced out by bar takings? In addition, most there were buying £10 of half time draw tickets so another £1k or so from that. The posters in the toilet about packages still have Keith Haggart as the contact, and he’s been away for several months. A good day (apart from the football), and something they should try harder to sell. In summary, could do better.

Duku for York and Toddy for Dunfermline yesterday.

A hard watch as others have said. Dundee were poor but held on comfortably to win. We contributed to their goal by giving the ball away cheaply but it was a decent finish. I can’t fault the commitment of the players but too often we passed when we could have shot or gave the ball away cheaply. Oakley was more interested in grappling than winning the ball. We ended up with Devine playing in an advanced role. No offence to Danny, but he’s no striker and he had a decent game and tried to encourage the team. Carson and Shaw were the picks for me. Worryingly I was treated to hospitality today. The CEO spoke at it and explained we are only doing it at a few games this season due to the smaller away supports being experienced. Surely he should be out there getting local businesses and supporters taking tables so the hospitality takes place at every game. He said it was important financially for the club today and there were 120 at it, so they’d have taken around £12k less the costs of staging it. Have they given up on getting support locally? It was a very worrying comment.

Stirling @ 2.05 please.

HT 0-0 FT 2-1 ICT Shaw Dundee Robinson Crowd 2178

Agreed. It shows what we can do and a repeat tomorrow will do me nicely. That said, I am going along in hope rather than expectation. Hopefully Devine, Welsh and Mackay are all fit to start and Billy Mckay makes it too. If we have anyone else back that will be a bonus. Paul McGowan may be missing for Dundee after being arrested: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63825310

Queens Park at home in the fourth round. Typical, we draw a Championship team.

Very sad news. I’d noticed he had not posted for some time so feared something may be amiss. I never met him but condolences to his family and all on here who knew him.

Two for Sam Winnall for Burton Albion in the FA Cip today.

They were surprisingly good. Francis Rossi did close to two hours flat out despite being 74 and never missed a note. I’d hoped to get back for the game but it wasn’t worth the risk.

Eh what…. No, recovering from too much beer in Aberdeen at the Status Quo gig last night, so not risking driving early enough to make the game.

If BBC are right, Draper was part of a back 3 and Nicolson was in an advanced role on the left side. How did Nicolson do? I saw great potential in him when he got game time with us.

I didn’t make the game but the BBC live text says he replaced Billy Mckay due to injury: did it look serious or a precaution?

Coll Donaldson and Brad Mckay for Falkirk at Wick today in the cup. Andy MacRae for Brora and Kane Davies for Forres in the Highland League.

Job done. That’s all that mattered today. Good to see Mackay get game time and having a right back in is positive. Hopefully he does enough to warrant staying for the rest of the season at least. What do we want next? A winnable game or a big pay day?

HT 1-0 FT 3-1 ICT Billy Mckay Stirling Carrick Crowd 988

Manny Duku for York and two for Garry Wood for Inverurie today. Andrew MacAskill for Buckie midweek in the Aberdeenshire Shield. Last Saturday, Wood and MacAskill both scored in the Highland League Cup.

I took their appearance as a big positive that they wanted to play which I found reassuring after recent events. I assume the plan was for them to play for as long as they felt able to and then replace them. Devine did well but ran out of steam whilst it was not apparent that Welsh had an issue. I also thought Ram was struggling at one point in the first half but he ran it off. I’ve been critical and worried recently, and probably fuelled some of the speculation, but I take heart from the attitude and commitment everyone on the park showed, and am happy to give the backroom team the benefit of the doubt again. We are missing Deas, Delaney, Allardice, MacGregor, Mackay, Samuels, Walsh and Sutherland, with Devine and Welsh not fully fit. I’d imagine that, of the 8 who are out, Delaney, Deas, Allardice, Samuels and Sutherland would have been starters today, possibly also MacGregor and Mackay, so I just hope we start getting players back whilst we are still close to the top of the table. The cup weekend gives a bit of a breather but we then have in form Dundee in a fortnight.

That was much better. We had the beating of Ayr and could have been further ahead before they equalised. Shaw took his goals well, but both Ayr goals could have been stopped. Chalmers knew he had the beating of Harper and that created the first, whilst the second came from us dithering and getting caught out at the back. Carson and Welsh in midfield made us competitive, but we still played too many long high balls which simply gave up possession cheaply. I’m much more positive tonight as I saw desire and commitment from all 13 who played. I caught Dodds’ interview on Sportsound on my way home, and Devine would not normally have played as he is not fit yet, but he wanted to and was MoM for me. Welsh played with a bruised dead leg, and in normal times wouldn’t have started either. We could easily have won, we could easily have lost, but I will take the point. My belief is back that we will not be far away by the end of the season. Hopefully after the cup game we have some more players back.

I think we all approach it in hope rather than expectation, but it is time to show full support and encouragement to the 11 starters and whoever are on our bench (if anyone!).

Dumbarton @ 1.72 please.

HT 1-1 FT 2-1 ICT Billy Mckay Ayr Akinyemi Crowd 1967

If this article is correct, we will almost struggle to have a team on the pitch: up to 10 players out and recalling kids from the Highland League: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/5050351/injury-ravaged-caley-thistle-make-emergency-plea-to-bring-back-loanees-from-highland-league-clubs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

I didn’t see Saturday’s game and I may miss the start this week as delivering furniture for my mother in law, but we need a good crowd to get behind the players from as soon as they come out of the tunnel. Hopefully Section 94 are there in numbers and make themselves heard and the drummer is in the North Stand. Some players are low on confidence, so it is time to get behind them rather than being critical. If we have any of our casualties back, that is a bonus. Any word on Devine, Allardice, MacGregor, Mackay or Samuels? Some of them can make a real difference if available. Similarly, hopefully Delaney has recovered from his knock. If there has been something wrong behind the scenes, hopefully it is sorted by now. I know many are dissatisfied with Dodds, and justifiably so, but this league is still there for the taking if we can get back on track. However, this is close to a must win game, it is certainly a must not lose game, as we don’t want to be 9 points off the pace at this stage.