Council Juice

It's a fair question Blair. Personally I think we've slightly been victims of our own success. After winning the cup (and reaching another final), aside from Christie, we completely failed to capitalise financially on the transfer of players their success attracted from elsewhere. So many good players have been lost for nothing. Unfortunately many of these good players were brought in through excellent scouting/trial work from Butchers teams tenure for next to nothing - if you then fail to profit from players leaving you have to try and replace them for next to nothing. It's near impossible to continue to find like for like gems from free transfers and released youths. Which is our market. So we've unsuccessfully been able to adjust to the loss of key players and not been able to replace them (we'd never replace Christie tbh). The board in some respects have perhaps shown complacency in this respect. They also did not manage to capitalise on our cup win commercially. They never truly seized the opportunity. Instead of attracting a new fan base we've lost fans. It's only really in hindsight that Foran turned out to be a poor manager. The club didn't act quickly enough in that respect perhaps.... But how often are clubs criticised for being trigger happy?It's a tough call. They held firm. It didn't work. Perhaps in the long run relegation might be good for us. Not financially sure, but it gives us the chance to start afresh. We might not be promoted this season but there's no reason not to build for next and be optimistic about our chances. We believe.

Unfortunate not to nick this one by sounds of it but another clean sheet. Mckay and Donaldson seem to be forming a decent understanding at the back and the return of Tremarco and Raven has really helped. Still lacking a proper number 9. To think what could have been had we kept hold of Fisher. Think he'd have really flourished with Mulraney and Bell alongside. Ifs and Buts though.

A few players contracts up soon. Ideally we'd keep Donaldson and Raven, although the latter is unlikely I feel. For me Cooper and Elsdon can leave. Young Foy offers as much as Cooper does. Amongst others.

What I don't understand is why Maurice Malpas is now the sole board member....

Yaaaaaaaas

The players and staff have responded to the criticism... Which was merited. Fans who pay their entrance every week or fork out for a season ticket have every right to let their feelings be known.

The only positive I really see is another clean sheet, but we need points. Whether we're home or away. Yes we created a lot of chances but we didn't win again. Just clutching at straws saying that it's a good away point, with chances created. They're struggling as well. If we're creating that many chances we need to be ruthless. It's as much 2 points dropped as a point gained for me.

You do wonder if our last 2 managers leaving means we effectively can't afford to sack manager or assistant. Rice is contracted to the end of the season. I don't think we can afford to pay him off and pay another assistant wage. I reckon if the money was there to move them and replace them it would have happened already.

Hand bags. These kind of things used to happen length of the country on the training ground. Tempers rise. Especially when everyone is feeling the strain. Tell them to suck it up, shake hands and get on with the job, or leave. Not sure what Kellacher thinks he'll achieve by giving Polly dogs abuse to the point he rises to hit him. With any luck it will awaken a bit of fire in him on the pitch. That being said he's surrounded by dross. The tactics don't seem to be great either.

Gonna be a long long long season.

Having pizza or chips after away games didn't appear to do us any problems under Butcher or Yogi so I can't see it being a problem now. Whether or not players are eating poorly in between is another matter.

Because I something to bring down my otherwise cheery demeanor.

I think that perhaps when people call Brian Rice a good coach they must be confusing him with Pat. He's evidently not. There is no evidence to support this claim. It's complete hear say. Probably spread by friends in the industry. Old boys act. And then fans hearing that he's supposedly good spread it without question. Even on the chance that he is good (he's not) he certainly isn't a good fit at Inverness. He's the one common denominator in our fall since arriving. It's not a coincidence that 3 separate managers have struggled alongside him. Get rid. As for Latapy, perhaps he wasn't a significant reason for our success, but even if he offered nothing it'd be a hell of a lot more than Rice. Hughes wasn't exactly happy to see him.leave so I am going to side on the notion that he offered a little more than some claim (again through rumour).

Scored today I see...

Normally I'm not one to hit the button and call for a managers head and on several times I've said we need to give Robbo time to bed in the 13 new signings and cope with a similar number of departures however it's starting to appear more understandable why Robbo was out of the managerial profession for so long. Now I'm eternally grateful for the job he did last time around but he inherited a very good nucleus of talent and was able to find the right players to supplement that (Bingham, Keogh and Hislop etc). He hasn't had that luxury this time around and I'm not sure if he's capable of building from scratch. I also think that we've been on a complete downward trajectory since Rice came in and he seems to have avoided any accountability for the failures of the last 3 seasons under 3 different managers. So it's unfortunate but I'm beginning to think that Robbo might be coming to the end. And I don't think there's many who continue to back him. I'm sure most would rather he's able.to turn it round but that might not happen.

Given how the club seem to have announced to the press that players were being released prior to telling players themselves (Meekings) and the poor management of the Draper transfer to save face I'd be tempted to side with OFW Re who's not being entirely up front in regards to his situation. If an appearance bonus is the problem sit him down and ask him to either remove it or defer it in order to play. It's not exactly something that hasn't happened before.

Updating the squad list to filter players into contract length...

Boohoo all the older boys and girls are picking on us. It's totally OTT. They swear too etc..... Suck it up and don't be so dumb as to get caught and you won't get the bother. As to what Old Firm fans think of our club statement, perhaps if their own boards actually did something about their own support instead of trying to shift the blame onto "them as well" then their fans wouldn't continuously drag Scottish football through the gutter on such a regular basis. Our board have acted strongly to both a complaint by Brechin and noise from SFA. They didn't have much choice anyway. Perhaps the tone could have been different. Maybe it was a little condescending and tarnished all with one brush. But they had to, realistically, say something.

The 2 goals we conceded were absolutely horrid and amatuer stuff. Something to tighten up on the training ground. Reminded me of the worst of last season. The chances we created showed that we might be clicking going forward and Liam Polworth is looking like he's gaining confidence again.

Quite simple really, the law and match conditions clearly state no pyrotechnics. Any ground in the country. Therefore if people choose to use them at grounds then they should accept the consequences of breaking the conditions (and henceforth the contract accepted on purchase) such as being ejected or banned. It's their call. Don't do the crime if you can't take the time. It's the same as sneaking substances into festivals. Feel free to try but if you get caught it's no one's fault but yours. According to the most recent statement on the official site, damage was caused to the ground for which Brechin have billed our club. If you're doing that, then you're a walloper and good riddance. You're giving the other fans a bad name. You're giving fellow "young team" and "ultras" a bad name. Those that know the difference between fun and vandalism. Atmosphere and loutish. You're not a "lad", you're a goat. As to drums and singing and banners and flags, the more the merrier. The more noise the better. Pyro has never been needed to create atmosphere in grounds in the UK before so, unless you're just crap at the aforementioned, it's not required now. Get behind the team, make all the noise, be creative, come up with songs and drum beats and chants. And icelandic style claps or Highland war cries. But follow the fairly reasonable rules and you'll not get bother. And if stewarts at away grounds ask you to stop, ignoring them or arguing won't work. Wish it would sometimes... And as for Rangers and Celtic fans getting away with murder. It's not about them, it's about us.

Just because a player, or indeed any employee, seeks to leave their current employment due to a change in circumstances as per their contract they are under no obligation to accept the first offer that comes along. Who's to say other offers haven't been on significantly less money, mean moving a considerable distance that isn't favourable, at a level that he feels he can do better than (He may still have international ambitions this summer so being 2nd choice or at a low level may not enhance those). Just because a person wishes to leave one job they generally won't jump into the first available if they think they can help it. They pick the best for their own circumstances.

Half way there and 4 points after 4 games. Reckon we need 2 wins from the next 4 to get us rolling. Try and get to 10 or 11 points and go from there.

It's a lovely hedge tis true...

Well he's played centre half before and left back and gets up and down the line a lot so I would imagine he'd be suited to wing back as well. A formation in which he could perform several different roles where required.

Neither do I really, however it can often be useful to gain a sense of perspective by looking at others.