Council Juice

Maybe we should have brought Tony back (as opposed to Ridgers)? I still can't see why we brought Ridgers in if there were no offers for OFW pending. The latter is a solid enough keeper who didn't really need replaced. Granted he's on good money, but now we've 2 first team keepers and one still on good money and not playing. A lot has been said about his dodgy form last season which tbh is a bit unfair seeing as he was willing to battle through groin tears and back spasms to play. I'd love to see how others would compete with those injuries. He was good enough previously to get in the Wales euro finals squad so he's certainly capable. Our transfer policy has been very muddled since TB, MM and Steve Marsella left and it's slowly crept up on us.

Could we switch to a back 3 and play Raven and Calder/Tremarco as wing backs? Put Seedorf in alongside Polworth and Vigurs and play 2 up top? Maybe Mulraney could be transformed into an attacking wing back? Granted we'd likely need to bring in another centre half and midfielder but that's probably the case anyway.

I accept that finishing 3rd and winning the cup is probably around as good as it gets for a club our size and appreciate that we will not always be able to maintain that, but the complete complacency shown by the board since winning that has now come home to roost. Rather than build on the cup win the club saw key players depart and not sufficiently replaced. The same can be said for the club facilities. They're maintained at a basic running level. Just enough to be usable and then fans get fed up. They put up with substandard facilities to a point when there's product on the pitch but when there is neither they stop attending. Then the crowds dwindle, meaning less money to invest in better players, and less to upgrade facilities. the caledonian stadium has always been treated, in my eyes, as a temp fix by the board and that it will do "for now" meaning that we haven't made, as a club, a substantial effort to make it a home in terms of getting it up to scratch - they can't even sort a tannoy! That's farcical! Now I'm not going to completely slaughter the board because in other terms, for a long while they managed to balance the books, keep us solvent, whilst being able to let the manager put a competitive team on the pitch. They've done a relatively good job of that over the years. It just seems that there's no real direction this summer. Relegation is something that as an ict fan I accept is always going to be a possibility. What I don't accept is the club seemingly having no plans for it. We were rock bottom for most of last season. Contingency plans should have been put into place. And now fans are that worried that they fear fighting relegation again. I could accept having to rebuild. Maybe not going straight back up but that's something we shouldn't have to contemplate. You only imagine the real reason the club have had no open day is that they realise if fans knew the Board of directors were there it might turn into a protest at this summers shambles.

Well let's look on the bright side.... ......... .......

Jog on troll. Not surprising that a Staggys first port of call would be a Caley Thistle fans forum though.

The thing is he's asked to leave and his contract was running down. We could have kept him but we'd risk having an uncommitted player who'd eventually leave for nothing. I imagine like most he would have been happy to stay but unfortunately the reality of relegation means that clubs will look to poach your better players for reduced fees and offer the chance to play in the top division. Once that happens it's often likely the player will leave. I imagine he'd have stayed and fought if no offers were made. I don't think he actively sought a transfer. While I dont think the club had much choice and had to reluctantly let him leave, I'm annoyed that it's clearly been done so cheaply.

Ross Draper joining Ross County subject to passing a medical. Reports state an undisclosed 6 figure fee was agreed after the player handed in a transfer request.

Scratch all that. He's off. Put in a transfer request. Judas! Et tu, et tu!

If the offer was nearer the £200k mark rather than a rather derisory figure of half that amount I could probably live with it begrudgingly. Do we need the money? Do we have quality replacements lined up? Has he been at his best? No. Few were last season. I'm not sure it's relevant to this season tbh. It's a level down and a fresh start with a new manager. He wasnt always played in the best positions last season either, like several others. I'd rather keep him and find a way to get him, Polworth and Vigurs in a central midfield trio. (4-3-3, a narrow diamond 4-4-2, 3-4-2-1 with wing backs and Polly up besides another 10 behind the striker. ). Not something that will happen in a flat 4 midfield. Seems moving OFW on is a must, but why sign a keeper untill that's possible? Did Meekings reject a contract? He seemed quite surprised when news was announced he was being released. Pretty sure his twitter read something along the lines of "news to me"

Yeah it's not so much those maintaining the official site as such, it just seems the information never seems to be forthcoming from the club. It all seems to be updated now but it took long enough. I get what you mean about the apparent lack of tech savvy at the club overall. It's like trying to teach an elderly relative how to send an email.

Seems like it's sorted.

I guess you have to look at it from the parent clubs point of view. When loaning players out they want the player to get games. Any attempt to stop these youngsters wasting a year on the bench. They may as well remain playing with the reserves in the development league. I wonder if it means they have to start games. Could just bring them on in the 89th minute each week. As to the colt teams, I repeat that i don't think we need to waste our time with the headache with the infrastructure issues of setting up a new team where we could set up an official link with the likes of Clach. Rather than have a development team, just send the kids there. We keep paying wages. And rather than having 20 permanent names on their books they'd maybe only have 15.

Maybe we've adopted the old County technique of counting eyes instead of heads. We don't seem to be too far off. A bit more defensive organisation and some cutting edge up top and we should be OK. A goalscorer is however one of the hardest positions to fill and I think Denzil is long retired now. Even Paul Ritchie would do.... It appears the club were very short sighted regarding Fisher and given his run of form towards the end of last season a new deal should have been a priority IMHO. Alas, ifs and buts, that ship has sailed. Although I can't see any new strikers coming in unless a good opportunity presents itself via available player or loan. We've signed 3(Baird, Oakley and Zschusschen) and have a few others who can play there like Bell. Getting players, like Polworth, in their best position has to start happening soon though. He's never convinced as a winger although our last few managers seem to see him as one. If we're only playing the 2 centre mids it has to be Vigurs and Draper atm with Polworth of the bench. There's no point shoeing him on on the right wing just because he's one of the better players as it's not getting the performance required. Play a midfield 3 and allow 2 of Oakley, Bell or Mulraney to support Baird in free roles. Allow Draper or Polworth to attack through middle where possible. Get full backs forward. As I say, we don't appear to be too far off from what I can tell. I've not seen much of the new boys but I think given a few tweaks we could have a few decent players there.

Surely we'd be OK if we just move OFW on? Draper is key and it's vital we keep him. Ravens contract only runs to January. It would make sense to keep him until then and maybe, if required replace in January. Or offer him a deal on lower wages at the time. He might favour that over tearing up roots and moving.

No tickets for the riff raff!

I think it's clear that the access to the stadium via the A9 and a proper car park have been bones of contention for fans for many a year now. There's also definitely scope to do something above and against the main stand wings. Perhaps a club shop/cafe at the stadium as suggested in another thread. Cafe could be partially separate and also work as food vendor on match days. In fact it would probably only be open on match days unless it could be made into a place people would go independently outwith football. As to building new terraces on the other side of the main stand, we could potentially partition them at halfway divided by a food vendor and a TV tower/Camera tech room. One for home one for away. Wouldn't even need to have that large a capacity. Enough to take us up to 8000 maybe. But anything else would be pointless as there isn't the fan Base. All ifs and buts though really. None of us have that cash and the present board tend not to think overly long term in way of infrastructure. The 2 stands outwith the main stand were only built out of necessity.

I'll happily take a draw.

It's a joke really. Someone in the team has obviously just "liked" something they shouldn't have done. It's could be a genuine error (hopefully the case) and they should be warned to be more careful in future. If it's suspected that it may have been a practical joke on account of 1 person then it's a little more serious as it's deliberately damaging the club image. Whether or not the club can actually contact twitter to find out who did it I don't know. I suspect most fans, even those with children, probably don't care that much anyway. Whatever the case the club just need to move on and get the twitter going again.

Pretty much more or less along the lines of what everyone expected then? I do like the idea of having a colt team in a lower league to develop younger players and the Highland League is very convenient from our point of view in regards to regional proximity and overall competitiveness. I certainly don't see how it's arrogance to explore the possibility and at least ask the question. Even if we don't actually set up a new team for the league (Which itself might be a bit of a headache cost wise) is there anything to stop us looking at forging an official link with an existing team in or around Inverness that's already a member of the Highland League. A place we could send a batch of our young players each year which would help them invest their own money on more experienced players. These young players would then be able to fight for a place in that team alongside seasoned HL players. We would also have the option of taking some of their better players on. A feeder team essentially if you will. In return we could help them with infrastructure, further exposure etc.

Probably/possibly Hartley.

It's a perfectly reasonable question, and the answer too is quite acceptable as well. It's been the clubs decision, somewhere, to suspend twitter use at present so they're best suited to answer that query. This being said, you are, if anyone knows, far more likely to get any communication from those on this site than from official channels so your OP was not necessarily a forlorn request. As for your reply though. Less sugar. It's not good for you and makes you hyperactive.

Caman, the official site has been woeful in its ability to keep basic things like new signing updates and the squad list for this season up to date. As well as releasing any information of note. I've always considered it a bit half hearted. How hard is it to get the manager to update them with a list of available players for team news regarding suspensions and injuries. Not asking for a personal medical record. Just along the lines of "knee injury" would suffice. "Back in training"

You're the one who mentioned directors. Lol. In our case and most other cases it would be the chairman who takes on this role. Contracts generally being handled by business people. What their actual title is, is of little relevance. This is because the football people have already run the rule over the player in a football sense. Whereas they may outline basics in discussions (contract length may be discussed), finances are conducted by finance people. Not those who have "either no or very limited knowledge" of running a business. Contract details are thrashed out by the chairman/Chief executive/ Director and the players agent. I don't know what decade you're living in but managers these days have far less input in contract negotiations and signings than they once did. Managers can no longer sneak transfers through behind the owners back or sell them for a case of bubbly. They are largely restricted to the football operations side of things. At full time level anyway. You shouldn't believe everything you're told caleyboy if you think Robbo is sitting in an office dotting i's and crossing t's...

Most modern club managers, after identifying the player and notifying the board of a wish to sign leave contract negotiations to the board, with preferred contract length. They may then go back to the manager and inform them as to the impact the signing will have on his remaining budget, and the manager will then ok it. Even then the higher up the ladder you go in pro football the less the manager has influence on contract. But the DoF with business, contract and budget knowledge is certainly the one who sits down with the player and their agent. Whether the manager is in the room, so to speak, for initial talks is entirely up to the club and manager.

Na it was in a recent bbc sport article actually