Jaggernaut

We said the same thing when we heard him on the radio in the car, bumming up the county squad, when his employers are struggling down at Ayr.

And putting squad players out on loan when the injuries seem to be mounting up, is not the best policy.

I agree about Doran, he looked in the mood pre season and as fit as I've seen him in a long time. I would play him in behind Billy Mckay, they know each others games so well, and I think that that would be a productive partnership for me.

Yes it's early in the season, but not in competitive matches, so we really need to put a marker down soon, or we are going to look like an easy three points for a lot of teams. Beating Ayr, who will be one of the teams striving for the playoffs, would certainly be the kick start to our season we desperately need.

It is hard to know what kind of team we are, apart from an easy to beat one. We aren't a counter attacking team, because our build up play is ponderous and predicable. We don't have a playmaker, and the midfield is too light and doesn't seem to have a game plan. We play with two wingers, but seldom get behind their back four, and if we do and put a cross in, they just get headed out, as our strikers are too small, so if Dodds wants to play that way, he should have started with big Harry. Our opponents know our game plan now, if indeed there is one, and they can counteract it, or change it at halftime if it's not working, something that Dodds seems to be reluctant or incapable of doing. At times yesterday, it looked like most of the players didn't know where they were supposed to be playing, it looked chaotic with players getting in each others way, and not being able to string a few passes together. Queens Parks passing was far superior and they more often than not found a pass and always seemed to have time on the ball to look up and pass to a spare man, while we always looked hurried and just booted it down the field. These things need to be addressed in training, and cut out the silly mistakes in defence of being caught in possession. We were always told, if in doubt, boot it out. I'm not sure if Harper was attempting a Cryuff turn yesterday, but whatever, it cost us big time. Harper is not a left back, he is far more affective playing further forward in the midfield, and if players are fit for the next game, I would have Delaney at left back, Devine in CB with Duffy and have Harper in a midfield five, with Samuels making way. We have to start thinking about not losing games first and foremost, and playing two up top, with only two in CM and two wingers is great if the tactics are right, but if not, we get what we got yesterday, nothing.

We were discussing the state of the club during todays debacle, and since we won the Scottish cup, finished 3rd in the league and qualified for Europe, there has been a steady decline in our quality every season, when we should have pushed on and made the most of our golden age, instead, we have gone backwards.

It's quite embarrassing when you hear them trying to convince themselves and others that there's nothing to worry about, and it's early days, they've been saying it for three seasons now, and we are getting very worried.

I said the same thing to my son, if we score, we will throw the kitchen sink at them in the last ten minutes, why don't we start like that? Dodds couldn't pick his nose, never mind the correct starting eleven. Bray should be a starter every time, he has energy and desire.

It looks like Nicolson out for season, and Roddy Macgregor is having an operation on is ankle on Monday so I believe, don't know what's the story with Welsh, but he's missed the last couple of games.

What an abysmal performance, but it's what I expected when I saw the formation and team line up. We were so light in midfield, only Carson and Gilmore in the CM, we really needed another in there, and it just shows how tactically unaware Dodds is, that he never changed a thing at half time. In my opinion we should have started with one up top, Mckay, Samuels is just not cutting it for me, and then one in behind, Doran or Bray, and have another CM in the middle. We don't have Welsh or Allardice now and we get over run by our opponents in there. And there is still far too much of the 'punt the ball anywhere up the park', just hoping that one of our players get onto it, which rarely happens, while our opponents pass the ball through us. Queens Park were by far the better team, and the ref was one of the worst I've seen. I fear that this is going to be a very long hard season, and if we can't win our home matches I dread to think where wins will come from.

I've always maintained that if you win the midfield you are more than likely to win the game. I felt that we were over run by Airdrie in the midfield in our last home league Cup game, and at times against Dundee. Maybe we need to sacrifice one of the forward thinking players for another CM. It will be hard to judge Queens Park as they have had wholesale changes, but let's try and play a bit quicker with the passing and have more shots on goal. A win would certainly restore some of the lost confidence.

A very interesting read so far, only half way through it. Well done on the layout, easy to read and understand. I hope the club take notice of it.

I usually think we can make the playoffs, but this season, I think this will be the toughest one to get out off in some time. I don't see us making the playoffs, and I think we will end up 6th or 7th. I really hope I'm using reverse psychology on myself and we fly to the top of the league, but I think with Dodds inability to see what tactical changes need made when things aren't going well for us, will be our downfall.

No Gimour, Devine, Brooks, Welsh, Macgregor or Nicolson, and not enough players to fill the bench, but yet we loan out two players to Highland League teams! You couldn't make it up.

The truth is out there! I'm afraid that I cannot divulge the sources, as, just like the club, information is a very rare commodity.

There are some teams that would run through brick walls for their manager, that is something that is quite obvious not applicable with Dodds.

Too true. The coaches seem to have a job for life at ICT. It needed a fresh approach, new ideas from new coaches, but we get the same old same old.

He could have been advising them at their training session!

That is Dodds all over, he hasn't got a plan B, he subs like for like and nothing changes.

What, at the county game, or at his employers game?

I do fear it's going to be a repeat of the slow, predicable uninspired football that we were subjected to last season. I said before that it was mind boggling that he was given, not earned, a two year deal, and we have the same coaching team as last season, but I'm now questioning my sanity of renewing my season ticket too early, just to continue to watch what's on offer.

I believe that every coach in this league has got our number now, and know how we are going to play, and they counteract it, or they change tactics at half time and end up winning. Dodds seems incapable of doing this, and we know from previous seasons that he has no plan B.

Totally agree with you. The football we play under Dodds has been some of the worst for many a season. I struggle to think of any home games that got me excited last season, the cup game against Kilmarnock being the exception. The club had the perfect time to change the coaching team, with Dodds contract having run down, but to award him with a two year deal is mind boggling. So, if things aren't going well this season, we are stuck with him for two years, or maybe more, if the club award him another contract!

He was probably at the County game.

Yes, I hope it isn't as bad as it looked, I thought that Nicolson was going to be the breakout player this season. He could really make the LB spot his own. This passing back and fore across the back line must be Dodds tactics, because they did it all last season as well. There was one attack where we were on the right, nearly in line with their box, and it went backwards, and backwards until in went to the keeper, and it couldn't go any further back, so we had to kick it forward. Pathetic.