Jaggernaut

11 hours ago, old caley girl said:

What utter nonsense.. 

I'd expect the majority of our ST holders esp the younger they are to have no leanings towards the OF or Aberdeen 

I agree, the older supporters like me, didn't have a Scottish league team to support, so we always had a 'big team' and our local team that we supported. I was a fan of Celtic since about 1965 and was an avid follower of Inverness Thistle since around 1962, but whenever these teams met, there was only one team that I wanted to win, that was the Jaggies. But I agree that the younger fans have no excuse for not supporting their local team, as we now have a Scottish League team of our own, but if you walk through the town, you see Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and even Man City and United tops being worn by youngsters, but very few ICT tops. I even know a young lad a few years ago that was a fan of Chelsea, and I asked him why he supported them and not ICT, and he said because Chelsea, at that time, were winning everything and ICT were pants, his words. He probably supports Man City now, the young are very fickle!

2 hours ago, hasman82 said:

I tried calling 5 times today between 1130 and 1400 with no answer. Just trying to find out how to book a space on the bus for myself and my 13yr old when there is no option to add her to the booking...

Yes, I was the same. I had been calling off and on for hours, no answer from reception or shop.

Can anyone tell me if the shop closes over lunch time? I don't want to get a taxi down there only to find them shut. There's no one answering the phones.

Whatever happened to the 'player of the year' awards, they used to be awarded on the pitch at the last home game of the season?

Having them at some other time, usually the first home game of the next season, has problems now, as most players move on and don't stay too long at our club, and any players who maybe won an award might now play for other clubs, and are not in attendance to accept their award and take the applause from the supporters.

I just think ICT are always missing a beat when it comes to things like this.

Oh the memories of happier times. Eight years ago on the 9th of May 2015, we defeated Dundee 1-0 at Dens Park, to secure third place in the premiership and achieve European football for the first time. And although we missed out on the playoffs this season, we stand on the cusp of achieving European football again.......all we have to do is beat Celtic! 

If I'm correct, most of the 'out of contract' player's contracts are up at the end of May 2023, so how does this affect them playing for ICT in the cup final on the 3rd of June? Do ICT have to sign them on a short extension contract, or play them as trialists?

I'm genuinely curious, as I don't want our amazing cup final win against Celtic to be taken from us because of some administration error! 

16 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

For the young player, Shaw has obviously had a great 2nd half of the season with goals and assists. But Cameron Harper has had a good season too, establishing himself as a first team regular, with 40 starts - only Carson has more. He’s looked increasingly assured at left back as well as being surprisingly useful when played further up the park, chipping in with some very important and well struck goals. I know I’m not the only one who had doubts as to whether he’d make it at this level but he’s progressed really well.

I think Harper has progressed well, but in midfield in my opinion. I don't think he is a left back, never have. He always seems reluctant press on when he has the ball, he asks for the ball and his first thought is to pass it back, he very rarely turns and runs down the wing. Maybe this is what he has been told to do, as Dodds seems happy for him to do this. We have been blessed in the left back position in recent seasons, with both Shinnie and Tremarco excelling in that berth, and I think Deas is a better left back, but we lose his power at centre back.

I do believe that Harper's future lies in the midfield, where he is more proactive and carries a goal threat, but it's great to see former youth team players break through, and hopefully more will follow next season.

It is very hard for players to make an impact when they get five or ten minutes every so often. Players need a run of games to bed in and for their confidence to grow, Shaw being a prime example, he was used sparingly at first, but once he got a run of games he has shown his potential. 

Whoever is in charge next season, (hopefully not Dodds in my opinion), I really hope they get the recruitment right, and no more square pegs in round holes. Let's try and get a right back, instead of using Carson and losing his box to box prowess in the middle, and a real number ten, someone who knows how to play that position, and not use a winger and lose his natural assets of ball carrying and cutting into the channels. Doran can play there and Roddy Macgregor if they both keep fit. And we really really need a different option up front, we can't just bring on like for like when using substitutes, something that happens all too often, the tactics don't change, just the personel. If things aren't working for Billy Mckay, as they often don't when the team persists with playing Hoofball, then we need a different type of player, a target man. There have been terrific crosses put in by Henderson this season, but unfortunately we have a small striker, and our opponents centre backs just head everyone away.

I think this close season will be the toughest yet for recruitment, it will be another season of rebuilding. For me, I would use the young lads who are on the cusp of the first team, they must be ready to step up now, and couple that with some of our experienced players, and we might just have the makings of a good team. 

I'm very surprised that there has been no word of any pre contract agreements for any of our players so far. In past seasons we knew that some of our out of contract players were going, Shinnie was off to Aberdeen, and Vincent, Williams and Ross were away to Dundee. Have any players been offered contracts with us or anybody else? It could be the difference between some supporters renewing their season tickets, if they don't know who is off and who is staying.

Doran has obviously lost the pace he had on the wing in his younger days, but he is a creative player with a good football brain, and I thought he was a shoe-in to play behind Billy Mckay, threading through passes and creating chances, injuries permitting. If we can offer Doran another year contract, I believe he would be beneficial for the squad and for another push for the championship. 

I have always said that he left us far too early in his career, he wasn't even a regular starter in our first eleven, and really hadn't fulfilled his potential with ICT. It would have been more beneficial if he had been loaned back to us right after his transfer, like Ryan Christie was, to continue his development, instead of in and out of the Hibs team. I know he had a bad injury, and then was loaned to Kilmarnock in the championship, where he was more often or not on the bench, but that didn't do much for his confidence and development. It all honesty he should have come back to us then, but he probably thought it would look like a backward step. He should be ripping this league up, but only shows it in flashes. In my opinion, I think Dan is a player who performs well when we are coasting or winning in games, but when the team struggles, Dan can sometimes be posted missing.

I really hope he turns his career around, because I believe he has so much talent, and would hate to see him drift from club to club and just be another anonymous player. Coming back to us permanently would be the best thing for Dan and ICT, it would give him stability and the chance to reignite his career. 

4 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Gutted! Never at the races tonight. Dodds set us up all wrong and played right into their hands.Too many players off colour tonight too.  We then ran out of luck. Their first goal looked offside. Our chalked off goal was onside. But in the end it didn't matter. 

Yes I'm singing now IHE.....

 

As for above I agree re a clearout but I'd keep Ryan Esson as he does fabulous work with the goalies and more importantly the U18s. 

What a disappointing night and quite the comedown from last Saturday. 

Yes, I'd keep Ryan, his reputation is growing.

We were in line with the build up to their goal and it did look offside, the assistant ref was behind the play, but there were some really bad decisions from the officials tonight, but it was the wrong lineup, wrong formation and wrong tactics, but it had been happening all season.

1 hour ago, mazza20 said:

Realistically, who would we get / want? I think it might time for a wholesale change of the backroom staff

Yes, I don't think I can sit through another season watching Dodds brand of Hoofball again.

1 hour ago, FrontRow said:

Wrong team selection there. Why keep the buzz bomb on the bench. Carson should have started in the middle to help dominate and drive the team on. 

Couldn't agree more with you, Dodds picked the same side that beat Falkirk, and we didn't play particularly well in that game, although we scored the three goals, I really thought he'd freshen the team up, and that Carson would have played from the start, and although I think Shaw is the find of the season, he's not suited to play behind the striker, when he was switched to the left in the second half what a difference it made. I thought we looked like a tired team tonight, and we really need to cut out the needless passing across the back four, and then back to Ridgers, it's pointless. 

25 minutes ago, TheMantis said:

Watched it back via the bbc recording and the coverage was just as bad as we had heard with all the blackouts. Also my recording finished at 2pm with a few minutes to go so no interviews etc.

I watched the interviews on YouTube, Welsh, Billy Mckay, Dan Mackay and Billy Dodds. Watching the game live in Inverness was such a frustrating watch, it kept cutting out, even the prerecorded interviews at half-time where interrupted, we said we bet it wouldn't have happened if it was the other semi final!!!!!

Of all the parts of a football pitch to hit, the same post was hit three times in this match. We were lucky that it saved us conceding when Ridgers miss kicked his clearance, and Shaw was so unlucky not to be on the scoresheet when he struck the same post twice. How his second attempt never went in is baffling, you'd really think the momentum would have carried it over the line.

I was up to the wee small hours watching all the highlights and interviews multiple times, amazing.  When you look back on it, we are in our second Scottish Cup Final in our short history, while some clubs with histories three times as long as ours have never been to one, it is some achievement. 

What a fantastic result. Falkirk started well, and had lots of possession, but you don't win games with possession, you win it by putting the ball in the net, and ICT did it three times, while Falkirk didn't. Some great performances today, Welsh and Allardice in the middle and Devine and Deas at the back, and the front three all put a shift, but everyone played their part.

Well done all the lads, and hopefully I'll be able to attend the final. 

I am not attending this semi final due to health issues, but will get the pies in and settle down for the build up on tv. I am quietly confident of a victory, as I think the wide open spaces of Hampden Park will suit our style. With ball carriers the likes of Henderson, Shaw, Samuels and Dan Mackay, they should be able to use their pace, as long as we don't revert to Hoofball. We also know from past experience that our ex centre backs, Donaldson and Mckay always have an error or two in them, so with Billy Mckay playing on their shoulder, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the score sheet, they will know how tricky he can be, and will be wary. So, as I said, I'm quietly confident of a win, so hopefully I'll be in better health for the final. 

I, like some of the posters on here, don't know why Dodds keeps playing Shaw as a  number 10, he is far more effective on the wing and cutting in. I thought Saturdays game was made for Doran to play just behind Billy Mckay, they link well together, and it would cut out the constant Hoofball. It was probably Billy's quietest game for some time, as he hardly ever got any balls played to his feet.

With our semi final now in the forefront of our minds, we need to play to our strengths, by playing our passing game, which usually brings some joy up front, instead of hitting constant long high balls to our non existent tall target man. 

3 hours ago, Douglas Mackenzie said:

Further to my earlier comment and I don't  like being overly critical, but I wish we would stop sending high balls to Billy Mackay.They haven't  worked all season and didn't work today.The Dundee number 5 won every one of them.When we sent long balls to the wingers we did better.Missed Welsh today as he can control things from the centre of the park.All said and done though a good point fought hard for.

I have said all season that we haven't scored one goal from playing Hoofball, but continue to use it in most games, and create most of our chances and goals by playing fast passing football on the deck. Great run from Dan Mackay setting up the goal, we could be doing with a lot more of that.

At the end of the day, that was a good point, considering I thought Dundee were going to blow us away in the first twenty minutes, we could hardly get in their half, and their striker missed a sitter. They were quicker than us and had sharper passing, but didn't trouble Ridgers too much. I didn't see what happened for their goal, it looked very scrapy and we did well to come back. Dodds got his subs right today and when we went to a back three and pushed Carson into midfield we started to cause Dundee some problems, which resulted in our equaliser. I thought at the end we might just steal it, buy we have to settle for the point. So it's down to the Ayr game now, and by Friday 5th, we will know exactly what we have to do.

I never met Tommy, but I remember him obviously from his work with ICT, and I also remember him from the Highland League days as a Jags supporter. RIP Tommy, a great servant to Inverness football. 

I said before the game would our desire to get into the playoffs be greater than theirs to stay in this league, and you can certainly say that our boys have desire in bucket fulls. A fantastic three points. Can't wait for the weekend now. 

It could come down to which team has the most desire, is Hamiltons desire to stay in this league greater than our desire for a playoff place?

If we play our passing game, which usually ends up in a chance or a goal, we give ourselves the best possible chance of getting the right result.