The Long Man

There is no doubt about Robbo's passion for the game and his attachment to Inverness. One of his merits, and I trust it still is, was his in-depth knowledge of the Scottish scene, including youth football and the lower leagues. So maybe that is what swung it for him, given we have to rebuild a team, and I hope he can do exactly that. The thing is nobody knows when you hire a new manager if they will be a success, but we have to support him and see what the new season  brings. Certainly it is more hopeful than keeping the last incumbent.

I have no doubt he will thrive there, as he would have done here, if given the chance. I also believe he would have scored enough goals to keep us up. Thanks, Richie.

Do tell us more, this sounds good.

What did Mrs Mann do?

I don't know for sure, but I am heartened that there appear to be some quality candidates to choose from. The usual question will raise its head - how many of these candidates want the job, and are willing to come to Inverness - that has been an issue in the past with both managers and players. But I believe we have a lot to offer an aspiring manager, so bring them on.

Of course you have to feel for him on a personal level. No doubt he had great dreams of establishing himself as a great ICT manager, and it must be painful to accept the reality. However, time is the healer, and I hope he finds something where he will prosper. But it had to happen, he backed himself into a corner and there was no realistic prospect, or indeed evidence, that he could get the club and himself out of it. It was always too much too soon for him. Maybe he will feel a relief at the pressure being taken off him - management is unbelievably stressful, and the last months can't have been much fun.

I have no doubt the board were also cognisant of the fans' views on the matter, which was almost universal, and it would have been next to impossible to carry on with such opposition, liable to spill over into an unpleasant and uncomfortable atmosphere. 

But now we can look forward to what was always necessary - a clean break, with new faces, and some real optimism and hope for next season. We made some terrible mistakes last season, but we have the core of a great club, with a great, if short, tradition. There is no reason we can't regain that and get back to where we were. What a relief.

No, Ken.  

Quite honestly the atmosphere around Foran is so negative that I would take just about anybody as an improvement. He has set the bar low for a replacement. The most important thing is that we start again with an atmosphere of positivity and optimism, so I would welcome somebody like Sheerin, Hartley, Dodds or even Eustace P McGargle.

With the change of leadership at board level, this is an ideal time to refresh the structure of the club, make some changes and start afresh with optimism.It is impossible to see how RF could be part of that. Even he must be aware of that. Hopefully this week will see a lot of change and a clear out. In many ways RF is part of the old Butcher ethos, which although it might have worked under Terry, was also a rule by fear atmosphere which Foran never had the authority or experience to implement. Maybe he thought he could imitate his old boss. We have to move on from that old style, we are better than that.

fascinating. thanks, Bronson. It has the ring of truth about it, and explains a lot of things that have had most of us baffled. In my view it makes his situation untenable, and even if it costs us money we can ill afford, we would be better to make a clean break and start anew with none of this resentment and bad feeling. Very sad, really, that it came to this, and only underlines how unnecessary it all was, given that we could have saved our season without the stubborn mule refusing to listen to wiser heads. I feel for the players, put in a really difficult position, but who of them will want to stay if this carries on.

Well, if you were a board member doing your job you would, if you haven't already (which would be the forward looking strategy), be making discreet enquiries with players and coaching staff to gauge what, if any, support there is for Foran. If the consensus is negative, and would entail losing players who might stay otherwise, then you have to report that to the board and take a decision with that in mind. If the consensus is overwhelming, then Foran's position is untenable. Of course it is also your responsibility to ensure financial stability so you have to balance that with the costs of letting him go. However, if the long term goal of getting back to the SPL is achieved more quickly without him then the short term loss is balanced by the gain of getting back up. Nobody can guarantee that, of course, but you have to look at the balance of probabilities. You might also consider that if a manager like Hughes was sacked for his disruptive attitude, then the same principle might apply here, given that car crash interview.

That's what i call wishful thinking. There is no evidence he has learnt much at all, given he had a whole season, and his attitude to the players seems vindictive and undermining. Would you really trust him to build a new squad and attract some  quality players? If he stays he'll be gone by November as we look the unthinkable in the eye. And we will have wasted time and even more money, and be stuck with a mismatched, demoralised squad.

But we hope you go down too 

He often came on late, but every time I saw him his work rate and application, the creation of chances was light years ahead of Doomby. Yet he was never given a chance.

You're just buying into the diversion Foran has created for you.

It was obvious to many people on this board as far back as October. That says a lot about Foran.

He should walk of course, but I think that statement is so cowardly, irresponsible, sour and damaging to the club and its players that it should seal any doubt and instigate immediate dismissal.

A clued up board will already have a short list for the new manager appointment...

Ask the major shareholders.

You call an extraordinary meeting and vote for the new directors using your shares.

I don't care, because that is pathetic - trying to foist blame on to unnamed players. If he was a decent manager he wouldn't have had that problem, or would have dealt with it. But that is really desperate stuff from him. Maybe he was the bad apple. Have some dignity foran and resign.

one of the recent threads explains this. Basically there are a few people or organisations who hold the bulk, with an army of small shareholders who hold them for sentimental reasons.

it also proves that we had a squad good enough to have stayed up, had we an even half decent manager. What a shambles.

Not listening any more. Too much to take. Yes, an away win against a Dundee who also folded today does not get Foran out of the jail he has built for himself. I hope that is the last we see of him in the dugout. He carries the can. Do the decent thing, RF.