big cherly

Hopefully they plump for robbo’s cv and management track record! He managed Derry for a ‘dod’ so thats a plus in his favour!! bc

Yes to both out! JR is yesterday’s man and now dead rubber to most of the fans (roof cover consultant)! Just hope some other club finally takes up his well travelled and punted CV soon. Our own dark prince SG is a different beast altogether. Skilled with the sleight of hand and beguiling, he has skilfully (for now), swung things round with the recruitment of big Dunc. Now considered in some places as our Elon Musk, let’s wait and see how things pan out. As long as big Dunc is around then I expect our dark prince to be somewhere lurking in the background shadows. bc

Irrespective whether Dodds or his radio chums felt he was harshly treated (they’re all living in an ivory tower), the simple fact is Dunc managed to get a victory with the same group of players, where he couldn’t. Suck it up Dodds, you put us through some of the most awful matches I ever witnessed in ICT colours. Enjoy your half time cuppa with Chic, Willie M and other ‘media stars’ for years to come! bc

True and ever so depressing! Part of the wider problem with Scottish football as a whole. Give me an Alan Hansen or Roy Keane punditry any day over the Willie Miller’s and Ally McCoist’s of the world any day!!! Nothing against DD personally, he’s found his right level and place in football. bc

I find it impossible to give a sensible opinion just now as I have nothing but hype to make a judgement on how the team will change and perform under the guidance of big dunc. I have no idea of the standard of football in the league Forest Green played in, so can’t translate that onto the championship. From what I’ve seen from the teams in the championship this season I don’t see many weak teams. Looking at who I would realistically look to get above, Morton, Ayr, Arbroath and Airdrie (for different reasons), are my targets. There’s two stages as I see it to gauge results and predictions for the season. So for a bit of who-knows fun here’s my guesses: Remainder of 2023 Good - 8th Poor - 10th 2024 : after transfer window Good - 4th Poor - 10th

Really a smart move by SG to again further embed him in the undergrowth and roots of the club. Big Dunc is up there as was poor old DD (who’se that?), as the face of the club and the results. As long as big dunc exists then SG is secure in his tower!! My hats off for another deft piece of manoeuvring by the dark prince!! Bc

The decision of the people (SG, RM & GB I understand) has been made, and having sifted through the names applied via emailed, agents or via pals picked Duncan Ferguson to manager the team. I don’t know what the criteria and expectations these 3 people had to come up with DF, however I have to put aside my own thoughts and reservations for now and give the new manager a clean slate to see what he can do in what happens on the park, ie results, style and performances. He is stepping into a team that is in a difficult, (but not yet perilous) position. He has to hit the ground running and get results quickly as the fans are no mood to see us detached and anchored at the bottom of the league too long. So, I will wish the new manager does well and is a success. I believe however whoever he brings in (I assume he will), as his No 1, needs to know his stuff. DF is and will be the showface on the telly, but it’s the footballing side that needs to work. I see nothing from DF post playing days to convince me we’ve got a new ‘Pep’. I think being away from family and home is difficult for anyone and Jan and Feb will be long nights to mull over things, so fingers crossed here. So in closing, Good luck ‘big Duncan’ , we need a sprinkle of magic dust! I look for the 3 people that made this decision to be fully accountable to take the plaudits or criticism in May next year. bc

Don’t know enough about his coaching credentials or results to say if he would have been any good. The fact he wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole after he did some simple research or speaking to some ‘people’, raises my respect for him and thinking he might have been a promising young manager to take us forward! # Maybe, just maybe, the jungle drums of the ICT online forum reaches places SG, RM and others in the board don’t want to ‘get-out’. Maybe we can after all put some pressure on this crock of underperforming jerks! # wouldn’t surprise me if Sir Roy sniffed about ODea if MM moves on. bc

Thank you for saying what was needed. We can play with words round the edges of the main problem which is simply SG isn’t trusted (I hope), by the bulk of the fans that look beyond the next match. The press will fall in line with the SG mantra and belittle and dilute the ST message and angst as a noisy minority and to be ignored. I’ve spouted my drivel reasons for not joining the ST, but that’s not to say I don’t respect them as the main voice of the fans! - I just believe with their voting allocation, they should be more vigorous in challenging the direction the club is taken. That now said, the fans that care more than just turning up faithfully and enjoying the fare, need to decide (to use STFU’s poster), “What are you going to do” Question for me is what type of contract is SG on (fixed or rolling). What is considered success or failure, and who measures / decides this measure and when. For me SG is only interested in himself, ICT is just a tool to, 1) Continue to provide a secure contract and handsome salary, (probably a clause where he gets a sack of gold if paid off early)? 2) Provide him the platform to (in his mind) move on to greater things. Now SG may get lucky and secure some manager that, magic wand like, turns us into something we’re not, and we win promotion in a year or two. More likely we arrest the decline on the park and we avoid relegation, (can we dump if we are relegated ?). Not sure what will happen of the park, but look for a new SLO that promises a new dawn in comms and jam tomorrow! If really comes down to the fans. Plod on and hope for the best (with SG’s vision and control), or secure enough support to come up with a way to get the bulk of the fans behind them to force the Board or other board members to publicly question SG’s performance and expected targets for this and next season! We can’t leave it or expect the press to publish anything that would upset their cosy access arrangements with the current Club hierarchy! bc

That’ll be a round of four then? bc

Here’s one for the open meeting. As it was a nice day for football, I thought I would buy a ticket for todays match. So at 11 o’clock this morning looked up to see if I could buy a ticket online! No link open. So I called the ticket office at the stadium. Got forwarded via a recorded message to another message saying the office was unable to take my call but leave details and phone contact number and ‘they’ll call back’, Now 1:30 and Zip! what ever happened to our club when they don’t even seem interested in selling tickets. No wonder the club is in turmoil! Oh how I miss the old turnstiles! Last straw for me. bc

Nor me! Only way to get the message across!! - empty spaces and less in their pockets. Only language they understand! bc

I’m beginning to begrudgingly give SG some respect. He has the ability to deflect, dodge and ignore criticism (Teflon like); bamboozle, hoodwink and convince RM and the board of his vision; cajole and keep in line a pliant press, whilst he has continued to oversee and be mainly responsible for the biggest decline and fall of ICT more than anyone. He was instrumental in offering BD the two year extension (oh by the way, can I ask the Trust to find out how much it cost to pay off BD?). Also used BD as the shield behind the terrible start of the season (‘nothing to do with me gov’)! Yet through all this he manages to pick up his wages and blindly shuffles on, Boris Johnson like, to trample and crap on us the little people. He’s got ‘balls’ beyond ordinary people and who knows, he may get lucky and we get some super new cheap manager that takes us the promised land!! My fear is he ain’t finished ‘his work stint’ at little old ICT. And we the fans remain unable or unwilling to muster any coherent case to question or challenge him and his record! A truly unique guy!!!! bc

It really says a lot though DD, and maybe we need other or new board directors and the fans to think a bit more deeper than we previously did about whether this individual’s performance and stewardship as CEO to date deserves to continue to use the position, powers and authority which will affect the next 2 to 3 seasons, particularly on the park. Sometimes you don’t see the slow continued decline (as we’re all wrapped up in it) of our club, until a main event like relegation occurs, but there is no doubt in my mind we haven’t stopped, never mind reversed, the decline under SG. Does the club really deserve any better? bc

The people that employ him have a responsibility to that individual not to expose him to where a recurrence could potentially arise! Just hope they don’t have to make that judgment! bc

Completely agree IHE, Results are everything however and a victory on Saturday will have our fans immediately forget the past angst to allow SG & RM to wipe the sweat from their brows. To use a WIllie Miller quote from a couple of weeks ago. ‘Fans are fickle but thick! Give them a victory and everything’s fine’ Wish I could say we’re different! bc

Potential as an interim position with a Warren or Tremarco trainee. Here’s my take. Pros - Proven and experienced manager in the championship - Took both Ayr and Patrick to the playoffs. (Knows what it takes). - Has demonstrated he can set up teams to change the game plan as required. - Is his own man and will not suffer fools gladly. Ie SG & RM Cons - Marmite figure (his own words). - Not sure he would like the financial limitations on offer (for players). - Likes a certain life style. Not sure Inverness holds much attraction! Back down the A9 within a year! - At an age where he doesn’t need the hassle. - likes a bet. Don't know if he would want to return to the wilderness but I had a begrudging respect for Derek Adams when he was at the Coonty! Walked out on Sir Roy and stood no crap when any players didn’t perform or went in the huff. Could maybe just the person to shake our fractured and dispirited position. Just my tuppence worth. bc

Agree!!, Yesterday’s man and too tarnished by showing he would rather get a purse by commentating at Dingwall knowing it would irk the ICT fans (basically giving them ‘the fing-ir’)! What that action and image did whilst being the ICT ‘Director of football’ as our team went on defeat-after-defeat won’t be forgotten or forgiven by me! Know it’s interim and CC is their as a crutch to share any flak if results are poor, however knowing JR previously had to take ‘time-out’ due to pressure, is this a responsible decision by the those that made it? Smacks of self preservation for me! bc

Yes to your posts and position (and mindset of the powers). I just think everything the fans and trust could do has been done. The only thing that registers with the powers is unfortunately money and it’s reducing that source will get hopefully some of the other board members to act! bc

Can’t agree, it’s the strongest card the fans hold. The alternative is what, more of the same of the current system and structure? Ask the board nicely via the match day survey the fans would like a win? bc

Also who backed that decision and who registered any objection?? bc

Understand (I think) what you mean, but maybe ‘ICT was the better team on the day but couldn’t score’ more accurate! Nothing (on or off the field), to back up ICT are superior to RR just now. bc

Yes, says it all Mantis. Ultimately this is the only measure that will register with the lot in the boardroom. It’s the only power the fans have to force change! bc

Hard to be objective or see anything positive when we’ve just lost again on the back of a disastrous start of the season. I’m not going to defend the players, manager, CEO or any other official here (the results lay bare our shortcomings). Their is an air of resignation and acceptance from most of the fans that irrespective how much they complain or register their dissatisfaction the club batten down the hatches and adopt a bunker mentality and ignore any criticism. I wasn’t at the match but taking in the comments from the fans that were, the performance of the team was good and should or could have taken something from the game if we would have put the ball in the net, (their goalie had a good match by all accounts)! The defence appears to be improved and tighter which is where bulk of our losses came from. So there are signs of the team getting it finally together. It wouldn’t surprise me if we carried this over to next Saturday and finally get a win!! I don’t take BD’s line he wants the win for the fans, it’s to save his own skin. A win against DU keeps BD secure for now. I’m all for getting rid of SG, but unless the Chairman and Board have the courage and conviction to challenge him nothing will change. Slow signs of improvement by all accounts, but far too late!! bc

I don’t believe BD is the root problem here, merely a symptom and part of a deeper problem in the declining fall of the club as a whole. Sure BD has been found out to be a poor to average ex-player manager that was/is unable to get (imo) average players to compete above their abilities. His shortcomings in any structured patterns of play just compounded the problems. The results, (facts) speak for themselves. Simply BD was available, local and cheap, so the fitted the ‘Powers’ specification! DB reign is already slipping away, it’s just a matter of time now! The problem in getting a manager that can get better results that doesn’t bury the club deeper in debt, (love for someone to prove that wouldn’t be an issue). A better game plan will reduce the goals lost and improve the chance of wining (not hard right now I know). It’s not too late to still make a fist of it and maybe get into the playoffs, however I believe that’s a stretch too far. Being ‘safe’ from relegation this season would be a success for me! Anyway, back to my main point. As long as the club maintain the same strategy then we will end up with a short term fix. I don’t think I’m the only person that believe the club has to look at what is realistic with the expectation of the fan base and income from merchandise and ‘other’ sources. Ventures so far (concerts) have done more damage than good with local businesses and put the club on the back foot! Throw in an incomprehensible communications policy just exasperated the aging and reducing core fan base to alienate a good number. Getting them back will be a challenge, but it must be done. Others have already said it on the forum, and I have to concur, I can’t see the board in its current structure being able to have the backing of a good bulk of the support to have faith in them to make a success of things. It may take the courage of other board members with imagination and new contacts for funds-investment to step forward and propose a different route from the current path. Certainly a reset of fan relations would be a simple and welcome gesture. This would require the CEO and possibly the chairman and the SLO to change roles, but they may recognise the clock is now ticking on their tenures and a managed change may suit everyone! The fans have to also come to terms with where ICT are and what is achievable in the current and next 5 years. Everything about ICT right now says Championship. Progression will be slow and based on youth players coming through better than the past (how I don’t know), and a steady and imaginative way to increase our fan base. Really putting this up as ration assessment where I am rather than just ‘let’s get rid of the manager’. Results are everything in football so just hope any change is thought through long term. bc