Starscape

I'd like to see Austin Samuels offered a deal. He's been bombed out of a relegated Championship team, so maybe open to a substantial wage drop. But he should have played. We caught a glimpse of something in the final half of the final game. I think he'd tear up League One.

All the injuries come from work-related incidents. He was injured playing for his club. It's only correct that they cover his medical bills.

1 hour ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

Absolutely shameful that Directors who may have put money into the club but who live absolutely comfortable lives have treated the players so disgracefully. 

I would have thought that would be the job of a manager. Anyone heard from Dunc recently?

2 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

Its also very clear this is a gamble and big roll of the dice to get back to the Championship at first time of asking,

There's been a few of these comments but remember, it's come as a surprise that we are in the same division as Kelty. This was happening even if we were in the Championship. It's not a response to relegation 

1 hour ago, robbylad said:

If Ferguson feels he has something to prove,  fair enough. 

Not fair enough. He's trying to prove he's not a complete failure so he can get another job. So far, he's unemployable after two relegations. A promotion might make him saleable again. We've seen enough. Any decent manager would have got us well out of relegation by not playing 5 at the back and a midfield made up of another defender and our leading striker, whilst sidelining Samuels and Rory.

Ferguson was our biggest problem. 

49 minutes ago, STFU said:

Don't think they release the podcast on 78s unfortunately.

No, you can get them on minidisc too.

1 hour ago, tm4tj said:

I don't really care about Gardiner. I don't see him going means anything. As the lads said later, if he needs ideas, then ask for them before announcing something like this. If Kelty was in the works no matter the Division, then ask for help the year before. Come to a deal with hotels. Ask for digs. Get the equivalent of a Supporters Trust that other clubs have, where you pay a lot more for a real voice.

The whole idea is NOT related to relegation. If we get promoted from Division One, then we're still in the same avenue as previously, i.e., a move to Kelty no matter what. If we then got to the SPL, then you cannot just move back to Inverness with the whole squad in Fife. It's a permanent deal. The only way we go back is if we are hopeless in Division One, maybe even relegation to Division Two. Who wants that?

Get someone in that knows about developing young talent, that can identify Highland League players and bring up others from elsewhere, e.g., Central Belt, Aberdeen, England etc. That's certainly not Ferguson. We need a modern Pele. Maybe Graeme Stewart's opportunity?

Gives us a chance to scope out the Annan players we keep missing out on.

We got to the Scottish Cup Final last season. Even without stealing players from under the noses of the mighty Alloa and East Stirling. Even this season, with a manager with such a a track record of failure, we were one game away from mid-table. Yet we were still going to Kelty no matter what. All we needed was a decent manager.

Robbo thinks it's a mistake too:

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/inverness-caledonian-thistle/6482077/former-caley-thistle-boss-fears-club-risks-severing-links-with-the-local-community/

I'm thinking the Airdrie model might be the only option. For those not in the know, Airdrieonians went bust. Airdrie United though took over Clydebank, who also went bust in all but name. They played in essentially the same kit with several of the same players, manager and even the same ground. Not so long after, they were even able to acquire the Airdrieonians name which they now play under.

Wimbledon did something similar when they became MK Dons. 

What other solution is there? I'm not sure I care if one of the Kelty sides win. I feel such a disconnect, I'm not sure if I support ICT or if I only used to in some past life. I doubt too many Wimbledon fans care about MK Dons' results.

13 minutes ago, Drake said:

Much bigger budgets and cash flow than we have now.  Bigger attendances.  Better economy.  Whilst in the Premier we could lure players North with the incentive of playing in the Premier.   That's how we won the Cup and got Europe.  The recruitment playing fields have never been equal, but the appeal of Premier football on decent wages was.  Pre-2004, we were spending a lot of money on wages.  Attendances were higher than now as well.  Now, the money is not great, yes it's full time wage but still not a great wage, and to get someone to up root and come North for it is just not going to happen.  The realities are that we are not on an equal playing field with most League 1 rivals in terms of recruitment.  If we offer a player a wage of say £1200 per week, and another team in the same league offer £800 there's a high chance the player will pick the smaller wage for logistical, family and even financial reasons.  The cost of uprooting North, finding somewhere to rent etc etc is clearly going to be more expensive than the £400 difference in this scenario.  

We were offering more money when we were in the division below League One (whatever it was called then)? Maybe we should move lock, stock and barrel to Glasgow if winning is all that matters? Sod the fans. Money is all that is important.

38 minutes ago, Drake said:

I am just not seeing it like that.  Yes, literally the first team will be training in Fife.  But youth teams are all still training in Inverness.  Every other department will still be in Inverness.  For logistical and recruitment reasons having the first team train out of the City really doesn't bother me if it helps improve recruitment.  The Club is still in Inverness.

 

I appreciate this is completely different but I have the exact same feeling towards this as I do about Scotland international players playing elsewhere such as England.  John McGinn is based in England and pops up to Scotland every now and again to represent Scotland.  I really don't care.  Similarly, I really don't care where our first team meet up to train either.  They'll come together elsewhere but every Saturday home and away they will be representing us the fans.

How did ICT manage to get to the SPL, win the Scottish Cup and qualify for Europe? Just better managers?

Well, I stayed away from this forum for many years and my former starchief name is no more. I've looked regularly and despaired. I guess it's time to jump back in the cauldron.

I thought Dunc was the wrong choice in the very beginning (have you seen his Forest Green record?) but was willing to give him a chance. He seemed to think we were deservedly bottom of the Championship when, in fact, we were in a cup final the previous season, which probably put paid to having the legs for promotion. Dodds was sacked for being out of promotion, not due to relegation fears! Fergie comes in and thinks it's backs to the wall. Plays six defenders in most matches, although Kerr in midfield. He was joined there by Billy, who still was our top scorer despite not playing as a striker! For those who think he's finished, Lineker played poorly under Cruyff when he was a winger. Shankland was awful when a left-back at Beerschott. Play Billy as a striker and we get a striker that can score.

I look at the defenders brought in. How many are better than Devine? None I would say. Savage and Carragher are about the same but not better. Well, what's the point? Kerr looked excellent. Shame we got rid of two of our best midfielders though, then we wouldn't have to play him in midfield. I thought Rory looked better in the last half of the play-off when he replaced Billy. But then , that's his position! Imagine if he had played enough games to be match fit? Samuels was easily a better winger-cum-striker than Longstaff, yet was only played when we needed a goal desperately. Well, we need goals and creativity long before that. Get him on.

All-in-all, a terrible appointment. I don't know who was worse, Fergie or Foran.

I do like the idea of Esson or Stewart given the players we will be looking to. Just go for someone with a clue. A decent League One or Two manager shooting slightly above what his team should be doing. Underwhelming but knowledgeable at this level.