Dougie Imrie

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Now this is a good question as there may not be an instant answer. Butcher enthused about the Cellic performance and appeared to be suggesting that leading the line may be Dougies' favoured position.

He is already a fans fave and has illicited differing reviews on his performances. He is another who has never really enjoyed a run in a specific position and role - and perhaps this may be a major reason for his apparent frustrating inconsistency.

Personally I think he should be played in left midfield. He has the energy, the fitness and the committment to play anywhere. He played very well against Cellic but I suspect that Butcher wanted a front runner to constantly harry and hassle the back four - and he did it in style. But I dont think that he has the natural instincts of a goalscorer. I dont think that he has the knack of the movement and positioning of a forward - the latter can be taught but the former cant.

I do think that he can better himself in midfield in the sense of positioning and distribution - his crossing also needs work on but he is evidently adapt at dead ball situations. Most of his goals have been scored from a midfield position.

I feel that Foran is the natural striker and may be the better partner for Rooney or Morais.

So is the wee man a stop gap or a budding striker ?

[CaleyD]

Definitely maybe

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

after the celtic game i would say striker, but then we can always have him as a back up for midfield

[Johnboy]

Does seem to get a wee bit eratic when a shooting opportunity comes along....

That's maybe down to a wee lack of confidence in front of goal - great prospect though, but for the moment I'd say keep him in a midfield role.

[Yngwie]

Decent stop gap.

[starchief]

Completely agree with IHE, Imrie could go far in the left-mid position, whilst Foran is proven as a striker. Bit weird swapping them about.

[Harry Chibber]

second striker... somewhere inbetween the forwards & midfield

He is too indiciplined to play on the wing as he offers no cover for a left (or right) back... I expect that he was competing with Cowie for the midfield free role but now Cowie is gone he will be given the oppertunity to play off a striker. Foran is quite a similar player from what I remember of him at Motherwell so it will be interesting to see who is favoured and in what position!!

[AJS]

Can understand why Butch went with it because before Saturday the last time Imrie and Barrowman were up front was when we won our only home game vs Killie. I agree with IHE he has shown on occasions before that he has the pace and determination of a wide-player. Only downfall is his crossing, he never looks to cross the ball.

[Caley Stan]

We can't afford to have Imrie out wide at the moment. He won't stay where he's told and his head goes down to easily when we're on the back foot.

I don't know where is best position is in the long-term, but for the rest of this season i'd like to see him roaming around behind Rooney, making life difficult for defenders and creating space for others.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Can we clone him with Bannerman and create a dynamic left footed goalscorer with great skill too?

Edited February 4, 2009 by CELTIC1CALEY3

[starchief]

Can we clone him with Bannerman and create a dynamic left footed goalscorer with great skill too?

Bannerman? He any good at football?

Maybe you mean Barrowman? Dynamic? No. Goalscorer? No. Great skill? No.

Possibly you meant Dargo???

Anyway, sounds Foran to me!

[Guest CaleyJAGGIE]

wheelbarrowman is possibly the worst striker to grace caley park.

[Guest CaleyJAGGIE]

put imrie behind rooney, black holding, and duncan defensive/mid, roy at left mid and morias right mid

[Caley]

If it's got to be 4-4-2 then I'd rather see Imrie as a forward, or perhaps more like an old inside-forward. However, I'd prefer to see him on the left of an attacking 3 in a 3-4-3 formation.

[Guest CaleyJAGGIE]

---------------------esson----------------------

--Tokely-------midahjukus------munro-----hastings

-------------------Duncan------------------------

--Morias-------------Black------------------Mcbain

--------------------IMRIE-------------------------

------------------rooney---------------------------

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

---------------------esson----------------------

--Tokely-------midahjukus------munro-----hastings

-------------------Duncan------------------------

--Morias-------------Black------------------Mcbain

--------------------IMRIE-------------------------

------------------rooney---------------------------

i think after the point with celtic butcher will keep it at a 4-4-2 for the rest of the season

[Alex MacLeod]

I think Dougie is at his best when he has freedom of the park, as he seemed to on sunday. He covered every inch of that ground. I dont think he's an out and out striker but he can play in behind them.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Feck me - that is the first polite thread in feckin ages - and here am I agreeing with Hairy Chibber - thank feck Brewsters gone.

[RiG]

He is too indiciplined to play on the wing as he offers no cover for a left (or right) back

Great point. Look back at Hearts winner the other week. From kick off Hearts ran at the vacant left back slot and had two men on Munro. Imrie didn't track back to help out and we all know what happened next.

[Johnboy]

Time he had a thread of his own... If he's already got one way down these pages I apologise...(found one to merge yours with John)

This from today's Scotsman... I like it.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Dougie Imrie (Inverness)

At times, must have thought he was back in the juniors ? where he was barely three years ago ? given some of the rough treatment meted out. Epitomised the new spirit at Inverness with his grit and determination but also showed no little skill and a roving tendency akin to James McFadden. All that was lacking was a goal.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Alex MacLeod
merge post

[Guest CaleyJAGGIE]

did anyone read bill leckies article in the sun today about dougie imrie. he was comparing riordan and dougie saying that imrie would run 80 yards to make a tackle and didnt stop all the way through the game. while riordan is on in football for the money and is masivly overated.

good shout bill

[Andrew Fraser]

I think on Saturday he put everything into it. Every time one of the full backs of Hibs had the ball, you saw Imrie running trying to tackle or charge it down. The guy was immense on Saturday and was involved with both goals. His effort was fantastic.

And even though Hibs battered and bruised him, he still gave 100% throughout the match. A class act, and if he keeps up these performances then no way will he be getting dropped.

[gordyfromsneck]

I think on Saturday he put everything into it. Every time one of the full backs of Hibs had the ball, you saw Imrie running trying to tackle or charge it down. The guy was immense on Saturday and was involved with both goals. His effort was fantastic.

And even though Hibs battered and bruised him, he still gave 100% throughout the match. A class act, and if he keeps up these performances then no way will he be getting dropped.

Imrie is a star. Just after the massive ****-up of a free kick that we are all laughing about, he ran the length of the field to help Tokely and Proctor, jammed up in the corner. He won his tackle, and his intervention was the one that freed the ball to go to space.

His attitude is second to none. Once he transfers this into technical ability he will achieve legend status.

[Charles Bannerman]

Can we clone him with Bannerman and create a dynamic left footed goalscorer with great skill too?

The only part of that description I match is the "left footed" bit.

[starchief]

Yeah, there's four left feet between you!