The curse of Caley Stadium...

[Bridge_Ender]

I know it hasn't been the greatest start ever to a season (better than most mind you) but that is 4 home games played and so far it reads P4, W0, D3, L1, F2, A3.

Is last seasons curse of the TCS continuing or has it just been the standard of opposition in there? CC really must be looking to address this as a matter of urgency, our home from is simply not good enough IMO. If 2 of those draws had been wins, or we had beaten St Mirren, we would be sitting beside Hearts!

[kencar]

Perhaps today's poor attendance is a reflection on our current Home form  :006:

I'm a glutton for punishment and go to every home game but I can see how some folk would grudge forking out there hard earned cash for entertainment like that

[Guest ictdave]

I thought there was more than 3500+ at the game cause the main stand and north stand was looked almost full and there was about 100-150 united fans thought there was more like 4500 + 2day but that might have been just me.

[Alex MacLeod]

33 games and 9 wins since we left the pit. What is it about TCS. From the radio reports we should have had a barrow load in the first half. Maybe we need to change our nets to bright orange or something so the players can see the target.

[RiG]

The crowd. It really is that simple.

Little encouragement and very quick to criticise. No wonder (some of) the lads hate playing at Home.

[Alex MacLeod]

I think its time we all accepted that 3500 is our loyal following for games against the like of DU, Dunfermline etc. We fill the stadium for big games but when you take out the 2500 in the south stand and the 500 or so dotted around the main stand + the 500 or so who will only ever go to the big games then 3500 - 4000 is the home support for this club. Its a shame but unless we can all go and persuade others to come watch them thats where we'll always be.

Its just a pity that the support we do have can't seem to get it together and make noise, the way they do when travelling.

[davieB]

The crowd. It really is that simple.

Little encouragement and very quick to criticise. No wonder (some of) the lads hate playing at Home.

It's hard to get enthusiastic when you have to watch pish like that today.

Our home form is rubbish. It's little wonder the fans can't be arsed, numberswise, and vocalwise. The team HAVE to start performing and giving us something to get worked up about.

[IcyTea]

Thought the support was more vocal that usual today (againts the Arabs), I think we play better on the break which is more a tune to playing away, however when we have to take the initiative at home or against lesser teams we seam to stuggle.

[caley100]

Yep, well more than 3600 at the game, looked to me that the North stand was 90% full, say 2300, main stand must have been 1700, with the Utd sparse few, over 4000 what the figure i guessed at kick off.

Anyway, there was little noise from the main stand today, all the singing was from us in the north end, even then there were an awful lot of arms crossed, apathetic fans around me..feckin annoying :008:

Now away games have few ICT supporters to get behind the team.. so how can they play so well away in front of less fans, we were poor today, Dargs was out of touch, Bayne is a 5 or6 goasl a season man, so with Barry out of touch we were always going to struggle.

Anyone else think Rankin needs to be dropped?

[buckett]

It's a vicious circle - the team can't win at home, less people go to see them because people like to see their team winning - low turnout doesn't exactly inspire the team to victory. Supporters only do what is natural to them so the onus is on the team to start drawing the crowds.

Time to work on these tactics!

[kencar]

The crowd. It really is that simple.

Little encouragement and very quick to criticise. No wonder (some of) the lads hate playing at Home.

Can't agree. I think if the team play well they get loads of vocal support but these days they rarely play well at home.

Should we cheer and clap when we are presented with mediocre performances??

People are starting to vote with there feet and are not bothering to turn up. Would the players like to play in an empty stadium more??

Anyone at the game today who was undecided about going to the Falkirk game on Tuesday won't bother

[Howdenender]

The home support - who, remember, are the ones who put money directly into the club via season ticket sales, catering etc, have been treated to poor performances for far too long now, and it is little wonder that crowds will start to fall. Today was the latest boring episode and two more home points gone - and yes Richard I agree with you that Rankin is contributing very little. :007:

[kencar]

I saw more from Rankin today than I did from our supposed superstar Black. He hasn't set the heather on fire this season yet some folk give him a standing ovation when he gets subbed  :017: He's already one booking away from a suspension

[Howdenender]

True....... if the ref hadn't booked him I doubt anyone would have noticed he was playing.

[caleyblue]

try an away game you lot we play some great footie  and the crowd get behind the team im a season ticket holder have been since before we moved but my wife says the best days are away days and she doesnt drink ????? but i say give the team a chance get behind them we will get better again this season  

[Johnboy]

All very well mentioning individual names - Black, Rankin, Dargo, Dods, Wilson, Bayne, Tokely.....etc, etc,

It's a team game after all, and today they were a blo0dy awful team.....

The stadium, the atmosphere, the crowd, are all part of the problem......

Something has to change......I wish I knew the answer...... :009: :009:

[tm4tj]

As per normal we all have differing views.......apart from the view we are getting of Rankin.  I do believe he is a decent player, but he has yet to start his ICT career. He has been pretty anonymous since he arrived and for me he does not merit a start. We have ball boys, and girls, who could probably have done the same as he did today.  Charlie, give the guy a rest and show a bit of faith in Morgan Hart and Duncan.  

Unlike most callers, I enjoyed the game today.  We were better team in the first half despite United hitting the top of the crossbar and had we put away some of the snippets presented to us we should have been cruising.  Alas, we failed to convert any and handed the initiative to United after the break.  Fair play to Brew, he came on and changed the pattern of the game.  He was able to hold the ball up and lay it off around the box.  Just proved to me that he was more valuable as a player than a manager.  Nevertheless, our defence stood firm......just, and Broonie capped a confident and assuring performance with a point blank one handed save from Robsons header late in the game.  Bayners sclaffed a few awkward shots in the first half and Rankin tried....and skied a couple.  Dargo hustled and bustled, but was no match for Kenneth at the heart of Uniteds defence, similarly Dods at the other end was mopping up everything launched high.  Top performers for me were Broon, Dods, Munro, Black, Bayne, Tokely and McBain in the first half especially.

Can't understand people not being happy with Blacks contribution, he was everywhere and despite a petulant booking kept his cool and served us well. Kencar, I think your eyes are in the wrong way round.

Rankin needs to get his finger out.

Crowd.................standard crowd, disappointed in the United effort, maybe 200 - 250.  As our basic hard core is around 3000, we can't expect anything else.

Davie B...........p!sh..............entertaining p!sh maybe.

What is it you guys expect to see at ICT????? Get real and stop whinging.

[kencar]

Can't understand people not being happy with Blacks contribution, he was everywhere and despite a petulant booking kept his cool and served us well. Kencar, I think your eyes are in the wrong way round.

Rankin needs to get his finger out.

:015:

TM4J you truly are the ying to my yang  :004:

Surely if Black had kept his cool he wouldn't have been given a petulant booking? :016:

Perhaps your idea of dropping Rankin may work especially if he play Morgan, Hart and Duncan in his place - just hope the ref doesn't notice!!

[davieB]

I expect to see some urgency, some kind of gameplan which doesn't involve us continously humping long balls up the pitch, and if it's not to much to ask....some degree of skill. We can do it away from home, where we often play some fantastic stuff, so why not at home?

Today we played a team who got gubbed 3-0 at home by Hibs last week. Other than a brief 15minute purple patch before half time today, we looked devoid of ideas. Utd were on a par with us for most of the first half, and dominated the second, possession wise. Every knock down, every 50/50 seemed to fall to one of theirs. In the second half their midfield was getting so much time on the ball it was unbelievable. This was a game we all expected our players to be fired up for, they looked the complete opposite. As I said elsewhere, there were periods in the second half that were mind numbingly boring, we just didn't play well today. Simple.

I also expect a bit more than no wins, 3 points, and two goals from 4 home games. People can criticise the fans all they want, but until we start playing with the same commitment(and style?) at home, that we do away, then why should we expect locals to part with hard earned cash to watch football that even the die-hards are openly critical about?

I overheard one bloke on the way out say to his mate 'well, that was a complete waste of 90 minutes of my life'. I found it hard to disagree with him.

[tm4tj]

nice writing B, but I also heard lots of people say that.............???

We have also only lost one game at home, and that was a 'shock' result.

We played the current league champions who were unable to beat us.

We played top six side Hibernian, who played as well as they have done against us, and still failed to win.

We played another top six side in Aberdeen whom we have never beaten before in a competitive match.

Agreed we seem to be better suited to away days, as we are more adept at counter attacking. Unfortunately the rest of the SPL will have noticed this and play us at our own game.  It's a hard old life.

[kencar]

The stats don't lie since start of last season the results are as follows...

Home = Won 5 Drawn 8 Lost 8

Away =  Won 11 Drawn 8 Lost 4

[RednBlackComeback]

right here it is......

I thot we played well, very well, in the first half today but were pish in the second half....

ok so bayney missed a couple o chances. but i could never criticise bayney cos altho he might not be the best finisher, everythin else he does is fantastic!!!!!

My only wish today was that Rossco didnae take the the legs from brewster poof !!!!

Is oi just me or does every ICT fan HATE him ????

I'm dissapointed we never broke his ankle again !!!!

[Guest Suspicious Mind]

TM4J

I only counted one Black on the pitch for the game yesterday. Did you spot two?

He was given the run around by a 17 year old boy who wouldn't react to his niggles and lasted the whole game.

Blackie needs to get a grip or he is going to cost us a game with a red card or worse by spending a third of the season in the stand suspended for p!sh bookings.

[tm4tj]

??, I'm suspicious now.

I thought Black covered a lot of ground yesterday. Unfortunately most of his good work was defefensive rather than creative, but he was still decent enough to be admonished of a slagging.

He kept his cool after his booking, which was a bit needless, although I did not think the foul given against him for which he remonstrated was a stick on, maybe the ref got that one wrong, anyway it obviously angered the wee man.

There is no curse, we just need to develop a system to break teams down and put away the numerous chances which come our way.

[Guest Suspicious Mind]

Fair point on the defensive work.

That's my problem, the wee man gets niggled to easily.

Every ref and opponent in Scotland now knows it!