Matchday Thread: ICT v Hearts

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I would say it was because munro was getting slaughtered in the air by kyle and granty is a left footed player

DOH - Innes was marking Kyle and getting slaughtered - Granty was the spare man trying to cover Proctor and Tokely. Moving Granty to left back was a PANIC move and totally backfired.

[WeAreSPL]

I thought it was a good game today, some of our passing moves were fantastic and we stretched Hearts well with Hayes on the right and Ross on the left.

We had our chances and maybe just didn't get the breaks at the right time.

To be honest I think we'll play worse than that this season and get three points.

[davieB]

Difference between the 2 teams in my opinion was that they took their chances...we didn't. We created enough, but just couldn't finish.

The defence seemed all over the place as soon as Kyle came on. Munro had a decent game, the only defender who did, so I'm not sure why he's getting so much stick.

Midfield is a worry. Duff is steady enough, and at least he can pick a pass. But that means dropping Duncan to accomodate him. Now, I'm no great fan of Duncan, but from what I've seen of Cox this season, I'd say he's miles off the standard needed. Yep, he looked good last year, but he looks out of his depth at the moment. So, get Duncan straight back in for next week.

Other than that....Ross was excellent, and Hayes had his moments. Entertaining game I thought.

Oh, and the dickhead who sits a few rows behind me who spent the whole 90 minutes loudly slagging off Proctor deserves a good fecking slap.

[old caley girl]

We are suspect at the back, but decent enough going fprward but need to be more clinical when in the box, simples.

Nick Ross had his finest game for ICT, able to beat his marker at will. Nothing wrong with Rossco's contribution overall, but Granty, Innes and especially back off boy Proctor were grim. Eric did keep slipping, but he turns so quick maybe not surprising on a greasy surface. We must have created as many if not more chances than Hearts, but whereas they profited from sloppy defending/marking, we never really got the break of the ball in the box. Good defending or just bad positioning?

Still, the resulkt flatters Hearts a little.

Have run out of green dots but agree wholeheartily with the above especially the bit about Granty Innes and Proc. We have to hope that when Gillet and Mccann come back things will improve but dunno when that will be.

I actually enjoyed the game in a wierd kinda way. Enjoyed the scrap and also agree that 3-1 flatters Hearts.Not one of the refs better day I suspect.

lastly can I say a hullo to our pleasant smiling stewards who talk to the fans like human beings. Need to give their Hibs counterparts a lesson in customer service me thinks.

[Johnboy]

I actually enjoyed the game in a wierd kinda way. Enjoyed the scrap and also agree that 3-1 flatters Hearts.Not one of the refs better day I suspect.

lastly can I say a hullo to our pleasant smiling stewards who talk to the fans like human beings. Need to give their Hibs counterparts a lesson in customer service me thinks.

It was an enjoyable game, and I agree the 3-1 scoreline certainly flattered the Hertz. I also enjoyed my first visit to the Sportsmans Bar today (why no draught beer?) and my half-time pie and coffee was superb.

[cal234ey]

If everyone thinks Nick Ross played so fantastically on the left (and yes I agree he did) why not just leave him there???

Also Eric had a good game as far as I am concerned. Proctor was poor but against Templeton who is a quality player do you think Tokely would have done much better?? Templeton's pace would have ripped him apart.

Duff looked fantastic but it is time for Duncan to return to his defensive midfield role ahead of Cox.

[Row S]

I thought we were going to kick on today after scoring the first goal. However, the comments above on the inept defensive display cover everthing I was going to say. Play like that on Wednesday at Septic Park and they will get absolutely hammered. Even when McCann and Gillet eventually come back I still fear we will not good be enough at the back to survive.

[starchief]

I'll half agree with IHE in that I didn't think Tokely had a good game. However, I don't think that's anything to do with ability and all to do with playing LB. It just looked completely unnatural to him.

Proctor - talented defensive midfield or sweeper, otherwise, he's a fill-in at right-back, right-midfield or central defence but not first choice there (or even second). I'd even prefer Cox at RB and Proc in the central if needed.

Aside from that, no real complaints. Rooney looked as though could but it was just one of these days. Hayes and Ross both did well. Odi had a decent game, although Sutherland looked as though he should have got on earlier.

I don't think Duncan would have done much to change the game. He digs in but isn't much of a passer. Not much between Cox and Duncan although slightly different players. I don't think Duncan's a bad player, just not a great player. Not a game-changer.

Just looked at the table and it seems we're joint bottom (ignoring goal difference natch).

Edited September 18, 2010 by starchief

[Ronaldo]

I thought it was a good game today, some of our passing moves were fantastic and we stretched Hearts well with Hayes on the right and Ross on the left.

We had our chances and maybe just didn't get the breaks at the right time.

To be honest I think we'll play worse than that this season and get three points.

[+DoofersDad]

There was a lot to take encouragement from in today's performance. The biggest plus point was Nick Ross who played the best I have seen him and for me was MOTM. After the Hamilton game I said he needed a bit more ambition as he seemed to be happy to win a corner when he could have done better. Today he was always prepared to take the defenders on and got some good balls across from situations where I would have settled for a throw. The other youngster, Sutherland, also looked very good when he came on.

I thought Ronney and Eric both played pretty well and Rooney is now looking like a player who really believes he can score a few at this level. He had a couple of very crisp strikes which Hearts defenders, to their credit, closed down very quickly. Some of the interply in attack was very good and we always looked more threatening up front.

Duff was good with his distribution but was a lucky boy not to get a red card. I felt we needed a bit more bite in midfield but if Duff is going to mis-time his tackles like that then that's a worry.

But the defence - Oh dear! We really do need strengthening in this area. Unless we do, we are likely to ship a lot of goals this season. Lets hope we can take our chances and score more at the other end.

[Ronaldo]

Sums up the 90 mins for me perfectly

[Sir C the 3rd]

My main worry from today is that erse at the back of section E who shouts garbage for 90 mis, might have actually bought a season ticket behind me this season!!!!

[Georgeios]

I agree with you daddy lad, nick played the way he has all season imho and a well deserved motm.. I enjoyed the game today bar the score we did well.

[old caley girl]

My main worry from today is that erse at the back of section E who shouts garbage for 90 mis, might have actually bought a season ticket behind me this season!!!!

he really doesnt like Proctor does he?

[Sir C the 3rd]

No he doesn't like anything!!! Thats the 3rd time i've told him to shut the feck up. I just cant understand why he goes to games!!

[Georgeios]

The singing section wed very well behaved lol.

[RiG]

I thought that was an all right game at times to be honest. Disappointed to have lost it obviously but you can't defend the way we did and pass up on some of the chances we created and still expect to get the three points. I felt we were the better side in the first half and created the better opportunities to score. Rooney and Innes had good chances to score with headers and Rooney again had a great chance to add to his tally this season when he turned his man but seemed to poke the ball at goal with minimal force. Easy save. Didn't have the best view of the goal but it looked like Odihambo almost bundled the ball into the ground at the second attempt but glad to have at least opened our account at home.

Hearts had some half chances but didn't look like they would get an equaliser until the own goal from Innes. It was a stupid free kick to give away by Hayes who, fair enough, raced back to help Proctor out in snuffing out Templeton but he only succeed in bundling into him and giving away a cheap free kick. It was a great delivery and under pressure from Kyle Innes diverted the ball into the net. Poor defending from us but if Innes hadn't sent it in then Kyle would have. Level at half time but I feel we were the better side and Hearts weren't looking too hot.

In the second half we paid for our missed chances in the first 45 minutes and showed some real naivety in defending as Hearts took the lead. From the North stand it looked like the ball was heading wide from a shot or header and Tokely seemed to assume that it would run for a goal kick and forgot he had a Hearts player behind him who stole in and fired in. A ridiculous goal for ICT to concede and I could see Munro telling Tokely exactly what he thought of his defending. It got worse when Santana blitzed down the right and fed Elliot who rattled the ball in. Again it was a sloppy goal to concede as it was just to easy for Hearts. We had some chances in the second half with Rooney foiled by a last ditch tackle in the box and Hayes passing up a chance to shoot when he chose to pass instead. Also there was a disallowed goal from a Sutherland shot but I don't really know if he, or someone else, was offside.

All in all a frustrating day as I don't feel we deserved to lose 3 - 1 but if we need to start sharpening up in front of goal and at the back otherwise all of last years hard work will be for nothing. Both Templeton and Santana were excellent for Hearts, despite the latters pathetic play acting. They were too nippy for our full backs to deal with and a lot of the Hearts attacks came from the wide areas.

Brines was utterly abysmal. Appeared to miss a stonewall penalty for Hearts and seemed to confuse both sets of fans with some weird and wonderful decisions as well as a seeming inability to display any kind of consistency when it came to booking players. Hayes was booked for bundling into Templeton IIRC yet Hayes himself was chopped down time and time again by Hearts players who weren't warned or booked until much later in the game.

Agree with the positive comments on Nick Ross and Stuart Duff. I thought Ross was excellent and thoroughly deserving of his MotM award. He looked like he had a lot of belief about him today and he put in some good crosses and supported the forwards well. Duff didn't always complete his passes but I was encouraged that he seemed to try and get the ball down and look to get it forward. He tried a number of passes between defenders for Rooney to try and split the Hearts backline. Another that can only get better with more games.

IHE obviously on the wind up with his comments on Rossco and Eric - they were two of our best players today, along with Nick Ross and Duff.

Disagree entirely on Tokely. I thought he was well below par. It was his lack of concentration that led to Hearts second goal as he thought it was going out not aware there was a Hearts player behind him. Eric was good but I wouldn't say he was up there with Ross and Duff. Maybe our third best player. Needs to change his footwear though - I lost count of how often he fell over!

My main worry from today is that erse at the back of section E who shouts garbage for 90 mis, might have actually bought a season ticket behind me this season!!!!

He's fabulous entertainment. He clearly knows NOTHING about football and just spouts drivel for 90 minutes. It's a win win situation really because even if ICT are losing you can listen out for his shouts and have a good laugh at him.

Edited September 18, 2010 by RiG

[Renegade]

Dear oh dear, that was head in hands stuff today. The defence was carved wide open time and time again, and that cost ICT dearly. Munro was medicore and just boots it up the park, Innes was unimpressive and Proctor hasn't the abilty, nor the intelligence to deal with speed. Tokely I thought started off alright, but he ain't a left back. Bring back Golly, or McBain, or even Shinnie! Hayes worked hard, Odhiambo was okay and Nick Ross was far better than he was against Hamilton. A much improved performance by him, and it was his making that set up the goal. Rooney looked lost without the distribution, while Duff was okay at times. I think Sutherland looks a player and should perhaps get a start next week. The main culprit for the loss though, has to be the manager. The tactics were the same as they were against Hamilton. Long ball, after long ball, after long ball punted somewhere in Rooney's direction. It didn't work then, it didn't work today. He had two weeks to fix it, but he didn't fix it and that's not good enough. It was a great achievement getting promoted, but saying up is another thing altogether, one which I'm not certain he's up to.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Renegade

[RiG]

I didn't think there was that much long ball today actually. I thought we passed it a fair bit more than we have done previously.

[Renegade]

And that was pretty hopeless as well. ICT are essentially screwed from the very beginning, cause they can't pass nor can they deal with long balls.

[SMEE]

I agree that the only difference between the teams is that hearts took their chances. And considering we had a make shift team out, i thought we did not bad. Was very glad to see that the long punt forward wasnt used as the sole option today. I have to say...I thought Nick Ross played very well today, with my only critiscism was his chioce of final ball at times. That will come in time tho. So basically, we were not turned over, the score does not reflect the even nature of the game. We need to be more ruthless in front of goal

[SMEE]

I didn't think there was that much long ball today actually. I thought we passed it a fair bit more than we have done previously.

Totally agree!

[tm4tj]

Oh well we are doomed then, the oracle has spoken.

I completely agree with RIG's summation. We were not that far off the pace, but paid dearly for spurned opportunities

[RiG]

And that was pretty hopeless as well. ICT are essentially screwed from the very beginning, cause they can't pass nor can they deal with long balls.

I'm going to return my season ticket first thing on Monday morning then.

I think you are being extremely harsh on ICT here Renegade.

Edited September 18, 2010 by RiG

[Kingsmills]

Thought the team did fairly well today and that Ross had his most effective game in the SPL.

Real difference was that Hearts benefited from an own goal at a time that was opportune for them and then made the most of their subsequent chances.

Much to take encouragement from.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Kingsmills