Aberdeen -V- ICT : matchday thread

[lizi]

That was the typical game of two halves...we were shockingly bad in the first half and after they scored their second I seriously feared a tanking. Why did our team require a rollicking before it got going? Having said that I felt we could have played for another twenty minutes and not scored, it was that type of afternoon. To echo other posters we desparately need a striker and like CapitalCaley I could also see our players arguing with each other and its not nice to see, Richie especially is not short in letting other players know when he isn't happy.

We were robbed of a goal by the ref, and their wall was never ten yards back. Again though would we have deserved it? Answer is probably no. Lots of work to be done by Terry and Mo. This now makes the Ayr game even bigger for us, we need to win that (well) to boost confidence in the team otherwise I fear a long hard season ahead.

On a slightly more serious note....I don't know what the circumstances were but one of our supporters required medical assistance just before the game started. Hope whoever it was it is ok now.

Many thanks for your enquiry - the fan who took ill was my nephew Brian. After medical attention at the game, and ambulance to ARI, he was diagnosed as having taken an anaphylactic shock (a severe life-threatening allergic reaction to something). He has never had this before and is still in ARI but may be out this afternoon.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped and for all good wishes and support received.

Lizi

[Georgeios]

Get well soon.

[starchief]

The whole point of the changes made since last season is to look at moving the club forward over the coming years. Whether we end up higher or lower this season is in many ways academic as long as there is progress being made by what is an exceptionally young team with a view to improved positions over the coming season.

Except....many of them will be out of contract come the end of the season. Unfortunately, with that system of contract, we're not building for the coming seasons, simply the one in progress, then starting from scratch all over again. We could be top 6 one season, lose our best players for zero, then relegated the next season with this brinkmanship.

[tm4tj]

Good to see Butcher remaining positive even if some of the fans are deserting the ship.

Butcher's post match interview from BBC sport.

The talk about us being the worst team in the league is a bit off is it not. Surely we can't judge that until we have played all teams at least once.

We have

Killie H

Hearts H

United A

Celtic A

Mirren H

Saints A

Before we start again with two home games to the Pars and Well. Surely there are points to be won in that bundle of games.

If at the end of that run we are still bottom and possibly adrift, then I will be concerned, until then we have to give the injury hit team a chance, after all, they may well be sh!te, but it's our sh!te :toilet:

[CaleyD]

Don't forget you can also get the post-match interviews on the new ictfc.com...these are usually uploaded on the evening of the game.

Interviews with Butcher and Morrison from yesterday are on there.

http://ictfc.com/matches/ict-radio

[+DoofersDad]

If the debatable refereeing decisions that have gone against us had gone for us we could be sitting mid table and everyone would be saying it's a good start with so many new faces and so many injuries. I really think Sutherland should be starting but other than that I'm not worried.

[AJS]

Having had a day to ponder what to say i will say this...

We need to win...and soon! Aberdeen are not a good side but were made to look like one in what was arguably the most pathetic first half of football ive seen in years. The changes made were unjustified but not inappropriate. Im sure Butcher is trying to get to know his best starting 11 and yesterday will have gone a long way towards that - but not for the right reasons.

* A. Shinnie seems to lack the strength and speed for this level and is absolutely not a second striker. Game for me turned when he was replaced by Doran.

* Golobart should not have started but i thought gave a decent display which was overshadowed by his match deciding blooper.

I dont know what was said at half time but we did up our game considerably in the 2nd half but the same old story continues where we create the chances but fail to convert them, yesterday were some of the worst as the chances were mainly passed up due to fear of shooting or dreadful first touches, im with the majority of folks thinking a new striker is needed, someone with a bit of pace and skill, all we have are battering rams up front and McKay at least another month from playing. This NEEDS to be addressed.

[+MrCaleyjag]

I haven't read any of the previous posts on the thread yet since being at the game and had time to think about it now.

Sitting at half time I couldn't believe what I had just watched, it was probably the worst Caley performance I had seen, totally disjointed, no urgency, no pressing of the ball or closing down Aberdeen at all and void of an imagination in midfield, no one stood out as performing at all but one thing for sure was that the worst player on the park was A Shinnie, he unfortunately tipified our first half performance and was sacrificed after ten mins of second half kicking off which was probably the best decision TB made all weekend.

At least in the second half we started to take control of the ball more and passed better, G Shinnie looked very good down the left wing and Tansey really stood out in the centre of the park. We showed a great deal more urgency and broke down their play as well as pressing and pressuring them more making them look shaky on the ball and good to see we pushed up more. I don't know what TB and MM said at half time but whatever it was certainly worked and if we had of got a point it would have been well earned from the second half performance alone. Sutherland looked really good when he came on and made some good runs, the sort that we need of a striker that we are desperately crying out for, I don't think TB knows yet who to play up top or linking with Foran but for sure it's not A Shinnie.

I feel sorry for Golabart at being thrown in at the deep end and was shocked when I found out he was starting line up, apart from his mistake in gifting them the second goal I thought he looked good and hopefully it won't effect his confidence, the best thing for it is to leave him in the team for Ayr.

Overall if we play like we did in the forst half for the rest of the season or start too many games like that we'll get relegated!!!! If we can get the performances like yesterdays second half then it's only a matter of time until we get a win and from there I can see our season taking off from there. Hopefully we can get a settled team that can start to gell together but there were very good signs at times yesterday.

[chrisblack]

I think we have been unlucky so far, so im not worried.......yet!!!!!

I think the season started a bit early for us as most of the players who were brought in have been english based and are playing catch up in fitness or whatever. Also we have a lot of new players in so it does take time. We do need someone to be a bit more selfish and shoot as we created a lot yesterday but we were crying out for someone to just shoot instead of trying to score the perfect goal. I have faith in TB and cant wait for the killie game cause i just want a win any win as we dont want to get cut adrift at the bottom. Have to say that was the dons strongest team and they didnt look that impressive against a team still gelling and having 7 players out.

Also a big thanks to the guys who got me the tickets at the start of the game most appreciated lads.

[bishbashbosh]

I haven't read any of the previous posts on the thread yet since being at the game and had time to think about it now.

Sitting at half time I couldn't believe what I had just watched, it was probably the worst Caley performance I had seen, totally disjointed, no urgency, no pressing of the ball or closing down Aberdeen at all and void of an imagination in midfield, no one stood out as performing at all but one thing for sure was that the worst player on the park was A Shinnie, he unfortunately tipified our first half performance and was sacrificed after ten mins of second half kicking off which was probably the best decision TB made all weekend.

At least in the second half we started to take control of the ball more and passed better, G Shinnie looked very good down the left wing and Tansey really stood out in the centre of the park. We showed a great deal more urgency and broke down their play as well as pressing and pressuring them more making them look shaky on the ball and good to see we pushed up more. I don't know what TB and MM said at half time but whatever it was certainly worked and if we had of got a point it would have been well earned from the second half performance alone. Sutherland looked really good when he came on and made some good runs, the sort that we need of a striker that we are desperately crying out for, I don't think TB knows yet who to play up top or linking with Foran but for sure it's not A Shinnie.

I feel sorry for Golabart at being thrown in at the deep end and was shocked when I found out he was starting line up, apart from his mistake in gifting them the second goal I thought he looked good and hopefully it won't effect his confidence, the best thing for it is to leave him in the team for Ayr.

Overall if we play like we did in the forst half for the rest of the season or start too many games like that we'll get relegated!!!! If we can get the performances like yesterdays second half then it's only a matter of time until we get a win and from there I can see our season taking off from there. Hopefully we can get a settled team that can start to gell together but there were very good signs at times yesterday.

watching sportscene the kilmarnock manager could not understand why golabert went to ground at the edge of our box anticipating a cross from aberdeen player who then took 3-4 more strides before cutting ball back for aberdeen first goal. so i would say golabert at fault for both aberdeen goals.

dont understand why butcher keeps changing middle 2 at back. any 2 from tokely,hogg, aldred would be ok if he stopped chopping and changing

get a striker/ finisher in instead

[old caley girl]

The Killie manager also thought we played not too bad in the first half!!!!! Agree about the chopping and changing but felt sorry for Roman being pitched in at the start when he had only been with this teammates less than 24 hours.

[+MrCaleyjag]

I haven't read any of the previous posts on the thread yet since being at the game and had time to think about it now.

Sitting at half time I couldn't believe what I had just watched, it was probably the worst Caley performance I had seen, totally disjointed, no urgency, no pressing of the ball or closing down Aberdeen at all and void of an imagination in midfield, no one stood out as performing at all but one thing for sure was that the worst player on the park was A Shinnie, he unfortunately tipified our first half performance and was sacrificed after ten mins of second half kicking off which was probably the best decision TB made all weekend.

At least in the second half we started to take control of the ball more and passed better, G Shinnie looked very good down the left wing and Tansey really stood out in the centre of the park. We showed a great deal more urgency and broke down their play as well as pressing and pressuring them more making them look shaky on the ball and good to see we pushed up more. I don't know what TB and MM said at half time but whatever it was certainly worked and if we had of got a point it would have been well earned from the second half performance alone. Sutherland looked really good when he came on and made some good runs, the sort that we need of a striker that we are desperately crying out for, I don't think TB knows yet who to play up top or linking with Foran but for sure it's not A Shinnie.

I feel sorry for Golabart at being thrown in at the deep end and was shocked when I found out he was starting line up, apart from his mistake in gifting them the second goal I thought he looked good and hopefully it won't effect his confidence, the best thing for it is to leave him in the team for Ayr.

Overall if we play like we did in the forst half for the rest of the season or start too many games like that we'll get relegated!!!! If we can get the performances like yesterdays second half then it's only a matter of time until we get a win and from there I can see our season taking off from there. Hopefully we can get a settled team that can start to gell together but there were very good signs at times yesterday.

watching sportscene the kilmarnock manager could not understand why golabert went to ground at the edge of our box anticipating a cross from aberdeen player who then took 3-4 more strides before cutting ball back for aberdeen first goal. so i would say golabert at fault for both aberdeen goals.

dont understand why butcher keeps changing middle 2 at back. any 2 from tokely,hogg, aldred would be ok if he stopped chopping and changing

get a striker/ finisher in instead

Ah watching Sportscene, that old one again, yeah it's all too easy to rely on that far too much, funny how the very first two clips of the game were the goals and nothing else. Forgive me if I tended to base my assessment on the whole game rather than just what Sportscene showed. Also would that be the same Kilmarnock manager that said the report he got from his staff claimed Caley were pretty decent in the first half, lets hope that scout picks the Killie team next week then cause he's clearly clueless.

Golabart wasn't the only one at fault for the first goal and I tend to think he went for the tackle and realising he wasn't going to get the ball opted not to bring the man down, there were others in the box that should have picked up the runner. For the second yes it was ultimately his mistake that led to the goal but why put him in that position by making a pass that was the wrong one in the first place. Lets also not forget that he hadn't even had 24hrs with the squad either.

The only thing I do agree with you on is the chopping/changing, read my other posts on here as I've said it already.

Edited August 22, 2011 by MrCaleyjag

[old caley girl]

Think the Killie scout must have been in the pub before the game

[starchief]

What choice did we have other than chop'n'change? Aldred had come in for some harsh comments previously, so when Hogg came in, virtually everyone (I think there was one who didn't) hailed it as a landmark signing and a first choice pick (how many left him out of the starting line-ups thread?). He came straight in with Tokely. That would have been the regular pairing but Tokely was suspended. Therefore, either bring in someone who had been getting criticism or someone new that Butcher probably rates higher, bearing in mind that Hogg and Aldred hadn't played much together either, so no consistency with any pairing.

So, presumng no-one wants Aldred/Golabart, either:

Hogg - Aldred

(very little time spent playing together and not as good as Golabart)

Hogg - Golabart

(no time spent playing together but a better player than Aldred)

I don't see one as a stand out pick.

[Renegade]

I've been quite impressed with Aldred so far TBH.

[bishbashbosh]

i remember the old days when patterson was manager. after a season or so when the highland league was plundered for its talent pele got no more cash and struggled to put 11 players on the park every week. resulted in the same team playing week in week out. this was also at the time when county were paying 50 grand for derek holmes and if you played well against them on a saturday you were signed the next week.

patersons team gelled ok and with the addition of barry wilson and david bingham to that group of players the next year we won our first promotion to the spl under robbo. maybe darren dodds was added also but at no cost.

i was just trying to say it sometimes it is better to go with what you have, terry must have seen something in the players he brought in at the start.

we could have the best back four in the league but if you cant score at the other end you aint going to stay up.

if money was allocated for a new signing it should have been a decent striker.

we have always been a team that leaked at the back but on occasion could score more at the other end

[Alex MacLeod]

Not sure why Golobart was signed other than the hope that maybe we can adapt him in his centre forward role. Taking onboard what bish is saying I had a look at the first team squad Strikers v Defence. In defence we have

Aldred, Gillet (injured) Golobart, Hogg, Meekings (injured), Piermayr, Proctor (injured), Shinnie. G, Tokely, Smith............and the strike force is

Foran Mckay (injured), Sutherland, Tade

Seems to me there is a serious imbalance in the squad and we probably need at least two more strikers to balance things out.

[Scarlet Pimple]

So you think Golobart will be here as well next season do you?

Not at all sure about that.

[starchief]

Alex: you're including full-backs there too, so either include the wingers in the attacking options or realise that there's normally 4 defenders per match, yet only 1 or 2 strikers. How many did we have last year? Only really Foran and Rooney, with Sutherland in reserve. The likes of Gil and Sanchez were really midfielders and never got a game anyway.

Numbers wise, we're at least as good as before. It's quality that counts though and we're going to struggle to replace a Championship quality striker. We don't have money to throw at it and still one striker to come back from injury. Finding gems for no money ain't easy, especially when first choice Terry Gurnell (spelling?) would rather go to lower league Accrington Stanley, than us.

I'm sure Tel would love to get in a real quality striker for a budget wage but, I'll say again, who? Dunfermline's solution was Barrowman. Who is ours to be?

[Renegade]

Gornell actually went to Shrewsbury instead and played for Accrington Stanley last season. He actually did want to come, as the terms were agreed but it was the compensation to the latter that stopped it. Your point still stands though.

Edited August 22, 2011 by Renegade

[Sorted]

Gornell actually went to Shrewsbury instead and played for Accrington Stanley last season. He actually did want to come, as the terms were agreed but it was the compensation to the latter that stopped it. Your point still stands though.

Not quite true Rene. Have a we bit of knowledge on this one as my mate taught him at secondary school and coached him at Tranmere with Kenny Shiels.

He never had any intention of coming here and was pretty condescending about life/football in the Highlands. Hoped that as soon as he was on the verge of 'moving' up someone would come in and offer him something. He got his wish.

[absent friend]

Well, for the record, I was at the game on Saturday and I do think Golobart will be a very good player for us.

Yes, he was possibly played too early but this can only be known AFTER the event. His wanting time on the ball was not a fault but was due to the lack of movement by his others players and you only have to think of the normal situation that unfolds when we have to take a throw-in, to realise that running off their marker is not an ICT players natural trait, therefore leaving our new defender exposed.

This however is why I feel he will be good for us, finding players with passes to create a decent attacking move as opposed to the normal thump upfield that rebound straight back again. Once our players get used to the fact that they will not have to 'fight' for the ball, feed off knock downs by Foran, but will be able to collect a well weighted pass and build up the move from there, this will have them speeding out onto their wings, beating their men, a well placed cross and a tap into the net!! SO EASY! I wish.

Our passing, especially from midfield was schoolboy style and that is possibly unfair on the schoolboys. This passing has to be addressed if we are to move up the league but I also feel that the players are lacking in self belief and this is not helping.

Lastly, Rossco was a big miss on Saturday and all the Rossco knockers should have been there to see the lack of presence in defence.

Result correct? I think so. Down hearted? The fact that it has taken me until Tuesday lunchtime to attack the keyboard, says it all. I was down hearted but on reflection, I saw enough plus points that I have hope for the longer term.

[12th Man]

I only watched the first half then had to catch a ferry, by the sound of things I picked the wrong half to watch.

I dont know who Aberdeen feared most in the second half ICT or Mr B, the Dons dressing room is right next door and I was told he wasnt mincing his words.I believe they struggled to hear Craig Brown over Tel.