Journeymen, Mercenaries and Prostitutes

[NoIInTeam]

I despair that some people think TB makes the decisions on what deals people are offered. Tried and tested players only get the 2 plus year deals as the club are petrified they will be stuck with average players on longer deals should they be relegated. We can't buy tried and tested players because we are skint (please don't say RT). If we can find another 2-3000 supporters a season that wouldn't be a problem. But we can't because we are average because we have to rebuild each year as we get people on 1 year deals.

Some folk need to start asking the right questions instead of making assumptions. Understanding needs to be had on how our budget works.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Great points but wish we wouldnt keep on buying average players in the first instance.

[NoIInTeam]

I think that's what the budget allows. We stayed up last year with the help of loan players we could never afford to buy. County have a rake of 1st division players who may find it tough in the SPL, we will see. But a cut in our budget has made it even harder to get the players in not easier. An increase in the budget would have meant showing faith in the team's ability to stay up but that hasn't happened so we are back to 1 year contracts and loanees, it's a vicious circle.

To survive in the current climate with our fanbase and budget is always going to be a challenge. I do think we could build a team for the 1st Div though as that is probably the reality of our budget and a few years there building a team we can relate to maybe wouldn't be a bad thing. We could blood some youth there too.

[StockholmSyndrome]

I've been concerned for a long time now about how uninspiring our signings have been in the last couple of years, and about the high rate of player turnover. How are we supposed to build any kind of stability and consistency when at least half the first team is being replaced every year? It's also been noted that the team has lost its identity, and I think this is true. As someone who now lives down south and doesn't get to a lot of games, I'm not very familiar with any of our players any more - I think the only one I'd actually recognise on the street is Ryan Esson, and this makes me a little sad. It doesn't feel like "my" team any more, and it definitely doesn't have the same strong identity that it used to, which is a real shame. I don't know what the solution is, but I would certainly like to see more stability and more home-grown players, instead of a bunch of anonymous journeymen.

[+DoofersDad]

I think it is healthy to have a debate about these things and air views when we are unhappy about the strategy that is being followed on and off the park. We may have very differing and strongly held views on these issues but the bottom line is that wherever the players come from and how long their contracts are for, they are playing for our team and we should join together and welcome them to the club and support them on the park. If we, the fans, can't support the club, why on earth should any of the players be expected to play for the shirt and extend their contracts if they get better offers elsewhere the following year. And if we don't give support to the players we have, we can be pretty certain the club will not be able to afford better players next year.

[alternative maryhill]

The thing is, if there are not enough players from the Highlands, of sufficient quality to play in the SPL, then Inverness really doesn't deserve to have an SPL team. And if they're all playing for Ross County, perhaps we're supporting the wrong team!

I share a few of your fears, but this last bit is slightly OTT. For much of the 18 years the two clubs have been in the Scottish league system, ICT have had a higher concentration of local players and more stability and continuity in their squad than County. Under Terry Butcher more than any other manager this has changed - some would argue that he has had no choice, others that he's gone too far too fast - but just because County has accumulated a few of our former players, this doesn't mean they should be held up as some model of visionary, ethical Highland football.

Without wishing to rush to conclusions about players I haven't seen yet, I do worry that the signings so far do seem to be repeating a pattern that didn't really work last season - pretty much exclusively players who are either very inexperienced or injury-prone, from outside the Scottish system. If we had (and have) no choice but to offer only short term contracts anyway, then last season we could really have done with a couple of old heads who knew the Scottish league and the players they would be facing, and who would help to bring through the young local players. I had hoped to see Butcher try to bring in one or two of this type of player this close season instead. Maybe what we're hearing is correct - that there simply aren't such players available that we can afford - but other clubs of our size have managed it in the past (St Johnstone last season being the shining example), and the suspicion lingers that TB has a 'type' of player and that he might see older, very experienced Scottish players as less likely to bend to his authority. We'll see, though - there's still a fair bit of time left in which to add players, and some players' wage demands may become more manageable if they start to feel they're in danger of not finding a club.

Edited June 30, 2012 by alternative maryhill

[12th Man]

Togetherness, unity, thanks for doing what is morally right even though its made you financially poorer. Didnt last long did it.

The club has taken a hit to do what is morally right and are searching far and wide for players, maybe if we get into Europe or get a good cup run we can throw more money at players and attract more local lads like Rooney and Hayes.

I was at the Olympic concert at the NMP, had a look around and thought to myself Inverness is a pretty good place, with good people and felt proud of Inverness.

If any player wants to come here and play their best for the SPL club that represents Inverness, the people of Inverness, Invernessshire and their fans far and wide then theyre ok in my book.

The club has recently spoken out on our behalf and I for one would rather use it as an opportunity to rekindle the faith in, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, shortened to ICT these days but in its unedited version reads out three pretty important and words.

Its the fans that make a club a great club so the rest my friend, is up to you.

[CaleyD]

Whether you agree or disagree, I think it's a bit out of order to be slating these guys and personally insulting them before they've even had a chance to kick a ball in an ICT shirt. I really hope they aren't reading this site and tarring all our fans with the same brush because a few don't posses the common decency of keeping a civil tongue and not prejudging them.

[mikeyrob73]

I've been concerned for a long time now about how uninspiring our signings have been in the last couple of years, and about the high rate of player turnover. How are we supposed to build any kind of stability and consistency when at least half the first team is being replaced every year? It's also been noted that the team has lost its identity, and I think this is true. As someone who now lives down south and doesn't get to a lot of games, I'm not very familiar with any of our players any more - I think the only one I'd actually recognise on the street is Ryan Esson, and this makes me a little sad. It doesn't feel like "my" team any more, and it definitely doesn't have the same strong identity that it used to, which is a real shame. I don't know what the solution is, but I would certainly like to see more stability and more home-grown players, instead of a bunch of anonymous journeymen.

Best post on the whole thread

[+bughtmaster]

Well now Ross County have the home grown players, we have ''the others'' lets just see who fares best when the fitba starts. My money is on ICT.

Certainly County fans are on a high and right behind their team....................... are WE?............ every little helps!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Well now Ross County have the home grown players, we have ''the others'' lets just see who fares best when the fitba starts. My money is on ICT.

Certainly County fans are on a high and right behind their team....................... are WE?............ every little helps!

Now that is the best post on the thread - Tinkerville are on a high but the SPL is a big step up and many of their players have either failed or faltered or never been at that level before. It irks me to say but they do have that "togetherness" feel though.

[ictchris]

County aren't some sort of homespun, Old Ma's Kitchen club. They won the First Division by assembling a squad of experienced lower league players under a good manager. Their title winning side didn't feature any youth players and the only local players were ones they'd signed from us who had come through our youth system. That absolutely isn't a criticism of County, the job of the manager and the team is to finish as high as possible and win the league and they did that. It's worth noting though that County signing Ross Tokely hasn't made them into some sort of Highland Dream XI. A lot of people on this site have turned into pantie-knotted knicker-wetting whiners, especially when it comes to County.

In terms of our signings, we've always operated in the basement of the transfer market, certainly since we went into the First Division. Most of the players that everyone would laud were rejected previously by other clubs - Barry Robson by Rangers, Dennis Wyness and Russell Duncan by Aberdeen, Liam Keogh at Celtic, Craig Dargo by Killie, Darren Dods by St Johnstone. I'm not sure that this quality of Scottish players is out there in that market any more. Wyness was a youth player who came through at Aberdeen and got released - do we think there's anyone who'd score 20 goals a season in the First Division being released from the AFC youth programme now? If so, who? Dargo was released by Killie and no-one else wanted him, we even had him on trial for a week before offering him a deal - he went on to score 20 goals in his first season. What realistic targets have been released by a Scottish team this close season who you could be confident to any extent of performing like that?

I'm not saying that I agree with the signing policy, it's pretty obvious that releasing Grant Munro was a huge error, one that cost us dearly in the league last season. Freeing Tokely could be this summer equivelent but we'll have to see. I can see why we target English players, England is a bigger market and there are literally thousands of players available every summer. The only question is how good are the players we bring in. We signed guys from England last close season and had a disappointing campaign but previously built our promotion winning side with guys brought in from England. We signed loan players (two of our best players last season were loan signings actually) but the results weren't that impressive but look at other examples - Killie signed Alexei Eremenko on loan and he was arguable the best player in Scotland that season, Hearts signed Craig Beattie on loan and he was excellent for them last season.

[Proctor]

I wish the boys who joined us recently the best of luck and I would like to welcome them to the club. I still think it would be nice to look a bit closer to home for some of our squad though. I listened to Sportsound this afternoon and a host of players were listed that had achieved sucess in the SPL recently with sides like Hearts and Dundee United that had come from the SFL. I think there is talent there. I am quite proud to see the likes of Laing, the Shinnies, Ross and Sutherland in our first team ranks now though. Hopefully Morrison comes back from Iceland ready for first team action and with some of that chicken tikka lesagne they sell for a pound.

[NoIInTeam]

With the uncertainty over Sky's money ICT are playing a prudent game, which is hard to stomach but necessary. Rangers, having artificially inflated the transfer market for years, have been exposed as a sham (not a Rangers hater by any means) and the correction will take place at the end of this season when clubs find their tv money slashed and administration a real possibility as they struggle to pay their longer term contracts. Scottish football will naturally find its level next year and I think we just need to get through this year financially intact. The SPL was founded on greed without much thought for the good of the Scottish game and I am glad that this is finally being addressed, albeit not by choice.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I agree that we need to get through this season financially intact but we also need to get through this season embedded in the SPL and avoiding a potential dreaded play off situation. Stay in the SPL at the close of the 2012-2013 season then it is likely that further configurations will make us "safe" until 2015. That is why I wanted the consolodation season to be last season - and dont give me the injuries nonsense. That is why I now have to look at this season as being the consolodation season and that is why I feel that we need to spend that little bit extra to get a bit of experience in at the back and a goalscorer I doubt if that can be acquired via a loan signing.

And Noel Intern - would you stop feckin moaning.

[buckett]

Perhaps it is prudence, as Nolln Team says and maybe we are in fact leading the way in the much-needed financial rationalisation of Scottish football.

If this is the case we will find we are financially disadvantaged this season, on the park, but if we can avoid relegation, this would stand us in good stead for future seasons as other teams are forced into austerity.

In any case, welcome to Inverness all you journeymen, mercenaries and prostitutes - I do hope the coming season is successful for all of you, and indeed for all of us.

[The Mantis]

County aren't some sort of homespun, Old Ma's Kitchen club. They won the First Division by assembling a squad of experienced lower league players under a good manager. Their title winning side didn't feature any youth players and the only local players were ones they'd signed from us who had come through our youth system. That absolutely isn't a criticism of County, the job of the manager and the team is to finish as high as possible and win the league and they did that. It's worth noting though that County signing Ross Tokely hasn't made them into some sort of Highland Dream XI. A lot of people on this site have turned into pantie-knotted knicker-wetting whiners, especially when it comes to County.

Correct. I've obviously got massive concerns about our squad (or lack thereof) but afaik C(o)unty have not got anybody who's scored goals in the SPL. Can't see where they are going to replace Gardyne either. Their togetherness will have to take them a long way along with the experienced defence which could be overworked. Despite the hopes of the jailenders I can't see how they can afford the luxury of benching Rosscoe every week either.

We signed guys from England last close season and had a disappointing campaign but previously built our promotion winning side with guys brought in from England.

I think that's got a ring of truth in it but my memory is of TB persisting with Eagle and Stratford before realising they were useless and picking Roy and Russell which we had been telling him all along.

Compared to other ICT managers it seems TB's ability to assess a player is hit or miss. Even Brew could spot a player even though he was feck all good at anything else.

Edited July 1, 2012 by TheMantis

[Renegade]

Does anyone have any statistics (or care to make them ) in regards to the squad turnover for each manager? ie - players brought in/players leaving compared to the actual time spent here by each respective manager. Under Butcher it seems to be massive!

[Huisdean]

Does anyone have any statistics (or care to make them ) in regards to the squad turnover for each manager? ie - players brought in/players leaving compared to the actual time spent here by each respective manager. Under Butcher it seems to be massive!

Totally pointless to do this as circumstances chamge each year and at some point, there will be a greater turnover of players the longer a manager is here.