Signings in January

[+bughtmaster]

Agreed Mahonio at least as things stand, Barring the occasional blip this squad is improving all the time, loanees in case of injuries though because we will soon become a targetted threat to the rest of the SPL.

[Oddquine]

Only possible new arrivals will possibly be Arsenal Youngsters, imo.

I really don't think we need to sign anyone else though .

Bugger with that is that we don't give home-grown youngsters a place on the bench at least, even at u20 or u19 level, as far as I know, if we ever got told the squads..which we don't......the crap internet presence we had, before we got "bigger and better" and landed here, at least acknowledged that we had squads other than the first team one...this new set up doesn't...if you are not in the "squad list" , which appears to mean having warmed the bench at some stage, even if you never actually play you just don't exist as far as ICT is concerned.

Are we destined to be a club which brings on the youngsters for the likes of Arsenal and ignores our own kids? Is ICT destined to be a nursery for the English and Irish leagues and not for ourselves. Are we happy about that? If a large proportion of our kids are so abysmal, why are they here at all.....why are we forking out to have a youth system at all?

Have to say I've been very gradually been becoming less of a happy clapper, because over the last couple of seasons, I'm getting more inclined to believe that Butcher thinks if you don't play for an English team at any level, you are simply not worth considering.

ICT is not just about the 1st team squad winning matches, however much that makes supporters feel justified in supporting, but should have some element of bringing up the future possibilities, .because if we are employing people who appear, according to Butcher, to be producing kids who are not capable of even sitting on the bench........why are we paying their wages at all?

Edited November 26, 2012 by Oddquine

[Alex MacLeod]

Matthew Cooper, Martin Laing, Gavin Morrison, Liam Polworth, Kyle Whyte all youngsters who came through the ICT ranks. Before them there was Nick Ross, Shane Sutherland, Graeme Shinnie. One third of our first team squad is made up of lads brought through the ICT youth system. I'd say thats probably a very good average.

As part of the development at Arsenal, and other big English clubs, they will put a dozen or so youngsters, who they believe are strong prospects, out on loan at no cost to other clubs. Most of those kids will never play for Arsenal but they will be seen by other clubs and Arsenal will make money out of them.

Contrary to what you seem to think Oddquine ICT are running a youth system, an U-20 squad and a first team squad. Unfortunately because the SPL decided to scrap the U-21 league three or four seasons ago clubs didnt bring players through to that level and had to let many of them go. Now we find we have to play an U-20 league but dont have the players for it so we have to bring some in. We are also playing 16 year olds in our U-20 squad.

I dont think your gripe is really about what players are coming through though. I think its more about you not getting the information on a regular basis and there I have to agree. ICT are crap in deciding what they feed to the public.