Matchday Thread Inverness CT -V- Motherwell

[AJS]

Was a great attacking performance in the 1st half, defensively we were top notch in the 2nd.

 

2 cracking goals and could have been more, Vincent unlucky not to get goal of the game. Commanding performances from Foran, Draper and Warren. Brill also impressed when called into action. Thought Shinnie and Raven coped extremely well with McFadden and Vigurs (who didnt seem to give a rats arse, so much for his paper talk.)

 

The last 2 victories are a major statement of intent and hopefully a sign of what lies ahead for the season, puts us in great stead for our visit to Celtic next week. 

[Alex MacLeod]

This has to be the best ICT team I've seen at TCS in all my years of following the club. It was very hard to select PotY candidates from yesterdays display. Everyone played a blinder and put in equal workrates. Foran played some of his best ever football for us. Dave the Rave and G. Shinnie spent more time in the opposition half than in defending their own but were still available to defend when called upon. Warren and Meekings were solid at the back. Doran ran his socks off but sometimes he tries too hard and loses out where a quicker pass or even shot on goal may have been the better option. Vincent and Ross seemed to be everywhere. Draper was solid in the middle and McKay was where he had to be every time. And he scored again. Brill had very little to do other than vocally control the play. The substitutes too did their bit to good effect and didnt upset the gameplan. We played the ball for full game. No aimless punts. And we stopped Motherwell from playing. All in all an excellent team display by one and all.

[Alex MacLeod]

Foran MotM by a mile, he was everywhere.

 

Crowd announced as 250 away fans which means a paltry 2700 home fans bothered their erses going to watch entertaining football. What more do they want.

I thought we bossed the game, and Well had to chase it after the break. Should have won by a far greater margin but 2-0 is perfectly acceptable

There's aye going to be people unhappy with the crowd size but is it not time to realise that thats what it is. We average 3000 home fans for every game over the years. Last yars first home game against Motherwell seen us with a total crowd of less than 3000. The noticable factor nowadays is not so much the home fan attendance but more the dwindling numbers of travelling fans. Where we'd have seen 6 or 7 hundred Motherwell fans attend in the past recent games have shown that a lot less are making the effort now. The same applies to other teams. County will produce a decent crowd but thats because two thirds of their support live in Inverness. Fans from Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh are not travelling in same numbers as they once did. Even the Celtic gates last year were down on previous. Many of those people need to make their cash go further so football suffers.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I predict that the ICT support next week will bring back memories of the "Jungle " - can't wait to wallow in the "were top of the league and you're no " chant. Lets make feckin hay whilst the sun shines.

[Ten4]

I hate it when we have to shoot towards the away end in the second half!  Totally takes the momentum out of the game.

 

 

 

I quite enjoyed watching our 2nd half defensive display at closer hand, especially being up 2-0

[draganict]

I predict that the ICT support next week will bring back memories of the "Jungle " - can't wait to wallow in the "were top of the league and you're no " chant. Lets make feckin hay whilst the sun shines.

bring it on - i will be there

[ICTGAZ]

SSS is the new philosophy apparently, whatever they call it, it's certainly working, keep it going lads

[Alex MacLeod]

Stamina, Steel and Style

[Alex MacLeod]

Highlights now available at BBC

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/23748204

[draganict]

Highlights now available at BBC

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/23748204

Thanks Alex

[davie]

12 passes! unbelievable.

[tm4tj]

And in our own report

 

http://caleythistleonline.com/page/index.html/_/reports-2013-14/inverness-ct-v-motherwell-report-r1062

[+Fraz]

Stamina, Steel and Style

Having a 4th 'S' will help our attendances - Strippers. :D

[Alex MacLeod]

 

Stamina, Steel and Style

Having a 4th 'S' will help our attendances - Strippers. :D

 

Go to Private Eyes for that one

[HeScoresWhenHeWants]

Meanwhile in Perth....... Oh don't cry Richard!

[gingerjaggy]

we have more supporter than the attendances suggest but a lot will come from England or the central belt and cant usually make it to home games. It wont be a huge amount but i recon we could get near 3,500 home supporters if all the supporters who cant make it not from inverness and those that had season tickets but stopped after that awful season we had around 3,300 to 400 when i had a season ticket so some who gave up still must not have renewed after last year and this brilliant start

[Scarlet Pimple]

I am not sure whether Manfer , you wrote the report or was you, Scotty, but I enjoyed it immensely.

And a big thanks for including the videos which , of course, make my day in the wilds of the Canadian wilderness. Without that presentation we would maybe be waiting a long time to see these videos or even not at all so , again, many thanks.

Foran's goal was one of the most professionally-executed goals I have seen in a long time. Great timing and he appeared to know exactly what he was going to do to score. He really is an accomplished professional foiotballer and we are really lucky to have him. A think of beauty , so it was.

Beware Partick Thistle this season--this is a well-supported team with passion, fitness, no end of desire and skill and seem to be as fit as a fiddle. One touch, pass, run and crack the thing and they could score a barrow-load once they get the first few. Very nice team-play to watch too....aggressive, sharp and fast. I see them as a little bit like the early Caley Team and, once they again establish their presence in the SPL, they could be a great addition to this League. So far so good for them.

Hearts played plucky against them and the goal scored by Heart's Walker was also a thing of beauty ... consummate control, skill and dynamic finishing. This goal really turned my crank and IMHO it was an absolutely breathtaking bit of skilled football.

Cheers

S,P,

Motherwell did not seem to be too concerned at stopping the Caley Thistle players. They seemed to stand off the advance-ing blues without even making an attempt to tackle and they got what they deserved. Mind you all I have to go on are

[tm4tj]

I can not tell a lie Scarlet, it was I that wrote the report.

 

Scotty starts the report by adding team lines etc so it is a joint venture, hence it shows that Scotty has done the report.

 

All videos can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialICT

 

or http://www.youtube.com/user/splofficial

 

I just add the videos to add some credence to wot you have just read guv.

Cheers.

[bdu98196]

Scarlet - not so convinced on PT (yet), they are playing well and have a settled squad, but are doing what all promoted teams do - playing in a way where nobody in the SPL is familiar with them or their style, but they do look to have enough quality to stay up. A point at home against  D United - who have been very poor so far, away win to County which given the mauling they took at St J suggests they have real issues, and a point to a very weak Hearts team who have lots of enthusiasm but little experience - they will face tougher tests before a proper judgement. They will be top half of the bottom 6 IMO - we will be top half of the top 6, but its good to see another 'wee' budget team doing well.

[Renegade]

The only thing I'd like to have seen done differently, was I'd like to have seen a change made somewhat earlier.  The way the game was going at that time, had Motherwell gotten a single goal, they would've been right back in it and would've made for a very sticky ending (after all, they always say 2-0 is the worst lead to have), particularly as Motherwell looked a stronger team in the second half and controlled possession for spells.

 

I'd have like to have seen someone like Pepper or Williams come on a bit earlier to give us a bit of bounce, but never mind.

[Yngwie]

after all, they always say 2-0 is the worst lead to have

 

Can't say I've ever heard that one before! When Billy finished off that neat move on Saturday, were the fans cursing him for putting us in such a precarious position? Did Terry kick the dugout?

 

I put it to you that any lead is a good thing and that a single goal lead is the least good one you can ever have.

 

And who are "they" anyway? It sounds like the sort of inane tosh Billy Dodds would come out with.

[Renegade]

2-0 often gives you the false pretence that you have the game wrapped up and are well in control, but if you concede one the opposition are right back in it.  Chances are, teams would be more cautious leading by a single goal, and more relaxed when it's three or four (or more).  2-0 puts you into a funny situation.

 

I see in Butcher's post match interview, he says that he thought at the time that we took the lead too early, so make of that what you will.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Renegade

[Yngwie]

2-0 often gives you the false pretence that you have the game wrapped up and are well in control, but if you concede one the opposition are right back in it.  Chances are, teams would be more cautious leading by a single goal, and more relaxed when it's three or four (or more).  2-0 puts you into a funny situation.

 

I know what you are saying, but from memory(!) I think the team that scores the first goal in a game has about a 60% chance of winning, whereas scoring the first 2 goals makes that a 90% chance.

[Renegade]

There would be times I suppose where the second goal would kill the game off (the 93rd minute for example), but the way the game was going on Saturday (and this goes back to my substitution point), Motherwell had periods of control and we'd gone a bit flat, and had the penalty been given and scored, then it could've led to a very nervous ending.  Hence why that 2-0 lead was a bit of a funny one.

[AJS]

To an extent i agree with Renegade. We were 3-0 up against Motherwell last season and nearly threw that away. There were times on Saturday where an early introduction of fresh legs could have brought about another goal or two. Im merely using this as an observation. I was really impressed by the way we closed Well off in the 2nd half.

Edited August 19, 2013 by AJS