THE MATCHDAY THREAD Discuss ICT & other games in this thread as they happen Inverness CT -V- Hibernian PREVIEW 16th March @ 7:45PM, Caledonian Stadium Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Go to the Chatroom Media Coverage AUDIO BBC Sportsound LIVE Commentary [UK Only] TEXT BBC Sporting Life VIDEO SPL YouTube Channel ICT Official YouTube Channel TEAM LINEUPS Tweets by @ICTFC Tweets by @ICTFC

Mantis--That comment TRUMPS anything I can think up.

Just wanted to  see what would come of it. And you  came up Trumps --showoff.

Awful team selection. Its no coincidince we were much improved after we made the substitutions. Why Hughes started up front and Storey was on the bench is ridiculous. What did Hughes do against Hamilton that merits another start tonight. Horner offered nothing in midfield as did Wedderburn. How did these guys start when Roberts, Williams and Polworth were sitting on the bench. If John Hughes doesnt come out tonight or tomorrow and admit he picked the wrong team i will be amazed.

1 minute ago, SteveA said:

Awful team selection. Its no coincidince we were much improved after we made the substitutions. Why Hughes started up front and Storey was on the bench is ridiculous. What did Hughes do against Hamilton that merits another start tonight. Horner offered nothing in midfield as did Wedderburn. How did these guys start when Roberts, Williams and Polworth were sitting on the bench. If John Hughes doesnt come out tonight or tomorrow and admit he picked the wrong team i will be amazed.

He said on the radio he wanted them to go "toe to toe." 

Get Foran in charge sooner rather than later. 

Can't blame the manager for 2 unforced defensive howlers. Everyone was calling for a more direct approach and Yogi delivered. On another night one of the 50 or so balls we put into their box would've fallen for us. Just not our season. Time to focus on top 6.

Edited March 16, 20169 yr by AlexJones

57 minutes ago, Scarlet Pimple said:

3 yards? -that's only 15 feet.?  

So how many feet are there in a Canadian yard Scarlet??

52 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

 

Knocked out of both cups by lower league opposition.

 

We weren't knocked out of the League Cup by lower league opposition - it was worse than that.  We got knocked out by County 

Why we couldn't have more offensive players on the pitch from the start and take the game. We didnt turn up in the first half and until we gifted them both goals before half time then hibs didnt look to threatening either although they looked more composed on the ball. Like saturday if we started with a more offensive line up and take the game to the opposition from the start then we have a much better chance of winning games. The worry for me was we only showed urgency when we were 2-0 down and in real danger of losing our crown. Why was there no urgency from the start and show us being superior as the higher league club. Frankly we have only shown anything when we were desperate and it has been too late. We need to pick a few wins now by any means and crawl over the line to remain in the premiership and regroup next season and try and recruit a better balanced squad. HUghes always said it was hard to buy strikers because they dont want to play second fiddle to a main one but yet most other clubs in the premiership have 3 or 4 to choose from to keep it competitive, why not us? After the dream season it has been a dogs dinner of a season and although season's like last year won't happen every season i dont think anyone could have imagined how bad this one is looking to turnout. 

7 minutes ago, AlexJones said:

Can't blame the manager for 2 unforced defensive howlers. Everyone was calling for a more direct approach and Yogi delivered. On another night one of the 50 or so balls we put into their box would've fallen for us. Just not our season. Time to focus on top 6.

When you think of the amount of goals we have conceded by defensive/individual errors, surely the manager has to eventually take responsibility? It's the same mistakes time and time again.

2 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

We weren't knocked out of the League Cup by lower league opposition - it was worse than that.  We got knocked out by County 

And if i remember rightly we were 2-0 down in that one and rallied to get back in but left it to late again in what was another abject performance

Just now, gingerjaggy said:

And if i remember rightly we were 2-0 down in that one and rallied to get back in but left it to late again in what was another abject performance

At least we are consistent!

Hibs might be lower league opposition, but man for man they're a better team then us. From our starting 11 tonight, around 3 would be good enough to start for Hibs (Draper, Warren, Meekings, and arguable OFW). They have real quality in Cummings, Stokes, McGinn and Henderson, all the types of players that can make things happen and win games with touches of quality. We on the other hand, didn't have a single player capable of that. I only wish Christie had stayed until the end of the season rather than spending it sitting on the bench. 

I'd love to know how many goals we've gifted the opposition this season through defensive errors. 

Fact is we were dire in the first half and lost the game there. And let's not kid ourselves, yes, we rallied in the second half but it could've easily ended up 4-1 to them if they hadn't missed 2 absolute sitters at the end. Team selection was bizarre, and I'm finding it hard to believe Hughes knows what he's doing.

A Falkirk supporting mate of mine said at the time of Yogi's appointment that we'd have a fantastic first season with him, then it'll all unravel dramatically. Sadly, I think he's being proved right.

Let the season end. Frustration after frustration. 2 wins would probably see us safe, although God knows where we're going to get them at the moment. 

Can barely believe it's the same team that comfortably beat Aberdeen and should have been 2-0 up at parkhead. That was only a month ago but feels like a lifetime!

27 minutes ago, AlexJones said:

Can't blame the manager for 2 unforced defensive howlers. Everyone was calling for a more direct approach and Yogi delivered. On another night one of the 50 or so balls we put into their box would've fallen for us. Just not our season. Time to focus on top 6.

Combination of both lackadaisical defending and poor team selection cost us the game tonight. Why on earth was Josh Meekings playing at right back when him and Warren are the best central pairing? I also don't understand Hughes' obsession to stick Miles Storey out in the wings, when the boy is an out and out striker. 

My flabber has never been so gasted. Utterly distraught at that team selection and schoolboy errors. We are the worst team in the premiership at the moment and relegation is staring us in the face.

24 minutes ago, lightwelter said:

Hibs might be lower league opposition, but man for man they're a better team then us. From our starting 11 tonight, around 3 would be good enough to start for Hibs (Draper, Warren, Meekings, and arguable OFW). They have real quality in Cummings, Stokes, McGinn and Henderson, all the types of players that can make things happen and win games with touches of quality. We on the other hand, didn't have a single player capable of that. I only wish Christie had stayed until the end of the season rather than spending it sitting on the bench. 

Especially when we've done nothing interesting/creative with the big bucks we got for him !!

1 hour ago, gingerjaggy said:

wow the guy been told to stop filming by stewards because they think it on sky sports 

I was once told that the big flags weren't allowed in as the biggest that are allowed, is 1m.

Great to see Josh back in the team.

The game was there to be won, Hibs started nervously and grew in confidence when they capitalised on weak defending. I felt only one goal and they would on the ropes. We could have very easily taken that game to et.We had the chances but it wasn't to be.

It was great winning the world's oldest football Cup but we now know it's going in a couple of months. They guys are legends for winning it but it's now back to important League business.

I agree Storey should be through the middle (Hughes should be dropped to the development league) and Meekings should be in the centre I just don't know what kind of thoughts our manager is having. Also, much as people like Foran who is an up an at them individual he is not a fit for the type of football Hughes has been trying to promote, so I don't know what Hughes is doing "losing my religion " comes to mind. I heard him before the match decrying players for not having a shot etc but I have known players whom I've played with getting a nosebleed when approaching the 18 yard box, they just can't have a go. Danny McGrain great player that he was, was a prime example, couldn't burst a paper bag.

3 minutes ago, davieB said:

I'd love to know how many goals we've gifted the opposition this season through defensive errors. 

Fact is we were dire in the first half and lost the game there. And let's not kid ourselves, yes, we rallied in the second half but it could've easily ended up 4-1 to them if they hadn't missed 2 absolute sitters at the end. Team selection was bizarre, and I'm finding it hard to believe Hughes knows what he's doing.

A Falkirk supporting mate of mine said at the time of Yogi's appointment that we'd have a fantastic first season with him, then it'll all unravel dramatically. Sadly, I think he's being proved right.

Do we have the same Falkirk supporting friend? Lol. My friend said exactly the same, plus that he will become stubborn playing certain players continually out of position and the majority of his signing will prove somewhat 'iffy'.....

Pretty similar to ourselves sadly. He called it the 'Yogi Effect' a terminology I suspect we will become familiar with :(

 

3 minutes ago, ForzaCaley said:

Do we have the same Falkirk supporting friend? Lol. My friend said exactly the same, plus that he will become stubborn playing certain players continually out of position and the majority of his signing will prove somewhat 'iffy'.....

Pretty similar to ourselves sadly. He called it the 'Yogi Effect' a terminology I suspect we will become familiar with :(

 

My worry is that some of our better players may move on if this is all we got to look forward to and not being played in their best postions

I agree with most of above, most of all the poor team selection. However, the Hobos are not that good, we just made them look that way with our defensive errors. Stokes must've thought it was Christmas all over again.

They also cheated us with the antics of Oxley after the miss by Liam Hughes. That took the sting out of the momentum we had at the time. If the ref had any balls Oxley should've got a second yellow card.

I now fear a drubbing in Dungwall on Saturday and a plunge into the play off place. We had a chance to re-start our season tonight and blew it big style.

1 minute ago, Row S said:

I agree with most of above, most of all the poor team selection. However, the Hobos are not that good, we just made them look that way with our defensive errors. Stokes must've thought it was Christmas all over again.

They also cheated us with the antics of Oxley after the miss by Liam Hughes. That took the sting out of the momentum we had at the time. If the ref had any balls Oxley should've got a second yellow card.

I now fear a drubbing in Dungwall on Saturday and a plunge into the play off place. We had a chance to re-start our season tonight and blew it big style.

Spot on. Totally agree

I don't know what to make of that.  I really couldn't believe the starting line up.  It seems strange that all of a sudden both Meekings and Foran are fit enough for a full 90 minutes and that Wedderburn, Horner and Hughes are preferred to Polworth, Williams, Roberts and Storey.  Were the 4 of them all injured or unwell to some extent such that they were deemed only fit enough for the bench?  I would love to hear what the manager says about that.

Despite that, I thought we started pretty positively and took the game to Hibs.  But as is so often the case, there was little quality of delivery and neither Foran nor Hughes were sharp enough to look threatening.  Slowly Hibs came into the game more and were gifted a couple of soft goals for a half time scoreline they scarcely deserved.  Second half we improved with the introduction of Storey and Williams with Storey often threatening down the left wing.  I can't fault the effort but it was mostly huff and puff and very little quality.

It was the first time I have seen Hughes play and I thought he was very poor.  He never seemed to make himself available and did little with the ball on the few occasions he didn't let the defender get to the ball first.  It says a lot for the imbalance in the squad that he stayed on the park for the full 97 minutes.

Hibs have certainly got quality but they started nervously and ended very nervously after Vigurs' composed finish.  They were there for the taking but the sad truth is that we no longer have the quality in the team to exploit these opportunities.  We now have a battle to stay in the top flight and on this form I will be mightily relieved if we finish the season in 10th place.

3 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

It was the first time I have seen Hughes play and I thought he was very poor. 

Exactly what I thought when I saw him for the first time v St J last week. Looked like a central defender thrown upfront.