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No complaints from me about that game yesterday (other than the performance of ICT obviously). County thoroughly deserved that win and probably should have been out of sight by half time. I felt they did to us what we had done to them on so many occasions in the past - sit in and hit on the counter. Interesting to see Boyce played almost like a right winger for most of the game. I've not often been impressed with Boyce in games between the sides in Dingwall but I thought he was excellent yesterday. A real menace and he took his goals well although I think he'd be chancing it to say his second was meant as anything other than a cross which seemed to go straight through Fon Williams. 

The first County goal was everything about ICT at the back this season in the space of a few seconds. Disorganised, chasing shadows and just simply all over the place. Tremarco grabbed a scarcely deserved equaliser before the slightly fortuitous second from Boyce. Third was a classic case of County 'wanting it more' and completely out muscling ICT to win the ball back and then take advantage of our non existent defending to wrap the game up. Whilst Fisher got a goal back after a good positive run by King who saw his effort spilled by Fox and tucked away by Fisher it made the game look at a lot closer than it was. 3 - 2 might look like a close game but it was a pretty straight forward win for the Staggies. They passed up other good chances to add to their lead whereas I can't really recall many clear cut opportunities for ICT to get back into the game. Really can't grumble with the result.

Big questions now for ICT. The team looks seriously short on confidence. With players like Tansey and Meekings reluctant to commit their futures to the club they could well be away before we pick up on league business towards the end of January. I still feel we are in desperate need of a Mckay or Storey type attacker. Someone with a bit of pace who can play off the shoulder of the defence. Right now we seem to start most games with a tall forward, playing with his back to goal trying to win countless lumps up the park with little or no support and instead of playing with 'proper' wingers to try and attack down the flanks and send in some crosses for the likes of Doumbouya to attack. Instead we play central midfielders there most of the time. Dropping Polworth yesterday was an odd one and the continuing presence of Vigurs in the starting XI continues to baffle. A lot of players are seriously under performing right now and Forans tactics seem somewhat limited with only one game plan seemingly evident most matches.

NareysToepoker on Twitter noted that this is the lowest points total accumulated by any ICT side after this many games in any division. That we have fewer points now than at the same stage of the relegation season of 08/09 is extremely concerning however the only saving grace is that we haven't become completely detached. Yet. 

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19 hours ago, Hiro said:

We are so so disorganised it's untrue, no shape in defence or attack.  I wonder what influence Brian Rice has in all of this.  The downward spiral started the second Latapy was punted and he rocked up. We still have the bulk of the 3rd place and cup winning team and they haven't become terrible overnight.

Glad to see someone else finally asking the same question. Since his arrival or latapy leaving we are no longer an attacking team, last season I put that down to injuries and less quality but now even with wingers and more potential creativity it's still the same. Ironically we play defensive yet can't defend so perhaps our solid backing was down to butcher and Hughes as ex defenders being able to coach that skill effectively.

 

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17 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Glad to see someone else finally asking the same question. Since his arrival or latapy leaving we are no longer an attacking team, last season I put that down to injuries and less quality but now even with wingers and more potential creativity it's still the same. Ironically we play defensive yet can't defend so perhaps our solid backing was down to butcher and Hughes as ex defenders being able to coach that skill effectively.

 

Good point and it is since Rice  has been taking training we have had all training ground injuries . Under Latapy a season when we used only 15 players?

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I've believed for a long time that our poor organisation is down to Rice, I firmly believe Foran being largely inexperienced is letting Rice run the training ground. I think a good move would be to get rid of Rice and bring in someone with a better track record and maybe even past experience working with Foran or ICT. In my opinion there was no point in getting rid of Dumb but leaving Dumber 

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Could have/should have been a slaughter yesterday. County looked menacing every time they went forward. It was like "if you by huffing and puffing, get lucky and get a goal back, then we'll just go up and get another one" We looked slow/blunt. No idea why RF persists in starting with Vigurs and one large, slow target-man striker. Vigurs has given some special moments but him and Tansey in the same team is a "luxury" we can ill afford. Even if Tansey moves on, I'd rather see Polworth start. We can still save our season with:

1. Storey back ... his pace working off Doumbouya/Fisher could transform us going forward

2. Full backs defending more and attacking with less abandon. If we have a winger-type on each side, then why do Mckay and Tremarco need to leave the centrebacks so exposed?

Tremarco is coming in with goals but what is the point if we are shipping more at the back?

Really want RF to turn this around but don't think he was watching the same game if he thought we were the better team. 

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14 minutes ago, cif73 said:

Interesting to note that we have scored more league goals this season than any other bottom-6 team and only two less than Rangers ... goals against is a very different story. 

Could that be explained by some of the goals being scored by defenders??

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24 minutes ago, cif73 said:

Interesting to note that we have scored more league goals this season than any other bottom-6 team and only two less than Rangers ... goals against is a very different story. 

Two clean sheets this season I think one of which was against Arbroath. We currently give up an average of nearly two goals every game (1.9 goals conceded per game). To overcome that we need to grab three goals to get three points something our pretty toothless attack is looking unlikely to achieve.

Other things worth nothing are that we concede the opening goal in over three quarters of our games this season (76%), we are typically in a losing position at half time (behind in 62% of our matches at the break) and we score more than two thirds of our goals in the second half (69%). Appears to me to point towards problems in the first half which puts us on the back foot and struggling to get back into games. We've often struggled against teams who sit in and defend against us, inviting us to break them down. Looking at the numbers this season that appears to be exactly what's happening. After we lose the opening goal we struggle to find our way back into the match.

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19 hours ago, Scarlet Pimple said:

Then cast your mind back to earlier days when fans were saying .." It's so refreshing now that  Richie's style of attacking play is so different from that of J Hughes."  What has happened to change these feelings I wonder? I've seen some great football on some of  the highlights so why is all lost in the minds of the moaners and groaners?

Truly, is it really ALL Mr. Foran's fault?

 Or are the players, perhaps,  not buying into his instructions because they are not taking him seriously or don't fear or respect him as much as they should  because they think he is still a rookie manager? Isn't this as much of a major change for them as it is for Richie Foran?  Going from Hughes to Foran is like going from the ridiculous to the ...?

Or is it forgotten that the team has suffered some major, devastating and team upsetting injuries this season which have thrown them right off  track? Which, in turn, has now sadly affected their confidence and the fluidity of the team? And the team has suffered some bad luck also, e.g.  penalties not given by refs when they should have been, etc., this season. So the team as a whole is probably down and disjointed at this point and not liking it any more than the fans.

Thus is it not the time to really get behind the team and be fair to Richie by at least allowing him one full season at the helm before calling for his head on a platter? Without the backing of the fans he's like the players brought in who don't get a chance to play and remain on the sidelines or on the bench etc., so never get the chance to develop and boost their confidence levels. So his head is going down ( post match interviews) and you can't blame him for that in my mind?  All of which seems to me to be counterproductive in terms of training the employees to be ready for the inevitable injuries and bad breaks that come with the territory and leads to the undermining of the team's solidarity and so on.

And who is to say that any other Manager would be able to make that much of a difference, better  than what we are  encountering in the present situation, than the man in charge right now? The Board is NOT going to sack Richie just because the team gets relegated so any chance of having him dumped before the end of the season is fantasy.  Financially alone  that would not be a wise decision and  we all did previously realise that he was not a fully experienced Manager so we had to expect the possibility that this might not be the most successful season ever? Do you think it is possible that the Management did not understand the possible negative consequences of the appointment as well? Of course they did  but I feel sure that they also did understand the possibility of future success with Richie once he DID have experience and that was reason enough  to award him a four year contract  because they knew that  Rome wasn't built in a day, funds were dangerously low in the club and he was committed to living and working  in Inverness over a long  term---not like previous Managers whose loyalties lay in self promotion, self advantage and self aggrandisement.:ictscarf:

Seriously min, less of the moaners and groaners! Pretty obvious from yesterday's tactics that a  continued use of failed formations or lack of them are giving us no points. You're living  on cloud 9 if you think some tightening of the defence will make much difference. Hello championship, I'm out of here.

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OK, I've recovered sufficiently to make comment.

First - tremendous ICT support throughout!

Second - we were second best. County carried a threat and we didn't.

Third, the first 2 goals were shambolic. Tansey missed the corner for the first and then it went from bad to worse. How the second got past OFW, I have no idea.

I'm afraid Richie has ro shoulder much of the blame. Vigurs was utterly awful going forward and in defence. How he got a start ahead of Polworth, I have no idea. Time to ditch those guys who don't fight tooth and nail for the cause. Other than Tremarco, I'm not sure many got pass marks, alrhough I felt that Doran really wanted it and King made a difference when he came on. Cole did OK, but is lightweight in defence. Draper always gives his all, but wasn't at his best.

Our biggest problem is up front - Doumbouya does OK with his back to goal, but doesn't look threatening. Fisher is unconvincing, but poached effectively for his goal. Boden is ineffectual. We need a break in the January window, but I don't see what we'll be able to get in with a lack of budget.

Tough times ahead, but there is the core of a good team there (Excluding Vigurs). Set them up to be hard to beat and we might just survive.

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A derby defeat is a derby defeat these things happen, admitted we were toothless up front compared to them but the team clearly are on a bad run and confidence is very low but the result won't kill us

A few wins and we will be talking about a top six position and we certainly aren't worse than Hamilton

What could destroy us is a cup defeat at Borough Briggs that would be killer and doesn't bear thinking about, that's when the board and Foran should start to worry

I also don't get this fascination by some of our so called fans to keep singling out Vigurs, just think what that's doing to the lads confidence reading some of the rubbish being spouted on here by the same posters over and over again

Yes Vigurs is in poor form but so are a fair number of first team players, it's time to get behind everyone

Dougal

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I can't understand why so many people think our issues lie in the attack? Yes, it becomes an issue when we chase a game, but if you have to score 4 to win, things are going to prove to be difficult.

ironically, it's our defence that's the problem. Our defence that picks itself. Brad is agreeably our most successful signing this year. Carlos is our top scorer and solid going backwards. And since Josh has come back from injury has been very impressive. Only slight criticism is of Gaz Warren - his legs are going a bit, and needs to just sit tight in defence and not worry so much about travelling up the park. Arguably, this is what our entire defence needs to do. I've been calling for 3 at the back, but we've been playing with a back two for much of this season.  

Our defenders needs to concentrate on defending. Draper needs to play just in front of them. And everyone else can worry about trying to score.  But first and foremost, clean sheets are required. If we manage that, a cheeky wee one-nil here or there will make a world of difference.

What I can't figure out, is how Brian Rice, being defensively minded, hasn't got this sorted out yet? Or is Richie pulling rank? 

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Dougal - Vigurs was a passenger for 95% of his time on the field in the derby. His passing was appalling and when he loses the ball he makes no effort to retrieve it - unforgivable. He made 1 positive contribution when he tracked a run in the second half...so he can do it, just chooses not to. I will continue to single him out until he shows the necessary effort to match our predicament. I don't doubt his talent or his lack of confidence, but right now we need guys willing to run through walls for the cause and Liam Polworth is streets ahead of Vigurs in that department. Richie needs to start showing faith in guys who really want it.

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2 hours ago, dougal said:

A derby defeat is a derby defeat these things happen, admitted we were toothless up front compared to them but the team clearly are on a bad run and confidence is very low but the result won't kill us

A few wins and we will be talking about a top six position and we certainly aren't worse than Hamilton

What could destroy us is a cup defeat at Borough Briggs that would be killer and doesn't bear thinking about, that's when the board and Foran should start to worry

I also don't get this fascination by some of our so called fans 

2 hours ago, dougal said:

A derby defeat is a derby defeat these things happen, admitted we were toothless up front compared to them but the team clearly are on a bad run and confidence is very low but the result won't kill us

A few wins and we will be talking about a top six position and we certainly aren't worse than Hamilton

What could destroy us is a cup defeat at Borough Briggs that would be killer and doesn't bear thinking about, that's when the board and Foran should start to worry

I also don't get this fascination by some of our so called fans to keep singling out Vigurs, just think what that's doing to the lads confidence reading some of the rubbish being spouted on here by the same posters over and over again

Yes Vigurs is in poor form but so are a fair number of first team players, it's time to get behind everyone

Dougal

"So called fans" Not cool, Dougal ... people who pay good money to support the team they love at home/away and who really care about its well-being are entitled to an opinion politely made ... otherwise what is the point of a forum? Let's all be happy clappers rain or shine, premiership or league 2 right?

 

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4 hours ago, PerfICT said:

Dougal - Vigurs was a passenger for 95% of his time on the field in the derby. His passing was appalling and when he loses the ball he makes no effort to retrieve it - unforgivable. He made 1 positive contribution when he tracked a run in the second half...so he can do it, just chooses not to. I will continue to single him out until he shows the necessary effort to match our predicament. I don't doubt his talent or his lack of confidence, but right now we need guys willing to run through walls for the cause and Liam Polworth is streets ahead of Vigurs in that department. Richie needs to start showing faith in guys who really want it.

Vigurs has family in Dingwall.

Hopefully his mind is not there.

Worst case, if they think he is that bad, get rid of him in the transfer window.

Looks like Aberdeen will come sniffing for Tansey, again!

On the transfer market, is there funds to bring in players? doubt it, therefore looks like getting money for Tansey and any other, could help strengthen the squad.

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As alluded to above I'd like to have a look at 3 at the back. Mckay, Warren and Meekings most likely with Tremarco left wing back and either convert a winger or when Raven/Horner are available on the right. 

Polworth and Draper in the middle of the park with Cole behind Fisher/Doumbouya alongside either Boden or King. 

Or perhaps Fisher with King and Doran in a front 3. Either way we need to shore up defensively to get anywhere in terms of results. 

Feared the worst going into the game but had we won it would have been a huge 3 points and massive confidence boost. 

Our next 2 become vital. A cup victory could shore up confidence. But then beating Partick is probably a must as well. Though I've felt that we've needed a result of some sort since the Well game and have nothing to show for it.

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Every game similar comments and faults are highlighted by fans.

There does not appear to have been any real change in playing style or tactics by Foran and Rice.

Our record is now unacceptable.

Failure against Elgin(our next game) MUST result in the departure of the management team.

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The back five have looked suspect all season and this has been our downfall to date. Unfortunately due to injuries etc they are guaranteed a start every week no matter how badly they perform, We have to bring in at least another central defender and full back. Also what is the story with Esson is he fit or not, because on present form Fon Williams deserves a rest.      

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