Championship 2018/19

[Jaggernaut]

The Championship looks as if it's going to be a very competitive league next seaso. I think all teams will be able to beat any other team on their day, so it's crucial that ICT get off to a good start and get points on the board early, we don't want to be playing catch up, like we were trying to do for all of last season. Hopefully our last season in the Championship will work in our favour next term, with the squad being more settled, and the players not coming into the season as strangers. I have a good feeling for the coming season.

[Glen Mhor]

On 5/25/2018 at 2:51 PM, Jaggernaut said:

The Championship looks as if it's going to be a very competitive league next seaso. I think all teams will be able to beat any other team on their day, so it's crucial that ICT get off to a good start and get points on the board early, we don't want to be playing catch up, like we were trying to do for all of last season. Hopefully our last season in the Championship will work in our favour next term, with the squad being more settled, and the players not coming into the season as strangers. I have a good feeling for the coming season.

Yes, agree with this. We seem to be putting together a good squad with a mixture of youth and experience who I very much hope will do well next season. I am optimistic. 

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

......starting with a high level of discipline will be worth quite a few points too!!!

[Kingsmills]

1 minute ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

......starting with a high level of discipline will be worth quite a few points too!!!

That is very true. We have a decent looking squad but it's a relatively small one and, if we are going to make a concerted push for promotion, we certainly can't afford the level of indiscipline and subsequent loss of players to suspension that plagued us in the middle of last season.

[Glover]

I have a feeling Austin will be one of the stand outs if things work out well.  Dundee Utd and Partick are going through massive changes.  It is the thought of RC and ICT being two runaway clubs vying for the automatic spot that would indeed make for a very intriguing year and if it is then I’d imagine Austin would be a big part of that. 

[Gregor]

It will be a tough league but if we can have a decent start ,unlike last season where we had a terrible run early season, then I can see us challenging for the title.

[RiG]

In case you didn't already know, the fixtures come out on Friday 

[bdu98196]

Home or away I wonder for the new year derby game. Expecting away as RC are the newly relegated side so get preferential treatment?

[Kingsmills]

14 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Home or away I wonder for the new year derby game. Expecting away as RC are the newly relegated side so get preferential treatment?

I don't recall us getting much in the way of preferential treatment last season.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Excited about the start of this new season. I have the feeling that it is about to be a good one.

On the indiscipline front, ...yes.... that's the crucial  situation. Mulraney was unable to control his emotions and set a bad example,, as well as letting he team down. But he has gone and no doubt has learned his lesson so good luck to him at his new club. I think the chances are that he will do well there. You can't have Prima Donna's  in the club because their attitude is unsettling to the other team members who might either be uncomfortable or want to follow his poor example , and suggests that individualism  is the only thing that is important, not the team. John R.  sorted that one out and hopefully things are now very much under control.

About J R I think last season was  a very difficult one for him and, hopefully, his vision and input to date will be rewarded this season.

[CaleyD]

Sorry Scarlett, but you're talking out of your hat about Jake.  Yeah, he had stuff to work on...but let the team down? gimme a break!  There's others with far, far worse records in that regard.

I stand by what I said about it being a massive mistake for the club in letting him go.  For Jake, however, it would have been a massive mistake to stay and I hope he gets better looked after at Hearts.

[Scotty]

Met Jake several times on our last two or three trips and always got the impression he was a great chap. He was wonderful with my little boy - in fact the vast majority of the players were - so not sure where the 'prima donna' or 'control his emotions' bit comes in? I would also wish him good luck ....  

[Stirling Observer]

I presume it is a reference to his petulance at Falkirk stadium which was of little help to his teammates, fans or club. Some mini strops as well as head drop moments if things didn't go his way have led to this assumption. Which is fair enough.

[RiG]

I certainly wasn't his biggest fan but as above the Falkirk incident is the only time I would say he let anyone down.

[Kingsmills]

5 minutes ago, RiG said:

I certainly wasn't his biggest fan but as above the Falkirk incident is the only time I would say he let anyone down.

and, to be fair, some of his older and more experienced team mates were acting no better at that particular stage of the season.

[Huisdean]

3 hours ago, CaleyD said:

Sorry Scarlett, but you're talking out of your hat about Jake.  Yeah, he had stuff to work on...but let the team down? gimme a break!  There's others with far, far worse records in that regard.

I stand by what I said about it being a massive mistake for the club in letting him go.  For Jake, however, it would have been a massive mistake to stay and I hope he gets better looked after at Hearts.

Agree with the first paragraph but not your second. Jake did not show consistency, and he had plenty chances to do this so he is culpable as well in the club letting him go. Had he played, as he showed he can on a very few occasions, more frequently, he would have proved to be irreplaceable to the club but the plain fact is he did not. Your second sentence seems to allude to the fact that he was treated badly by the club, care to elaborate further?

[CaleyD]

2 minutes ago, Huisdean said:

Agree with the first paragraph but not your second. Jake did not show consistency, and he had plenty chances to do this so he is culpable as well in the club letting him go. Had he played, as he showed he can on a very few occasions, more frequently, he would have proved to be irreplaceable to the club but the plain fact is he did not. Your second sentence seems to allude to the fact that he was treated badly by the club, care to elaborate further?

My thoughts on what Jake will go on to achieve are just my opinion....time will prove me right or wrong.

I won't elaborate on anything that's not already in the public domain.  What we had with Jake is a player who was sent off to another club for a trial at the turn of the year...as close as it gets to telling them they're not wanted.  For the person who did that to then expect them to come back and fight for them on the park is a little naive.

Yes, I get the argument about going out and being professional, yadda yadda yadda, but how many of us would perform at our best if our employer had told us we weren't wanted, but expected to turn up every day and keep giving our all for the cause?

[Scotty]

5 minutes ago, CaleyD said:

Yes, I get the argument about going out and being professional, yadda yadda yadda, but how many of us would perform at our best if our employer had told us we weren't wanted, but expected to turn up every day and keep giving our all for the cause?

Been there, done that .. Worked my ass off while my employer was putting down obstacles and trying to get me to quit ... had the last laugh though ! After about a year, when the manager realised my worth to them and tried to re-promote me to my original position I gave them 7 days notice and walked across the street to start working for a direct competitor ! Enjoyed that immensely.

Taking it back to Jake ... I see similarities with Barry Robson. Barry was a petulant SOB who got frustrated all the time. The problem was not that he wasn't trying, or didn't have the talent, it was that he had a better football brain than some around him and no shortage of self-esteem to go with it and when the frustration set in he stopped trying at times. I dont think Jake was as petulant as Barry (who was still a gurney b****** even by the time he got to Vancouver !) but I have seen him try hard for a bit then when things were not going our way to become a bit anonymous and fade out of games .... I think (hope) he might flourish at Hearts and wish him well. 

Now - back to championship discussion ..... 

[Stirling Observer]

Different if he was sent on trial to Raith Rovers. I presume Hearts were interested and asked if he could go down for a week during the winter break. I see that as the club not standing in his way on his own progression. 

I don't fall for this poor Jake routine. Every time he performs well he improves his chances of getting an improved contract with a bigger club. It would be unfair if he wasnt allowed the opportunities to perform, or was left out the team despite good performances. Neither of these are true. Jake's destiny is in his own hands. He has a fabulous opportunity at Hearts who are severely lacking in wide players with pace. Will he take it, time with tell. Going by his time with us, I doubt it.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Well, Caley D, you are entitled to your opinion about Jake.  Not a problem.

But when a player has ability but  hasn't really contributed a great deal at the beginning of his tenure,  then improves slightly in fits and starts but  erupts in spasms of very demonstrative anger and didn't he also have a tantrum as he went off the field once and kicked a bottle or something--what if that had hit Scotty's little boy? THEN what?  Nice as he may be off the field, that would have created  a REAL incident for the club wouldn't it?

So these actions could very easily have led to his being sent off. Secondly, if he had been  suspended, even for one game, you are forgetting that the team at that stage needed that situation like a hole in the head. Correct? And these uncontrolled outbursts were emotionally unsettling for the other players !!  In this scenario what exactly do you mean by saying he is not letting the team down?

 Jake was something of a Prima Donna  and also was a potential liability. And that was, IMHO, what John Robertson saw as a mature person and did the best for the club (and Jake by the way) by giving him his chance at Hearts. And Robertson should be given credit for the smartness of that move. I was very relieved when it happened because I sensed a negative situation  about to happen with Jake...…...

The club was not unaware of Jake's talent,  he simply  did not apply these talents often enough and he allowed his emotions (from what I could see) to erupt in public in tantrums that were unseemly and reflected on the club as well.Frankly he was too immature (young, whatever) and although I wish him well I could not see him as being a major contributor to Caley thistle  either last year or this new season.

[CaleyD]

[IBM]

18 minutes ago, CaleyD said:

Sarcasm at its best.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Oh Dear!

Did I inadvertently hit the bullseye --- or what?

Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you.  Besides I've got a thick skin. Slithery Alligators are like that. 

[RiG]

Annnnyway, fixtures out at 09:00 today I believe.

ETA: https://spfl.co.uk/championship/fixtures/

EATA:

 

Edited June 15, 2018 by RiG

[Kingsmills]

At home to Dunfermline on the last day of the season. Now wouldn't that be a nice way to clinch the title in front of six thousand fans in the May sunshine.