Matchday Thread Inverness CT -V- Ayr United

[Scarlet Pimple]

Why did we play more defensively today than aggressively in order to try to score? One goal and the team would have bean home and dry?

And some live and die by the motto that attack is the best form of defense...….?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Winning and drawing ?

[tm4tj]

Job done  next please.

[caley100]

2 hours ago, Eye Settee said:

Thought we managed the game well and Robbo had his tactics spot on. Worried for Tom Walsh as he appeared to have hurt his hamstring.

What !!  Ffs   we were Shyte.   Looked second best to Ayr all afternoon.    Attitude was lazy and so many of our players looked like they were on holiday mode,  That was eye torture and the goal must have been our only attempt on goal in the second half.    If we have any aspirations to progress in this play off the players and management need to have a big long look at themselves.

[Gregor]

52 minutes ago, Jack Waddington said:

Not saying were screwed, but I don't think we'll stand a chance against United the way we played tonight. Our only hope is that they play as awfully as they did in the Cup...

We were obvously saving a wee bit in the tank for the the next game

We will be fine

Job done at Ayr it was always about game management today

[Kingsmills]

1 minute ago, caley100 said:

What !!  Ffs   we were Shyte.   Looked second best to Ayr all afternoon.    Attitude was lazy and so many of our players looked like they were on holiday mode,  That was eye torture and the goal must have been our only attempt on goal in the second half.    If we have any aspirations to progress in this play off the players and management need to have a big long look at themselves.

I didn't get the Impression that anyone was 'in holiday mode' but a few not unexpectedly, looked tired and jaded and were, sensibly in my view, not expending energy unnecessarily. 

The only important thing today was to get the job done and progress to the next stage which we did reasonably comfortably in the end.

[caley100]

Yep. But it only needed 1 goal from Ayr to cause a panic in our team.  Think Robbo got tactics wrong!  We should have pushed from the start.    Ayr did not look jaded, quite the opposite in fact, they looked more up for it tan us and only poor finishing prevented extra time / pens

We surely need to up our game for next week.

[RednBlackComeback]

Really looked like we were playing within ourselves today, likely with Tuesday in mind? Maybe that was the tactics or are the players just exhausted?

Was an anxious spectacle for us fans and might have been very worrying had Ayr got a second goal before we got ours!

Still we're through and that's what counts.

Impressed by MacDonald when he came on. Would be great to get him back in on loan again next season. 

[+old caley girl]

Job done - this far anyway. Would folk seriously have rather us play well and lost? Oh and to the bloke behind me no we were never losing as its the agregate score that counted ffs. Players look tired and 4 games in 11 days is a toughie. However we march on and what will be will be...

[jed5697]

We did not create enough today and we won't get by on Tuesday without creating more. Crawford had a great chance to make it two nil Ayr but opted to blast it wide.  If we were in game management mode we were cutting it a bit fine.  MacDonald made a difference when he came on and should start Tuesday given Walsh hamstring issue. Mcmullan getting sent off on Tuesday would do for starters pressure is surely on Utd so hopefully the boys will get in about them.

[Alan Simpson]

2 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

OK - Is there anybody else who EVER expected us to get this far ? And from here on it is Cup football and it really is ANYBODYS on the day.

I actually thought we were gonna win the league and keep a hold of the challenge cup poor season by my standards!

[+Gringo]

Going to be a tough call against the Arabs. They'll be out for revenge of the Scottish Cup defeat and they'll be fresher / fitter.

League points we've taken off Ayr United this season - 10 [W3 D1 L0 F5 A2]

League points we've taken off Dundee Utd this season - 2 [W0 D2 D2 F2 A5]

[Gregor]

1 hour ago, caley100 said:

What !!  Ffs   we were Shyte.   Looked second best to Ayr all afternoon.    Attitude was lazy and so many of our players looked like they were on holiday mode,  That was eye torture and the goal must have been our only attempt on goal in the second half.    If we have any aspirations to progress in this play off the players and management need to have a big long look at 

 Think you are being harsh tie was won over two games 

 

[Gregor]

1 hour ago, Kingsmills said:

I didn't get the Impression that anyone was 'in holiday mode' but a few not unexpectedly, looked tired and jaded and were, sensibly in my view, not expending energy unnecessarily. 

The only important thing today was to get the job done and progress to the next stage which we did reasonably comfortably in the end.

Sensible post unlike some others who just criticise for the sake of it.

We finished third in league reached a Scottish cup semi final and have now reached semi final of play offs

The critics really need to have a word with themselves.

[Gregor]

20 minutes ago, Alan Simpson said:

I actually thought we were gonna win the league and keep a hold of the challenge cup poor season by my standards!

Put your rod away lol

[Gregor]

2 hours ago, Satan said:

You could tell from some of the moves Ayr made, to get the ball quickly up the park - they have practised these in training, the way everyone involved knows what is coming and where to run.

Seldom do you see the same coherent plays from us - what do we work on in training??

Who is progressing to the next round?

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Gregor

[jed5697]

Question is : can caley beat Utd  

Answer is : yes 

Evidence to support : they have already dunnit.  

Further evidence ; for those who need it.

None needed.

Do it again.

Simple. 

[Robert]

We knew Ayr would come out flying, as they felt hard done to on Tuesday and had nothing to lose.

3-1 is a tough one tactics wise. Do we sit in and play on the break, or try to go for it? That caused some nervousness on the pitch and safety first play, rather than anything bold.

Ayr deservedly took the lead, and kept on the front foot in the first half.

I thought we weathered the storm, and the second was pretty even. The equaliser settled things, and made it "job done" which was the priority.

I only recall one save  by Ridgers, so we handled them pretty well.

Any word on Walsh or Mckay? Hope both are fit for Tuesday.

As others have said, a cup semi, third in the league and now a play off semi is quite an achievement given our budget, so let's give full support on Tuesday. We beat them in the cup, so have nothing to fear!

Of the players, Ridgers had no chance with the goal.

Mckay and McHattie were targeted by Ayr's wide men, whilst Donaldson and McCart were solid.

Trafford continues to grow in importance, although we did not see much from Chalmers. Walsh was struggling with injury, whilst Doran had a few decent moves.

Polworth had a decent game, and was so close to giving Doran a one on one with the 'keeper.

White was a menace.

McDonald did very well, whilst Rooney was solid.

Not our best afternoon, but I'd have taken a scrappy 1-1 before kick off, and we are still in contention.

Well done guys!!

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Robert

[Kingsmills]

For those criticising the team for looking tired, uninterested or 'in holiday mode', bear in mind that yesterday was the fiftieth competitive game of the season for our small squad now coming at two a week.

The remarkable thing is not that they look a bit fatigued but that they are still in the hunt at all and continue to be so. We should be proud of them all.

[Doofer]

Having just watched the goals from yesterday's game I am very surprised the crowd was listed as 2323 as it looked a good bit more than that!

[IBM]

It was Doofer, if you read how the money is split on the ICT website you will see why the crowd was announced as smaller. 

[Gregor]

2 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

For those criticising the team for looking tired, uninterested or 'in holiday mode', bear in mind that yesterday was the fiftieth competitive game of the season for our small squad now coming at two a week.

The remarkable thing is not that they look a bit fatigued but that they are still in the hunt at all and continue to be so. We should be proud of them all.

100% spot on 

Well said

[Eagle4Caley]

13 hours ago, caley100 said:

What !!  Ffs   we were Shyte.   Looked second best to Ayr all afternoon.    Attitude was lazy and so many of our players looked like they were on holiday mode,  That was eye torture and the goal must have been our only attempt on goal in the second half.    If we have any aspirations to progress in this play off the players and management need to have a big long look at themselves.

Others have suggested we played alright...doing enough to get through.... Management and Players have to think the long game, bearing in mind how small the squad is with no Welsh, and Tremarco, and Walsh looking like he needs to be managed fitness wise..... We will have to play 6 games to stand a chance of going up, Dundee Utd have had the benefit of more than a week off and have a larger squad, we'll do well to get a draw on Tuesday (given that we have only won 5 games at home in the league) to take it to a 'winner-takes-all' on Friday. So why would we expend more energy and potential bookings by going all out?  Guys like Austin, Macdonald and McCauley are going to have to make a difference, we're lucky that Trafford has stepped up with Welsh out, and McHattie doing enough with Tremarco out.  

I kinda think Dundee Utd are a round to far but if we can get past them and not lose White, Donaldson and McCart to injury or suspense, then we do stand a chance against either St Mirren/Hamilton who finish their league fixtures on Saturday (and both play mid-week as well). I'd take a boring 0-0 home draw and a nervy 0-1 away against Dundee Utd any day, if we can do it....Tuesday's the key.

[Satan]

2 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

For those criticising the team for looking tired, uninterested or 'in holiday mode', bear in mind that yesterday was the fiftieth competitive game of the season for our small squad now coming at two a week.

The remarkable thing is not that they look a bit fatigued but that they are still in the hunt at all and continue to be so. We should be proud of them all.

I don't think there has been a rush of criticism for 'looking tired' or whatever,  maybe one poster stated this, but you seem to have commented on it a couple of times.

There have been comments, correctly stating that it was perhaps lacklustre, poor at times, and maybe they were at times playing within themselves.

All of the above may have been true from various viewpoints but are not necessarily seen as criticism.

Looking uninterested or in holiday mode, if it were true would be more serious accusations but whether or not this was the case is anyone's guess.

The number of games played recently in quick succession is more of a factor than the overall 50 games this season, but as they are professional athletes who by now won't be training very hard between games it should just be a case of injury management. It is up to the coaching staff, again professional's, to look after this with regards to the upcoming games.

So it's into the ice baths again and some Pilates for a few days then game faces on for Tuesday where we will be facing a stronger team than Ayr United at home.

Hopefully the performance is up a notch or two...

 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

12 hours ago, Alan Simpson said:

I actually thought we were gonna win the league and keep a hold of the challenge cup poor season by my standards!

No feckin wonder you failed your recent Seer assignment - unless this is your BA (Hons) Sarcasm dissertation ?