It's all Christie's fault...

[big man]

I think it is difficult to blame the manager, although as he says the buck stops at him.

I wonder if we have been crediting the wrong person with the organisation and solidity of our back four, maybe its Munro and not Dodds who does the organising. The goals Killy scored were based on a shambles in defence and I am sure its not down to Caff.

On saturday several players looked out of depth in the spl including so of the more experienced players.

As was pointed out in an earlier post we are not out of the mire yet, third from bottom looks to be a good target.

[mainstander]

Pele_is_god - Bonzo doesnt actually want any replacment for Christie because if Christie went so would something very important out of Bonzos life. The oppertunity to critisice Charlie Christie in places like this board. I see the odd person on here who appears to need football in general and Caley Thistle in particular as a means of becoming bitter and twisted. Bonzos need is even more specific than that. For reasons best known to himself it has to be Charlie Christie who fills that gap in his life for him. No one else will do.

[Sir C the 3rd]

Every time there is a chance to promote the club or talk it up. The club blows it every time by telling everyone they pay the lowest wages and are a really small club.    I mean seriously how on earth do we expect to attract players,  this coupled with the fact we live 100 miles away from the nearest away game.  Even Mark Brown said it when he left that "he got used to living up North" so if he's thinking that obviously other players think the same.    We should be PROMOTING the fact we're a growing city and we don't pay the lowest wages when you take into account bonuses.

Look what getting Stokes on a loan from Arsenal did for Falkirk  he pulled in crowds, scored goals and they wouldn't have needed to pay him a thing.  No dissrespect to the big man because he's done well,  but we've brought in somone from Cowdenbeath.

We need to be more ambitous,  spend a little extra.  I mean if we give Dargs an extra £300 a week and we finish 6th next season.  Everyone goes on about prize money,  isn't it worth it?

Caley Thistle are to negative thinking at times and there are good players out there but we don't seem to try hard enough to get them.  Signing Markus Paatelainen and Don Cowie is not some sort of coup that it seems to be made out to be,  because who else in the SPL would have signed them?  Also do we need them?  Yet more midfielders,  please get at least 1 defender in and a striker.

One final thing,  Caley have played some good football at times this season.  Not sustained through a whole game but patches against hibs, St Mirren, Rangers and Falkirk spring to mind.  But the utter garbage produced at times far outweighs the good play.  Sorry Charlie but if you can't get the good play out of the players on a more regular basis we'll have to find somone who can.

[Bronson]

Not sure where some of our supporters are getting their Old firm mentalities from?

We do not have a god given right to be winning any games in Scotlands top league, and when supporters start demanding it, perhaps they should go and support someone else.

We have to remember where we have come from, the resources which we have used and the time scale in which we achieved all this.

We simply cannot continue to improve our league position year upon year. Am i correct in saying that only once since joining the league have we failed to better our league position?

Look at Livi - from div 3 to prem league very quickly, paying silly money, finish third in prem  in their first season, european football, then what? How can they improve on that? - it's down hill fast.

We have not done that, we are still more than capable of finishing 7th, equaling our position last season. If to some supporters that is deemed as failure then god help us.

Our team is capable of competing with every team in this league as we have seen this season, and i'll settle for that. Esp when we have had such changes in coaching staff over the past 2 seasons, Lost one of the best 'keepers in the league, lost our 2 best strikers to identical injuries and our captain has already signed for someone else. (IMO Dodds shouldn't have played another game for us following his pre contract deal, never mind being captain!)

Yes our performances this season have been erratic, fantastic one week then abysmal the next but yet the wwk before the split we were still in with a shout of a top six place. Imagine what our SUPPORTERS would be saying if we were rooted to the bottom of the league without an away win all season, or not scored a goal for 4 hours of football. Get a grip people, this is what football is supposed to be about!

If we are relegated next season, or the year after and even end up back in the third division, i will still be in the stand watching my team. Not at rugby park watching Killie.

[Guest Bonzo]

Pele_is_god - Bonzo doesnt actually want any replacment for Christie because if Christie went so would something very important out of Bonzos life. The oppertunity to critisice Charlie Christie in places like this board. I see the odd person on here who appears to need football in general and Caley Thistle in particular as a means of becoming bitter and twisted. Bonzos need is even more specific than that. For reasons best known to himself it has to be Charlie Christie who fills that gap in his life for him. No one else will do.

Sorry ....... do I know you?

I don't believe I do.

Anyway, this is NOT the Bonzo forum, so keep your comments related to ICT.

Post something positive about Christie if you want to defend him.

I'd be genuinely interested to see what you can come up with.

As for a replacement, I would love to see the club take steps to bring back the best manager we will ever have. Robbo.

[Pele_Is_God]

ROBBO! you have to be kidding, he's getting found out now that's for sure.OK he won the league and cup but he inherited a brilliant team.

[clacher_holiday2]

"We do not have a god given right to be winning any games in Scotlands top league, and when supporters start demanding it, perhaps they should go and support someone else."

thats one thing thats starting to annoy me about those defending charlie, anytime theres rightful critisism of the team (unless getting beat 3-1 at home to dunfermline is acceptable), we're accused of being stupid enough to expect to win every spl game.

sure im speaking for alot here when i say its the downward plumit in the average performance we're turning in from week to week thats worrying, not so much that we lose every week, more that we now look like we should be losing every week and with the changes in the squad for next season that looks set to continue.

signing lots of young players from the lower leagues is actually policy id be willing to back with the current state of scottish football, if we had the right guy in charge to get the best out of them.  havent seen that from cc yet with black, rory, sutherland or fraser so far.

[Scotty]

We do not have a god given right to be winning any games in Scotlands top league, and when supporters start demanding it, perhaps they should go and support someone else.

We may not have a god given right, but we should at least be competing ....... we have shown we can do that against the so called big teams so why cant we do it against teams that are at (or even below) our level this season ???

first set of 11 games - LDDDLWDDWWW

4 wins - Motherwell, Dunfermline, Rangers & Falkirk

5 draws - Aberdeen, Hibs, Celtic, Dundee Utd, Kilmarnock

2 defeats - St Mirren, Hearts

17 points

A good start to the season with the exception of an opening day defeat to St Mirren. A huge win against Rangers and creditable draws against the likes of Aberdeen, Celtic and Hibs gave the early season a distinct 'feelgood factor'.

second  set of 11 games - DDLLDLLLDWL

1 win - Rangers

4 draws - St Mirren, Aberdeen, Hearts, Dunfermline

6 defeats - Hibs, Celtic, Motherwell, Dundee Utd, Kilmarnock, Falkirk

7 points

A terrible set of games with the exception of another win against Rangers and draws with Hearts and Aberdeen. A run of 9 games without a win obliterated the early season 'feelgood factor'.

third set of 11 games - WDWLLLWLL??

3 wins - St Mirren, Hibs, Dundee Utd

1 draw - Aberdeen

5 defeats -  Celtic, Hearts, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline

10 points

2 games left - Rangers & Falkirk

Better than our second set of games, with 3 games undefeated to start this set, but the worrying thing is that we have lost 5 of our last 6 games and the game we did win was 'stolen' right at the death ....... as we have seen, any feelgood factor still remaining from the early part of the season has all but disappeared.

As far as I am concerned, the league is split into 3 or 4 groups

1 - teams where we dont expect anything so any points are a bonus (CELTIC [DLL], RANGERS [WW]) - 7 points from 15 = excellent

2 - teams where we have a chance of a result but they are 'bigger' than us (ABERDEEN [DDD], HEARTS [LDL]) - 4 points from 15 = acceptable

3 - teams we should be competing with on the park if not off the park and where results can go either way on any given day (DUNDEE UTD [WLD], HIBS [WLD], KILMARNOCK [LLD], MOTHERWELL [LLW]) - 12 points from 36 = could/should be better

4 - teams who have not been performing this season and who we should be beating regularly, especially at home (ST MIRREN [WDL], FALKIRK [LW], DUNFERMLINE [LDW]) - 11 points from 24 = must do better if we are not to be relegation fodder.

[caley1980]

I don't post very often on here but for what it worth here are my thoughts !

Both sides of the for and against Christie camps have very valid points. But it will be this summer he will be truly tested.

It is an old cliche but the club is very much at a cross roads.

With the exception of Baltacha every manager has taken us forward.

Under Pele we were magnificent to watch , he also signed some fantastic players, many still doing the bizz for us.

But it took Robbo to win the first division and take us to the SPL.

Brewster then made us one of the fittest and professional teams in the league and added an extra dimension as a player.

The jury is still out on CC, he has produced some great results but also some dross! and now he must show he has the contacts and eye for a player to rebuild the spine of our team in the close season.

Do the Board have full trust in him to spend the biggest budget any ICT manager has been given? because the squad has never needed the surgery required over the next few months.

CC is learning his trade at the top level in Scottish football, The Board are taking a gamble on him, but there must be no half way houses.

If they believe in him,  they must back him this summer!

As I said CC is learning his trade, and unlike most of us he is doing it in the full glare of publicity.

But he has been naive on many occasions, especially with the media, criticising your own own fans is a complete NO NO and the kind of thing the press will gobble up and spit back at you. 

If I am honest, I wasn't one hundred percent convinced when CC got the job, the truth is I am still not!

But I do hope he can prove me and the other doubters wrong, because like all of us, whatever your view, he does care passionately about the club.

[Alex MacLeod]

Excellent post 1980.

I do have one question however. Put yourself in the shoes of an ICT manager. One saturday you walk out of the tunnel to to noise of 5000 fans in the home stands. Two weeks later you walk out to a near silent 3000ish and all you can hear during the match is the same one or two voices constantly critising whats happening on the park. How would you feel?

[Johnboy]

Do we really need to have this debate on CC after every single bad result? Does it serve any useful purpose?

All that happens is that all those who argued against CC's appointment come on here to say - "I told you so" or "It's time he resigned or was sacked" - Poor old CC - he must have the worst set of fans in the SPL - At the very least surely he deserves at least ONE full season in the job?

It's becoming as predictable as night following day..... The only thing these debates prove is that the Bonzos and Midge55s of this world are still alive, and still read these threads....

Who the **** started this one anyway? 

[caley100]

Who the **** started this one anyway? 

It was of course started by the anonymous Hairy Chibber, who has stirred the hornets nest and then fecked off never to be seen on the thread ever again.

Where are ya Hairy... look what ya started!

[Johnboy]

I've spent almost as much time on here as I have waiting for that feature on ICT to appear on Football Focus..... :020:

Thanks Hairy....... :009:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The debate has not been about CC after every game - it has been on-going fer weeks. CC is a legend and always has been but I suspect that his attitude is causing as much friction with the players as it is with the fans. The decision NOT to use money was HIS? an unbelievable decision at an SPL level given our squad. Changes should be made gradually not feckin wholesale as CC is suggesting. No doubt that a change of manager will bring a new dawn to ICT. Robbo and Brew attracted people because of their playing reputations. It is a manger with a "name" that we need. I am sorry to say but I feel CC has done too much damage to turn this around.

I too blame Hairy Chibber.

[Johnboy]

Are you "at it" again.....?

I can remember Rangers supporters the length & breadth of Britain moaning like ****, when they replaced Graeme Souness with Walter Smith - cos he didn't have a "name" ...

Sorry - what damage as CC done..?

[Kingsmills]

Charlie's biggest test as a manager so far will come in the close season when we will have the greatest team rebuilding challenge since Pele took over from Baltacha at the end of our first season.

How Charlie's team fares in the first half of next season will be crucial to his future at the club.

He should be given at least until the january transfer window to prove himself.

If by then we are struggling at or towards the foot of the table his position should be reviewed  but not unless and until we reach that point.

[kencar]

Sorry - what damage as CC done..?

I believe he is solely responsible for Global Warming  :016:

[Johnboy]

I believe he is solely responsible for Global Warming  :016:

I was in Aviemore earlier today.... Not much global warming going on down there..... :023:

[Guest Get_off_the_park_Wyness!]

Why is Donald Park never aportioned any blame for anything?

[Johnboy]

Why is Donald Park never aportioned any blame for anything?

'cos he very wisely keeps his mouth shut and says nothing.....!!  :023:

[Alex MacLeod]

IHE, who did brew attract, apart from Craig Dargo (he who came here because nobody else wanted him cos of his injury record and who now will not re-sign cos he's waiting to see what better offer will come his way) and half a dozen of our youth players.

The management team at ICT did not spend, apart from Markus, in the January window because there was nobody of the right caliber available at the price they could afford. People are very good at taking part of a statement and twisting it to make out the narrator said something different. What was said was along the lines of 'we failed to secure the player we were after and the type of player we would like is not available so we have decided to put faith in our younger players and save the available funds till the next window...........' Sadly the first part of the statement is always omitted.

[bigmack]

It is wrong to say it is all down to CC .The players must accept responsibility for poor results, along with the Manager, is it time for ICT to join the "big boys"and appoint a manager who has experienced all the hard blows plus great moments in the SPL or another equally difficult league, other than a one club situation?

CC is a talented footballer and a dedicated servant to the club, man and boy, but ask the question, if he was to leave ICT would he get a Managers job at another SPL club? answers please.

[Alex MacLeod]

If he left right now then I dont think so but give hime another season and maybe. But, how often have we seen managers fail at a particular club, find another willing to give them a chance, and go on to glory.

[CaleyJags07]

Seriously, Why are people calling for CC to leave? Fair enough we have been on a "Ragged" run of results and performances recently but come on Caley have no big reputation to live up to like the Old firm. CC just needs more time. I agree that it wasn't the best of decisions not to sign a few more players in the January transfer market. What I don't understand is that we give brilliant performces against Rangers,Celtic ,Hibs etc but we play fairly S***e against clubs such as Dunfermline, St Mirren Motherwell etc. All Im saying is that just cos we have been on a bad string of results doesnt mean we should be calling on CC head.

Also I reckon Mikey Fraser is a talented keeper and would be dissapointed if CC signs a new first team Goalie in the summer. He is yound and learning and has had to suddenly come in with big expectations. Give him time and I'm sure he will turn out to be a very good Goalie for ICT( probably better than Mark Brown). The goals he conceded at Dunfermline were not his fault and again the defence is to be blamed.

[CaleyD]

5 Pages and still the irony of the original post has yet to be discovered by the majority :015: :015: :015: