Scottish Cup Final build up

[old caley girl]

5 minutes ago, lizi said:

On the One Show just now, BBC1, Rod Stewart (seemed a wee bit ‘happy’)(maybe been on the juice) said his team were going to win the treble on Saturday.  Come on ICT, burst his bubble and send him home sad to USA.  Please. 

Roman Kemp seemed to go along with him too whilst we didn't get a mention

[Yngwie]

6 hours ago, Caley Fish said:

Is anyone that ordered tickets when they first went on general sale still waiting on them? Starting to get a little concerned mine are lost after ordering on the 16th.

Mine arrived a few days later. Yours sound very much lost. Phone the club.

[CaleyHedgehog]

1 hour ago, lizi said:

On the One Show just now, BBC1, Rod Stewart (seemed a wee bit ‘happy’)(maybe been on the juice) said his team were going to win the treble on Saturday.  Come on ICT, burst his bubble and send him home sad to USA.  Please. 

I saw this too. We should register our disgust to the One Show for not even giving us a name check and maybe tomorrow night ICT could be the guests, or maybe one of our cup songs could be played.........ok I've woken up from that dream, but maybe they would at least confirm our existence.

[buckett]

Celtic fans all hoping their team will win but putting a wee bet on ICT just to soften the blow!

[givmeaccccc]

I have just bought tickets for The Ferry pre-match event on Saturday. Phoned the venue and they say just on 500 tickets sold and 100 only left. If you are thinking about going, better to reserve tickets soon.  Our tickets are numbered in the high 400s so looks like a good crowd from the Sneck will be in attendance there. 

[Robert]

There’s a serious lack of excitement about the final. Is that because we are resigned to losing?

For anyone wanting a repeat dose of nostalgia, BBC Scotland is repeating the story of our 2015 triumph and also Ballistic tomorrow night. 

[IBM]

I am looking forward to us having the time of our lives bursting Celtic's bubble and causing the biggest cup shock ever winning the Scottish Cup for the second time 

[Robert]

7 minutes ago, IBM said:

I am looking forward to us having the time of our lives bursting Celtic's bubble and causing the biggest cup shock ever winning the Scottish Cup for the second time 

I’d love that prediction to come true!

Looking very likely it is their Manager’s last game too.

[Yngwie]

But if we win, Spurs will move for Dodds instead. 

[old caley girl]

23 minutes ago, Robert said:

There’s a serious lack of excitement about the final. Is that because we are resigned to losing?

For anyone wanting a repeat dose of nostalgia, BBC Scotland is repeating the story of our 2015 triumph and also Ballistic tomorrow night. 

Think the excitement starting to build? 

[Robert]

I’m nervously excited but expected there to be more chatter here.

[Duke of Inverness]

Was in Inverness Town centre today. Bursting with ICT artefacts everywhere. Not!! Pretty sad really. ICT do disengaged from Inverness it's not true. 

[Robert]

Looking at the club’s Twitter feed, there’s a banner in the Market. I was in town yesterday and didn’t see anything that would have told me we have one of our biggest ever games coming up.

There’s a free 24 page souvenir programme available from the club shop. 

[Yngwie]

Is this the biggest game in our history?

On the footballing side, a win gives us 8 European matches including 6 at group stages.

Financially, that brings in £millions, clears our debt and puts cash in the bank, thus securing our future for a few more years.

And all this would enable us to retain our best players and attract a higher calibre of new recruits.

[IBM]

The team were at Lochardil school today signing autographs for the kids so full support there. 

[CaleyHedgehog]

The P&J has given a lot of coverage about ICT in the final of late, including a 16 page pull-out today.

Lots of singing and chants from the pupils at Dalneigh this week, and this years must have fashion item was spotted there too today - the bucket hat!

No sign of the team there yet.

[old caley girl]

1 hour ago, IBM said:

The team were at Lochardil school today signing autographs for the kids so full support there. 

Headteacher is Mrs Kellacher 

[bdu98196]

Thought by now there might be more chat about tactics and line up etc. I know we rely on Dodds ball, but how does he approach this match?

There not really a right way to set up given the quality disparity between teams.

Sit in, defend and try contain - Celtic will move the ball around and basically dominate possession and prevent any attempts by us to move out. With their high press they could just steam roller us and its game over.

All out attack, hit them hard and try play a high press copying their tactics. This relies on high level fitness and leaves us very exposed any time we loose possession to counter attacks.

Given that celtic are missing CCV and Johnson at the back, they have in recent weeks been found wanting against physical strikers who have been dominating them in the air - unfortunately I don't see us having that in our locker and balls to feet they will lap up all day long. Any high balls we wont win, so they will still be comfortable with.

I hope we look at utilising Shaw & Henderson on the wings and pushing the ball out to them with the instructions to actually push forwards and to run especially at Ralston.

 

[Satan]

We'll high ball them into submission. They won't know what's hit them.

No one expects that...

[Jaggernaut]

We really need to use our wingers, and cut into the box, run with the ball and make their defenders think about tackling them. It's something we haven't done enough of during the season, the wingers cross balls into the box and nine times out of ten they are headed away, on the odd occasion that we actually run with the ball into the box, a penalty is always a possibility, but we must run into the box. We also need to be touch tight with them in midfield, if we let their midfield dominate, they will destroy us. Please please please please please, no Hoofball, it will just keep coming back at us, and we can't just defend for 90 minutes. Our best chance is for a set piece goal, and we need to be ruthless with any glimpse of their goal.

As various coaches and managers have said over many years, all the players have to give their all and leave nothing out on pitch, no regrets. I might just have a wee bet on an ICT win!

[+DoofersDad]

Whatever the tactics, we have to play at high intensity whilst avoiding rash tackles.  We can't afford to get a player sent off in this one.  The weather is set to be pretty warm which will further drain the energy levels.  The later kick-off time could just work to our advantage as it may be a bit cooler later in the game.  

A win for us would undoubtedly make it the greatest day in the club's history, but in the likely event that we don't win, let's just get behind the team and enjoy a great day out.  We are playing in the Scottish Cup Final this weekend whilst County are playing in a relegation playoff.  I know which I would be rather doing.

[The Mantis]

1 hour ago, bdu98196 said:

Thought by now there might be more chat about tactics and line up etc. I know we rely on Dodds ball, but how does he approach this match?

There not really a right way to set up given the quality disparity between teams.

Sit in, defend and try contain - Celtic will move the ball around and basically dominate possession and prevent any attempts by us to move out. With their high press they could just steam roller us and its game over.

All out attack, hit them hard and try play a high press copying their tactics. This relies on high level fitness and leaves us very exposed any time we loose possession to counter attacks.

Given that celtic are missing CCV and Johnson at the back, they have in recent weeks been found wanting against physical strikers who have been dominating them in the air - unfortunately I don't see us having that in our locker and balls to feet they will lap up all day long. Any high balls we wont win, so they will still be comfortable with.

I hope we look at utilising Shaw & Henderson on the wings and pushing the ball out to them with the instructions to actually push forwards and to run especially at Ralston.

 

 

28 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

Whatever the tactics, we have to play at high intensity whilst avoiding rash tackles.  We can't afford to get a player sent off in this one.  The weather is set to be pretty warm which will further drain the energy levels.  The later kick-off time could just work to our advantage as it may be a bit cooler later in the game.  

A win for us would undoubtedly make it the greatest day in the club's history, but in the likely event that we don't win, let's just get behind the team and enjoy a great day out.  We are playing in the Scottish Cup Final this weekend whilst County are playing in a relegation playoff.  I know which I would be rather doing.

Thought about this many times over the past few weeks and it gives me the fear. Especially if we start diving into tackles and losing Carson or Allardice or Deas early on. I’ve seen Celtic rip Hibs a new one this season at Easter Road and they were devastating in the first half. They start strong and so often score early. But they also get a lot of goals in the last 15 (as their manager says, they never stop), so even if we’re still in it late on, we don’t have the quality on the bench that they have.

It’s something about the modern game that pisses me off. The system is rigged towards the big teams with the big squads. I first noticed it when Scotland were beating England at Wembley back in the days of Kenny Miller, and the game was lost in the last 20 as our lot tired and didn’t have the quality on the bench that England had.

Bottom line is, go to the party, get pissed, enjoy the day. It’s the spirit of Tynecastle 2002, the spirit of Motherwell 2004, the spirit of Eddie Ofere and Dave the Rave 2015. It’s ICT in the Scottish Cup. There’s nothing like it.

[bdu98196]

23 minutes ago, TheMantis said:

Eddie Ofere

If only we had a guy like him around. Proper physical presence and really had the measure of Celtic that season.

As you say, Celtic just keep going, its relentless and the fitness levels cannot be underestimated. Whether its early of dying seconds of injury time they can still operate at the same intensity.

Not playing for a few weeks, I really hope our guys have been working on stamina and fitness.

[STFU]

Push Shaw up front with Billy in the old Bayne kinda role.

[dougal]

On 5/29/2023 at 10:21 PM, lizi said:

If I’ve got Celtic fans near me, especially if they set off these colourful but choking flares, and loudly cheering their team whilst around us ICT fans, then I’ll be shouting for the stewards.  I’ll also be doing my utmost to show these fans they are in the wrong area and should get to .....  Celtic fans have no place in the designated ICT section.   

 

 

 

 

Well said Lizi 100% agree with you. 
I will be doing the same if I see any fans that have Celtic tattoos and speak in strange Lancashire or Canadian accents the nearest steward will be informed immediately.

 

Dougal