Raith @ home April2024

[Duke of Inverness]

New bins arrived this week from Highland Council. 

I'm going to struggle to fit Ferguson, Gardiner and the 23/24 season in the new grey rubbish bin. 

[Super Caley Man 94]

  On 4/20/2024 at 7:00 AM, Duke of Inverness said:

Did the players make more of an effort last night as it was on TV?

Putting themselves in the shop window for 24/25? 

Wanting to get a Championship club for next season, as opposed to being in League 1? 

None of our team are good enough for getting interest from a Premiership club.

Sadly, given Doran's reaction I think that's his last game for ICT. 

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Considering 8 of our players at full time were loan players I don't think they'll be too concerned about playing in League 1. 

Back to back wins has given players a much needed boost the players are finally gelling together. Big Dunc has actually got a couple of things right tactics wise ️ can't believe I'm actually saying this but the team seem to be turning things round whether it's too late remains to be seen. 

If we do fall into the play offs I can't see Alloa, Cove or Montrose beating us now. Hamilton is a concern but i reckon we have enough to see them off.

Tough season for every ICT fan & I get the frustrations & skepticism but back the team & manager, let's see what happens before we start having nightmares about League 1

Edited April 20, 2024 by Super Caley Man 94

[tm4tj]

Here's the table after todays games

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Still in our own hands 1. Dundee Utd 34 21 8 5 69 22 71 2. Raith Rovers 34 19 8 7 53 42 65 3. Partick Thistle 34 14 12 8 62 50 54 4. Airdrieonians 34 15 6 13 44 42 51 5. Morton 34 12 8 14 42 43 44 6. Dunfermline 34 11 10 13 39 44 43 7. Ayr United 34 12 6 16 50 58 42 8. Inverness CT 34 9 11 14 37 38 38 9. Queens Park 34 9 10 15 43 56 37 10. Arbroath 34 6 5 23 35 79 23

[caley1]

  On 4/20/2024 at 11:32 AM, Duke of Inverness said:

New bins arrived this week from Highland Council. 

I'm going to struggle to fit Ferguson, Gardiner and the 23/24 season in the new grey rubbish bin. 

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Please at least make sure Gardiner goes in first ! Certainly not in the recycle bin just common trash .

[CaleyCanary]

That was a sore one to take but I can’t find it in me to attribute any blame to the players for Friday night’s result, that’s just fekkin football and the best team doesn’t necessarily win. They did more than enough to get the 3 points and were just denied by some bad luck and superb goalkeeping. I can even overlook the shoddy 10 minutes after the break, it happens, their efforts in the other 80 minutes should have given us the 3 points - unlucky lads, you gave it a ruddy good go.

That leaves us now with 2 cup finals to go, we really can’t afford any other slip ups. Our vastly superior goal difference counts for sod all if Queens win their final 2 games, we needed to be 2 points clear to allow us the luxury of a draw in either match.

So many variables though - for us, perhaps Dunfermline and Morton might not be so pumped up now, given they’re both out of playoff contention at either end of the table. As for QP, no telling what kind of fight Arbroath will put up against them, and more importantly, will Airdrie take their foot off the gas and rest some key players for the playoffs?

What I saw on Friday night gives me the confidence we have enough in our locker to do it, but we most certainly need to do it ourselves!

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Sympathy for Doran. Samuel and sometimes Billy, would get more protection from referees if they played rugby. Being grabbed round the neck is deemed very dangerous but in football it seems referees often give the benefit of the doubt to the perpetrator. 

Dunfermline is now very important to our survival. On our previous visit we were pretty poor with Dunfermline unlucky only to get a draw after hitting the woodwork 8 or so times. Sean McAllister is likely to be our match winner this time I trust.

[+snorbens_caleyman]

  On 4/20/2024 at 9:03 PM, CaleyCanary said:

 I can even overlook the shoddy 10 minutes after the break

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Well I can't!  How many times over the years have we seen them concede a goal immediately after the break?

As soon as it was clear that Raith had come out of the blocks invigorated and fighting, I said to my wife that they were going to score very soon.  And so they did.

Teams and managers have changed over the years, of course, so it can't be blamed on any one thing or on one person.  But surely the last thing to be said before they go out for the second half should be "Stay extra sharp out there for the next few minutes, until you get back into the rhythm of the game!".

Statisticians and historians may well point out to me that we are no worse than other teams in this respect.  But it sure seems that way!

[forresjags]

Result didn't match the performance but more worrying is we finished the game with 8 loan players on the pitch. Of the the 3 left 2 were over 30.  Basically we are going to completely have to rebuild from scratch, maybe need to sign ten or more players in the summer and get them to gel in probably less than six weeks.

 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I don't think that it was because we had a bad 10 minutes. That was simply to be expected. It was a defensive lapse at fault and a rare lapse at that. I am in no doubt that if we had another decent forward to partner Samuel that we would have been in the play offs. I think that Lawal has a lot of potential but not yet playing in a central midfield role. I would take the risk of playing him up front and letting Billy play in a number 10 role. I think his pace will frighten other teams and Samuel has an out card which he hasn't had all season. 

Edited April 21, 2024 by IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER
Stoopid

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

  On 4/21/2024 at 12:36 PM, forresjags said:

Result didn't match the performance but more worrying is we finished the game with 8 loan players on the pitch. Of the the 3 left 2 were over 30.  Basically we are going to completely have to rebuild from scratch, maybe need to sign ten or more players in the summer and get them to gel in probably less than six weeks.

 

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That is a major concern and probably came about due to the confidence about monies from the Battery Farm. And another reason for taking on Ferguson who would have attracted better players with better wages and prospects. I am afraid that this season was all about survival and that was apparent when we jettisoned some worthies to save on the wage bill.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

  On 4/20/2024 at 11:04 AM, ICTPaisley said:

Do you think the criticism hasn’t been merited then? 

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A lot of criticism has been merited but not to the venemous degree of some. I think some peeps think are living on past glories and the expectation that we are a top league outfit. Dunc has always had a tendency to speak before he thinks and is crap at post match interviews. I suspect that he has also been taken back by the abuse directed at him. I suspect that he also realises that he has been used as a fall guy and promised to him about the future are up in the air. He is not an experienced manager and tried to install a play from the back system in a team with no settled formation or understanding of each other. BUT what was the evidence on Friday. He has been too concentrated on defence and has been amiss in how he has played individuals - McKay, Doran, Devine and Lawal being examples. He also did not recognise the importance and impact of contracted players. His dislike of Roddy McGregor is surprising.

We had eight loanees on the park at the end of the end of the Raif game. They may end up saving our season and I would gladly keep at least 4 of them.

 

[FrontRow]

His mistrust/dislike in Roddy is beyond baffling. We’ve seen some of Roddy’s  goals and his ability to drive forward and add urgency to a game.  - Brookes could be a huge addition as well with pace to help up front. Is anderson better than Roddy, is lawal a better fit for our midfield? 
there was also a spare place on the bench free for Saturday and even with the likes of Ujar and Samuels fit they weren’t included in squad. 
 

no idea what’s going on - it all seems rather haphazard 

Edited April 21, 2024 by FrontRow

[Satan]

  On 4/21/2024 at 4:11 PM, FrontRow said:

...
there was also a spare place on the bench free for Saturday and even with the likes of Ujar and Samuels fit they weren’t included in squad. 
...saving on match fees, things are very tight cash wise.

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[bdu98196]

  On 4/21/2024 at 12:36 PM, forresjags said:

Result didn't match the performance but more worrying is we finished the game with 8 loan players on the pitch.

 

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Fully expect more of the same next year. Holistically if you consider the options - we are skint and will struggle to finance a team of permanent signings or the chance to go to money bags English clubs who will still pay for their youngsters to get some game time and pick up the costs - essentially free for us but we play them.

I doubt anyone at the club is excited at the prospect of not having any experienced signings of younger players we with quality we can retain to develop and try sell. The strategy is clearly making the best with minimal outlay or long term commitments possible.

[buckett]

  On 4/24/2024 at 2:34 PM, bdu98196 said:

Fully expect more of the same next year. Holistically if you consider the options - we are skint and will struggle to finance a team of permanent signings or the chance to go to money bags English clubs who will still pay for their youngsters to get some game time and pick up the costs - essentially free for us but we play them.

I doubt anyone at the club is excited at the prospect of not having any experienced signings of younger players we with quality we can retain to develop and try sell. The strategy is clearly making the best with minimal outlay or long term commitments possible.

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Quite so.

Just grateful we got Mark Ridgers and Cammy Harper as regular first team starters - 2 local lads with an obvious passion for their home-town team.

I quite often ask myself, how can I be loyal to a team made up of players who have absolutely no connection to the town they're supposed to represent?

Mind you, they seem to manage in Dingwall!

[STFU]

Harper has a few offers for next season and none of them is from us.

I'd imagine Ridgers may have options also but he's at a different stage of his career and seems settled in the area.  Fingers crossed.

If we do go down I'd love to see us go the route of using our younger guys and giving them the opportunity to grow and develop as a squad.  Not all will make it and some will move on but it's our best chance at putting together the nucleus of a squad that might stay together for a few seasons.

[buckett]

  On 4/25/2024 at 3:09 PM, STFU said:

If we do go down I'd love to see us go the route of using our younger guys and giving them the opportunity to grow and develop as a squad.  Not all will make it and some will move on but it's our best chance at putting together the nucleus of a squad that might stay together for a few seasons.

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I agree with your vision and see Div 1 as a great opportunity to blood the youngsters and form a squad of mostly Highlanders, hopefully capable of promotion to the Championship and beyond.

Trouble is, for most of them, the Championship is just a level too high so Div 1 is a better opportunity for 1st team football.

There's something awfully false about following a team of Englishmen, foreigners and Central-belters, supposedly representing your town, when your own town/area can't produce a team capable of playing at that level. Just look at the cup-winning squad of 2015 - how many Invernessians were in that team? How many Scotsmen?

[The Mantis]

  On 4/20/2024 at 9:52 AM, tm4tj said:

We were unlucky, weren't we >>>

 

 

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Just watched this. Not sure why he thinks it’s out of our hands. I’ve been looking for highlights as I’d like to see some of those saves from Dabrowski again, but no joy. Can’t make the next two games so that’s the end of the season for me if we finish 8th, but easily one of the best performances of the season I’ve witnessed and certainly the best at home.

Edit- I see Raith have some highlights up now, they didn't earlier in the week.

Edited April 25, 2024 by The Mantis

[STFU]

  On 4/25/2024 at 5:34 PM, buckett said:

I agree with your vision and see Div 1 as a great opportunity to blood the youngsters and form a squad of mostly Highlanders, hopefully capable of promotion to the Championship and beyond.

Trouble is, for most of them, the Championship is just a level too high so Div 1 is a better opportunity for 1st team football.

There's something awfully false about following a team of Englishmen, foreigners and Central-belters, supposedly representing your town, when your own town/area can't produce a team capable of playing at that level. Just look at the cup-winning squad of 2015 - how many Invernessians were in that team? How many Scotsmen?

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I'm not so sure it's just to do with having a squad full of local born players or not.  The guys from that cup winning squad were mostly committed to the club/area and many of the non indigenous players still live locally so there's an obvious affinity.  Two of them are at the club now.

Fans also felt far more connected as they had greater opportunity to meet and spend time with them.

[STFU]

  On 4/25/2024 at 6:33 PM, The Mantis said:

Just watched this. Not sure why he thinks it’s out of our hands. I’ve been looking for highlights as I’d like to see some of those saves from Dabrowski again, but no joy. Can’t make the next two games so that’s the end of the season for me if we finish 8th, but easily one of the best performances of the season I’ve witnessed and certainly the best at home.

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It was out of our hands at the time of the interview.  Results on the Saturday went in our favour putting it back in our hands again.