only 2 or 3 new players to come in

[Scotty]

Here is the squad (so far) - where do we need to strengthen (other than defence or if Dargo goes, as commented above) ?

GK

Fraser

Ridgers

DEF

Munro

Tokely

McCaffrey

Hastings

MacDonald (youth)

Duff (youth)

Kerr (youth)

MID

Wilson

Paatelainen

Black

Duncan

McBain

Hart

Rankin

Cowie

Sutherland

Morgan (?)

Vigurs (youth)

FWD

Dargo

Bayne

Wyness

McAllister

Wood (youth)

[Charles Bannerman]

Chris... I now see what you were saying! In print it looked like a rhetorical question but even though it wasn't I think it was just as well you asked it since it was worth answering with that issue having been visited so often.

Which brings me to Roscoe23's last post. Roscoe, it's one thing managers answering press questions but they must really get fed up answering the same question week in week out, often several times, especially when it's clear there's been no progress. Beacuse no one wants to miss the story, we keep asking the same question day in day out. Add to that the fact that CC is very accommodating at his press conferences where he often has to answer the same question four or five times a week, week in week out, in the one to one interviews he very willingly gives.

I for one certainly feel a bit guilty about keeping asking the same **** silly question when there's a 99% chance of the answer being "no progress yet"!

[alternative maryhill]

amc - surely one of our great strengths is that the continuity in the squad has led to an excellent team spirit and a level of trust between players and management that most clubs can only envy? Recently players that have been on the fringes (Hart, Caff) have comeback in and done excellently. If the squad is disrupted by an influx of new players, surely such players will finally lose patience and want away?  There's also no guarantee that any players we can afford will be any better than those we already have.

The flipside, of course, is that the existing players might become complacent if we don't make many signings, but there's been no evidence of that so far. I think the club's approach is spot on.  

[Scotty]

Looking at the squad list I posted, I think we look pretty decent in most areas. I am not sure what the young defenders are like but maybe that is where we are lightest and will probably need experienced cover.

If Dargo does decide to leave then we will probably also need an experienced striker. Any combination of Wyness, Dargo and Bayne did alright when one of the others was out but if, as happened this season, we lost our main two then we would be in deep doo-doo

The big question is WHO will become available ? .... there's no point signing anyone who doesnt improve the team or who wont fit into the team ethos (spirit/teamwork etc) but if a player becomes available who will improve the team, and who is happy to come to ICT, and to fit in with the existing players then we should consider them.

[chris123]

Looking at the squad list I posted, I think we look pretty decent in most areas. I am not sure what the young defenders are like but maybe that is where we are lightest and will probably need experienced cover.

Agreed. We've proved that on our day we can beat any of the 11 teams in this league. I think this years signings should be more about reinforcing the current crop of players. Also just because CC doesn't plan on making alot of signings does not show lack of ambition, merely patience. Rome wasn't built in a day. Only teams like Gretna and Chelsea can really explode, jumping up several positions, simply because they can afford to rip out the heart of their squad and get in dozens of new players. Look at Bolton and the way they have crept up the league, keeping generally the same group of players, adding one or two more players each season.

[FortressICT]

the three/four players i said.if we can get them then we've got a very strong side provided we also add a right back for back-up.

Conroy,Wilson,Buchannan,Crawford and then the RB.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Dargo is up front and centre at the moment .

But it strictly depends on which teams, if any, are very interested and so far not too many it seems--at least, if they are we are not hearing about it.

So with the great new offer CC says ICT have made to him my prediction is that he will wisely elect to stay with ICT for at least another season.

Frankly , if C Dargo is as good as all that  (i.e. to merit so much attention and comment) it will do his career no harm at all to have another good season with a nice big raise in his pocket.

Yawn--gotta go ---back to my pipe and  slippers  and velvet-edged robe....  :022:

[Kingsmills]

I would be inclined to let Darg go unless he's prepared to commit to at least a two year contract.

[Harry Chibber]

I would be inclined to let Darg go unless he's prepared to commit to at least a two year contract.

agreed

[CaleyD]

The Supporters Trust forum last night had 2 gentleman on the panel who I have a great deal of time and respect for.  Namely Charles Bannerman and Bobby Wilson.  Although this topic never came up specifically one conversation did touch on it and both these guys commented on what they thought was one of the biggest factors in ICT being where they are now.  It is something we have talked about on here before but it was reassuring to hear it confirmed by 2 guys who have a deep knowledge of both the club and the game.

They both agreed that the Ethos that exists in the ICT changing room has contributed most ot the rise and rise of ICT.  Praise was given to Pele for being the man to have created it and it was acknowledged that Robbo, Brewster and Christie have all continued it.  It was also credited as a major contributing factor in ICT succeeding where C*unty have failed.  Bobby Wilson commented that in all his years he had never seen a changing room with so much desire to play for each other and how even in the early years of ICT it had become a tradition which has and is serving us well.

Both these guys went on to say that it wouldn't be wise for ICT to change that Ethos by introducing a lot of new players at any one time or indeed to be too keen to be chasing down the path of signing a lot of foreign players.

On the flip side though, they did have a concern over how the club could sustain the Ethos in a couple of years time when we will need to be changing more than just a couple of players, either through necessity or desire to progress to the next level.  But for now it seems the general consensus is that the club are just about getting it right.

Scotty mentioned on another thread that the teams in the SPL are split into 4 groups with us currently sitting in Group 4 and having listened to these guys and to what others on here have had to say about the situation I still have concerns that we may not have the correct personnel in place behind the scenes to take ICT that next step to reach Group 3 and become regular visitors to the top 6 of the SPL.  Again, I have nothing against Grassa, I think he has been a tremendous servant to the club, but I can't help but think that our current position has created a bit of a comfort zone which he is not best suited to push us through.

If constant consolidation is the aim then he's doing a Grade A job, but if the club share the fans, players and managers ambition of pushing on just a little to the next level then I think that is the one position within the club that needs to be looked at.  Grassa has to be pressured in to breaking out of the comfort zone and introducing just one or two more players to the mix to prevent major upheaval in a couple of seasons or he should step aside and make room for someone who can/will do it.  Making the change in a couple of seasons isn't good enough - prevention is better (and easier) than cure - so the time to act is now.

In summary, replacing those who leave on a year by year basis is fine but it won't see us progress and it will leave us toiling a bit in 2 or 3 seasons (sooner if we were to lose 4 or 5 key players in a season).  I'm happy enough for the club to be taking it slowly in terms of growth but we may be in danger of taking it a little too slowly and letting opportunity pass us by at a time when many other teams are in a bit of upheaval as they cut the cloth and learn to live on a tighter budget.

The club are about to announce next years new sponsors, a deal which I am led to believe is the biggest in the clubs history by some way.  Now might just be the time to commit an extra 100/200k or so to develop the depth of the current squad without any real risk of stretching the finances to breaking point.

[chris123]

Add that to the Mark Brown Money

[Harry Chibber]

The Supporters Trust forum last night had 2 gentleman on the panel who I have a great deal of time and respect for.  Namely Charles Bannerman and Bobby Wilson.  Although this topic never came up specifically one conversation did touch on it and both these guys commented on what they thought was one of the biggest factors in ICT being where they are now.  It is something we have talked about on here before but it was reassuring to hear it confirmed by 2 guys who have a deep knowledge of both the club and the game.

They both agreed that the Ethos that exists in the ICT changing room has contributed most ot the rise and rise of ICT.  Praise was given to Pele for being the man to have created it and it was acknowledged that Robbo, Brewster and Christie have all continued it.  It was also credited as a major contributing factor in ICT succeeding where C*unty have failed.  Bobby Wilson commented that in all his years he had never seen a changing room with so much desire to play for each other and how even in the early years of ICT it had become a tradition which has and is serving us well.

Both these guys went on to say that it wouldn't be wise for ICT to change that Ethos by introducing a lot of new players at any one time or indeed to be too keen to be chasing down the path of signing a lot of foreign players.

On the flip side though, they did have a concern over how the club could sustain the Ethos in a couple of years time when we will need to be changing more than just a couple of players, either through necessity or desire to progress to the next level.  But for now it seems the general consensus is that the club are just about getting it right.

Scotty mentioned on another thread that the teams in the SPL are split into 4 groups with us currently sitting in Group 4 and having listened to these guys and to what others on here have had to say about the situation I still have concerns that we may not have the correct personnel in place behind the scenes to take ICT that next step to reach Group 3 and become regular visitors to the top 6 of the SPL.  Again, I have nothing against Grassa, I think he has been a tremendous servant to the club, but I can't help but think that our current position has created a bit of a comfort zone which he is not best suited to push us through.

If constant consolidation is the aim then he's doing a Grade A job, but if the club share the fans, players and managers ambition of pushing on just a little to the next level then I think that is the one position within the club that needs to be looked at.  Grassa has to be pressured in to breaking out of the comfort zone and introducing just one or two more players to the mix to prevent major upheaval in a couple of seasons or he should step aside and make room for someone who can/will do it.  Making the change in a couple of seasons isn't good enough - prevention is better (and easier) than cure - so the time to act is now.

In summary, replacing those who leave on a year by year basis is fine but it won't see us progress and it will leave us toiling a bit in 2 or 3 seasons (sooner if we were to lose 4 or 5 key players in a season).  I'm happy enough for the club to be taking it slowly in terms of growth but we may be in danger of taking it a little too slowly and letting opportunity pass us by at a time when many other teams are in a bit of upheaval as they cut the cloth and learn to live on a tighter budget.

The club are about to announce next years new sponsors, a deal which I am led to believe is the biggest in the clubs history by some way.  Now might just be the time to commit an extra 100/200k or so to develop the depth of the current squad without any real risk of stretching the finances to breaking point.

I dont think anyone (well me anyway) was suggesting a revolving door of players each season but I think there are definite weaknessess in the side that could be addressed in the transfer market.  Personally I would like to see us make a real effort for top 6 next season and IMO we need another striker (+1 if Dargo leaves), replacement for Dods (as mentioned by grassa) but also what are we going to do if Hastings gets injured?? I don't know a great deal about the youth team defenders that have been promoted but do we have a left back capable of filling in?? It obviously depends on the quality of players the 2/3 players brought in but if the money that has been made from players leaving the club is not to be spent on new arrivals then I would like to see it being put towards developing the club off the park.  There are plenty of areas that are below the standard of the other clubs in the SPL, merchandising, marketing, youth development, training facilities, which all need to be updgarded. 

[chris123]

but also what are we going to do if Hastings gets injured?? I don't know a great deal about the youth team defenders that have been promoted but do we have a left back capable of filling in??  

Can McBain not play left back

[amc]

Caley D

you have put into words more eloquently than I could my thoughts on this subject :clapping03: