ICT : The Brewster years....

[Johnboy]

The difference in comittment and attitude of ALL the players since Brewster came back has been utterly astounding...

These last three games have seen some terrific individual and team performances...

How far can this team go..?

[Yngwie]

I don't think commitment was ever a problem for us, it was more a case of lack of belief, confidence and organisation.

But what a rapid turnaround!

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

.....careful.....careful. So far so good but we do not want a relapse nor do we want to get complacent.

[SMEE]

The difference in comittment and attitude of ALL the players since Brewster came back has been utterly astounding...

Surely then, we can firmly point the finger at the players for being unprofessional and cheating the fans.

[Mee]

Easily pleased obviously  :015: :015: :015:

[Johnboy]

Easily pleased obviously  :015: :015: :015:

Yesss... you must be Mee...  :023:  Even without your hero Brewster in the team, the renewed confidence, the comittment to all out attack in these past three games, has been like a breath of fresh air....

They'll take points of anybody in this league now the way they are playing... :022:

[alternative maryhill]

Humble pie never tasted so good.

Agreed, Celtic1Caley3, we shouldn't get complacent, but the difference in Wyness alone suggests that CB is able to inspire belief in players, and the reports from today's game suggest that we played some great team football.

While his record on fitness and training were always admirable, my issues with Brewster were:

1. The long ball game;

2. He'd pick himself first and refuse to sub himself despite us having the best alternatives we've ever  had.

3. Managers who return to clubs where they've previously had success never succeed.

Sounds like I've already been proved wrong on the first two and while the third may be a bit more long-term, I'm happy to admit that it may be stupid superstition.

 

[RiG]

I still don't like the late subs and I hope we don't rely on long ball.

But, what has impressed me is that the players no longer seem to get down when something goes against them. I think back to the United game and after the first goal went in it seemed game over from the players. Not so now. It's pick it up and get right back at them.

Also, today we played some excellent stuff and it was great to watch. Best performance in ages!

Well done!

[RednBlackComeback]

Personally I think it's a wee bit unfair on CC to suggest that our upturn in fortunes is down solely to CB ! It's the same bunch of players the difference is that we are now getting the breaks going for us instead of against us !

[Johnboy]

Personally I think it's a wee bit unfair on CC to suggest that our upturn in fortunes is down solely to CB ! It's the same bunch of players the difference is that we are now getting the breaks going for us instead of against us !

Maybe... I was a big CC fan, but I have to ask myself why so many of our players seem to have clicked all of a sudden...

I suspect it has something to do with their admiration both for Brewster the player, and manager.

I also suspect he gives them much more encouragement and support, than they might have been used to under CC's reign - and that is beginning to pay big dividends....

[dead_ball_specialist]

Charlie Christie may be an ICT legend and an admirable bloke in all kinds of ways, but he wasn't a very good manager.

Just 3 weeks of Brewster and it's night and day. Fitness, spirit, tactics, technical quality of football etc have all improved exponentially. Same players, different manager. Also, the fact that Brewster was able to bring in a decent center half and goalkeeper within days of being appointed (something Charlie failed to achieve in over a year) speaks volumes.

Heard a rumour today that Brewster has taken all of the players out of Bannatynes and moved them to Fitness First - apparently because they were spending too much time lazing in the Bannatynes luxury saunas and swimming pool. :029: Seems like they were just left to get on with it under the previous regime. No wonder our standards dropped!

Charlie was thrown into the job without the credentials. He (in my opinion) was equivalent to a good Highland League manager. It's still early days but Brewster seems to have raised the bar pretty high. What odds would we get for a top 6 finish?

[caleyblue]

whos to say it wasnt the players who werent giving there all for charlie because as you say night and day in the last couple of weeks from certain players as under charlie some just went through the motions on match days whereas now they are giving a 150% to the cause we just missed top 6 last season with charlie this season till brewster came in we werent as commited to the cause i would say . what im saying is it wasnt all cc fault the players need to lokk at themselves as well  :024: :024: :024: :024:

[SMEE]

I agree with caleyblue :022:

Even if CC wasnt up to much as a manager, surely the players could still play to their potential, as they are the last few games. Another side to the discussion, which nobody has brought up yet, is our notoriously regular slow starts to league camaigns

[Johnboy]

To me they are now a much more effective unit than previously... supporting each other with real purpose and somehow looking much fitter and sharper...

Every single one of them seems to have raised their game by at least a couple of notches.....

They could have beaten Rangers yesterday the way they played....

Credit to Brewster for that...  :clapping03:

[Zoid]

Aye

Have to agree with Johnboy there - credit where credit due - but its early days, May is a long way away.

I was none too happy about CB's return, hopefully come end of season I'll be proved wrong.

[Ice_G]

Personally I think it's a wee bit unfair on CC to suggest that our upturn in fortunes is down solely to CB ! It's the same bunch of players the difference is that we are now getting the breaks going for us instead of against us !

Spot on, Red 'n' Black.  At last, after five luckless games, and a **** of a beating in Glasgow, we did get the breaks v Hearts (free-kick hitting the bar and then of course CB's Roy Of The Rovers exploits) and Brewster has had the good sense and man management skill to frame this as a turning-point, boosting the team's confidence.

Since then, Brewster has had the wisdom to play home matches against Gretna and Falkirk. If only CC had thought of that!

The analysis of the first few games of the season was generally that we played well and on another day would have taken points... Thank goodness the "other days" are here just now, and long may they remain.

I am delighted to see the team flourishing under the new manager, but ICT have always had the spirit to come through a spot of adversity.  The real tests may be yet to come, but things are certainly looking better for now.  A good wee run of results and maybe we can start thinking about the top 6 again.

[Scotty]

Personally, I have always been of the opinion that Charlie Christie was a great player, and a thoroughly decent bloke. He was thrust into management when he didnt really want it, but the lure of managing a team he had been with since it was formed, as well as persuasion and good words about his ability from people in the game he himself trusted and admired made him take the job.

The stats show that Charlie didnt do a bad job, his record was as good as the other two who had managed us in the SPL (JR & CB) but the very slow start to this season and - if we believe what we hear - behind the scenes politics as well as family pressures became too much for him in the end. He is and always will be an ICT legend.

Brewster has made an immediate impact, that cannot be doubted. 6 games, 4 wins, 2 defeats, and for the last 3 games, perhaps more, a flair about the side that is encouraging. There is a long way to go and this could be a false dawn but how is it that he is getting so much more from the very same players ?

For me, I think it is two-fold. Firstly, I dont think Charlie was as ruthless as Brewster can be and certain players may have taken their places for granted and just gone through the motions. Secondly, and no-one ever disagreed about this, Brewster is a fitness nut and this was an area where we were starting to look like we had lost it a little. Combine these two factors along with the notion that everyone has a clean slate (Morgan for example) and we see a team that is now scrapping for points the way it used to and players who know that they have to perform or they dont play. A little bit of luck as previous posters have said also helps !!!

[L_G]

I agree that Charlie did a good job as manager, but I did feel that the team let their heads go down far too easily.  The one person who won't hear a bad word about CC is Brew. He will very quickly jump to the defense of CC who had a good record and managed some of our best results (especially against Rangers last year).

The obvious difference of fitness, self belief and confidence cannot just be coincedence.  When you are playing well and creating chances your luck will turn, but only if you keep your head up and keep trying.  CB makes a point of shouting a player and praising them for a good pass, good shot, good save.  He makes sure they hear him and I think that they appreciate it.  They are used to being shouted at when they have done something wrong, so I like the fact that he takes time to praise and constantly encourage the team throughout the 90mins.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Brew was disliked cos of playing himself first and foremost and playing the team to his strengths as well and then his sudden departure to the Arabs - which like JR to the Jam Tarts I could understand but not the manner in which it was done and the way he turned back to us fer players. But - to me - Brew was always the man for the job - way back in April when it was first put to him.  :001:

[L_G]

:015: :015: You never give up IHE.   

[Bush]

One very clear difference between CC's & CB's management style is only too evident when studying them from the dugout.  CB is very quick to grab player's attention and give them a thumbs up or words of encouragement when they've contributed something positive to a passage of play.  He also doesn't seem to offer too much criticism when something goes badly, just offers a few kind words suggesting a different approach to the player concerned.

CC was very passive and quiet on the touchline and, whilst I don't want this to appear as a criticism (because it's not intended as such), I don't think his reserved, quiet character leant itself too well to doing what CB does -  and to which the players seem to be responding!!