ICT -V- Dundee Utd : matchday thread

[Guest neksor]

Cowie was very good today and Imrie also showed his pace. He(Imrie) perhaps lacks a little control but did not lack effort!

neksor

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

In some ways the results against Rangers, St Mirren and Dundee United have been disappointing. However, on the positive front the results were all better than the first round of results. We must now scrape three points from three dangerous away games and find out where we are. Scraping three points may be difficult but in the year we caught Clyde we believed we could do it. The Motherwell game mid week is about a scraped result - a point may be invaluable.

Markus looks as though he wants a contract. He has real potential and I hope we sign him up pretty soon now that his injury appears to be behind him. Teams do not like players running at their defence and he offers that as well as Imrie. Marius seemed to be carrying an injury from the tackle on the edge of the box.

[davieB]

Agree with most of that CaleyD, apart from Roy, who I thought had a great second half.

First half was mince, the worst I've seen this season...from both teams.

I didn't think Utd were any better in the second either. They took the only chance they created though. Only then did we wake up. As soon as we put them under any pressure in midfield we started to dominate. We should've done it from the start.

Imrie was superb, as was Cowie.  Tokely was superb in the last 15 too....but ***** before that :017: The hooking of Blackie was baffling. Aye, he wasn't having his best game, but neither was anyone else. Yet Duncan can play like that most weeks, and never gets hooked!! More Money for Duncan?????? :rotflmao: .........until he starts passing to his own team mates we should tell him to feck off!!

Disappointed we only took a point bacause Utd were really *****.

[hislopsoffsideagain]

Yeah, Imrie was our best player I think, though McGuire and Munro were also ecellent (apart from the goal we let in, I suppose).

4-5-1 just wasn't the right shape at all today.  Niculae needed semaphore flags to communicate with the midfield, he was so isolated.  Black was ineffectual while Duncan's passing was, well, frustrating at best, and downright incompetent at worst.  We somehow managed to lose the midfield battle despite seeming to have an extra player.  Poor show.

I feel vindicated because I was screaming for Markus to come on.  A Paat on the back for him!  (I'll just get me coat).  But I would suggest that, chasing an equalizer with 10 minutes left, we might be better playing more than one striker?

There was also a naughty rumour that Wyness's absence is because he has signed a pre-contract with Hibs, but I don't know what to make of that...

All in all, a draw was probably fair, but the first two-thirds of the game was completely and utterly hopeless.

[CaleyD]

There was also a naughty rumour that Wyness's absence is because he has signed a pre-contract with Hibs, but I don't know what to make of that...

I find that quite hard to believe as I know Wyness is well settled up here, as are his wife and kids, and I don't believe he would want to move and would fight it out till the last to get a new contract.

[Guest TinCanFan]

Here's my player ratings:

1. Fraser -  7/10 - A few good catches but had little to do.

2. Tokely -  7/10 - Poor in parts and one "cross" was terrible but he have a number of good moments.

3. McGuire - 7.5/10 - Not bad.

6. McBain - 8/10 - Best I've seen him for quite a while.

8. Black - 6.5/10 - Not too bad but wasn't his best game.

11. Imrie - 7/10 - Not very good in the first half but pretty good in the second.

12. Duncan - 6.5/10 - OK

14. Munro - 7/10 - Played fairly well.

15. Cowie - 7.5/10 - Had a fairly good game but his corners weren't great.

16. Hastings - 6.5/10 - OK but not as good as usual.

18. Niculae - 6/10 - Wasn't in the game much at all.

Subs: Bayne - 7/10 - Played well when he came on.

         Paatelainen - 7/10 - Good goal when he came on.

Ref - Stephen Finnie - 3.5/10 - Absolutely garbage.

[ICTFCkev]

Ref - Stephen Finnie - 3.5/10 - Absolutely garbage.

He was shocking!!

The game didnt get going at all in the first 1/2 because he was blowing his whistle for offside/dodgy freekick/ :017:  every 2 mins!!

Spoilt it really.

[CaleyD]

The game was looking bad enough without the referee compounding the issue.  I left today wondering if he actually realises that it's a foul to use your hand or arm to control the ball, I stopped counting after he refused the 4th stonewall claim for a handball.

Other than the handballs, their was a challenge involving Black (where he got booked) where both players dived in to challenge for the loose ball.  Both players lunged at the ball in identical fashion and both were guilty of having the studs up, yet the referee gave Black a dressing down and a yellow card whilst the Utd player walked away without even so much as getting a look from the ref.  It should have been a yellow for both.

He also "missed" our penalty claim when the Utd defender had both arms under Niculae's and wrapped around him holding him when the ball was played through to his feet about 12 yards out...it wasn't like it was a tug on the shirt and he missed it, it was a full blown bear hug FFS  :015:

[+Tree]

Other than the handballs, their was a challenge involving Black (where he got booked) where both players dived in to challenge for the loose ball.  Both players lunged at the ball in identical fashion and both were guilty of having the studs up, yet the referee gave Black a dressing down and a yellow card whilst the Utd player walked away without even so much as getting a look from the ref.  It should have been a yellow for both.

Sorry CaleyD, have to disagree with you on this one. Black jumped in with two feet and to be honest some refs may have given red. Having just had his shirt pulled (which our wonderful man in control :024: managed to miss) he lost it a wee bit.

[4ize]

The game was looking bad enough without the referee compounding the issue.

There was a referee there? I saw some clown with a whistle and a tonsure running about in the middle but assumed he was the half-time entertainment arriving early and staying late.

[CaleyD]

I wasn't defending Black or saying he shouldn't have been booked, but both players jumped in two-footed....how you can book one for that and not the other is what I'm saying.

[kencar]

Agree with most of that CaleyD, apart from Roy, who I thought had a great second half.

First half was mince, the worst I've seen this season...from both teams.

I didn't think Utd were any better in the second either. They took the only chance they created though. Only then did we wake up. As soon as we put them under any pressure in midfield we started to dominate. We should've done it from the start.

Imrie was superb, as was Cowie.  Tokely was superb in the last 15 too....but ***** before that :017: The hooking of Blackie was baffling. Aye, he wasn't having his best game, but neither was anyone else. Yet Duncan can play like that most weeks, and never gets hooked!! More Money for Duncan?????? :rotflmao: .........until he starts passing to his own team mates we should tell him to feck off!!

Disappointed we only took a point bacause Utd were really *****.

Tend to agree although McBain was gash. His storming run only to pass tamely back to the keeper summed up his usual non-preformance. His continued presence in the starting line up is baffling.

4-5-1 hasn't worked since we sold Rankin. Cowie is a good player but doesn't perform when deployed behind the lone striker. Play him wide right where he has been most effective.

Reasonably impressed with Imrie's home debut although playing someone we signed as a left winger on the right seems shall we say odd  :024:

Still looking on the plus side any game you play so badly in and come away with a point has to be a bonus

I forgot to ask who was the ref today? - he was hopeless  :sillywave:

[RednBlackComeback]

Personally I was baffled by the hooking of Niculae for Bayne !!!

We were getting nothing from 4-5-1 and desperately needed 2 up front. This was highlighted early in the second half the ball was played across the box but fell just behind Niculae and yet there wasn't any other ICT player there to pop the ball in the back of the net!

As Bayne came on for Niculae I thought to myself.... what if Utd score? ,we'll be chasing the game with only 1 striker on the park and no options on the bench !! Which is exactly what happened !!

Bayne for McBain would've been my choice for substitution.

Fortunately we got a goal but I reckon CB nearly fecked it up the day !!! Patty got him outta jail !!  But definitely 2 points dropped rather than 1 point gained ! :008:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

So where exactly did Cowie play ? At Midden he was practicaly in the hole as a second forward with Niculae going deeper and Cowie going forward. I thought that was not the greatest of ploys away from home but may have worked at the TCS. Why are we fecking about with Cowie - he had a run of 4-5 sooperb games in a Bazza type role and since then we have given him some wasteful "roles".

[RiG]

That Ref was beyond atrocious. I loved it when he called Wilkie over to him to have a word and when Big Lee went over he shouted "Go away! Don't talk back!"  :015:  :017:

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Referring back to the referee. In the first half it was obvious to supporters and both sets of managers, coaches, the players and the fourth official that the ball had gone wobbly. Despite repeated requests to the fourth official which appeared to be conveyed to the referee he still seemed to think things were fine.

Eventually the ball was played out in front of the main stand - the United coach threw it to Malky, he threw it up the Tunnel towards the Firth and someone quickly took another ball from the fourth official's bag.  The officials were none the wiser! The game continued with a round ball. It stopped the rugby tackles on Marius and whilst the football did not improve for a while it was less a lottery with the wobbly.

[Guest CaleyJaggy]

Is it just me that's getting a bit worried at the fact we have no movement at set plays, can't seem to pass to our own players, don't go for the 2nd ball and seem to lack basic skills of every other team in the SPL (Gretna included).  Dundee United when in posession could find thier man nearly everytime, in fact i remember several instances of a United player being surrounded by 3 Caley players only to calmly pass the ball to one of their teammates.  Our players seem to have the touches of elephants for the most part and there is very little guile in the team.  St Mirren last week kept ripping us apart by people passing and the MOVING to recieve the ball whereas our lot just pass and look, rather than making space.

2nd Half when Roscoe was running with the ball was showing everyone else that if you do run with the ball you will make progress into the opposition half but why it was our right back doing this all the time I don't know.  Why our wingers cannot do that during the game I don't know.  Cowie and Imrie did start a bit of interplay between themselves but they were still being caught in posession.

We should find ourselves safe this season but we need to really pull some signings out of our arse in the summer to compete next season as every other team seems to be improving and we are standing still.  We still need a fast striker up front as there is no pace there for the moment and we need to sort out our tactics quick sharp because other teams are coping with us far better now than they were earlier on in the season.

[chris123]

As much as I think he is laying excellent at the moment, if we wan't to get rid of this long ball pish, than Grant Munro needs to be taken to task, the moment he has a bit of time on the ball, he kicks it as far up the field as he can.

[Libero]

Personally I was baffled by the hooking of Niculae for Bayne !!!

We were getting nothing from 4-5-1 and desperately needed 2 up front. This was highlighted early in the second half the ball was played across the box but fell just behind Niculae and yet there wasn't any other ICT player there to pop the ball in the back of the net!

As Bayne came on for Niculae I thought to myself.... what if Utd score? ,we'll be chasing the game with only 1 striker on the park and no options on the bench !! Which is exactly what happened !!

Bayne for McBain would've been my choice for substitution.

Fortunately we got a goal but I reckon CB nearly fecked it up the day !!! Patty got him outta jail !!  But definitely 2 points dropped rather than 1 point gained ! :008:

spot on!  :clapping03:

So where exactly did Cowie play ? At Midden he was practicaly in the hole as a second forward with Niculae going deeper and Cowie going forward. I thought that was not the greatest of ploys away from home but may have worked at the TCS. Why are we fecking about with Cowie - he had a run of 4-5 sooperb games in a Bazza type role and since then we have given him some wasteful "roles".

it looked like he was playing the same position again but with Cowie and his abundance of energy he was all over the park chasing down missed passes (which was all to often) or hassling the united defence. while i think cowie plays well in that position i feel he is a much more potent threat coming off the right wing, and with imrie looking dangerous on the left surely they should be our wide midfield men.when united scored we should have gone 4-4-2. that was always one thing i liked about CC, whenever we went a goal down or were chasing the game he would throw everything and the kitchen sink at the opposition, it was crying out for that yesterday and i think had that happened we would of had three points rather than one

[tm4tj]

My head is a bit sore

That was the worst ever first 45 minutes you could imagine.  In fact imagine the worst 45 minutes of foorball ever, well, this was worse than it.  Dire does not do it justice.  Both teams were ineffective, worse than ineffective.  I see that some people resorted to watching the game on text................how did they find something to print?  nothing actually happened in the first half!  Shockeroonie.

Second half there was only one team in it, and we found ourselves a goal down, but we got the muchly deserved goal and should have won it as Untied were gash, utter gash.  However, my brain hurts and a point was made.

Decent second half but it does not really make up for the first half..........what first half I hear you say.  Nuff said.

Grant Munro was my MoM, solid as a rock, and kept big boy Vries quiet.

[IcyTea]

An inept performance by most of the players for the first 80 minutes, our passing was woeful, Duncan was back to his form from last season, not what we want to see from someone pushing for an improved contract.

Thought Imrie, Ike and Cowie played well.

Credit to the players for the last 10 minutes, it was like a cup tie, at one point Rosscoe was on the left wing, McBain on the right  :017:

I still don't like the balance of the team, what's the point of having 5 in midfield and punting the ball over them.

The arabs were pressurising and panicking our defence in our third of the park, but we were giving them a free ride into our half. I preferred it when we had two up front and the likes of Dargo hassled the opposition's defence up the park.

We have a jolly boys outing to Hibs next week, if we get an 80 minutes like this weekend, I'll be spending longer in the pub before the match.

[RiG]

Anyone got stats for the game? I can't mind Fraser having many if any saves to make at all!

[Kingsmills]

The most positive aspect, for me, was Imrie, he's not the finished article but he's committed and seems to have great potential. Could be ?50,000 very well spent.

[MissICT]

It was a no bad match.

dose any see how good hastings was.

I think the ref was rubbish. I was no happy about how he Refereede the game and was shoked.

Imre was good !!!

He took on two guys on his own,

I think 1-1 was fair as both teams put in alot.

[Kingsmills]

Did you not arrive in time to see the first half ?