Inept Inverness Get What’s Theirs

Sucky, sucky baby...

Inversenkie in a midweek game at CP is always one that fills you wie unhappy memories of Wright, Viduka, Berkovic and Burley. A game, that night, when the weather was terrible and a certain Barry Robson was part of a team that conjured up the tag line “Super Caley go ballistic and Celtic are atrocious. Unhappy night indeed.

After the “performance” at Love Street oor week got off to a bad start wie oor manager- in his now familiar position of fighting his corner in front of the suits- getting his touchline ban reduced but not rescinded. Can someone please explain to me how can the charge of unacceptable conduct be upheld but the punishment be reduced? How can one paper- The Daily Ragger- call it as a partial victory and another- The Daily Mail- call it as an outright victory?

So did he win or was it an amicable solution to the situation? Also did the jobs worth, Hilteresq, fuckwit of a £5.35 per hour yellow bibbed tit get a suspension for sticking his ugly puss into a situation that had sod all to do wie him? Why did he not report it to the polis like any other busybody wid have done? Why did he not just stick to picking up crisp pokes and watching the game for he haw, which is his joab description?

The lack of a manager in the dugoot- Garry Pendry did his best expectant father watching an under 8 game routine on the touchline, shouting, pointing, jumping up and doon- didnae make much difference to the ootcome of the game. There was never ANY DANGER of ICT getting a point or points from CP.

The walk to CP, was so much different from last Wednesday night when The Blaugranes rolled into toon wie their Eto’s, Ronaldhino and Henrys. For one, I could get into the LRT for a pre-match beer, as, we had arrived at 7.05pm- unlike last week when the volume of traffic meant we didnae arrive to 7.35pm, now the attendance was stated as 57,000, a thousand less than last week but the lack of traffic and bodies said a lot mair than the official attendance- and it wis busy but not it’s usual jam packed raucous self.

Managed to get into the ground nae probs, nae queuing this week in the drizzle singing Hoops songs, and while last weeks wander up to Area 412 was hairs standing up on the back of ma neck exciting, last night the scene of empty seats, lack of atmosphere and lack of excitement meant a long cauld night was ahead.

As i was watching the players going through their training drills, parker hood up, scarf up roond ma nose, looked like a MOD ninja, i wonder if i was supping a Hoopy pint made from Hoopy hops- as Mr Boyle from Motherwell wishes, an irony there, a guy from Lanarkshire wanting a drink- would make the CP experience any better.

Now, while it would defo improve the in-house catering customer service- if they were serving drink, you can bet yer bottom dollar the service would be quicker, mair money for the suits- the thought of having a beer sitting ootside, on a cauld winter night, wie a bladder as weak as Lee Naylor’s crossing disnae appeal.

But having a wee beer in the bowls of the stadium having blether, in comfort- the LRT can get a bit sweaty and bumpy at times- does appeal. So I’m for allowing it in the bowls of the stadium but not in the stands. I mean, imagine how many pint tumblers wid have been thrown at Gary Caldwell last week?

The lack of colour- apart from The GB’s fantastic Brother Walfrid banner- and noise greeted the start of the game. Unlike last week ICT wie their Blaugranes type tops were not likely to put up the show we got last week. The only thing that ICT had that resembled Barca was their tops. They certainly didnae have the flair or the ability to attack. Not that they wanted to or got the chance to.

It them makes me laugh when I read Craig Brewster’s comments concerning last nights ootcome. Like Uncle Fester Macpherson before him he reckon his team had played superbly and deserved something oot of the game. Yes, but only if you watched the final 10 mins of a game that was the most comfortable 2-1 you are ever likely to see. For 80mins, Arfur could have sat and read a paper, he didnae have a save to make all night and only due to a Caldwellesq error from the golden child then he wid have been able to go hame wieoot having a shower.

Again, a team gets plaudits for doing he haw in a game apart from running aboot and being difficult to break doon. *update*- STV have just said ICT were “Dogged and determined”…bawbaggery of the highest order. Canny ever remember Charlie Christies Caley being as boring.

When Caley scored, I must admit, the thoughts of another 15min collapse did run through my heid. That day in Inverness a stupid mistake- like the one last night- let Caley back into the game just before half time and we were also playing well up until that mistake.

Naka, Aiden, Georgios, Donati, Skippy and Hinkel were all stretching the ICT packed defence and giving performances that were above decent. All were looking comfortable on the ba’ and going forward- which, we did solidly for 80mins- this sometimes was the undoing and probably part of the moans that we didnae reach the heights of those fabled Killie and Aberdeen performances.

It’s great having players that are comfortable on the ba’ in oor domestic game. Yes, sometimes these creative players get caught thinking aboot their next move or pass and can get lost- or hoofed- under the weight of the hatchet thugs that double as SPL midfielders and defenders. But last night we weren’t ruthless enough, the ba’ players wanted that extra touch, wanted to beat that extra man or wanted to try and find that extra pass for the perfect goal.

This leads to passing for passing sake and seemingly directional less fitba’ that those who want a blood and snotters, hoof and thunder type Scottish game will be left saying that we were absolutely shite wie no energy, drive or effort.

How, no-one can not marvel at Naka and Aiden floating round the park trying to create, Skippy beating defenders for fun- while still looking slightly oot of sorts- oor right back playing as a winger- and, again, proving he will be a good addition- a CM being forward thinking and a striker dragging defenders oot wide and proving he has a bag as tricks like Paul Daniels not watchable or ingredients of a decent performance then, really, what do they want?

Do they want us to revert to November / December Hoops, humping aimless ba’s to JVOH heid wie him not having a hope in Naylor of getting them? At least we are trying to play the game correctly and wie some sort of vision. We are also getting results, which is important in this run in. Mair goals wid be a pleasure as well. We need to find oor mair direct passing and ruthless streak that we had a few weeks back. Easter Road, Saturday morning wid be a great time to do it.

On Sunday, I said Georgios of the junglios looked oot of sorts and had a poor game. Last night he showed why he was brought here in the first place but he also showed why he was unsuccessful at Man Citee.

He is as slippery as an eel, loves playing deeper and in the channels but had the tendency- like awe oor ba’ players last night- to overcook things, run into blind alleyways and sometimes his second touch was a tackle.

He scored and showed enough of his talents- pace, skill, decent awareness- to think that he is worth preserving wie. He is not a replacement for JVOH. He is more mobile and not a box type player. Unsure if he will find much success against the deep laying defences we play against but his attributes will be devastating if given space and if he fancies it.

I must congratulate the Celtic support for mass hypocrisy. It’s nice to see that Scott Broon got the same treatment as Gary Calderbuer last week and the boo’s were heard loud and proud after his school boy error.

Nice to see that “The Golden Child” tag that the medija have seem to have bestowed on him- this tag means that one can not be criticised, while Johnny Foreigner, i.e. Massimo Donati or JVOH, get abuse due to, what I think, the fact they are not Scottish- seems to have been adopted by sections of the Hoops support.

We have seem to have been blinded by the FACT we won the war wie der Hun for his signing, which means that he canny be questioned. If it was Paul Hartley that was turning in these types of performances I reckon he would have been hung by his beard by now.

The question has to be why is Broon the only constant in the midfield four when his performances are not worthy of a start? Is he the only player GS trusts to play in the advanced role when all the midfielders that have started in recent weeks have played in that role?

While, I’m never going to moan aboot having players that are comfortable on the ba’ and will use skill rather than brawn to win games, the nagging doubt that we lack balance between the two still remains and I’m yet to be convinced that we will win a kicking match.

Oor team is a ying and yang. From us being comfortable on the ba from middle to front oor back three- I’m discounting Hinkel from this as he can play a bit- are shocking when they have time on the ba’.

Teams will soon learn- esp if they are playing wie one up top- to let Calderbuer, Naylor and Mick have the ba’ as nuthin will come from them having the ba’ apart from a long aimless punt up the park, a misplaced pass or a pass back or sideways to another of the three stooges, as by that point the loan striker will be covering Hinkel.

They will learn that all oor moves stop or dinnae start when one of them have the ba’. Worrying thing is that oor full backs are paramount to the way we play and if one of them cannae be trusted to make decent use of possession then oor style of play ends up very one-sided and unbalanced.

This morning, Spew Heevins took great pleasure in announcing to the slumbering world that “Der Hun prosper while Celtic falter”. Last time ah looked ya wee weasel we took three points last night. I suppose that opening gambit was better than “Der Hun beat injury ravaged Mini Huns”

If us faltering means us winning games and playing well within oor capabilities then bring it on. The agenda is there for all to see, they will love it if we lose the league…we need to stop that.

Forza