Caley Thistle have endured a torrid time as they adjust to life in League One while fears for their financial future dominate the headlines.
With the first quarter of league games now complete, Inverness are ninth in the division – just three points above basement side Dumbarton.
They are also just six points adrift of first-placed Kelty Hearts in a tightly congested league table.
Monday’s open fans meeting led to the news that, while potential investors could come in before the board’s October 16 deadline, administration seems likely.
That would spell a 15-point punishment from the SPFL, turning this season into a fight against a drop into League Two.
The Caley Jags must raise cash quickly to pay immediate bills and need up to £1.6million before next summer.
Administration takes a lot of these matters out of their hands, although jobs will almost certainly go, within the playing and non-playing staff.
In our new feature, the ICT Fans’ Panel, supporter Lynne MacDonald and Andrew Young, of The Wyness Shuffle podcast, share their views on the club.
How worried are you about the future of the club, given the financial news and concerns over administration?
Lynne MacDonald: I think the club are sitting on the edge of a cliff at the moment.
Years of overspending above our means and getting involved in risky projects have finally ended with us staring administration in the face.
Potential investment has come to nothing and I think administration is inevitable. Alan Savage, the club’s former chairman and consultant, is fairly confident he can get us through administration and therefore I feel this is our best option of getting back on track.
My one request regarding this would be no small local business loses out and these should be paid in full before the button is pushed.
Andrew Young: After attending Monday’s open meeting, I actually feel more reassured that the club has a future than I did beforehand.
Administration looks the most likely option, and club staff and creditors will suffer, sadly, but (club consultant) Alan Savage has said that he will get the club through it; under the previous regime, the culture of mismanagement, secrecy and denial would have seen us liquidated.
ICT will be a very different, much smaller operation post-admin, and may well be starting next season in the fourth tier, but we will still have a club, and hopefully that club will be one that operates sustainably and honourably and engages properly with its supporters and the community.
We had an almost inconceivably successful first 21 years, and have seen an equally unthinkable decline in the last nine. Now the journey starts again.
Nine League One games played, ninth place with nine points, just one win and six draws. How would you assess the results and performances so far?
LM: As well as off field problems, things on the field haven’t been so rosy either.
Too many draws got us relegated last season and history could be about to repeat itself.
One of our Central Belt fans has been to seven games this season and not seen us score a goal yet!
We have a real issue with getting the ball in the net, but defensively we have not been too bad.
However, football is meant to be entertaining and fans come to see goals, so it is disappointing we are struggling so much in this department.
The arrival of Charlie Reilly on loan from Dundee last week may help sort this as he looked fairly lively at Arbroath on Saturday. I am looking forward to seeing how he settles in.
AY: Given the squad we’ve been able to assemble, which on paper contains a good blend of players with higher-league experience and talented youngsters, results have been very disappointing.
Just one win in nine league games in the weakest League One in years is extremely worrying: we needed to hit the ground running and get points on the board before the club’s financial problems really begin to bite on the playing side.
Performances on the whole have also been disappointing.
There have been games where we’ve seen some long spells of good football – the first half against Dumbarton, the first hour against Alloa, the first half on Saturday against Arbroath – but there’s a pattern of either being unable to see games out or being unable to turn dominance into goals.
It’s not just the lack of goals that frustrates – build-up play is often too slow and too conservative, and the players sometimes look nervous and out of ideas.
The best ICT teams, at any level, have looked fearless, have been willing to take risks and have been able to wear down opponents. We need to recapture that.
How difficult is it going to be for boss Duncan Ferguson to make progress with Caley Thistle under the current circumstances?
LM: There is no doubt Duncan Ferguson is in a difficult position with what has been happening on the park.
Going down to League One hasn’t been easy for the club and he was anonymous during the turbulent summer goings-on at the club.
I still feel we have a good enough squad to do well in this league and it’s up to him to provide the guidance and leadership to this young squad.
Personally, the jury is out for me whether he is the man to lead the team given the worst could be still to come with a potential 15-points deduction.
It can’t be pleasant being a staff member at ICT at the moment given the uncertainty over the club’s future.
AY: It depends on the impact of further cost-cutting or administration on the squad.
If he’s somehow able to retain the current playing squad, then it should be possible to make progress.
I’m convinced that there’s enough depth and talent in the squad to compete at the top of this league.
The rate and extent of progress should be down to how the manager motivates players, selects his team, sets them up and then manages them in-game.
However, if the club does go into administration and the playing staff has to be cut significantly, then obviously it becomes much harder to build a competitive team, and the 15-point penalty would make survival in this league very unlikely.
Yet, assuming the players retained post-administration are mostly locally-based ones, then it might provide a good opportunity for more young players to get significant game time and to start to progress as players, even if the team overall is struggling.
Which of the young players have impressed you the most and would you like to see more of any other player?
LM: I’ve been impressed by how our own home-grown players have stepped up this season.
Calum Macleod has impressed me most and is a starter most weeks. I’d like to see more of Keith Bray and Calum Mackay, who is (former ICT winger) Dan Mackay’s brother.
I think like most fans I like to see our own talent doing well. It must be hard for these players being thrown into the first-team squad before they are possibly ready.
AY: Calum Macleod has been a real bright spot this season and looks like he has the potential to go a long way in the game.
For an 18-year-old, his strength on the ball, his ability to see a pass and the speed of his decision-making are all remarkable, and he’s always looking to progress play forward. A genuine box-to-box midfielder, he should be starting every game.
Keith Bray has looked quick, brave and skilful on the ball, and I’d like to see him get much more game time as, while he lacks experience, he’s player who could really unsettle opponents. Bray and Charlie Reilly on opposing wings would be an exciting prospect.
Matthew Strachan impressed me in the League Cup games – he got forward well from left-back and put in some excellent crosses – and it’s frustrating that he seems to have dropped down the pecking order.
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