Caley Thistle manager John Robertson has hailed the impact of his summer recruits and hopes they can be part of a squad that remains intact for at least the next two years.
Robertson made six new signings prior to the start of the season, with the new arrivals helping Inverness make an unbeaten start to their Championship campaign which has left them trailing leaders Ayr United by just three points.
Having made 13 signings the previous summer, Robertson is pleased with the stability he has now achieved and he believes success can be achieved if he can keep his Caley Jags squad together for the long haul.
Robertson said: “We recruited well in the summer. The guys that have made it into the team so far – Shaun Rooney, Sean Welsh, Tom Walsh and Jordan White – have worked hard and seen what we have tried to do.
“They have integrated really well with the squad we have already got.
“When we look at where we feel we are a year on, we feel on the pitch particularly we are a stable squad, with good quality and good ideas.
“We can defend well, we can attack, we can score and we play good football. That’s where we want to get to.
“Going forward, if we can keep this group of players together for the next two years and add little bits of quality, we will not be far away.”
Robertson is determined to meet the challenge of competing against second-tier rivals with greater financial resources than Caley Jags, adding: “We don’t have the riches of across the road at Ross County, or Falkirk, Dunfermline, Dundee United or Partick Thistle. What we have to rely on is getting players in with the right ability and mentality, who can play in our system.
“That’s what we have done. We will not have the biggest squad in the world, it will be a tight squad. If there’s anybody out there we feel we can bring in we will try and bring them in, but we have also got great faith in our youngsters.”