Former Caley Thistle midfielder Barry Wilson reckons Inverness manager Richie Foran needs to make up to three signings this month in order to steer the Highlanders clear of relegation.
Caley Jags have dropped to the bottom of the Premiership table following a dire run of 10 matches without a victory stretching back to late October.
Foran has already added to his squad during the January transfer window, capturing Irish attacker Dean Ebbe from Bluebell United, with the 22-year-old being hailed as an exciting prospect.
Wilson believes Foran needs players who can make an impact now, in an attempt to revive his debut season in management since replacing John Hughes at the end of last season.
Wilson said: “I have listened to some of Richie’s recent comments and he’s been quite harsh on himself. It’s quite refreshing, I must admit, and fair play to him for pointing the finger at himself, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
“I just hope he gets the backing to bring in the players they need to keep them up. It might sound obvious but they need an injection of fresh faces, possibly two or three new players. They could really do with a forward and maybe something behind him if he wants to play a 4-2-3-1 formation.
“They maybe need one or two others down the spine of the team and they certainly don’t want to lose Greg Tansey.”
Wilson ended his second spell with Caley Jags to join Championship side Queen of the South shortly before the Highlanders were last relegated from the top-flight in 2009.
Inverness are just a point adrift of 11th-placed Hamilton Accies but Wilson says they must start racking up points quickly if they are to avoid the same fate.
He added: “I think that team had something about it. Craig Brewster had struggled at Dundee United and I don’t think he got the best out of the players he had when he came back to Inverness.
“He left and Terry Butcher took over, but it was not a bad team. Inverness have got enough there. The quicker they get off the bottom of table the more the players will start enjoying their football.
“If a team is in that position, the players know fine well they are bottom of the league. Everyone can feel it around the club and it becomes grim going into work.
“They are quite close to Hamilton and then there is a four-point gap up to Kilmarnock. It’s important they don’t let that gap get bigger. If it gets to six or seven points then the two sides will be battling it out for relegation or the play-off spot, but they’ve got to get into a position where they can avoid both.
“Richie still thinks the top six is achievable and they are only seven points behind. I still maintain they will be fine but they don’t want to let that gap get any bigger.”
