Caley Thistle boss Neil McCann insists Dundee will face a different animal in his in-form side tonight from when the teams last met.
Dundee beat Caley Jags 2-1 at Dens Park on March 2 in what was the poorest display from Inverness of McCann’s tenure, but the interim manager is confident the Dark Blues will be given a far sterner test from his side at Caledonian Stadium tonight (7.0).
The Caley Jags boss said: “We’re a different animal, a totally different outfit. We’re stronger as a group and we believe in what we are doing.
“It has become second nature of what we are doing on the pitch and we’ve found something which has given us a real threat, pace, power and imagination. I 100% believe we are a different team to the one which played at Dens.
“I have an idea how Dundee will play and that information will be passed to the group. They have been on a good run and James McPake picked up the manager of the month award so we’re not going to disrespect Dundee.”
The margin for error is minimal for Inverness with three games remaining, but McCann knows if his side win all three games then their place in the play-offs is assured.
He said: “It will be a tough game and it is a big game. Dundee know if they get a result it goes a long way to them realising their play-off aspirations and we’re no different.
“When the games are big of course you want to be fighting near the top of the table and we know if we win all three games we cannot be stopped from finishing in the top four.
“It’s what we want. We didn’t want to be looking over our shoulder relying on anybody else. Dunfermline are a good side but as long as we understand it is in our own hands that is what matters. It will take a monumental effort but we have the belief.
“You don’t want to be stumbling going into games. In the play-offs, teams at the bottom of the Premiership are at a low ebb and it is the Championship team coming up with momentum even if they have a busier schedule of games.
“We want to be in a good vein of form and mindset for these games. It’s been tough but the mental aspect has been huge and I’m looking at a group of players who are enjoying each other’s company and the matches.
“It is a group which is in a good place born out of hard work and we’re right up for it.”