Billy Dodds is demanding a fresh urgency from his Caley Thistle players to show they want to experience the scoring feeling.
The Inverness CT head coach knows all about finding the net, with goals at the top level in Scotland over a 20-year career seeing him star for his country as well as Aberdeen, Rangers and Dundee United.
He has 26 caps for Scotland, scored seven times, and had a track record of racking up goals for his clubs.
🗣️ New signing Austin Samuels gives his thoughts on joining the club following yesterday's match against Kilmarnock pic.twitter.com/InVcNhMnQE
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) January 30, 2022
Not for the first time this season, Dodds is calling for his Championship title-chasers to be more clinical in front of goal after netting only four times in their previous six matches.
Saturday’s 1-0 league loss at Kilmarnock, which cost ICT second spot in the table, was frustrating because, for all their good play, they could not find a way through.
Dodds added four players with attacking instincts during the transfer window.
Four window signings to add goals
Bristol City’s Sam Pearson, Dundee United’s Logan Chalmers and Accrington Stanley’s Joe Hardy have all joined on loan to provide openings and goals, while striker Austin Samuels has come in from Wolves on an 18-month contract.
Manny Duku, meanwhile, left the club by mutual consent on Monday after scoring just twice since joining last summer.
All four players had some form of game time at Kilmarnock and will seek to support Billy Mckay, who has missed the last two matches through injury.
Kyle Lafferty’s early goal took Killie one place and two points above Caley Thistle, who remain three points behind leaders Arbroath, whose game at home to Partick Thistle was postponed by wind at the weekend.
Back with a 💥 pic.twitter.com/DGLDcnydT1
— Kilmarnock FC (@KilmarnockFC) January 30, 2022
Dodds demands finishing touches
Dodds wants to see his team get into the box, even taking a blow in the process, to try and supply the killer touch at times.
He said: “It is fine margins because Killie took their chance and we didn’t take ours, although we were unlucky on a couple of occasions.
“I have told the players we need to get hurt scoring goals – there is nothing better than scoring goals. We need to push forward to get on the end of things and can get better at it. That’s why I have brought in a lot of forwards.
“We have got ability now, a good choice in the forward line and Billy Mckay to come back.
“But we have to believe, in whatever position we play in, we need to get forward and into the final third. We have to push our bodies harder to get on the end of crosses as I don’t think we’ve done it enough this season.”
ICT should have more than 30 goals
Dodds is happy enough with the way his team are performing, but wants a better return in goals to resume that winning feeling which has eluded them for more than a month.
He added: “We should have scored more goals for the amount of possession we’ve had. Killie are a top team, yet in the second half we had the bulk of possession.
“They decided to see it out, which Derek (McInnes’) teams are good at. They will feel they did it well and they did because they got the result.”
The Caley Jags are the division’s fourth-highest scorers, hitting 30 goals over 23 fixtures.
Three ICT homes matches to follow
ICT now have a hat-trick of home games as they seek to put pressure on Arbroath and Kilmarnock, who meet at Gayfield on Friday night.
Former ICT star Dougie Imrie brings his ever-improving Morton side north this weekend before Partick Thistle visit next Wednesday in a rearranged fixture, with Ayr United due at the Caledonian Stadium on February 19.
