Former Caley Thistle goalkeeper Michael Fraser reckons next season’s Championship could see a rapid promotion push from promoted sides Cove Rangers or Queen’s Park.
Inverness missed out on promotion at the final stage when they lost to St Johnstone in the Premiership play-off final.
Therefore, Billy Dodds’ team are gearing up for a sixth successive year in a division where Kilmarnock went up as narrow champions and Dundee were relegated.
Paul Hartley’s League 1 champions Cove Rangers have reached the second-tier just three years after winning the Highland League, while Queen’s Park, now bossed by Owen Coyle, have big plans after coming up via the play-offs.
Newcomers can make early push
Fraser, who won the First Division with ICT in 2004, believes the new kids on the block could have their say as ICT target the title.
He said: “This league is there for anyone that wants it. I think having Cove Rangers and Queen’s Park in the Championship will be interesting. They both have good backing, financially.
“You could see some interesting moves at the top end. If a club invests, there’s a chance there and it could be open.
“Having said that, Cove and Queen’s Park should notice a big difference competing in the Championship, taking on Caley Thistle, Arbroath and Partick Thistle.
“However, I do still feel these promoted clubs who have a bit of financial backing will strengthen.
“You don’t have a Dundee United, Kilmarnock, Hibs or Hearts to compete with next season, so that makes it a more open division.”
Play-off route is a joke – Fraser
Inverness are still hurting after missing out on the chance of being the first club from third or fourth spot in the Championship to reach the Premiership via the play-offs.
St Johnstone doubles early and late in the second half took the tie away from Inverness and the 6-2 aggregate score was a harsh one after ICT’s stirring 2-2 comeback draw in the first leg of the final.
Like many others in football, Fraser feels it’s time the SPFL scrapped the current play-off route for teams finishing third or fourth in the Championship to give them a fairer chance of promotion.
Inverness had to come through double-headers against Partick Thistle and Arbroath within a fortnight of finishing the regular season.
They then had the two-legged final against St Johnstone, making it six games in total for the play-off quarter-finalists.
Fraser insists that needs to be looked at.
He said: “The play-offs as they are, are a joke. The results panned out as expected because of the schedule of six games in three weeks for Caley Thistle.
“You’re playing four tough games against two teams from their own league before going again twice against the Premiership side. You don’t have much of a chance.
“It’s a bit of a shambles, in all honesty. It should be the same as the other SPFL leagues where fourth plays second-bottom of the league above and second takes on third then the winners contest a one-off final at a neutral venue.
“It’s a sport after all, so it needs to be fair.”
Would Premiership be too tough?
Fraser, who also played for Motherwell and Ross County in the Premiership, admits promotion might have come too soon for ICT, although he knows Dodds’ men could have proven many folks wrong.
He said: “Whether they would have been ready for the step up, I don’t know. It’s a big jump, but you’re not going to turn down the chance of promotion.
“You never know. Livingston were thought to not have a squad capable of competing in the Premiership and they’ve finished mid-table.
“When we went up in 2004, we actually went up with a weaker squad because we lost Bobby Mann and Paul Ritchie that summer. We were written off. It’s a shame Caley Thistle won’t get the chance this year.”
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