Billy Dodds reckons his proud Caley Thistle players are primed to right the wrongs of their defeat at Partick Thistle and remind people what they are capable of.
Plenty has been said and written since their 4-1 Championship loss at Partick last Friday when a low-par display was seized upon by ruthless Thistle.
Morton, who are level with ICT on five points, visit the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday, with both teams eager to net their second wins of the season to rise up the table.
While there has been a collective, in-house look-back at what went wrong last week, Dodds explained the squad didn’t need to be told where they fell short as they aim to blast back with a win.
He said: “I don’t have to keep labouring the point – they know they let themselves down.
“It was the first time we folded instead of battling, but I’ve shown the boys a couple of things about how Partick gained control of the game.
“Sometimes it’s just about that energy – the things we took into the recent win against Cove were missing against Partick, and we were well beaten.
“I haven’t had to speak to them too much, because they pride themselves on whether they win or lose.
“They’ve done plenty of problem-solving themselves, but there aren’t too many problems to solve.
“I had a young team out against Partick, so it’s experience for them.
“It has just shown them what they could have done better – it’s all coaching points to make us better as a group.”
All four goals could’ve been avoided
As good as Partick were, some sloppy play let them in each time and Dodds knows cutting out key mistakes can make a massive difference against Morton.
He said: “When I looked back at the four goals, we could have avoided every one.
“We gifted Partick goals, but they worked for it as well, and they were the better team on the night.
“Sometimes it’s just about making sure that it doesn’t affect you in the next game, and we just have to win it whether we play well or not.
“I’m not too downbeat, but we have to make sure we play with energy, because if we do that, we can beat any team in this league.”
Home form crucial in chase for title
To go on to be Championship winners, banking wins on home turf will be crucial.
Dodds’ side won three out of four league matches against Morton last year, including a 6-1 rout at Cappielow.
Morton knocked ICT out of the Scottish Cup in a penalty shoot-out win in a replay, and the ICT manager appreciates the Greenock side will present a tough challenge this weekend.
He added: “You want to win your home games, and we did that against Cove recently.
“We dropped points against Queen’s Park, but they went and beat Partick.
⚽ 🔴🔵 Roddy MacGregor's goal earned us a 1-0 win against Morton in April when the sides last met.
🎟️ Tickets for this Saturday's game are available online now: https://t.co/48l2amkKEP
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— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) August 25, 2022
“The last four games in the Championship tells you everything about this division – everybody beats everybody.
“That’s what happened to us against Partick, but we’re looking forward to the Morton game.
“We have to be at it, because they’ve beaten us before and we’ve beaten them comprehensively. We’ll be looking for more of the same.”
ICT fans can give players vital push
And Dodds wants his players and the supporters to work together to generate an atmosphere which can lead to a successful Saturday afternoon for the hosts.
He said: “The fans always play a big part.
“Going back to last season again, I’m not sure they realise how much they can help us.
“If it’s quiet and eerie, the team sometimes need a wee pick up, but we’ve got to give them something to cheer about as well.
“Last year they really got behind the team, and this year we saw them all enjoying themselves at the Cove game.
“I want that every week, for every home game, but we’ve got to give them the performance to start singing about.
“We understand that, but so far the fans have been great.”
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