Graham Bayne believes Caley Thistle can quickly reap the rewards if they maintain their Championship consistency.
Inverness have recorded back-to-back victories on the road against Raith Rovers and Dundee, and are aiming for a third straight away win when they travel to Ayr United on Saturday.
With two triumphs, Billy Dodds’ men have leapfrogged Dundee to climb into fourth in the table.
Partick Thistle lead the standings after seven games, on goal difference above Ayr, with Caley Jags only a further three points behind the top two.
Former Inverness forward Bayne feels the tightly-contested nature of Scotland’s second-tier allows for a quick rise up the table if teams can string a fine run of form together.
Bayne said: “It’s a league where teams can win two or three games in a row, and what a difference it can make to their season.
“It totally catapults them up the league.
“Looking at the league already, there are only six points between first and seventh.
“I know it’s early doors, there have only been seven games, but it doesn’t look like anyone is really going to run away with it again.
“It does tend to be quite a tight league, but if there’s a team that’s going to potentially run away with it this year I thought it would maybe be Dundee.
“Gary Boywer has come in and he has definitely lifted them. They have been scoring a lot of goals.
“The last couple of results have kind of put a stop to that, and Partick Thistle have found a bit of form.
“You can’t really pick it.”
Caley Jags can’t afford lengthy injury list
Inverness’ recent form has provided them a timely lift, after they suffered three defeats on the trot in August.
That run coincided with a number of injury absentees, which Bayne feels reinforces the importance of having numbers to pick from.
Bayne added: “Inverness have had a good few players missing for a few weeks, but all of a sudden they are getting a couple of those guys back.
“They had three defeats, they conceded a lot of goals against Partick and then went to Motherwell in the cup with half a squad.
“Sometimes because squads are so skinny, if teams like Inverness are missing two or three players it makes it really difficult for them. Especially when these are players that can make a difference.
“Scott Allardice has come back into the team this season, after an injury last year, and he’s probably Caley Thistle’s strongest player at the moment.
“If they can keep players like him fit and performing, they can make such a big difference in a really tight league.”
Changes made for Brechin tie will
Dodds reshuffled his side for Saturday’s SPFL Trust Trophy tie against Brechin City, with eight changes to his starting line-up.
Although Brechin clawed back a two-goal deficit to draw 3-3, Caley Jags triumphed on penalties to advance to the fourth round.
Among those to feature from the start were returning defender Max Ram, teenager Calum MacKay who made his first senior start, along with goalkeeper Cammy Mackay.
Bayne feels Inverness will benefit from their squad rotation.
He added: “With no disrespect to Brechin who have dropped out of the league, for guys coming back and needing minutes it was a good opportunity to put these guys in.
“It’s not like they were weakening their team. They were playing good players, but putting them in with the pretence of trying to get them match fit.
“It was good to give a couple of the other young guys, who have been on the bench, a few minutes of first team experience.”
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