Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds wants to stop award-winning Dundee in their tracks – and backs his team to rejoin the Championship title chase.
Last week’s lacklustre 3-2 Scottish Cup win over League Two visitors Stirling Albion followed six winless games for Inverness, which has pushed them down to sixth position.
They trail Saturday’s opponents Dundee – and Morton – by five points, with pace-setters Ayr United six point in front of ICT.
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The Taysiders, who lost 3-2 to Caley Thistle at Dens Park in September, have been in sparkling form, stacking up seven straight league games without defeat.
That form helped their manager Gary Bowyer scoop November’s manager of the month prize for the division, with winger Paul McMullan winning the player prize for the Dark Blues.
Dodds hopes some bad luck falls their opponents’ way, as can happen after such awards are handed out.
Dodds keen to follow Dundee’s lead
However, he accepts his own side can learn from Dundee by reacting in the best way and starting a new unbeaten run too.
He said: “Let’s hope Gary’s award is a jinx. We’ve seen it happen before, where a player or manager of the month can have a team not play well or someone misses a penalty.
“Gary has got the manager of the month award because he’s a good manager.
“When we beat them, Dundee were not firing on all cylinders, but that’s when you get the head down and go again.
“Gary knew he had a team capable of turning it around and that’s what they’ve done in the past couple of months. We need to do the same.”
Confidence and momentum can rise
With Ayr also hosting Raith Rovers, ICT cannot afford to see teams widen gaps above them. Victory over Dundee would bring them to within two points of Bowyer’s men and Dodds knows the importance of trying to win it.
He said: “It’s important for all sorts of reasons. For gaining that momentum and starting that streak we’re capable of going on.
“We’ve got to build that confidence and momentum, just that winning mentality. That’s what we’re hoping to recapture.
“It is a crucial game – I’m not playing it down.
“There is always an extra edge when you get two of the bigger teams in the Championship coming together, no disrespect to anybody else. There is a lot to play for.
“The league is brutal in a good way. A couple of wins or a couple of defeats can either have you looking over your shoulder or thinking we’re right in about this Championship chase.”
Barrett signing instant boost for ICT
Dodds, meanwhile, hails the immediate impact at the club of 21-year-old ex-Newcastle United right-back Ryan Barrett, who joined the club until January.
The former Wales under-17 cap came off the bench for his debut against Stirling last week and Dodds is delighted to see him fit in and offer a much-needed option.
He added: “Ryan’s a Geordie and, if you look at David Carson, you know what they’re like, the Geordies – tenacious, lively, he’s a good lad and a natural right-back who looks really decent on the ball.
“He’s quick and will get forward, but he’s not 100 per cent right now. We’re building him up, but he’s done a lot better than I thought he would, fitness-wise.
“It is great to have Ryan on board and Danny Devine and Dan MacKay back.
“I’m hoping to have another few back anytime soon, in the next couple of weeks.”
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