Michael Fraser is urging Caley Thistle’s under-fire players to switch off from social media in a bid to save their faltering season.
The former Inverness goalkeeper knows the pressure is on Billy Dodds and his squad after a poor run of results has seen them slide down to seventh place in the Championship.
Back-to-back league losses last week against Hamilton Accies led to some sections of the supporters calling for Dodds to go. However, a gutsy 1-1 draw at title-chasing Dundee on Saturday cooled some of that fury.
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— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) February 27, 2023
Current Inverness number one Mark Ridgers this week hit back at supporters, rejecting strongly some views online which suggested the side had “chucked it” recently.
Fraser, who also starred for Ross County and Motherwell, explained it’s tough for professional footballers when they’re under such pressure.
Players best not to react to fans
But he says, ideally, the Caley Jags, who head to Ayr United this weekend, would be wise to block out the noise.
He said: “Every fan is entitled to their opinion, but most of the time they don’t have any real experience of football.
“As a player, it’s frustrating when you are criticised. It tends to be the way now that some people don’t support their club, they slaughter them. And that’s not just a Caley Thistle issue.
“That doesn’t seem like supporting the team to me. I wish I had not listened as much as I did when I was playing.
“It’s better not to react to fans, although I admit it did when I was a player. I made that mistake.
“It’s hard though. If people came up and gave you their opinions face to face, you wouldn’t take it. If it was (former manager) John Robertson or Billy Dodds telling you something, you listen, because they’ve been there and done it. They know what football is about.
“The best players and managers don’t listen to the criticism or read it on social media, although even some of the best sometimes do react and regret it.
“It’s best to try and block it out, although I admit that’s easier said than done. It has got worse in the last 10-15 years.”
Cameron Harper’s goal earned ICT a point at Dundee on Saturday, but they are now seven points outside the top four with a dozen games to go.
Fraser insists last season’s Premiership play-off runners-up can still gather pace to rejoin the promotion push.
He said: “Some of the fans are getting upset with the run of results, but the Championship is a hard league.
“It might take until the last few games of the season to find out where you’re going to be likely to finish.
“It’s hard for the players when the team and the manager are getting stuck. Getting a point at Dundee is a decent result. It’s a hard place to go.”
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— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) February 21, 2023
Chance for ICT to reach Hampden
It’s a big fortnight for Caley Thistle. As well as seeking their first league victory since beating Arbroath 4-1 on January 7 when they tackle third-placed Ayr, they have a Scottish Cup shot at home to second-bottom Premiership side Kilmarnock next Friday.
The club lifted the Scottish Cup under John Hughes’ guidance in 2015 and Fraser says a win at Ayr followed by sinking struggling Killie could transform their season and bring dreams a lot closer to being realised.
He added: “The home game against Killie is one Caley Thistle can win – then next stop is Hampden. Once you get to the semi-final, anything can happen, as we’ve seen before. That is a real incentive for the players.
“Ayr play Falkirk are in the last quarter-final, so imagine if Caley Thistle can get and play the winners of that tie in the semis. That would be a 50-50 game to reach the Scottish Cup final.
“With that in mind, fans don’t need to go off the scale and call for people to be sacked or replaced, because two big results in their next two games could change things completely.”
ICT’s home league game against Arbroath will now take place on Tuesday, April 11, with a 7.45pm kick-off.
The match was scheduled for Saturday, March 11, but has been rearranged due to their participation in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals the night before.
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