Caley Thistle manager John Hughes insists all the pressure is on St Johnstone and Dundee United as the race for the final European berth in the Scottish Premiership intensifies.
Saints moved to within four points of third-placed Inverness on Saturday as they won at Dundee, while the Highlanders lost 2-1 at home to Aberdeen.
Caley Jags have played a game less than Saints but have to play fifth-placed United, who are six points adrift, twice before the end of the campaign.
Inverness have two opportunities to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club’s history as the winners of the Scottish Cup final will also secure a Europa League berth but Hughes wants his players to earn their reward for a season of consistency in the top flight.
He said: “We’ve come so far but St Johnstone and Dundee United are just behind us and they can smell third place now.
“We’ve got a big couple of weeks coming but there is no pressure on us. Having come this far and put ourselves in a great position we want to go on and take that third place and with it a European spot.”
The Caley Jags manager is still smarting from Saturday’s home defeat by the Dons. Inverness squandered three terrific first-half chances to score before poor defending allowed Aberdeen to win the game and secure second place.
The Inverness manager was frustrated by the sloppy goals conceded and believes his players must be more demanding of each other on the pitch if they are to cure their set-piece woes.
He said: “We should have been a couple of goals ahead at half-time as we were the better team but to lose two fundamental goals from set-pieces hurt us and it’s not the first time it’s happened this season.
“It can’t be Gary Warren and Josh Meekings who have to go and win the ball every time; more players need to take responsibility.
“We need to be more resolute, ruthless and demand more from each other. I want my team to play expansive football but there has been to a willingness to do the dirty work, too.
“We need to be better, more streetwise and manage that sort of situation better. We can match any team physically in this league but sometimes we focus on what we want to do rather than what the game is demanding. If we had done that we wouldn’t have lost to Aberdeen.”