Terry Butcher is urging Caley Thistle’s Scottish Cup stars to block out the 40,000 Celtic fans in the Scottish Cup final – and focus on beating the men in front of them.
Inverness, who were sixth-placed finishers in the Championship, face the task of trying to prevent Ange Postecoglou’s stars from completing a domestic treble on Saturday.
The Hoops are the best side in the country and very few people will fancy ICT to follow up famous Scottish Cup wins over the Glasgow giants by predecessors in 2000, 2003 and their cup-winning year of 2015.
Former England and Rangers skipper Butcher, who managed ICT from 2009 to 2013, knows all about taking on the Hoops as a player and boss.
While at Inverness, they posted a couple of draws against Celtic and beat them 3-2 at the Caledonian Stadium in May 2011.
Big teams can be over-confident
Butcher, who guided the Highlanders to First Division glory in 2010, says there is always a chance of an upset if belief is high and Celtic are not at their top levels.
He said: “In reality, Inverness winning is a very small hope, but you never know in cup football.
“It will be Celtic’s last game of the season, so they will win the treble if they beat Caley Thistle.
“But I have seen really big teams fall because they get over-confident.
“Inverness need to be strong. Celtic are the strongest team in the country, and when you look at the fixture everyone would say they will comfortably beat Caley Thistle.
“It doesn’t always work like that as Inverness have shown in the past in the Scottish Cup.
“Billy Dodds and his staff will drum into the players that they should go out and have the game of their lives. If everybody does that, they will have a chance.
“If any top team starts off slow, it can be difficult to pick it up, especially in a final.
“Caley Thistle fans will be vastly outnumbered, but it’s not the crowd who wins the game, it’s the team on the pitch.
“Inverness won’t be playing 40,000 Celtic fans, but they can certainly play their 11 Celtic opponents.
“They have fought very hard to get to the final, with a bit of luck with the Queen’s Park expulsion, and Billy Dodds will tell his team to believe.
“They could make fantastic history. I’d be very pleased to see that happen. Why not?”
Players made it special for us – Tel
Butcher, alongside assistant Maurice Malpas, thoroughly enjoyed his time in the Highlands before opting to move to Hibs, which didn’t work out.
The talented team he left behind was taken over by John Hughes, who guided the club to the final of the League Cup in 2014, which they lost to Aberdeen on penalties.
The following year, ICT went one step further by winning the Scottish Cup, beating Celtic 3-2 after extra-time in the semis and Falkirk 2-1 in the Hampden final.
Butcher speaks fondly about being in charge of the Caley Jags and said the north senior clubs don’t get enough credit.
He said: “We worked hard to get that squad together. The boys worked really hard at the club and it was a tough decision to leave (for Hibs) and that was ultimately a wrong decision.
“I felt they needed someone different to come in, like John Hughes, who could make a few little changes and tweaks.
“They were a great side and squad and one of the highlights of my managerial career was winning promotion with Caley Thistle and doing so well in the Premiership.
“It’s so pleasing that so many of the players, such as Gary Warren, who’s now (coaching) at Ross County, and James Vincent have kept in touch with me. A lot of players keep in touch.
“It’s great to see Ryan Christie do so well for Scotland and Bournemouth. It gives me a lot of pleasure, because these players gave us everything. They were great characters.
“These players made it a special time for us in Inverness. I still think about the journeys home and the fish and chips at Auchterarder!
“You could just speak to that squad, and you didn’t need to do many team talks.
“You feel at Inverness, and to a lesser degree at Ross County, that people tend to dismiss you. You’re seen as a parochial club in the Highlands and you don’t know much about football.
“It’s a very knowledgeable area and those two teams have got great history.
“When you live up in Inverness, you really enjoy the city and its surroundings. You can even get used to the weather!”
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