Steven Hislop reckons a short summer won’t throw Caley Thistle off track as they regroup and use the Viaplay Cup to get into shape for a Championship charge.
The ex-Inverness striker, who played a key scoring role in helping ICT win promotion to the SPL in 2004, would love to see the Highlanders get back to the top-table, having finished sixth in May after a last-day defeat to Ayr United costing them a play-off shot.
An injury-hit campaign didn’t help their cause, but a run all the way to the Scottish Cup final kept spirits high as they tested treble-winners Celtic in a 3-1 defeat earlier this month.
Head coach Billy Dodds signed a new two-year contract and several players have signed up for the new season, including Wallace Duffy, Lewis Hyde, Aaron Doran and Danny Devine, with Robbie Deas joining Kilmarnock and Steven Boyd and Ben Woods leaving the club.
Contract offers are also on the table for vital stars such as Scott Allardice and Billy Mckay.
Season starts with Bonnyrigg Rose tie
So, amid the contract talks, players are on a mini-break, with the competitive action starting with the Viaplay Cup group stages next month.
ICT kick off on July 15 at home to League Two side Bonnyrigg Rose then travel to Dumbarton three nights later before Championship newcomers Airdrieonians head north on July 25.
A televised Sunday showdown on July 30 will pitch ICT away to newly-promoted Premiership side Dundee, who won the Championship last month.
Hislop, who also starred for Ross County, likes the mini-sections of the League Cup, and believes that will help sharpen up the Highlanders.
He said: “I like the group format. A lot of clubs use it as part of their pre-season and it’s not the bread-and-butter competition for many sides.
“It’s good to test yourselves against higher, and indeed lower, opposition. These games might be a wee bit more important for the Premiership teams, but Caley Thistle will just want to get through the games and if they qualify, great, especially if they can avoid early-season injuries.
“I’m sure they will manage their way through the group and use it as a build-up for the league season starting in August.
“It’s a good format for the lesser teams too. Bonnyrigg Rose, for example, will be delighted to start with a game at Inverness.
“Caley Thistle though will be tired of playing Dundee, having played them in last season’s Championship, but these things seem to happen in cycles.”
Fixtures will come ‘thick and fast’
The Inverness squad will be back training before they know it, but Hislop is confident Dodds will make their return as seamless as possible.
He said: “The players might only get two or three weeks off and it won’t be long before the fixtures come around thick and fast, starting with pre-season.
“They won’t get much of a break and they were unfortunate they had to wait almost a full month before playing in the cup final (from May 5 until June 3).
“They won’t have had as much time with their families over the summer as they’d have liked, but I’m sure Billy and his staff will work out what is the best plan.
“Personally, I would only want a couple of weeks off before getting back into it.”
ICT must show more consistency
And Hislop, who said ICT acquitted themselves well against Celtic in the cup final, hopes they don’t have mammoth injury lists to contend with this time as they seek to bridge the gap, having finished sixth, albeit just three points behind runners-up Ayr United.
He added: “If they want to reach the Premiership, they will need to up their game next season and be more consistent.
“They have had costly winless runs in the past two years, and you cannot afford that at any level if you have ambitions of being successful.
“They will also be hoping they don’t have as many injuries this time around.
“It will be even tougher next season, with Dundee United, Dunfermline and Airdrieonians in the league. The standard just seems to be getting better.”
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