Midfielder Max Anderson believes Caley Thistle’s players are best to forget their dreadful home form in a bid to hit the winning trail again in the Highlands.
The 22-year-old, on loan from Premiership side Dundee this season, is aware it is now four months since their last league victory at the Caledonian Stadium.
That came with a 3-1 result against Saturday’s opponents Ayr United on November 11 and since then they have drawn four and lost four.
Ex-Scotland, Celtic and Aberdeen captain Scott Brown has since replaced Lee Bullen as the Honest Men’s gaffer and he’s won three and lost four of his four games in charge so far.
‘Make every game count’ – Anderson
A Caley Jags victory would see them leapfrog their eighth-placed opponents and Anderson insists focusing simply on winning the game must outweigh any concerns about their long-standing poor home run.
He said: “It’s no secret our home form is not the best. Away from home, we are a strong side.
“We do play some good stuff at home, but we struggle at times to put the ball in the back of the net.
“I think we just need to forget about our home form and not let that affect us. The minute you start thinking about things is when it can be on your mind, and you can get yourself in all sorts of bother.
“The best thing for us is to go into Saturday with a positive mindset to try and get a good outcome.
“The aim for us is to make every game count, like every team will be aiming for because the league is so tight.
“We can go from ninth to nearer mid-table and that’s what we need to remind ourselves.
“We can easily get out of this position if we can string a few wins together.”
🎟️ Tickets are available now for this Saturday's cinch Championship against @AyrUnitedFC at the Caledonian Stadium
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— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) March 12, 2024
Players would ‘fight for the cause’
Anderson helped Dundee win the Scottish Championship last year, so being at the wrong end of the division is a sharp contrast.
However, he knows when he looks at his Inverness team-mates that a relegation battle is not one they’re ready to be part of.
He said: “I have never been in this particular situation before.
“I have played enough games now and know how to get out of it.
“The players in our changing room are brilliant – there is not one of them that wouldn’t fight for the cause.
“That gives me and everyone else confidence that we’ve all got each other’s back. If we keep pushing away, it can come out positively for us.”
Anderson aims to deliver ICT success
Anderson had only ever played for Dundee, so snapping up a loan move to secure game-time was a new experience.
And he explained that, when his time is over in the north this summer, he wants to have helped deliver results for ICT.
He added: “This is the first time I have joined somewhere new.
“I was nervous when I first came to the club, but it was brilliant. Everyone welcomed me and that was all I needed.
“On the pitch, it has been a good learning curve. But I don’t want it to be a learning curve; I want it to be positive for the club and these good people.”