Cup win could put Caley Jags into overdrive, says Butcher
Final flourish would add some bounce to ‘Bungee Thistle’
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Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher believes victory in the Challenge Cup final, against Dundee tomorrow, would act as a catalyst to improve their league position.
The Dens Park men are five points ahead of Caley Jags in the First Division and the former England captain knows a win at McDiarmid Park could provide the psychological boost needed to propel the Highland club into title contention.
He said: “Winning a cup and doing well in the final would certainly help our cause in the league. The club has won this competition before and got promotion in the same year – let’s hope it is the same again.
“Someone asked me if I thought it was a meaningful cup. Dundee and ourselves certainly do, the other teams probably don’t see it that way as they are not in the final.
“Now that we have earned the right to be in the final we want to go and win it.
“It is a distraction away from the league but it is a nice distraction.
“It has been a roller-coaster ride in the league. We have been up and down so many times it has been frightening.
“I said last week we should be called Bungee Thistle FC as we have been up and down so many times.
“Without having all our pieces available we have come to a position where we can now move on.
“We have been very strong away from home. We played Dundee at Dens which was a great game and an open game and, hopefully, it will be the same again.
“Sunday is the start of the rest of our season as far as we are concerned.”
A crowd of around 8,000 is expected in Perth and, after drawing 2-2 at Dens Park in August, Butcher cannot wait for kick-off tomorrow. He said: “We know how important a cup win could be for confidence. We are focused on what we have to do.”
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