Caley Thistle midfielder Dougie Imrie believes the Highland club will be challenging for the top six after they opened the SPL season by defeating Aberdeen for the first time.
Inverness recorded a 2-0 win at Pittodrie, with Andy Barrowman and Roy McBain on target, to break a losing sequence of 17 games against the Dons.
Imrie, who moved from First Division Clyde to Caley Jags in January, dismissed pre-season claims the Highland club is the favourite for relegation.
He said: “This year our aim is to get into the top six and this result stands us in good stead for the rest of the season. We have noticed people are saying we will go down, but if we play like that every week we won’t.
“I really don’t see why people think we will get relegated – we have great people here.
“The squad is more than capable of finishing in the top six. Caley Thistle have been tipped to go down every season since they have come up to the SPL.
“I think one of the reasons they may see us as favourites to go down is we have lost Marius Niculae.
“Andy Barrowman has come in and was great in pre-season, so if we can get another attacker to play alongside him, there is no reason why we can’t get into the top half.
“We won’t finish last, that’s for sure.”
Imrie praised forward Barrowman, who scored Caley Jags’ first goal of the new campaign. He said: “You could see from his performance Andy is more than capable of playing in the SPL. Andy was like myself in waiting for that chance and he has taken it. It is looking good for the season ahead.
“I have my first pre-season under my belt with Caley Thistle and it is important I do well.
“I thought I played well and as long as I play like that then there is no reason for the manager to drop me.
“The manager said all week how he wanted to beat Aberdeen and how it would be a great achievement.
“We went to Pittodrie going for the victory because we wanted to get off to a good start. I wasn’t at the club in the early part of the season, but they had a bad start and lost their first six games.”