Caley Thistle manager John Robertson says supporters must dare to dream Inverness can lift the Scottish Cup for the second time.
Inverness take on fellow Championship side Dundee United in tomorrow’s quarter final at Tannadice, with the prize of a last-four tie at Hampden Park awaiting the winners.
Caley Jags’ finest moment of their 25-year history arguably came in 2015, when the club lifted its first major silverware as John Hughes’ side claimed a 2-1 final victory over Falkirk.
Despite Inverness suffering relegation to the Championship since then, Robertson sees no reason why the Highlanders cannot repeat the feat four years on.
Robertson said: “We’ve got a very proud tradition in the Scottish Cup since we were formed 25 years ago. We always seem to do well.
“As a lower league club, there were plenty knock-outs in the early years and we’ve since been to semi-finals and won it.
“When you get to this stage again, the fans start believing – and that’s important. They will look at this cup tie and think, if we get through, remember what happened last time in the last four.
“It was Celtic in the semis, a victory and then Falkirk in the final.
“We want them to dream. We want them to believe – and we want the players to do the same.
“As players they should want to win trophies. As manager, I want to win national trophies.
“The odds are stacked against you most of the time but if I don’t believe we can win it, how can I expect my players to believe it? And how can I expect the fans to believe it?
“I’m sure the fans are like me – deep down in their hearts they have expectations again. Maybe this could be our year again.”
Caley Jags were narrowly defeated 1-0 at Tannadice on league duty on Tuesday, however Robertson insists that game will have no bearing on tomorrow’s encounter with Robbie Neilson’s men.
Inverness are without Kevin McHattie (shoulder) and Anthony McDonald (groin), and Robertson added: “The league game is forgotten about, there was nothing in it.
“We go head-to-head again. There will be battles all over the pitch and a real edge to the game.
“United have had a wee bit of success in the competition since the Millennium and we have won it four years ago. It is fresh in the minds of both sets of supporters and I’m sure both teams are absolutely desperate to get to the semi-final.”
