Caley Thistle manager Richie Foran is demanding belief from his players in an attempt to make it third time lucky against Rangers at Caledonian Stadium tomorrow night.
Inverness have lost 1-0 on both occasions they have faced Rangers this season, however Foran, pictured, took encouragement from his side’s loss at Ibrox on Christmas Eve.
Caley Jags created several chances, forcing a man of the match display from Gers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, but went down to an own goal from defender Brad McKay.
Inverness were better to secure a 1-1 draw against Hearts at Tynecastle last Saturday, but with his side failing to record a league victory in 14 matches, Foran wants points rather than performances.
Foran said: “They were probably the better side up here in October, but we were much the better team at Ibrox.
“We just couldn’t find the back of the net but one of our best displays of the season was down there.
“I don’t know how we didn’t get a draw out of that game. I was speaking to their players at the end of the game, and they said we were the far better team.
“I don’t mind a poor performance and winning the game 1-0 – I’ll take that as well. We’ve got to spot the weaknesses and we’ve got to go and get at them. We’ve got to get into their faces and work harder than them, and then when we get the ball we’ve got to make things happen.
“There’s no point in winning the ball back if we’re not willing to create. Sometimes that’s the problem when we play the best teams, we work our socks off to get the ball back then just give it back to them.”
Rangers are without a permanent manager following the departure of Mark Warburton, with under-20s coach Graeme Murty in interim charge and overseeing a poor 2-1 loss to Dundee on Sunday.
The result leaves the Gers six points adrift of second-placed Aberdeen, and with the club seemingly no closer to appointing a new manager, Foran believes tomorrow’s visitors are vulnerable. Foran said: “There’s a lot of confusion at the club, the manager has left, has he been sacked? They don’t know. Some of the players will come out scrapping, some will be hiding. I’m hoping a few of them will be feeling a bit fragile on Friday night.
“A few of the players’ heads will probably be all over the place and we’ve got to take advantage.”
