Former Caley Thistle defender Ross Tokely reckons Inverness manager Richie Foran would have benefited from appointing Maurice Malpas to his coaching staff earlier in the season.
Malpas this week rejoined Caley Jags until the end of the season, having previously served as assistant to Terry Butcher at Caledonian Stadium from 2009 to 2013.
The 54-year-old will work with Foran and assistant Brian Rice in an attempt to help Caley Jags escape relegation to the Championship.
Tokely feels former Inverness club captain Foran will be boosted by rekindling his working relationship with Malpas but feels the Irishman should have called upon him sooner when he took his first steps in management.
Tokely, who is now manager of Highland League Brora Rangers, said: “They have an assistant manager in Brian Rice who was there with a previous manager, John Hughes.
“Richie might have been better to take Maurice Malpas in, someone that he trusted. I’m not saying he didn’t trust Brian Rice but you have to have that kind of backing and understanding.
“I’m sure Richie is learning along the way and Maurice coming back, I’m sure, will give them a boost. Whether it is too late, time will tell.
“The summer would probably have been preferable.
“They have Scott Kellacher there – a very highly-rated coach – but, again, experience-wise Maurice has that on his side.”
Tokely played under Malpas during his 16-year stay with Inverness and expects the presence of the 55-times capped Scotland international will draw a response from the Caley Jags players.
Inverness are five points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership with five games left and Tokely added: “Maurice, when I was there under Terry Butcher, took all of the training.
“He was the figurehead on what we did from a Monday to a Friday and then, on a Saturday, he was the one who got the players organised for a game.
“He is a very experienced man and a guy that everybody in the dressing-room respected.
“I’m sure that is the way the players at the club just now will take it. He was never scared to have a go – that was one thing I quite liked about him.
“I’m sure he would have taken a lot of pressure off Richie in terms of having a go at the players when necessary, that side of things. Maurice had the utmost respect of the players.
“It possibly is the last throw of the dice but hopefully it will give them a boost going into the derby game next Friday.”
