I have been very much struck this month by how difficult it is going to be for Inverness Caledonian Thistle to return to the Scottish Premiership.
I have been aware of that fact since they were relegated in 2017, but recent events have reinforced that feeling.
Getting to the top of the table is obviously essential for automatic promotion, but could Caley Thistle hold on to their players if they found themselves in that situation? The smaller clubs in the Premiership clearly see there are easy pickings to be had in Inverness and that’s with the club a distant second behind Dundee United.
We have lost Coll Donaldson and there has to be a possibility that Jamie McCart might still go to St Johnstone.
I am 57 and in my more reflective moments it crosses my mind that I may never see Inverness in the Premiership again.
When I consider how long it has been since clubs like Raith Rovers, Morton or Queen of the South have been out of the top flight, I cannot take it for granted that ICT’s return to the Premiership is simply a matter of time.
Then again, they could be back there in August, though Saturday’s loss at Somerset Park makes that possibility a bit harder.
It’s going to be an interesting week for all fans, but I can’t help but be concerned about what the next few days might do to my team’s prospects for the rest of the season.
