Caley Thistle manager John Robertson insists belief is the only barrier to his players handling the step up against Premiership opposition.
Inverness suffered a 5-2 defeat to Hibernian on Friday to exit the Scottish Cup at the quarter-final stage, ending a cup run which saw them eliminate top-flight side Livingston in the previous round.
The Highlanders’ focus will now return to their bid to win promotion back to the Premiership through the play-offs, with Inverness currently second in the Championship.
Robertson feels his side is capable of transferring their effectiveness in the second tier to a higher level.
He said: “I keep saying to the players, my only worry is that sometimes I don’t think they believe themselves how good they can be, and show the mentality that they are good enough.
“For long spells against Hibs they showed up decently, but they have got to learn the step up and difference between good teams. Hibs’ third-man running and one-touch play was excellent, while ours wasn’t as good as it is in the Championship.
“That’s the level you’ve got to step up to. You’ve got to believe in yourself and believe in your team-mates and in your touch. That was the difference between the two teams – Hibs just had that bit more assuredness, quality and class on the ball at a level we haven’t quite reached yet.
“But they can reach it – if they believe in themselves.”
Robertson conceded fatigue increasingly became a factor against Hibs, following their 2-1 Championshiip win over Dunfermline on Tuesday.
The Caley Thistle manager, whose side host Morton tomorrow, added: “I don’t think there’s any doubt the tiredness from Tuesday night kicked in. But Hibs deserved to go through over the 90 minutes. I couldn’t complain about that.”
