Caley Thistle striker Manny Duku believes Highlanders can mount a Championship title push but insists they still have it all to prove.
Inverness have made a flying start to the league campaign, winning their opening five matches and conceding just once.
Billy Dodds’ men go into today’s game against Dunfermline three points clear at the top of the table, with second-placed Kilmarnock making the trip to Partick Thistle, who are fourth.
Dutchman Duku says Inverness’ squad is confident in their capabilities, but he feels they must show they can sustain it over the course of the full season.
Duku said: “As a footballer, you play games to win leagues. If you’re here but don’t believe you can win the league or think you’re not good enough, then I don’t know what you’re playing for.
“Everyone here in the changing room is 100% sure of what we’re capable of. We train with each other and show it on the pitch.
“But we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves and just take it game by game.
“If you’re strong mentally, it’s important. It is a long season with ups and downs. When down, you just stay focused and mentally strong.
“We’re all human beings and when things are going well, obviously sometimes you can get carried away.
“The management is brilliant with that in keeping us all grounded.
“They have had those experiences in their careers and in their lives where things look good now, but that doesn’t mean they will end well.
“We enjoy the moment, but we don’t go over the top.”
Duku is wary of today’s opponents, despite Peter Grant’s men sitting bottom of the table with only a point to their name so far.
The 28-year-old spent last season with Raith Rovers, where he netted in a 2-2 Fife derby draw against the Pars in December.
Duku is relishing the challenge of keeping Caley Jags’ momentum going, adding: “It was a good fixture for myself while I was with Raith and I scored against them.
“We need to keep our winning ways going and we take it game by game.
“They are struggling with confidence, we are high in confidence, so we have to make sure we keep winning and make sure they get their confidence back against someone else.
“They have good individual players and as a squad they are maybe not performing to what they should be, but that’s not our problem. We just have to make sure we do what we need to do to win and then move on to the next game.”
Duku feels Inverness’ confidence came to the fore in the second half of last weekend’s match against Partick Thistle, in which the Highlanders reversed a half-time deficit to triumph 3-1.
He added: “All of the previous games we’d won 1-0, so to go 1-0 down at home in the first half wasn’t great.
“At half-time, the manager just said ‘believe in yourselves’ and we came out with belief and showed what we are capable of.
“As a team, we certainly don’t lack confidence and we know the teams we have played have been the teams who have aspirations to be up there in the league as well.
“We believe in ourselves and work hard as a team. On the pitch we’ve shown we can take anyone on.”
