Former Caley Thistle defender Richard Hastings reckons his former team-mate Dougie Imrie will have Morton fighting all the way for victory at the Caledonian Stadium this Saturday.
However, he believes a battling 90 minutes where Inverness come out on top could provide the spark they need to return to much-needed winning ways at the top of the Championship.
Ex-Canadian international Hastings, who is the boss at fourth-placed Highland League side Inverurie Locos, keeps a close eye on his old senior Highland clubs, ICT and Ross County.
Hastings was a terrific full-back for the Caley Jags over two different spells, from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2004 to 2009, playing in the top-flight and matching the best sides in Scotland.
A 1-0 defeat for ICT at Kilmarnock on Saturday saw their opponents overtake them into second spot and they are three points behind leaders Arbroath, who have also a game in hand.
Strong start for Morton boss Imrie
Imrie, who played for two years in the Premiership with ICT until 2010, is settling into the Morton job.
Since replacing Gus MacPherson, he’s guided the Greenock side to eight points from four games and taken Motherwell to extra-time before losing 2-1 in the Scottish Cup.
Although they’re still ninth in the table, they’re only one point behind Ayr and Dunfermline.
ICT have drawn four and lost two games since routing Morton 6-1 on December 11.
Hastings is sure Imrie will use that result, which was before he took over, as a motivational tool ahead of the weekend.
He said: “Dougie will tell his squad a result like that won’t happen under his watch. He’s not long in the door, so the Morton players are still playing for their futures.
“He knows the landscape up here and it won’t be daunting for him. That part of it will take care of itself and I’m sure he’ll relish this chance.”
Morton will fight ‘tooth and nail’
Hastings has been impressed by the improvement in Morton’s results since Imrie was appointed the boss four days before Christmas.
However, he insists Inverness could benefit hugely from handing their former attacking midfielder his first league loss.
He added: “Based purely on the results since Dougie has taken over at Morton, I can imagine his team will be like him.
“They’ll never give up and fight tooth and nail for everything. I’d be surprised if Dougie’s side is not set up like that, very difficult to beat.
“He also had a spell working (as a first-team coach) with Livingston and they are very much like that. They get some unbelievable results based on the way they fight for one another. They are a solid team who are difficult to come up against.
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“I’m sure he would have taken a lot from that experience into his management at Morton.
“It will be a tough game for Caley Thistle. However, if you can endure a tough game like this and come out on top then it can give you even more of a lift ahead of the next game.
“A win changes everything. You forget the past or the poor run you’ve been on. It bolsters everyone and boosts confidence, especially at home. You can’t wait for the next game.”
Strong start can serve Inverness well
ICT’s six-game winless run is in stark contrast to the start of the season when they roared clear thanks to seven victories and a draw before Hamilton beat them.
Saturday’s defeat at Killie was only their fifth league loss of the season, but keeps them three points behind leaders Arbroath, having played one match more than the Angus side.
Hastings believes their early strong form means if this barren period ends this weekend they’ll still be within striking distance of their rivals before hosting Partick Thistle next Wednesday.
He added: “It has been a tight top half of the division. They started off the season so well. You always tend to have some sort of a blip, maybe this is what they’re going through at the moment.
“They can stay in contention, even having had this blip, because they got those early points on the board. There are some big games always coming up in this league, with teams at the top playing one another.
“When Caley Thistle lose, which isn’t often, it’s been by an odd goal, which must be frustrating having put so much into the game.”
Pushing forward to make a difference
Dodds this week spoke once more of his desire to see the players make dashing runs into the box, to show more of a willingness to score.
With so many close contests in this league, Hastings understands the manager’s plea with his side seeking a long-awaited win.
He said: “At Championship level, you can see there is not an abundance of goals being scored this season. You want to commit players forward in a bid to try and produce something to make a difference.
“Even by doing that, you can earn yourselves more free-kicks and corners. At that point, it can maybe come down to something you’ve worked on in the training ground. A set-piece might well win you the game.
“There is a lot at stake and players maybe can play it too safe. It’s a fine line, but you can understand Billy Dodds wanting the players to get forward in numbers, as long as you don’t leave yourselves open for a counter attack.”
