Caley Thistle boss Billy Dodds believes that a win against Raith Rovers could act as a catalyst for consistent results in the league.
The Caley Jags travel to Stark’s Park tomorrow having lost their last three games, including a 4-0 defeat to Motherwell in the Premier Sports Cup on Wednesday.
While it is early days in the season, the Championship is shaping up to be an unpredictable division, with Dodds saying you couldn’t label any team as favourites.
But the Caley boss admits that in order to be successful in the league, teams must have confidence and be consistent, which a win against Raith could help bring about.
He said: “It’s winning more than you’re losing. I don’t think you can label any team as favourites in this league.
“We’ve talked about this league being unpredictable and a lot of that is down to confidence, and making sure you go on good runs.
“We did that last year at the start and like the way that we finished the season, so it’s adding that bit of consistency.
“I’ve got no doubts that the points will come and we’ll get the right results, but we have to make sure that that focus and that confidence is there.
“When those two things come together, you’ve got a better chance of success and winning games.”
Dodds says it has been a tough couple of weeks for his side and hopes they can return to winning ways by any means necessary at Stark’s Park.
He said: “It’s been a hard couple of weeks for us, losing to Partick Thistle on the live game, getting beat by Morton last week and then losing midweek in the cup.
“We’ve got the players to make sure we get back to winning ways. It might be a dogfight – it might just be work hard and scrap for everything we can get.
“Or we could play well, that’d be better, but the three points are the most important thing.”
History goes in Caley Thistle’s favour
Caley Thistle travel to Raith having not lost a league game against the Stark’s Park side since October 2000.
That record could’ve been shattered last season as the Caley Jags were 2-1 down until the 89th minute, before a Logan Chalmers brace secured all three points.
Dodds is hoping that his side will show the same fighting spirit this weekend in order to pick up the three points and keep the near 22-year record intact.
He said: “We have got a good record against them and the boys have got to recognise that. We’ve got a good record because we’ve done well against their shape and players.
“One of my favourite moments last year – we didn’t play particularly well – was the 3-2 game where we looked down and out.
“That’s the kind of spirit we need right now. When you’ve lost players and you’ve not got a couple of results – it’s not going your way – you need players to stand up.
“The way we won that game 3-2 last year was just incredible, and it’s one of my favourite moments at the club.
“And I’m looking for something like that again – if that’s what it takes to get us three points.”
Caley’s injury list grows
Dodds will be without Roddy MacGregor for the Championship clash after the midfielder came off injured during the cup defeat to Motherwell.
The Caley Jaggs boss says his absence – alongside the other injured players – will be a big blow to his side but they will be aided by the return of George Oakley.
He explained: “I’d love to say that Roddy is fit, but he’s not. He’s going to be missing for a couple of weeks with strained ligaments.
“It’s a blow because we miss his energy and his technical ability. We are down to the bare bones, but we make no excuses regarding that.
“George Oakley is back from suspension which is great news. It’s a bit of freshness as well. We’ll need every body that we’ve got because it’s going to be a tough game.
“We’ll do what we can to put a decent team out there that’s going to go and win the game and be competitive.
“We’ve still got the players here to do that – make no excuses. We’ve lost an awful lot but we just have to get on with it.”
