Caley Thistle Women manager Karen Mason didn’t hold back as she expressed her feelings on her side’s recent performances.
The Highlanders have lost their first two SWF Championship games of 2023 against Renfrew and Dryburgh Athletic, and have slipped down to sixth in the third-tier table.
Mason described the 3-1 defeat to Dryburgh as the “worst” performance she’s seen from her side all season, and admits it left her asking questions about her squad.
Inverness return to action against title-favourites Livingston at home on Sunday, but Mason says her players must forget about points and places for now, and focus on their own performances.
Mason said: “The players just haven’t been performing and they need to take a long, hard look at themselves because they’re more than capable of it, but they just can’t seem to produce on a Sunday.
“We’re now nowhere near in the running for promotion, so all we want to see now is improved performances and for the girls to be playing with a bit of pride.
“There’s no point setting targets for this and that in the league at the minute, we just have to take each game as they come right now.
“What we can do, though, is maybe prepare and look ahead for next season and it may well be that we need a clear out of players who don’t have the commitment or capabilities for this level.
“I think we’ve maybe been a bit nice in that sense and we’ve had players here who have taken their position in the squad for granted. For the rest of the season, it will be a case of some of the players playing to keep their place for next year.”
‘Things will improve’
Mason says the players have recognised things haven’t been good enough and have started to take steps towards addressing the issues which they feel are affecting them on the pitch.
The Caley Thistle manager added: “At training, the effort and application is good and everyone gets on and mucks in, but when it comes to a Sunday we’re finding it’s not good enough.
“The girls are organising player meetings at the moment because they know what they’re getting from us as coaches is enough to equip them, and it’s still just not coming together.
“I’m contemplating if it’s me that’s getting things entirely wrong. I’ve held meetings with players as well to try and better understand their thoughts and what they feel isn’t working.
“Hopefully we can find some answers this week against Livingston and start to turn things around. It’s definitely not doomsday, we know things can – and will have to – improve.”
We are finally back at home when we welcome run away league leaders @livingstonwfc to Millburn Academy on Sunday 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/a9wc7vyDTm
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle WFC (@ICTWFC) January 30, 2023
The other fixtures in the north…
In SWF League One, Westdyke will be looking to keep up the pace with Falkirk, who are a point ahead in second, when they host Dundee West at Lawsondale, while the Bairns are in Aberdeen to face Grampian Ladies.
In the Biffa SWFL North, Stonehaven will be making to look it two wins in a row, after picking up their first victory of the season against Buchan, when they host Inverurie Locos.
Huntly host Dyce at Christie Park, with both sides having won two out of their first three league games, while Buchan are on the road to Forfar Farmington, who are unbeaten so far.
Westdyke Thistle will be hoping to pick up their first win of the season away to Glenrothes Strollers, having lost their opening two matches in the new fifth-tier.
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