Caley Thistle manager Billy Dodds believes only calm heads can prevail if his side is to have a chance at creating a Scottish Cup final shock for the ages on Saturday.
The Highlanders, who missed out on the play-offs in the Championship on the final day of the season, are huge underdogs as they face a Celtic side looking for a win to secure a domestic treble.
The odds may be stacked against them but Dodds has plenty of big-game experience from his own career to know what pitfall his players must avoid at Hampden.
He said: “A thing that I will pass over to the players is that there has to be a calmness.
“There can’t be a madness. “I’ve seen it in dressing rooms, yeah you bump everyone up, give a few high fives, chest bumps, wish everyone all the best, but there can’t be an insanity, running about like a mad man.
“It can’t be like that, there has got to be a focus and a calmness.
“I want to bring that as well because I know when I do, that’s when my team can perform.
“When we perform, that’s our best chance against Celtic.
“We need the most focused, determined performance that we’ve had for a long time.
“I said to the players before the semi-final against Falkirk, ‘have your nerves, have your adrenaline, but don’t let it overwhelm you.
“If it doesn’t, you can go out there and perform’. It will be similar this time, but we will have to step it up a notch.
“I know what’s required and it’s going to have to be a humongous performance.”
Inverness boss insists players will be ready for their big day
The biggest obstacle facing Caley Jags – other than the treble-chasing Hoops themselves – is the lack of match practice.
Dodds hopes the chance to rest has given his players a much-needed opportunity to recover from the stresses and strains of a heavy schedule in the final six weeks in the Championship.
But the need to keep the players ticking over and match-fit for the final has also been challenging logistically.
Dodds said: “We’ve had two bounce games. I’d have liked more but it’s been so hard to get opposition.
“I gave them nine days off at the start because I knew they needed a rest.
“They’ve had a long, hard season and a lot of them were catching up on injuries.
“This week is all about preparation and I’m meticulous in that, I always have been.”
Caley Jags boss wants focus to be on his squad
For Dodds, Hampden has been a venue where he has enjoyed the highs and lows as a player and coach having celebrated cup final wins with Aberdeen and Rangers as a player before being assistant at Ross County in their League Cup win in 2016.
The Celtic game will be his first final as a manager in his own right but Dodds wants his players to be the focus, not him.
He said: “It is brilliant for me, but I’ve had my days with Queen of the South and Dundee United as a member of staff at the final.
“I’ve had my days as a player, these boys deserve to breathe, embrace it and enjoy the occasion. I want my players to have the moment and to enjoy it.
“Can we win the game? Aye. I’ve never gone into a game thinking I can’t win it.
“You’d be as well not turning up if you don’t and I’ve told the players that.
“We respect Celtic, but we will try to do our own thing.”
Henderson puts future on hold
Midfielder Jay Henderson, meanwhile, has put all thoughts on his own future on hold to focus on his date with destiny at Hampden.
The 21 year-old arrived at Caledonian Stadium on loan from St Mirren in January and his contract with the Premiership club expires this summer.
Henderson has the option to extend his stay in Paisley but insists his focus is firmly on the final rather than his future.
He said: “It’s a massive opportunity for me because this is the biggest stage you can get in Scottish football.
“But I haven’t thought beyond the final yet. I’m just playing for the boys.
“My contract at St Mirren is up and I’ve been offered another year but I’m just focused on trying to get a win on Saturday.
“It’s easy to park it for now, that stuff can wait. The only thing on my mind is performing in the final.
“The contract stuff can be done afterwards. I’ll sit down with whoever I need to and speak about it then.
“The final is the main focus.”
‘I don’t know why we can’t beat them again’
Henderson could not have dreamed of how his time with Inverness would end when he agreed to move to the Highlands in January.
Given Caley Thistle’s remarkable run to the final Henderson sees no reason why his club cannot have a fairytale ending to their unlikely story.
He said: “If someone had said I’d play in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden, I would probably have laughed.
“That was right at the back of my mind. I just wanted to enjoy my football and get playing again.
“To play in the final is amazing but it’s down to the boys, the gaffer and everyone at the club.
“If we beat Celtic, it would certainly be up there in terms of shocks.
“We’ve beaten them before, so I don’t know why we can’t beat them again.
“The year Inverness won the cup, they beat Celtic in the semi-final. Hopefully we can go one better this time and do it in the final against them.”
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