Summer signing Luis Longstaff is determined to experience the winning feeling at Caley Thistle after run of narrow defeats.
Overall, as a team, Inverness have lost their last five fixtures for the first time since 2008 going into 2009.
However, fleet-footed winger Longstaff is sure fans will soon see him flourish in the Highlands as positive results can lead to a rise in belief, individually and as a squad.
The 22-year-old summer signing from Cove Rangers aims to provide quality on the flanks, with goals and assists for Billy Dodds’ Highlanders, who lost their opening two Championship fixtures, 2-1 against Queen’s Park and 1-0 at Ayr United at the weekend.
Longstaff, who played with Cove in the Championship last term, made his debut in a 3-2 home loss to Airdrieonians in the Viaplay Cup, a result which put them out of the competition, before a 1-0 cup defeat at Premiership Dundee.
Their season began with a 2-1 cup win over Bonnyrigg Rose, but a 2-1 loss against Dumbarton was the start of the slide.
Inverness can only watch on this weekend as the Viaplay Cup second round plays out before they return to action at Airdrie next Saturday in their bid to net their first league points.
Attacking is ‘best part’ of the game
Longstaff, whose career kicked off as a Liverpool youth, insists more game-time can only lead to a better understanding of the system and allow him to express himself against their Championship rivals.
He said: “Running at defences and trying to create is the best part of the game for me. That’s what I try to do when I go on the pitch.
“I am still adjusting to being part of a new team. It takes time to build the confidence to pick the ball up and run at players.
“You’re trying to fit in with the system, so that does take time for you to have the confidence to do that.
“Myself and other attacking players like Nathan Shaw will really aim to do that this season when we get the opportunity. It’s what we enjoy.
“In the first couple of games, I was perhaps not as positive (on the ball) as I could have been, but that will come as confidence rises and I get to know our system even more.”
‘We just need one game to click’
And Longstaff hopes ICT will begin to show their real potential when they get that first positive result on the board.
He said: “It is taking a wee bit of time to settle and it would be easier had we been winning games.
“When you’re in a team that’s not picking up points, it seems to always take longer than you’d want.
“As a team, and individually, we will get there. We just need one game to click. Even if we’re not clicking, even just to get a point on the board would be great.”
Highlights of yesterday’s game against Ayr United are available online nowhttps://t.co/CxvgL7AmE1
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) August 13, 2023
ICT ‘not far away’ from good results
ICT leaked an early goal when Francis Amarty netted for the first time since joining Ayr last week.
Yet, for Longstaff, it was the latest example of losing by fine margins.
He said: “After the poor performance against Queen’s Park, we were better against Ayr, and we walked away wondering how we didn’t at least take a point.
“But we can at least take positives from it. After they scored, we were the better team, Ayr didn’t create too much. They were hanging on.
“When we get a point on the board, we will be fine. Getting the first point is taking longer than we’d hoped.
“If you include the cup, we’ve lost the last five games, but we’ve lost by one goal each time. We’re not far away.
“We’re creating chances and, like last Saturday, if one of those go in, we’ll get a result.
Caley Jags ready for Diamonds’ date
Although ICT were edged out by the odd goal against Airdrie last month, the fact they bagged two goals against them gives Longstaff encouragement they won’t be losers at the Excelsior Stadium next week.
He added: “Playing them in the cup was my first game for the club. They were a good team that night and they showed they could hurt us, but we also hurt them.
“If you played that game 10 times, it could have gone either way each time. They had the best of the first half, then in the second half we were better and they were hanging on, just trying to get something out of it before they scored the late winner.
“No one has scored a good goal against us yet since I’ve come in. We’ve made mistakes or we’ve conceded goals which could have been avoided.
“If we can cut out the mistakes and have a better end product then, we will be fine. We just needed a killer finish against Ayr and hopefully we can aim to get better and both ends next weekend.”
After facing the Diamonds, ICT will face League One champions Dunfermline Athletic on September 2 at the Caledonian Stadium in the league, one week before travelling to Arbroath in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
🏆 We will face @ArbroathFC away from home in Round 3 of the SPFL Trust Trophy
Tie to take place weekend of September 9/10th. Ticket and Fixture Info TBC. pic.twitter.com/SklU5YxTZ4
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) August 17, 2023
