Manager Duncan Ferguson is seeing the pieces of the Caley Thistle jigsaw click into place – with success built upon a strong defensive grounding.
The former Scotland, Rangers, Everton and Newcastle United star, 51, replaced Billy Dodds as the Inverness manager just over a fortnight ago.
A debut 3-2 win at Arbroath was the team’s first Championship victory of the season on matchday seven and they followed that with a goalless draw against third-placed Partick Thistle on Saturday.
After this weekend’s international break, ninth-placed ICT travel to Morton, who sit beneath them on goal difference.
‘We need to connect and combine’
While Ferguson wants to see his team go for goals, he wants his players to be patient and considered against their opponents.
He said: “You can see a wee bit of the style that is going to be attached to us.
“I want to play football and I want to build from the back
“I want us to get into the final third and not just panic and throw balls in the box.
“When we’re in the transition and counter-attacking, yes, you go quickly, but once we’re in we need a rhythm, we need to connect and combine to create the chances.
“I think we started to get that in the second half against Partick Thistle, without quite having that final pass in there.”
Three goals are not always required
Ferguson, whose measured approach on the sidelines has impressed the players, insists any success must be built upon limiting the chances handed to opponents.
He said: “Against Arbroath, we scored three goals and we had to score three goals.
“You don’t want to always be scoring three, so you have to make sure you keep it as a tight defensive unit. We then also have to make sure we’re creating chances.
“Last Saturday, we showed a lack of quality in the final third.
“In the first half, we never finished off our final pass in the counter attacks. The final pass was not quite there.
“We maybe crossed the ball into the box instead of working our way into the box.
“We started to do that more in the second half, keeping possession and combining and connecting at the edge of the box, but without really creating.
“The boys knew they needed to show more confidence in possession and believe in themselves. When we did that in the first half, we got in.
“I think the boys need to show a bit more confidence in possession and believe in themselves, because the first time they did it in the first half they got in behind them.
“It is not about long balls, it is about playing football. Then can we create a chance?
“But our attacking balance was very good, and we restricted Partick to hardly any opportunities.”
Shaping up against Ross County
A closed-door bounce game against Premiership neighbours Ross County this week will keep the Inverness legs ticking over for the players who need it.
Then the squad can get a mini-break before returning for training ahead of their match at Morton next Saturday.
The boss added: “We’ll be having a few days off. I’m all about rewarding players if they give me 100% effort.”
