Former Caley Thistle captain Stuart Golabek believes communication is key as the defenders look to tighten up at the back.
Soft goals conceded in 2-1 defeats against Morton and Arbroath over the past week have denied Inverness the chance to push for the top four places in the Championship.
Instead, they find themselves five points from fourth-placed Dunfermline Athletic, and just three points above new basement side Queen’s Park.
Boss Duncan Ferguson has pinpointed the need for defenders to put their heads in where it hurts at times to clear the danger, with Arbroath’s goals at the weekend coming a bit too easy in his opinion.
All defenders can play their parts
Ex-defender Golabek, who played 242 games for Inverness including four years in the Premiership, says team-work and talking is crucial for success.
He said: “As a defender, your priority is to try and get a clean sheet.
“Whether you’re a back three, four or five, you have to have a solid foundation, while you set your attacking players up to score goals. If you’re conceding, you’re putting pressure on your attacking players to score.
“While it’s okay to think about yourself as a individual when you play, at the same time there has to be communication and everybody working together. I am a great believer, that helps get clean sheets.
“If you can keep the back door shut, that gives you a great foundation to go on and win games. Caley Thistle have clearly got boys that can score goals.
“Whether it’s an experienced player like Danny Devine or one of the younger boys, it doesn’t make much difference. The experienced guys can lead by example, but the younger players can play their part too.
“It doesn’t matter what level of football you’re playing it, clean sheets are so important and the teams with the most clean sheets and score the most goals will normally win the league.”
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Solid start for Ferguson at Inverness
Ferguson lost just one of his first nine games in charge after taking over from Billy Dodds in September and Golabek is hopeful they can rediscover that form to push up the division.
He said: “Initially, when the manager came in they seemed to be set up in a way that was difficult to beat, but they have now had back-to-back defeats.
“With the strong start that Duncan Ferguson had, they got themselves into a good position to challenge for the play-offs.
“There is still a long way to go and around Christmas is the time where teams can put their foot of the pedal to try and be in the mix for the play-offs.
“At the moment, it looks like a two-horse race between Raith Rovers and Dundee United for the title.
“The Arbroath defeat would have been a result Caley Thistle would have never seen coming.
“They seem to be leaking a few goals at the moment, but if they can return to that solid foundation Duncan had at the start then there is no reason why they can’t get back to that form.”
Morton and Arbroath earning lifts
Losing against the bottom teams before kicking off against them is not ideal for Inverness and Golabek reckons ICT must show they can match their rivals.
He added: “It will be a wee bit concerning to have conceded goals against Morton and especially Arbroath, who have not been free-scoring this season.
“They are a really difficult team to play against, but Jim McIntyre has made a slight difference since he’s come in – as was shown on Saturday.
“Morton have started to pick up wins too, so it’s important to try and get away from the mix at the bottom.”
Graham firing for in-form Partick
Looking ahead to ICT’s trip to third-placed Partick Thistle, Golabek explained he’s a great admirer of their boss Kris Doolan and expects the Highlanders to face a testing time in Glasgow.
He said: “I really like Partick Thistle – they are a really good side.
“Kris Doolan is doing an exceptional job there, especially when you consider they lost a core of their team with Kyle Turner, Ross Docherty and Kevin Holt all moving on.
“Their manager seems to have found players, be it youngsters or by adding players to replace those who have gone.
“Partick Thistle is always a difficult place to go. They can be inconsistent, but at the moment they are certainly more consistent.
“Brian Graham might be at the wrong side of 30 (at the age of 36), but he still keeps himself fit. That’s the reason he’s still playing in the Championship. He’s still got a great appetite for the game and that’s why he’s still scoring goals (12 this season).
“Saturday will be a really difficult game for Caley Thistle. Despite being eighth, they are only one point away from fifth, so there is not a massive difference between those at the bottom and those fighting for the play-off positions.
“It don’t see there being a great difference between that in the coming months.”
