Duncan Ferguson might let Caley Thistle players leave his Championship club – after signing three defenders within 24 hours.
The Inverness manager, who takes his eighth-placed team to second-top Raith Rovers on Saturday, completed a hat-trick of deals on Thursday.
Dundee’s Cammy Kerr and Leeds United and Scotland under-21 defender Jeremiah Mullen joined on loan while Newcastle United centre-half Remi Savage arrived on a permanent deal.
For defensive options, ICT already have on-loan Livingston defender Morgan Boyes, Wigan Athletic loan player James Carragher, vice-captain Danny Devine, full-back Wallace Duffy, as well as Nikola Ujdur, Jake Davidson, David Carson and Cammy Harper. Lewis Nicolson is another strong performer once he returns from his long-term injury.
The new defensive trio of Kerr, Chilokoa-Mullen and Savage join loanee Ross County striker Alex Samuel and Carragher as the five January signings so far.
With the window closing next Thursday, it’s expected that more new faces will join ICT and others will depart.
📰 #LUFC wishes Jeremiah Mullen the best of luck, as he joins Inverness on loan until the end of the season
— Leeds United (@LUFC) January 25, 2024
‘Football moves very quickly’ – boss
With Sean Welsh, David Wotherspoon, Cillian Sheridan, Zak Delaney and Harry Hennem leaving Inverness, it means Ferguson has matched the numbers, albeit mainly in one area.
And the ICT boss has not ruled out some of his current squad moving on.
He said: “There is always a possibility that players might leave.
“I am happy with what I’ve got, but once you start bringing players in the squad becomes that wee bit bigger.
“In the main, one or two (more) might go out.
“Football moves very quickly. You are always looking to bring in good players.
“We feel the players who have come in on Thursday are good players.
“It keeps everyone on their toes. It’s part and parcel of the game.
“Some move on, some come in and hopefully you are stronger for it.”
🔜 We're back in league action this weekend, as we face Raith Rovers at Stark's Park
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— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) January 22, 2024
Caley Jags kick off in eighth position
Ferguson, meanwhile, wants Caley Thistle’s slick passing game to result in more league points – starting on Saturday at second-top Raith Rovers.
Since replacing Billy Dodds in the Inverness hot-seat in late September, Ferguson’s team have collected 20 points from 15 league fixtures. They had just one point on the board before that.
The former Everton caretaker boss got off to a strong start, with ICT winning three and drawing three before losing 2-1 late on against Raith in December.
His team’s displays have earned plenty of plaudits, but just two victories in their last eight league games leaves them in eighth position, just one point in front of Queen’s Park and three points ahead of rock-bottom Arbroath.
Raith have beaten ICT twice with late turnarounds this season, but they go into Saturday on the back of successive league defeats against Airdrie and Queen’s Park.
Having led the division over the festive period, they now trail Dundee United on goal difference and have played one match more.
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— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) January 26, 2024
Convert good play into wins – boss
Ferguson, whose side beat Lowland League Broomhill 4-0 on Saturday to line up a fifth-round home tie with Hibs on February 10, sees his plans coming together, but wants more points to show for it.
He said: “People can see our style of play very clearly, how we keep possession, make passes and build through the pitch and create overloads in certain areas.
“We create chances and we’re starting to take more chances. We have scored seven goals over the last three games, albeit one was the Scottish Cup game against a lower division team.
“Our style of play is there for all to see, so I am happy with that. The squad is definitely fitter and we have a certain style of play. We have to try and convert that into wins, but we’ve not been far away in many of the games.
“The only game we struggled in was the defeat at Airdrie on their plastic pitch.
“I am well aware we’re going to play on another plastic pitch on Saturday against Raith Rovers.”
There are no fresh fitness concerns for Ferguson, with forward Harry Lodovica the main absentee due to an ankle ligament injury, which sidelines him for several months.
