It does feel as if there is more than promotion at stake for Caley Thistle as they head into 2020.
A decade which started with such optimism and hope for the future is in danger of becoming a distant memory as the club faces an uncertain future.
I’m not suggesting the club is shutting its doors anytime soon but it is unclear how much longer the status quo of Championship football can continue before drastic action to change the business model is taken.
Sorry if this all sounds doom and gloom as we head into the new year but it is clear these are dark and worrying times at Caledonian Stadium.
Inverness don’t have a US businessman ready to swoop in and save the day like Dundee United have in Mark Ogren. In a short period of time he has transformed the club from treading water in the second tier to racing away with the title and with it a return to the promised land of the top flight.
Nor do Inverness have a Roy MacGregor. A committed, passionate local who has put his hand in his pocket and steadily built the club up from its Highland League roots to a Premiership-quality outfit.
When the Staggies were relegated he ensured the investment was there to take the club back at the first time of asking. He has done so while investing the infrastructure both in the stadium and the club itself.
It is all part of his vision where the club will be able to stand on its own without his financial help.
But what is Caley Thistle’s vision? They don’t have the money to invest in the team and the crowds are dwindling in the Championship.
The annual losses are mounting and even the most optimistic member of the Inverness support must wonder what lies ahead. From Scottish Cup winners and European debutants to also-rans in the second tier of Scottish football within five years is alarming and most worrying of all is that the nadir may not have been reached yet.
No one is saying it but the jungle drums have been beating in the Highlands for the last 18 months about what is going to happen if the club doesn’t get back to the Premiership soon.
Part-time football is the phrase being uttered and if that scenario does come to pass then it is going to take something spectacular for Caley Jags to compete among the leading clubs in the Championship for promotion.
There is a reason players are stalling on signing new contracts with the club. Like the fans they want some clarity about the club’s plans for the next five years.
Five years ago an Inverness player would happily have signed on the bottom line. Their club was third in the league and competing for honours.
But as we head into 2020 there are doubts about where the club is going. That’s why the next five months are pivotal.
Another season in the Championship could have serious ramifications.
