AVOIDING relegation from the cinch Championship remains Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s primary objective in the second half of the season despite the resurgence they have enjoyed since Duncan Ferguson was appointed manager in September.
The Highland club are still, due to the dire start they made to the 2023/24 campaign, perilously close to the foot of the second tier table and desperately need to begin picking up points soon if they are to survive in the division.
Yet, their vastly-experienced striker Billy McKay was looking up not down yesterday ahead of the difficult away encounter with Ayr United at Somerset Park this afternoon.
McKay remains convinced that he and his team mates – who are just six adrift of fourth-placed Airdrie in a tightly-packed league - are good enough to contend for a play-off spot this term even though they have not triumphed in five games now.
“If you are not winning games you do start naturally seeing what is behind you,” he said. “But I still believe in the squad, still believe we’ve got enough in that dressing room.
“We have shown it in glimpses this season. We’ve just got to put a run together. This league is all about putting runs together. If you put two or three together it can take you high up in the table. That’s what we’ve got to do.
“If you go on a run, you do find yourselves back in the play-off mix. That has to be the target. But first and foremost we have to go to Ayr and get three points. That’s the main thing now. We need to stop the run, and then go on a run ourselves.
“I believe when we are at our best we are a match for anyone in the league. We have shown that away at Dundee United and against Partick Thistle. We believe we can match anyone in the league. So we’ve got to make sure we are at our best.”
McKay has played in the Premiership in Scotland with Caley Thistle, Dundee United and Ross County, in the Championship and League One in England with Wigan Athletic and Oldham Athletic and at full international level with Northern Ireland in the past.
Yet, the 35-year-old still feels he has developed greatly as a footballer playing under former United, Rangers, Everton, Newcastle United and Scotland forward Ferguson and is excited about what the future holds with the high-profile manager at the helm.
“It has changed,” he said. “There has been a big difference. There has been a lot of building up from the back. He wants his forward players to come into different areas and get the ball to make things happen.
“I have enjoyed it that way. We have had some really good games against the likes of Queen’s Park, Ayr and Arbroath when we have managed to get a lot of goals. We know we have got the firepower there. We’ve just got to make sure we show it more consistently and keep the door shut at the back.”
McKay added: “I think everyone who has watched the games can see I have played a little bit of a different role under the new manager than I have played in my whole career. He has asked me to come and get involved in the game more, and help the build up play more.
“It’s something I have really enjoyed, coming into a deeper area and allowing space for others to run into or connect with. It has been completely different for me, but I have really enjoyed it so far.
“For me now, it’s just about the team winning. If I can help do that in the way he wants me to, great, but if I’m not scoring I want to be contributing in other areas. It has been a bit different, but I have really enjoyed it and taken to it well.
“Everything looks better with a win. We had a good spell, and we have kind of dropped off it in the last couple of games. It’s just about going down there, winning the game however possible and climbing the table again.”
