Inverness 'swimming upstream' as tough year ends in relegation

The play-off final was a hard watch for Inverness manager Duncan Ferguson

This time last year Inverness Caledonian Thistle were preparing for the Scottish Cup final. Now they are contemplating life in League 1.

For the first time since 1999, the club from the Highlands' only city will be in the third tier.

Manager Duncan Ferguson says he wants to stay. Those running the club say they want to remain full-time.

But will it be that simple?

"The financial implications are huge," said former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart. "It’s a major reset. How do they do that financially?

"It just seems like they’re swimming upstream. Nothing’s going for them and it’s a serious concern."

Caley Thistle were bottom of the Championship when Ferguson signed a three-year deal in late September.

They finished ninth, despite a positive goal difference - something the five teams above them could not manage.

They won 10 of their 36 league matches, finishing a mere three points off fifth place, which illustrates the cutthroat nature of the division.

"It shows you the Championship," said Ferguson's ex-Everton team-mate James McFadden. "We talk about how good it is, the drama as a neutral, it is a brilliant league.

"But you can be sitting in a great position and before you know it, you're down at the bottom."

When Ferguson took over from the sacked Billy Dodds, Caley Thistle had one point from six matches.

There was an immediate 'bounce', with a six-game unbeaten run hoisting them up to seventh.

In April, they won at Queen's Park to leapfrog the hosts into eighth spot but four points from their final three games was not enough as the Spiders found seven across the same spell.

Scoring was a problem, with only 40 league goals. One from veteran Billy Mckay was enough in the first play-off tie with Montrose.

They hit three across two legs in the final, but Hamilton Academical got five.

Maintaining home backing is key - Wilson

"I think everyone's got to take a share of the blame," said Barry Wilson, who was assistant to Dodds.

"We had a couple of years of playing a month extra, reaching the play-off final and then getting to the Scottish Cup final.

"We didn't have much time this season to get the players ready. We had a bad start and that cost us our jobs.

"But there was 30, 31 games to go, so blame lies with the board, with management and with the players."

It has taken Falkirk five years to get out of League One and Queen of the South are readying themselves for a third term at that level, so a rapid return is certainly not a given for a club that lifted the Scottish Cup and finished third in the top flight less than a decade ago.

"It's dark days at the minute," added Wilson.

"Away crowds are never great in the Championship, so there might just be a slight difference there.

"If they can get a fast start, then hopefully the home fans will back them and get them straight back up in one season."