Inverness Caledonian Thistle have five games left to get out of the relegation zone. Can they escape?
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It hasn’t been a great time for Inverness Caledonian Thistle on or off the pitch this season.
With five games remaining, Inverness are four points from safety as they remain in the relegation play-off zone in ninth place.
Rejection of their £3.4 million battery farm application by Highland Council, albeit after they originally got the go ahead and awaiting to hear their appeal with the Scottish Government, has by their own admission, thrown their financially stability for the future into doubt.
Fans voicing their discontent from the stands at matches regarding the club’s situation means it has been a season to forget for Caley Thistle.
With five matches remaining, with their next two against bottom of the table Arbroath and Queen’s Park currently in eighth place, means their next two matches have to be must win.
Arbroath have six games remaining and are nine points behind Inverness with a worse goal difference of 34 goals. A victory against the Red Lichties on Saturday should mean Inverness will almost avoid finishing bottom and automatic relegation.
But whether they can escape the relegation play-off is another matter and while the team will remain confident they can still get out the bottom two, fans may be studying the form of who they could face in the play-offs next month.
Hamilton Academical have almost clinched second place, but third and fourth place are still up for grabs in League One with Alloa Athletic, Cove Rangers and Montrose battling for the remaining two places.
Caley Thistle have failed to win their last four matches which is not the form required going into the final five matches. With only two wins at home this season, home advantage is not something they can rely on either.
Away from home, Inverness have been better with five wins from their seven matches this season.
But to survive, Inverness need to find wins both at home as well as the road. Inverness can still get themselves out of the relegation zone, but they need to figure out how to sort out their problems on and off the pitch to look at the future with more optimism.
