Inverness Caledonian Thistle captain accepts patience is needed
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Every footballer wants to play as often as they can, but Inverness Caledonian Thistle are playing so well right now that captain Sean Welsh is happy to be patient in his quest to return to the starting 11.
The 31-year-old was singled out in the aftermath of last weekend’s 3–1 victory over Partick Thistle as someone who was unlucky not to be featuring more after training well and playing to a high standard when coming off the substitutes’ bench.
However, there is the old cliche that you do not change a winning team that is a cliche for a reason, so Welsh understands why he is not playing a bigger role at the moment – even if that is slightly frustrating.
“It’s obviously difficult for myself at the moment,” Welsh admitted.
“Everyone wants to play, but I was a bit unlucky that I picked up an injury in the cup at the start of the season and missed the first couple of league games. The boys who were playing took their chance, and the team are doing great.
“It’s frustrating, but at the end of the day the team is the most important and I’ve just got to do my part coming from the bench. I have to bide my time right now with the results being so good.
“My chance will come, and I’m desperate to play. The gaffer is happy with what I’m doing when I come on, but I’m desperate to get in the starting 11.
“I have to be a little bit patient and wait for my chance. I don’t think there’s anything I can do – I’m training well, I’m helping the team well when I’m coming on, so that’s all I can do.
“The gaffer is sticking with the team that’s winning at the moment, and I can’t really complain about that when they’ve won five out of five.
“I just have to keep going and hopefully something will give and I’ll get back in the team.”
Caley Thistle are no stranger to going on winning runs, but over the last few years they have come later in the season when playing catch-up.
Such a good start brings its own pressure, but ICT will only focus on themselves.
“It’s always important to get off to a good start,” Welsh reasoned.
“That’s massive. When I won the league at Partick we did the same there, and Dunfermline last year got off to a great start and that held them in a play-off spot until the end of the season.
“We’re going to be every team’s cup final at the moment, because we’re the scalp everyone wants to take to stop our unbeaten run.
“We have to deal with that, but at the end of the day we’ve just got to believe in ourselves and keep doing what we’re doing because at the minute it’s working.”
