It is up to me to keep Inverness Caley Thistle defence on their toes, says goalkeeper Mark Ridgers
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GOALKEEPER Mark Ridgers says it is up to him to keep Caley Thistle's defence on their toes.
Inverness head to Arbroath today looking for their first win of the Championship campaign after a 1–1 draw with Queen's Park on the opening weekend.
Ridgers (31) has been working with a new back four this season, with Wallace Duffy and Zak Delaney together at centre-back, with Cameron Harper at left back.
He says it is up to him to keep things in order at the back and ensure a successful campaign in defence.
“Looking back to the 200 games I’ve played, nearly every season I’ve had to work with a different back four.
“Other players have left and new players have come in.
“It’s up to me to keep them on their toes really. The boys in front know what they're going to get from me.
“I expect the same back.
“We’ve worked a lot on the training field, especially this week, on how we want to defend, cut out the silly mistakes and cut out the opportunities for the opposition to break on us and score.
“On Saturday past, we were caught out twice and I’ve managed to save them both, but it is these aspects where we have to improve.
“It is quite new to Wallace Duffy and Zak Delaney together at centre-back, with Cameron Harper back in the team at left-back.
“They are good players and they will learn quickly.”
Ridgers says after the disappointment of losing in the Premiership play-off final to St Johnstone last season, there is a determination that Caley Thistle go one better this season and achieve promotion.
“The biggest thing, based on last year, is belief really.
“The manager is brilliant at that. He is so positive and gets all the lads going.
“It is about belief in the ability we have because we’ve got a good team, no question.
“It is about trying to show it every week.
“At key points in games, whether ahead or chasing the game, it is about managing the game and not over-committing to give the opposition the chance to score.
“We have enough quality to win games and, looking at the league, there’s nobody we fear, so we have to take that belief with us into each test we face.
“We can’t look too far forward. It literally has to be game by game.
“The new boys will soon realise that as well.”
