Midfielder says arrival of new boss has boosted belief at Inverness Caley Thistle
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LUIS Longstaff talks of burgeoning belief at Caley Thistle – and reckons the team is only going to get better under Duncan Ferguson.
The former Newcastle United and Liverpool youth grew up in cities where the new Caley Thistle boss’s exploits were legendary.
But once the dazzle of initial excitement over the appointment had ebbed and Ferguson had bedded in through the first training sessions, Longstaff quickly saw the quality of coach and leader behind the big name and hype.
Ferguson has taken four points from his first two games in charge, with victory at Arbroath followed by a 0-0 draw with Partick Thistle on his home debut.
While the hosts ultimately lacked a killer touch, they kept a first clean sheet of the season against the Championship’s top scorers.
Ferguson’s influence on team shape, style and solidity was there for all to see.
“He is a big-name appointment and everyone can see the bounce we have taken,” the 22-year-old Longstaff said.
“We look pretty solid from the back. It feels like everyone is at it, 100 per cent, through the whole game.
“That’s the difference from before. You can see it in everyone’s eyes, we are not going to concede cheaply.
“If we can create better at the other end, that’s a positive, but it is just getting the basics right first. The more we work with the gaffer, the more the attacking side will come together.”
Longstaff, signed from Cove this summer, has been inundated with messages and queries about Ferguson from back home in the north-east of England.
His impression is entirely positive.
“We probably had the majority of play against Partick,” he said. “You could say a draw was a fair result, but we came away disappointed. We felt we played well enough to get more. It was just us lacking a wee bit of quality and cutting edge.
“Since the gaffer has come in, it has been brilliant. The energy in training, every single day, is huge. Normally you get that bounce for the first session, but it has been like that every single day.
“That’s down to us wanting to do that, but also him not letting us drop our standards.
“Against Partick, the final bit of quality wasn’t quite there. The effort, and everything else, was still there.”
The winger feels his own form is now blossoming, with better to come, after a sticky start personally.
“I feel like I’ve started to grow in confidence over the last couple of weeks,” he admitted. “The team playing better makes you feel better about it as well.
“My confidence and the whole team’s confidence has grown. That’s bringing the best out of everyone, but we need to be patient.
“We’re heading in the right direction, but the new manager has only been here a week or two. The reaction in that time is pretty positive. There’s no point dwelling on our league position.
“It’s going to take time, but performances show it is going in the right direction.”
