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| Golabek: We can't afford to lose 05 March 2010 | |
| STUART Golabek has stopped short of labelling Caley Thistle's game at Dundee tomorrow as a must-win, but equally he knows they have to avoid defeat at Dens Park in order to maintain their push for the Division One title. Inverness are currently nine points behind league leaders Dundee, but the Highland Capital club do have a game in hand on the Dark Blues. Victory for Caley Thistle in Tayside would increase the pressure on Dundee, who have won only three and lost two of their previous six league matches. In stark contrast, Inverness are unbeaten in any of their last eight Division One fixtures - a run that has taken them to within striking distance of Dundee. The Dark Blues, however, have yet to taste defeat in three encounters against the Highland Capital club this season, the teams drawing twice in the league, while Dundee came from two goals down to win the Challenge Cup at Caley Thistle's expense in November. For both teams, it is a crunch game and one that Golabek maintains Inverness must come out of with at least a point if they are to sustain genuine hope of winning the title and with it promotion back to the Scottish Premier League. "I don't think that on Saturday we can afford to lose the game, if I'm being honest," he said. "We'll simply be going to Dundee looking to win the match, as we do every game we play. "We're more than capable of going there and winning the game and I certainly believe they'll be thinking that we're a bit of a threat to them. "Dundee have been getting results, albeit they've not been playing that well by all accounts, but they are still picking up wins, so it's up to us to try and cut that deficit a bit and reduce it to six points going into the Queen of the South game. Over the next week we could actually find ourselves in quite a good position. "If we can take care of Dundee and then beat Queen of South up here then we'll put ourselves in with a real chance. There's still everything to play for, but there's no doubt that on Saturday that it's one of the biggest games of the season so far." Golabek's optimism comes in a week where the club were boosted by the news that both manager Terry Butcher and his assistant Maurice Malpas had agreed contract extensions until the summer of 2011. The 35-year-old defender was pleased to learn that Caley Thistle chairman George Fraser had convinced the current management duo to prolong their stays in the Highland Capital for at least another season, particularly as he believes not only can it persuade several players out of contract at the end of the current campaign to stay, but also allows Butcher and Malpas to carry on the rebuilding of the squad following last year's relegation from the SPL. Lee Cox strokes the ball past Dundee keeper Tony Bullock for the second equalising goal when the teams met in August. Peter Kelly "To have the manager tied up for next season is good news," he stated. "It gives an indication that the club is looking beyond the end of this season. It's positive because now the manager can perhaps start speaking to players and hopefully we can keep the majority of the squad together because if it doesn't happen for us this season, then I believe we can make a decent push next season. "A lot of players came in over the summer and for the first seven games there were probably a few silly results. However, after the first quarter of the season results picked up and that is down to the manager and Maurice really. "The players enjoy training and there is a good vibe about the place. I think everyone now is just in a good, positive frame of mind." Golabek is one of a number of players at Caley Thistle whose present deal will expire come the summer, but he is just enjoying his second stint at Inverness after rejoining the club from Ross County in September last year. "I was sorry that I left Caley Thistle in the first place, but that was down to me because I wasn't patient enough and willing to wait for a chance," he said, reflecting on his departure from Caley Thistle in 2007. "Since I've came back here I've really enjoyed playing under the manager. I get on with him really well. "Both the manager and Maurice are two really football-minded people and they want you to play from the back. "They are always very positive. They never think negative at all and that is good for the players because it helps to give us confidence in what we do." |
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