Match Preview: Inverness Caley Thistle vs Queen’s Park

ROBIN VELDMAN’S THOUGHTS

Overall assessment so far

“We are excited to be getting the league season underway. It’s been a useful and quick pre-season with me having come in as the league cup started. We used the four games to build the team and I feel we were competitive in every game. While results were not all as good as what we would have wished for, we believe that we have developed well and looking at the games again, we did deserve more from some of the attacking football we played.

“We could say we were a little but unlucky but I do not want to use that as an excuse. We want to look at it as development in a good way and see that it puts us in a better place ahead of starting the league season this weekend.”

Objectives

“One of clear objectives is to develop young players and people would have noticed that we have already given valuable game time to some of the young members of the squad. A basic context of their development is that they have to be playing games, it cannot only be training in the first team environment. If young players are training well, it’s important they are rewarded with time to play, whether that be in the starting 11 or coming on as a game changer. 

“For us it is important that we have a good combination of competitiveness in the team, and also in the league where we have ambitions.”

Recruitment

“In terms of recruitment we are very pleased with the players we have brought in. You can see from the league cup games that most of them are starters and in terms of our expectations, the players are where we would want them to be at this stage. We are still looking to strengthen the team though.”

Inverness Caley Thistle

“There is an excitement amongst the squad ahead of this weekend’s game and while I am also looking forward to it, we have some difficult decisions to make in terms of the starting 11. There is good competition within the squad and everyone is ready to go, and to be competitive.

“In respect of Saturday’s game we know Inverness is a tricky place to be starting the season. We have undertaken our analysis work and we know they are a team that like to play football. We expect it to be an open game and it’s important for us that we look to make the most of the opportunities we get to play. It is definitely a hard start to the season but one we are looking forward to.”