Butcher confident of better from ICT

TERRY Butcher insists that both he and the club will benefit greatly this season from the disappointments Caley Thistle endured during the previous campaign.

Inverness finished 10th in the Scottish Premier League last season with injury in particular continually frustrating Butcher and his attempts to find a settled team and system.

Out of the adversity, however, comes an optimism and a desire to improve, something Butcher is confident his squad will do as the new SPL campaign prepares to get under way tomorrow.

"I learnt a helluva lot more from last season than I ever have done in my professional career," said the Caley Thistle manager.

"If you can take on board those experiences and benefit from them then I’ll be better for it and so will the club.

"It did hurt a lot more last season when we lost games we generally played well in.

"When it really kicks in is the Sunday morning when you wake up around 7am having been in a dream then the realisation you lost hits you.

"It makes you feel sick and there’s a horrible feeling at the back of your throat.

"You then analyse what you did and didn’t do in terms of preparation, planning, team selection, subs.

"You actually over-analyse, no doubt about that, and I certainly did that a lot last season.

"People have said to me it was a bad season last time out, but I don’t agree. It was, for me, a season of bad luck more than a bad season."

Butcher concedes that even before last season finished, he was already turning his attentions to new signings.

A cut to his budget has not been ideal, but Butcher is happy to have secured goalkeeper Antonio Reguero, defenders David Raven, Gary Warren and Simon King, midfielder Ross Draper and striker Jason Oswell, making up for the departures of players such as Kenny Gillet, Greg Tansey, Gregory Tade and Jonny Hayes.

The most pleasing aspect has for Butcher, however, has been acquiring individuals with experience to bolster what is a young squad at Caley Thistle.

"We’ve brought in some experienced characters," he said.

"Simon King, Ross Draper, David Raven and Gary Warren are all experienced and each one of them captains in their own right.

"It’s a vibrant dressing room and I think that’s because we have got the new players in quicker and that they’ve had more of a chance to settle.

"They are giving each other lifts to training, they are meeting for BBQ’s, or going to town, so we’re probably six to eight weeks ahead of where we were at this time last year.

"Because of this, we’ve given ourselves the possibility of a much better season this time around than compared to last season."

Caley Thistle begin the new SPL season away to a St Mirren side they have not lost to since a 2-1 home defeat in December 2010.

Of the last six games between the two teams, Inverness have won four and drawn the other two, while the Highland Capital club are unbeaten in their last five visits to Paisley.

They will, however, have to do without captain Richie Foran, who is suspended tomorrow and for the home game against Kilmarnock next weekend, while youngster Matthew Cooper (ankle) is also out.

"Richie’s suspension gives someone else a chance," said Butcher, who was yesterday hoping that Chris Hogg will be given the all clear from his specialist to resume full training. "I know who will be in there and while Richie will be a miss, I’ve brought in some good, experienced players to make up for this."