Inverness CT determined to make absent Robbo proud says Mccann
Neil Mccann says Inverness aim to make absent boss John Robertson proud as they gear up for the next leg of their Scottish Cup adventure.
With Robertson on compassionate leave, the former Dundee boss has joined up with Billy Dodds to guide Caley Thistle through to the end of the season.
Mccann has had fleeting contact with his old Hearts team-mate since making the move north but is determined to leave Robertson in peace as he takes time away from the game following a family bereavement.
But he also knows that Robertson will find it difficult to switch off entirely from football and will be watching with interest from afar as his team travel to Paisley for tonight's Scottish Cup last-16 clash with St Mirren.
And with their manager still firmly in the thoughts of the players, Mccann knows Caley Thistle will be determined to deliver a boost to Robertson in any small way they can.
"John and I are only in periodic contact through maybe a text message here and there," explained the stand-in boss. "He's had to take a step back and there's not a lot of dialogue.
"But I think he's still 100 per cent engaged in what we're doing here. I'm pretty sure that John would be pretty proud of his side and how they have been faring, particularly over the number of weeks that we have gone unbeaten. So progression in the cup will be really important to John.
"Although he's not got a direct impact here on training, he is still manager of this club. I'm still pretty sure that he will want to see us go and have a really successful cup run.
"Players can be pretty insular and single-minded. I wouldn't use the word selfish but this group are very aware of the situation they find themselves in.
"They have been great with me and their reaction to me and Billy coming in as new coaches. But there's certainly still a feeling that they want to do well for their manager.”
Inverness head down the A9 on the back of an eightgame unbeaten run that has propelled them back into the Championship play-off fight. And Mccann insists they are not going up against Jim Goodwin's Premiership outfit just to make up the numbers.
He said: "I'm a big hater of the phrase 'free hit'. There are no free hits. This is not a free hit for Inverness football club. This is an opportunity for the club to progress and the boys will see it like that as well."
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin won’t be in the dugout for tonight’s match after yesterday being handed a three-match touchline ban, one suspended, for a misconduct charge.
The Buddies boss claimed referee Don Robertson had "cost" his team a place in the top six of the Premiership after handing Hamilton a controversial late free-kick in their final match before the split.
St Mirren tweeted last night: “St Mirren can confirm that Jim Goodwin has been issued a three-match suspension after breaching Disciplinary Rule 203.
"Jim will serve two matches immediately beginning with tomorrow night's match against @ICTFC with a further match suspended until 31st December 2021.”
TONIGHT
(7.45 unless stated)
Scottish Cup. Fourth round
Forfar v Dundee Utd Motherwell v Morton (7.00) St Mirren v Inverness CT (6.00)
English Premier League Everton v Tottenham (8.00)
Sky Bet Championship Reading v Cardiff (6.00) Blackburn v Derby (6.00)