Polworth is positive Caley can stun Ibrox

LIAM POLWORTH is confident that self-belief will be pumping through the veins of Inverness players as they step out at Ibrox today.

Following last month’s 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park, Caley Thistle boss Richie Foran criticised his team for timidity and a lack of conviction on the ball against the league leaders.

Now locked in a run of seven games without a victory, the Highlanders need to become the first visiting team to win a match in Govan this season to break that sequence.

But Polworth feels certain they will answer the manager’s call and not be found wanting once again.

‘We have to show more belief — and I’m sure we will,’ insisted the 22-year-old Scottish midfielder.

‘If the manager was critical of the mentality last time, we’ve got to make sure he’s not going to be critical of it again. We need to put on a performance that merits a win and, hopefully, the points come our way.

‘I don’t think we played well in that game against Celtic, so what the manager said, he said for a valid reason. It’s what he saw watching the game.

‘We didn’t play how we wanted to, didn’t keep the ball and didn’t win the game, but we know we are capable of much better.

‘We know it’ll be tough down there. Rangers have started to pick up form and we haven’t picked up the points we’d have liked to recently.

‘But we are full of confidence and I wouldn’t say it’s mission impossible. We’ve been to Celtic Park before when they were flying and picked up a result. If we get the rub of the green, we can get something.

‘Ibrox is a difficult place to get a result, but if you’re worrying about playing in front of a crowd like that, there’s not much point playing the game.

‘They get a few more people coming to watch them than we do and it’s obviously going to be a tough game, but all that matters is what happens on the pitch.’

Caley Thistle have won just once on the road this season, but Polworth (below) says the signs underlying the current run without a victory are encouraging.

In mid-October, only a solitary Kenny Miller strike separated the sides in Inverness, with the hosts nursing a sense they could and should have taken something from the match.

‘We haven’t picked up the points we wanted and the league table doesn’t lie,’ added Polworth.

‘But I think the performances have merited more points than we’ve got. If we put in a good performance, we’ve always got a chance of picking something up.

‘You can get at most teams in the league and Rangers are no different. If you get your possession and passing right, you can get through them. We know it’s going to be hard, but we’re not going there to lie down.

‘Last time out, it was some goal they scored, but we had chances to win it. If we get into the right positions, we can create chances and get goals. Sometimes, we haven’t got into those areas often enough in matches and we’ve probably not scored as many goals as we should.’

Polworth recently endured five weeks out injured with an ankle problem but made his return in the draw with Kilmarnock last weekend, two weeks ahead of schedule.

Given the manner in which he has stamped his authority on midfield at times this season, the return is more than welcome for Foran and his team.

‘I felt all right coming back last week,’ he continued. ‘I had only trained for a couple of days and wasn’t 100 per cent. But if you have to go on, you go on — you deal with it.

‘Maybe it’s a bit of luck. Some people don’t get the rub of the green with injuries. I went a long time without getting injured, but it happens to everyone at some point. ‘I’m just happy to be back playing. I’m enjoying myself. I’m at a nice place in my life and playing football every week. I’m happy and that transmits through everything in your life.’

“Rangers are no different to any other team”