BULLISH DODDS IN ATTACK MODE AND PLEDGES HIS SIDE WILL NOT SIT BACK

BILLY DODDS insists Inverness will meet fire with fire and go on the attack against Celtic in today’s Scottish Cup final. Caley Thistle go into the Hampden showpiece as rank outsiders priced as high as 20-1 with some bookmakers. But, despite the odds being stacked against his team, Dodds (below) is confident his underdogs have enough firepower to cause Celtic problems. Particularly given the way that the Premiership champions had started to leak goals towards the end of the league season, he has no intention of sitting back and defending for 90 minutes. ‘I think you cling on to anything when you’re the underdog as a Championship team facing the (Premiership) champions in a Scottish Cup final,’ said the Caley Thistle boss. ‘You’ve got to — it is human nature to look at things like that. ‘I don’t want to go to Hampden and sit there in a shape, hoping for a fluke where we’ve sat back and defended on our own line. ‘Celtic might force us back for long periods, yes, but I want to try and be a threat as well. That’s what we have been working on. ‘We know it is going to be difficult and we know the machine that we’re facing. But is it doable? Percentage-wise, it is not very high, but absolutely its doable. ‘It’s just being factual. I go no further than this season, with Darvel beating Aberdeen. If you don’t believe, don’t turn up.’ While Celtic stand on the brink of a Treble, their defence did look somewhat shaky towards the end of the campaign. Without the services of the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers, they lost at Ibrox and Easter Road — shipping nine goals in three games against Rangers, St Mirren and Hibs.

If there is any sense of uncertainty in their back line, Dodds has urged his players to pounce as they look to spring what would arguably be the biggest shock in Scottish Cup history. He said: ‘We enjoyed playing at Hampden against Falkirk in the semi-final (in a 3-0 victory), but opening Celtic up is a different kettle of fish. ‘That’s why I want to get that balance. We know we’ll face a lot of pressure, we’ll be backs to the wall at times, with a need for the boys to be focused and concentrated at all times. But we also want to be a threat — and I think we are. ‘We usually score goals and there’s only been maybe three or four occasions this season we’ve had a zero to our name. ‘We don’t want to sit back and just hope. We want Celtic to know we’re a threat as well.’ Dodds will be out of contract after today’s game, as will several of his squad and the coaching staff. He is relaxed about what the future holds and insists his full focus is on trying to secure a famous win for the Highland club. He added: ‘Things will hopefully be happening over the next few weeks. ‘I’m in a similar situation. Hopefully we’ll get something sorted out. We’re all in the same boat, the players, myself and my staff. ‘Contracts are coming to an end and we’re hopefully going to get talking soon. ‘I look at my time here as nothing but success. I really do. ‘We were so close to getting to the Premiership last season. ‘We nearly pulled off a miracle in itself by almost making the play-offs despite the huge numbers of injuries we have had. ‘And now we’re in a Scottish Cup final. I couldn’t ask any more of the players, either last season or this season. For me, we’ve had nothing but success — and great times.’