Captain Sean Welsh has told his Inverness team-mates they have to believe they can pull off “a miracle” in what will be the biggest game of his career this Saturday.
The cinch Championship side are big underdogs for their Scottish Cup final showdown with Celtic, who are bidding to complete a domestic treble.
Welsh knows it will take a huge effort to pull off an upset at Hampden but the 33-year-old is adamant his team have a chance.
“It ranks at the very top for me,” said the former Partick Thistle and Falkirk midfielder when asked about the size of the game in the context of his career.
“It’s not very often you get to play on an occasion like this, especially at my age getting to the latter stages of my career. I am thoroughly looking forward to it.
“We’ve got to believe, I’ve said that to the lads all week. We’ve got to believe we can pull off a miracle.
“We don’t just want to go there for a day out and get caught up in the occasion.
“We know it’s a massive challenge in front of us, but we’ve got to have belief in ourselves.
“We know we have a good group and we know we are going to be up against it at times in the game but we’ve got to stick together and have that belief that we can do it.”
Celtic won only two of their closing six Premiership matches as they had the title wrapped up with time to spare, but Welsh dismissed any notion that his team can draw encouragement from the champions’ recent form dip.
“I don’t think you can look too much into that,” he added.
“They wrapped up the title early doors and then had a few results they probably weren’t happy with but you saw at the weekend (when they beat Aberdeen 5-0) they can turn it on when they need to. I’m sure they’ll be right up for this.
“It’s not going to make much difference to us, we know how hard the challenge is going to be.”
Inverness will have gone more than four weeks without a competitive game by the time they run out at Hampden on Saturday.
Although Welsh admits it is “not ideal” in terms of maintaining match sharpness, he feels the month-long break has at least allowed them to banish any lingering disappointment after they lost to Ayr in their final Championship fixture and missed out on the play-offs.
“It was good to get some time to get over what happened in the last game of the season,” he said.
“That was a difficult night and we were all very disappointed to miss out on the play-offs so the time away was good for us to clear our minds and get over it.
“We didn’t want that lingering going into this massive game.
“We’ve come back in refreshed and excited and we’re looking forward to it.”
I’m living two incredible jobs – New mum Toni Duggan relishing WSL return
Toni Duggan is proud to be “living two incredible jobs” after making her return for Everton with baby daughter Luella in tow.
The 32-year-old came on as a late substitute in Everton’s 2-1 defeat by Brighton at Walton Hall Park on Sunday, her first appearance for more than a year.
“It was so good,” she said. “I’ve been itching to get out there. Just to be back with the girls, I’m just so happy.
View this post on Instagram“I know it’s a big achievement in itself coming back after giving birth, but when you’re coming on you’re not really thinking about that, you just want to help the team.
“It’s only after when the girls are so happy for you that you realise you’ve come back and that’s it now. Happy to have ticked that off and just help the team for the rest of the season.”
Duggan gave birth in March after undertaking a training programme through her pregnancy and thanked her team-mates for helping her get back to fitness.
“I feel good,” she said. “The early stages were hard but the girls got me through it. Connor was great, he’s our physio, I came in early in the pre-season and did some sessions with him.
“Honestly, my team-mates, I can’t thank them enough because they’ve been so supportive. On the days when it’s hard, they’ve dug me out. I owe it to the girls.”
Duggan’s mother has taken on childcare duties while the forward trains and she is managing to successfully juggle her two roles.
She said: “I have to credit my family and friends because they’ve been so amazing. They say it takes a big circle to bring up a child and it definitely does. I wouldn’t be back playing if it wasn’t for them.
“Some days when I get home from training tired, I used to have a sleep, now it’s different, Luella just gets passed to me, but you get a second wind, it’s just different. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m living two incredible jobs and I’m proud to be in this position.”
View this post on InstagramCombining motherhood with a career in the Women’s Super League remains rare.
Duggan, who has previously played for Manchester City, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and been capped 76 times by England, is happy to be a figurehead but remains ambitious on the pitch.
She said: “Whether it took me six months, 12 months or 12 weeks to get back, it’s still a big achievement, for the girls out there that have done it before me and the girls that will do it in future. It’s powerful and I’m proud to be one of those women now.
“But this is only the start. I still feel good in myself. I’m 32 now, you see a lot of players playing until they’re 35, 36. It shouldn’t be held against you that I’ve had a baby or my age.
“I feel good and I just want to kick on from here and just be treated as just another player. It’s great I’ve got Luella, but I’m a footballer and I want to be judged by how I do on the pitch. I’m ready for that challenge. I love football, it’s been my life and I hope that it can continue.”
Marsch, Hasenhuttl or McInnes – who could be in contention for Rangers post?
Rangers are searching for a new manager following the sacking of Michael Beale on Sunday.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at some of the candidates who may be given consideration by the Ibrox hierarchy.
Kevin MuscatThe 50-year-old former Australia defender – who played for Rangers in the 2002-03 season – is currently flourishing in charge of Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos after succeeding the Celtic-bound Ange Postecoglou in the role in the summer of 2021. Won the Japanese league title last year and his team are currently second, four points off the top with five games to play.
Jesse MarschAs part of the Red Bull group, the 49-year-old American came to prominence when he led Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg – who had Erling Haaland in attack in his first season in charge – to two consecutive league and cup doubles. Renowned for his high-intensity approach, Marsch earned a crack at the Leeds job in February 2022 following the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa and ensured they stayed in the Premier League, but a poor start to his first full season at Elland Road led to him being sacked back in February. Was interviewed about vacancies at Southampton and Leicester earlier this year but remains out of work.
Kjetil KnutsenThe 54-year-old Norwegian has made a name for himself after establishing Bodo/Glimt as one of the top teams in Norway since taking charge in 2018. Led them to their first-ever title win in 2020 and followed up the feat a year later. Currently a point clear at the top of the Eliteserien after 23 games. Has also overseen some impressive European runs over the past three seasons, most notably in the 2021/22 campaign when Bodo/Glimt reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League after defeating Postecoglou’s Celtic 5-1 on aggregate.
Ralph HasenhuttlThe Austrian, 56, is still out of work after losing his job at Southampton a year ago following a poor start to last season. Landing the highly-regarded former RB Leipzig manager would be viewed as something of a coup for Rangers.
Derek McInnesThe 52-year-old former Rangers midfielder turned down the Ibrox job in 2017 while he was on a long and fruitful stint in charge of Aberdeen. Following his departure from Pittodrie, McInnes has done an impressive job with Kilmarnock, leading them from the Championship and re-establishing them in the top flight. He has already overseen victories over both Glasgow sides this season. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers endorsed him as a potential Ibrox boss in August. “He was very close to getting the Rangers job a few years ago and why couldn’t he manage Rangers?” said Rodgers. “He’s a former player there, a very good player, who was part of a successful era for the club so there’s no doubt that could be one for him in the future because he’s an outstanding manager.”
Michael Beale calls for Rangers unity as he wishes club the best after sacking
Michael Beale wished Rangers well for the future as he issued a social media post within hours of his sacking backing the Ibrox club to get back on track.
The 43-year-old was relieved of his duties as Rangers boss late on Sunday evening following a dismal start to the season.
Three defeats in seven cinch Premiership matches left them third in the league – behind St Mirren – and seven points adrift of city rivals Celtic before the axe fell on the Englishman.
View this post on InstagramA 7-3 aggregate defeat by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round in August also helped heighten the pressure on Beale, whose summer rebuild has been widely criticised with a raft of new signings failing to have the desired impact.
Beale was swift to pay tribute to the club despite his sacking, as he took to Instagram in the early hours of Monday morning to wish new caretaker Steven Davis all the best.
“Thank you @RangersFC to everyone behind the scenes at the training ground and Ibrox, to the board, staff, fans and all the players,” he wrote. “I will always follow and support the club from afar and wish you every success.
“Now is the time for everyone to unite fully behind Steven Davis and the team in the coming games.
“There is still so much to play for this season and I have a strong belief in this group of players. Thank you and good luck.”
Beale’s backroom team of Neil Banfield, Damian Matthew, Harry Watling and Jack Ade have also left the club.
Davis, the long-serving former Rangers midfielder, has been placed in interim charge and will assisted be another couple of ex-Gers players in Alex Rae and Steven Smith, as well as coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.
Their first task is to rouse the team following Saturday’s humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to Aberdeen as they prepare to head to Cyprus to face Aris Limassol in the Europa League on Thursday.
Rangers’ next league match is away to second-placed St Mirren on Sunday before the international break brings a fortnight in which they can try to regroup and bed in a new manager.
Kevin Muscat, the former Rangers defender who is currently in charge of Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos, is the early bookmakers’ favourite for the role.
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