We owe Caley Thistle some revenge after they gubbed us on the opening day of the season. We were perhaps a bit unlucky, considering it had been 0-0 at half-time and they got a dodgy penalty early in the second half, but the result wasn't a huge surprise considering how pre-season had gone and what the Inverness side have done since then. We didn't lose to them at all last season and managed to beat them at our new ground for the first time, so we could really do with keeping that run up and making it two in a row.
It won't be easy though as Caley Thistle were going great guns before Terry Butcher did one to Hibs, a move which confused a lot of people as it seemed like a step down based on the last few years. The Highlanders have been one of the best teams in Scotland in the last 18 months or so and qualifying for Europe or winning a cup (or even making a final) would confirm that status. The frustrating thing for Saints fans is that Butcher supposedly had a similar budget to ourselves, yet has been able to do far more with it in the league than Danny Lennon has managed. Since Caley Thistle returned to the top flight in 2010 they've comfortably finished above us and look likely to do that again this season.
Annoyingly, for the second league game running we have to be wary of the effect a new manager has on a team. A fortnight ago it was Butcher at Hibs, this time it is John Hughes. I'll talk more about him later but it makes our task extremely difficult – not that it was easy to start with! Not only will we be a bit wary of how Caley Thistle line up, we'll also be up against a team of players desperate to impress their new manager. These situations nearly always lead to an improved performance, and it's not as if Caley Thistle were struggling before their change of manager.
On a positive note we won't have to tackle Caley Thistle without Paul McGowan. It was hugely concerning to see him going off against Queen of the South last week and the rest of the game showed just how much we miss him. The injury he suffered was apparently a knock he was carrying into the game, but it seems the last week has allowed that to clear up enough for him to start. That's a huge boost as our form and performances divebombed last season without him.
With McGowan fit we'll probably field an unchanged line-up, with the team fairly settled at the moment. Spells last week in Dumfries and in the second half against Hibs suggest our defence is a bit shaky but we'll probably stick with the same players, while the rest of the midfield will be familiar. With John McGinn, Kenny McLean and Conor Newton all playing in front of Jim Goodwin we have plenty of attacking intent in the middle of the park, with McGowan continuing to do well supporting Steven Thompson.
When Butcher recently decided to move to Hibs, Caley Thistle found themselves looking for a new manager for the first time in nearly five years. Butcher's assistant Maurice Malpas went with him, which might not be the worse thing for the Highlanders considering how badly his year managing Motherwell had gone. However, opting for John Hughes was a bit of a surprisi move. He was sacked by Hartlepool in May and before that had been at Livingston - his only job since leaving Hibs three years ago. For him to suddenly end up at the team second in the table is a bit odd, but he does like his team to play attractive, attacking football which may be why the Caley Thistle directors decided to go with him.
During the summer Butcher went on a ridiculous signing spree and brought in the equivalent of a new team. However, it's fair to say only a few have really made any sort of impact. James Vincent was excellent in the first few months of the season in the midfield but broke his leg a few months ago and hasn't played since, with Marley Watkins stepping into his place with relative ease. Dean Brill has lived up to his name for the most part - aside from a blunder against Partick Thistle - and the man on loan from Luton may see his deal turned into a permanent move. As for the rest? The likes of midfielders Danny Williams and Ben Greehalgh have barely featured in midfield, striker Torbjorn Agdestein hasn't played much and fullback Carl Tremarco has only come in during the last month or so.
Instead, Butcher stuck mainly with the men that did so well for him last season - although obviously not Andrew Shinnie who signed for Birmingham in the summer. Aaron Doran continues to do well on the wing and chip in with a few goals, while home grown midfielder Nick Ross has done well and is tipped for big things. It's surprising Conor Pepper hasn't played much as he looked pretty handy last season, while Liam Polwarth is gradually being blooded for the first team with a few sub appearances. I seem to remember Ross Draper being a bit of a hard tackler last term but he looks pretty handy for the most part.
While one Shinnie has left, the other has remained. Graeme Shinnie has recently been played on the right of defence but is more commonly seen at leftback and looks as if he could follow his brother to both England and the Scotland squad. Gary Warren and Josh Meekings are a difficult pairing to beat in the middle of the defence, while one time Football Manager must have loan signing David Raven is a good rightback to have. While Brill has been playing this season, Ryan Esson is waiting in the wings (or the bench) if he makes any more mistakes and gets injured. He's a decent option to have, although the time will surely come when he gets tired of being an unused sub.
The main man we have to watch out for is Billy McKay. The striker scored just three goals in his first season in Inverness, so it was rather surprising to see him rattle in 27 last term! Caley Thistle managed to keep hold of him despite a few other clubs sniffing about and he has managed another 13 goals so far this season, which is a big part of why the club is so high up the table. Richie Foran seems to play a supporting role these days but is still capable of getting goals, but the main worry must be what happens if one or both (particularly McKay) gets injured or suspended as, aside from Agdestein, they don't really have any other strikers.
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