Inverness Caley Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson admits off-field collision course with administration are causing concerns in the dressing room
Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson has admitted the players and coaching staff are all worried about the prospect of administration.
The Caley Jags seem to be veering towards a financial cliff, with the board of directors saying at a fans’ meeting on Monday night that administration was the most likely course of action.
There are still a few days to avoid calling in the administrators if Caley Thistle can raise a total of £200,000 by next Wednesday, but Ferguson has admitted that there are concerns seeping into the playing squad about what the future holds.
"The CEO, Charlie Christie, spoke to the lads on Friday and I have spoken to them a little bit too,” Ferguson revealed.
"Charlie spoke to them before the Arbroath game and filled them in on the severity of the situation. That was a bit of a shock to some of them, to be honest.
"I don't know too much about administration and exactly what's going to happen. While we focus on the football, it is hard not to listen to what's going on.
"There is a lot of noise surrounding the club and the players are worried, as we all are as staff of this club.
"Hopefully it won't come to administration, but that seems the direction the club is going in.
"It is very stressful for everyone who works at the club, for all the players, for me and my staff, the fans. It's not easy.”
Administration would throw both Ferguson and the players’ futures at Caley Thistle into doubt, with history showing redundancies are almost inevitably a part of the cost cutting process.
That, in turn, could provide an extra challenge to Ferguson and his coaching staff when it comes to keeping everyone motivated to perform on the pitch.
"The training ground offers a bit of a sanctuary,” he explained.
"It's not easy, especially last Friday before the Arbroath game. We were in a bit of a bad place, but we picked them up within 24 hours so they were ready.
"You have to focus and try and get out there to win some games. If you get wins, things will look a bit better.
"It's also for their futures. If players play well, people will look at them, in terms of having the chance to move on to other clubs.
"If administration comes, we'd maybe lose some of the players. I hope we're all still here next week.
"We know there is a big cloud hanging over us. If the club doesn't come up with the money, it is inevitable we go into administration. Then jobs will be lost.
"Whether I am here might be down to the administrator. It is down to what they decide, it would not be down to me.
"I have to get on with it until someone tells me differently. I will be the same as every other employee at this club.”