LISTEN: Warren upbeat for new look ICT this season
The Caley Thistle skipper says their new manager's instilled a "winning mentality" into the side
Saturday's 7-0 drubbing of Arbroath, coupled with the 5-1 thrashing of Dunfermline, will have given Caley Thistle fans much hope for the new Premiership season ahead.
Skipper Gary Warren is just getting used to calling Richie Foran gaffer, but if the standard of football is the same throughout the campaign, then it promises to be a fruitful first season for the new Inverness boss.
Warren said: "I think he's taken to it like a duck to water, the way he's come across has been very positive, and from his player role to a manager he still has that will to win"
"That desire to succeed is probably even stronger now he's a manager"
"As a player I think, 4-or-5 years since I came to this club, I've always seen him as a one-day manager and I think this is the right time for him to take over"
"I think having that continuity is important, because we're a bit out of the way, the team spirit, the togetherness, we're all united as a whole"
Caley Thistle's opening performances in the League Cup have been impressive and Warren hopes there are opportunities to build on that.
Warren said: "If you look at the start we've made in the cup, how many goals we've scored, then yes it's been a good pre-season"
"We're always optimistic and excited by the start of the new season and challenges in front of us"
"First of all we look to avoid relegation, and once we reach that benchmark, then we hope to kick on from there"
"In terms of last year, it's not a lot different, but attacking-wise we're getting a lot more balls into the box and when you get a chance - shoot - and I think that's been shown by the amount of goals we've scored, especially in the last week"
"When you do play, I think we're always out to win a game at all costs"
"Okay, we lost to Dundee United on penalties, but out of pre-season I see us unbeaten and we look to continue that winning run and the gaffer's instilled that mentality within the squad"
"Last year, if you look at the amount of injuries we had, and the start we had wasn't ideal for us - so if we can get off to a good start and see where it takes us"
Warren looks ahead to their first test at Partick Thistle:
The big Bristolian has also hailed the boost for Scottish football with the return of Rangers after an absence of four years:
"Rangers coming into the league will bring crowds and it'll be one of these fixtures you look out for, you always want to test yourself on the big stage - especially down at Ibrox"
"They've made some good signings this year and I hope it puts Scotland more on the map, especially with the profile of the derby fixture, so for me I think this is the strongest the league has been"