Source: Team_Talk
Hughes wants Bairns to toughen up
The Bairns will travel to the Caledonian Stadium needing to win to avoid the drop in what is a three-way battle with their hosts and St Mirren on the final weekend of the SPL season.
Hughes watched his side lose 2-0 at home to Saints last time out, a game which could have seen Falkirk secure survival.
He told the BBC: "If the boys are feeling sorry for themselves, I would be obliged if they could tell me, 'Mentally I'm not ready for this, gaffer'.
"We were lacking desire on Saturday. Maybe I'm too loyal to the players."
He added: "We let ourselves down on Saturday.
"St Mirren thoroughly deserved their victory.
"I was really concerned about our performance. I thought we were flat, we looked heavy.
"You need to come back in positive, regroup and go again on Saturday.
"You need to use all the mental tools so you're going out there with a spring in your step.
"It's going to be a very difficult game up at Inverness but we know what we need to do.
"Hopefully we can go and put on our best performance of the season. If we do that, we are capable of going and winning there. There's still plenty to play for.
"If I was a player, if I knew I had the opportunity on Saturday to stay in the SPL, and I'd got well turned over by St Mirren, and I'd got a couple of days' rest, I'd be coming in to that training session with the bit between my teeth.
"But they were a bit flat and it's our job to pick them up again.
"They're a hard-working bunch of boys and if you get them in the right frame of mind they can go up and pick up three points.
"I know there's a big cup final to look forward to but I would swap that for staying in the SPL.
"I've had many a player with all kinds of injuries but I've never had one that has come and banged on my door and said, 'Mentally I'm not ready to go'.
"You get challenges in life and you have to overcome them. You can't have any kind of negativity in your head."
