Linfield manager David Healy has warned his players to pay no attention to Carrick Rangers’ recent Premiership struggles as teams “coming to Windsor automatically get a lift” and knows from last season that they can put bad results behind them in Belfast.

Stuart King’s side sit bottom of the league table having lost six consecutive matches and their task doesn’t get any easier with a trip to the current leaders, who have lost just once so far this season as they look to reclaim the Gibson Cup from defending champions Larne.

However, they’ll hope to channel last term’s performance at Windsor Park, where they rebounded from a 9-0 hammering at the hands of Crusaders four days prior to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw with Linfield before going on to defeat Dungannon Swifts.

Healy’s men have scored more goals (15) than any other team in the league while only Loughgall (18) have conceded more than Carrick (16), but the former Northern Ireland international isn’t taking anything for granted.

placeholder image — Linfield manager David Healy. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

"I text Stuarty last year when they'd been beaten 9-0 away to Crusaders and they came to Windsor and drew 3-3,” Healy told the club’s media channel. “I've pre-warned the players already that teams and players coming to Windsor automatically get a lift and on paper it looks daunting for Carrick, but I've no doubt Stuarty being the type of lad he is and the experienced team he has...if we think we can just turn up it's not going to happen.

"We need to make sure we're on the front foot and capitalise on the balls we're putting into the box."

While the Blues have generally been free-scoring throughout the early stages of this season, they’ve failed to find the net in their last two matches against what will likely be fellow title challengers in Larne and Cliftonville.

Strikers Matthew Fitzpatrick and Chris McKee, who had a prime opportunity to secure victory in the closing stages at Solitude on Tuesday, have netted twice each in the league so far and Healy says his side will need belief in front of goal as the weeks go on.

"Chris came on Tuesday night and he looked a threat and the opportunity he missed, I know he was disappointed with,” he added. “You try and not get him too disappointed and down because there'll come a point on Saturday if he starts or the following week where we're going to need centre-forwards in good form and still believing that they are going to get the goals."

Carrick are coming off a 4-1 midweek defeat to Ballymena United which left King admitting “there’s a lot of soul-searching to be done”.

"I’ve a lot of thinking to do and I need to look after myself,” he told the club’s media channel. “I need to look after my family – this is killing me at the minute.

"I have way too much on and I’m too proud of a man to not be sleeping every night. I need to have a think on what we’re going to do and need to see who is fit and available.

"When you start coaching you want to go to Windsor Park and fight against David Healy – that’s what I’m all about. I give everything, probably way too much sometimes, and there’s a lot of soul-searching to be done.”