Ex-Swindon Town boss has taken a swipe at chairman Andrew Fitton as he attempts to rebuild his career at Inverness Caledonian.

He is in the running for the job left vacant by Craig Brewster's sacking.

He said it was not just him who was responsible for Town's poor run of form before his departure in November.

“I see it as an opportunity to get back into football,’’ said Malpas of his application.

“I went down to Swindon and that didn’t go well in terms of them moving the goal posts.’’

He added: “One or two results went the wrong way and the board moved the goalposts in terms of what they were looking for and I just felt I wasn’t getting the backing.

“It’s a hard enough job when you are getting the backing.

“But I am old enough and wise enough now to know that if you are going down a dead end road you stop before you hit the wall at the end and that’s what I did.’’

The 46-year-old now hopes to pick up the pieces in his homeland with Thistle, where the likes of ex-England skipper Terry Butcher, former Scottish international Steven Pressley, former Caley chief John Robertson and Ardiles are also believed to be in the running.