The General Ross County Chat Thread

[Staggie1984]

I have to say that in hindsight my rants about Adam’s last week may have just been due to the anger of the lacklustre performance against Partick.  The players didn’t look up for it in any way, and I put that down to him losing the dressing room. Yesterday was a complete 180, excellent team performance and the new players seem to have improved the team. Hopefully that carries forward into the livi game. 

[Staggie52]

14 hours ago, bunglebonce said:

Who was that?

Is ‘well respected pundit’ not an oxymoron when referring to Scottish football?

[Sensible Soccer🏴]

2 hours ago, Staggie1984 said:

I have to say that in hindsight my rants about Adam’s last week may have just been due to the anger of the lacklustre performance against Partick.  The players didn’t look up for it in any way, and I put that down to him losing the dressing room. Yesterday was a complete 180, excellent team performance and the new players seem to have improved the team. Hopefully that carries forward into the livi game. 

 

Must admit, my outrage with DA has subsided and after a few chats I'm now of the belief that our players need to buckle down and dig themselves/ourselves out of this league position.

There's too many rumours of players not liking DA's training sessions as they're too hard, rumours of players wanting to just walk away because there's an easier option to sign for another club (looking at you Kyle Turner, you toerag)

We're in a relegation battle due to silly mistakes and red cards, throwing away points from winning positions, Motherwell & Hearts spring to mind, both with 2 goal leads. We've had plenty games where we've battered teams yet failed to score, the players NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, for their lapses in concentration, listen to the coaching & work HARDER.

We've 7 matches between now and the end of February. At home to St J, Livi & St Mirren, tough but surely ALL winnable. 4 away games Livi on Tuesday, then Motherwell, Rangers & Dundee. Again, there's surely points to be targeted within those too.

[USSR Tycoon]

Our lack of goals is alarming. We either play Brophy as our main striker or bring in a striker before the transfer window closes. Our last three home games have produced zero wins and even more concerning zero goals !

Edited January 28 by USSR Tycoon

[Super Staggie]

I think Tuesdays match will be a bench mark for del boy, win and good performance then he clearly has the dressing room, Partick mk2 and it's a real worry, and of course we can look forward to the post match interview regardless  

[central staggie]

I know Murray gives his all, and has scored a few goals this year but Brophy is our best striker - when he's fit. I'd love to see Murray and Brophy play on Tuesday, pretty sure they played together against Motherwell and worked well. 

 

Massive game, no two ways about it. Win puts us above St Johnstone with a game in hand, with a game against them coming up.

[Mackie The Staggie]

1 hour ago, USSR Tycoon said:

Our lack of goals is alarming. We either play Brophy as our main striker or bring in a striker before the transfer window closes. Our last three home games have produced zero wins and even more concerning zero goals !

If only it was that easy, every team is looking for that 15+ goal striker, thing is.....you rarely (if ever) find them without a club in the Jan transfer window.

[The Great Stagsby]

On 27/01/2024 at 15:38, Savage Henry said:

He’s found his level.  

I’m not sure how well organised these thoughts are going to be, so please bear with me…

 

The above is a perfectly valid position to take on the subject, but I think it’s possibly a little lazy and there’s a few angles it can be looked at from. (Considering the strength of negative feeling among many of our support towards either of the County managers he has played under, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some would take more of a “Shows what he can do under a decent manager!” type stance, as one example that quickly comes to mind…)

 

A few of my own thoughts, for what they’re worth:

 

1.       First of all, full disclosure: I’m a big fan of the boy. On the pitch, I think he brings something no one else in the team currently offers, rescues complete lost cause situations, often creating opportunities out of impossible situations, an absolute nightmare to play against. I also suspect he’s a great guy to have around the dressing room, with some great leadership qualities.

2.       I was as frustrated and disappointed as anyone at his goal-scoring record, not least in light of some of those opportunities he did so well to create in the first place.

3.       I’m not in the “we shouldn’t have shipped him out on loan” camp – I think it makes complete sense.

4.       Having said that – I’m not as convinced as some, that he was given enough of a chance to prove himself here. I don’t know his numbers – and maybe someone who does can shed some light for me. But in my head, he was mostly getting the last 10-15 minutes of games, and even if you get 10 or 15 such run-outs, it’s not the same as 2 or 3 run-outs of 45 / 60 / 90 minutes.

 

So going back to “found his level”…

 

1.       Some might agree it’s that simple. However, if (yes, IF) he continues the way he’s started at ICT, a few more games and those watching him currently would be completely justified in starting to claim, “This guy should be playing at a higher level!” – and who would really be able to argue with that?

2.       Looking at the wider picture here, how much difference even is there between the level he was at with us, and the level he scored 3 goals at yesterday? There’s nothing between the bottom few teams in the Premiership. Last week, we got trounced at home by Partick Thistle – who are 7 points behind the team he just scored a hat-trick against away from home. He just scored a hat-trick, away from home, against a team who could quite realistically be playing in a higher division than us 6 months from now.

 

I think (but am open to being wrong) that most of the County support felt his main shortfall was his finishing. But given 2 full games with ICT – including against a team arguably of similar quality level to those around the bottom half of the Premiership – he has apparently shown himself to be a perfectly capable finisher.

 

I still think the verdict is out on what he is capable of / what “his level” might be. I think in the right environment, a positive mood and settled, balanced team, there’s definitely a chance he could cut it in the top flight. Sadly, I’m not especially confident County are going to be in a position to offer that any time soon.

[Derry Alli]

23 hours ago, Sensible Soccer said:

Dundee, or whoever, will need to cough up some six figure dough, very unlikely to happen.

It's not to Dundee.

[Pete the Jakey]

2 minutes ago, Derry Alli said:

It's not to Dundee.

Any chance you could come out and say what you want to say or are you intent on drip feeding tit bits of bullshit in perpetuity?

[Derry Alli]

Just now, Pete the Jakey said:

 are you intent on drip feeding tit bits of bullshit in perpetuity?

I wasn't, but I'm quite enjoying building the tension now.

[Pete the Jakey]

5 minutes ago, Derry Alli said:

I wasn't, but I'm quite enjoying building the tedium now.

FTFY

[Sensible Soccer🏴]

41 minutes ago, The Great Stagsby said:

I’m not sure how well organised these thoughts are going to be, so please bear with me…

 

 

The above is a perfectly valid position to take on the subject, but I think it’s possibly a little lazy and there’s a few angles it can be looked at from. (Considering the strength of negative feeling among many of our support towards either of the County managers he has played under, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some would take more of a “Shows what he can do under a decent manager!” type stance, as one example that quickly comes to mind…)

 

 

 

A few of my own thoughts, for what they’re worth:

 

 

 

1.       First of all, full disclosure: I’m a big fan of the boy. On the pitch, I think he brings something no one else in the team currently offers, rescues complete lost cause situations, often creating opportunities out of impossible situations, an absolute nightmare to play against. I also suspect he’s a great guy to have around the dressing room, with some great leadership qualities.

 

2.       I was as frustrated and disappointed as anyone at his goal-scoring record, not least in light of some of those opportunities he did so well to create in the first place.

 

3.       I’m not in the “we shouldn’t have shipped him out on loan” camp – I think it makes complete sense.

 

4.       Having said that – I’m not as convinced as some, that he was given enough of a chance to prove himself here. I don’t know his numbers – and maybe someone who does can shed some light for me. But in my head, he was mostly getting the last 10-15 minutes of games, and even if you get 10 or 15 such run-outs, it’s not the same as 2 or 3 run-outs of 45 / 60 / 90 minutes.

 

 

 

So going back to “found his level”…

 

 

 

1.       Some might agree it’s that simple. However, if (yes, IF) he continues the way he’s started at ICT, a few more games and those watching him currently would be completely justified in starting to claim, “This guy should be playing at a higher level!” – and who would really be able to argue with that?

 

2.       Looking at the wider picture here, how much difference even is there between the level he was at with us, and the level he scored 3 goals at yesterday? There’s nothing between the bottom few teams in the Premiership. Last week, we got trounced at home by Partick Thistle – who are 7 points behind the team he just scored a hat-trick against away from home. He just scored a hat-trick, away from home, against a team who could quite realistically be playing in a higher division than us 6 months from now.

 

 

 

I think (but am open to being wrong) that most of the County support felt his main shortfall was his finishing. But given 2 full games with ICT – including against a team arguably of similar quality level to those around the bottom half of the Premiership – he has apparently shown himself to be a perfectly capable finisher.

 

 

 

I still think the verdict is out on what he is capable of / what “his level” might be. I think in the right environment, a positive mood and settled, balanced team, there’s definitely a chance he could cut it in the top flight. Sadly, I’m not especially confident County are going to be in a position to offer that any time soon.

 

 

Let's just say dropping down a level, has suited him.

[Girth]

1 hour ago, Derry Alli said:

It's not to Dundee.

[2426255]

11 hours ago, Staggie1984 said:

I have to say that in hindsight my rants about Adam’s last week may have just been due to the anger of the lacklustre performance against Partick.  The players didn’t look up for it in any way, and I put that down to him losing the dressing room. Yesterday was a complete 180, excellent team performance and the new players seem to have improved the team. Hopefully that carries forward into the livi game. 

 

9 hours ago, Sensible Soccer said:

Must admit, my outrage with DA has subsided and after a few chats I'm now of the belief that our players need to buckle down and dig themselves/ourselves out of this league position.

Adams is a good manager. I have no skin in the game with Ross County, but I'm confident in saying that he isn't your problem.  

[Pete the Jakey]

Against Celtic on Saturday Ross County were the first team in SPFL history to field two players of South Asian heritage.  With all that's been said and done over the past couple of years, this is an amazing milestone for Asian players and one we should all be proud of.  

[USSR Tycoon]

23 minutes ago, Pete the Jakey said:

Against Celtic on Saturday Ross County were the first team in SPFL history to field two players of South Asian heritage.  With all that's been said and done over the past couple of years, this is an amazing milestone for Asian players and one we should all be proud of.  

Well said!

[StoneThrowAway]

P&J reporting Dhanda has signed a pre-contract with Hearts. Get that captains armband straight off him...

[Sensible Soccer🏴]

42 minutes ago, StoneThrowAway said:

P&J reporting Dhanda has signed a pre-contract with Hearts. Get that captains armband straight off him...

 

Unless they've come back in with a hugely improved offer I highly doubt it. He rejected them last week as the offers from England were far better packages. 

[Tony Wonder]

24 minutes ago, Sensible Soccer said:

 

Unless they've come back in with a hugely improved offer I highly doubt it. He rejected them last week as the offers from England were far better packages. 

Doubt it all you want. It's been agreed.