Adams ready to go with his gut after setback
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DEREK Adams admits he will always be more Giovanni Trapattoni than Kevin Keegan in outlook while managing Ross County.
Saturday’s first SPL defeat has only hardened the 37-year-old’s belief that defensive solidity must take priority over attacking tendencies this season.
Reflecting on the St Johnstone sucker-punches that undid a dominant display, Adams made it clear he would in future stick to first instincts when setting out his teams.
There seemed to be tacit admission that criticism – some of it close to home – of County’s conservative tendencies had swayed him, at least a little, from the favoured approach.
The Dingwall club lost their remarkable 40-game league unbeaten run at the weekend, but it was the shedding of three points that really hurt Adams.
He is convinced County, more often than not, will have to set themselves out with classic Italian-style caution rather than Keegan-style abandon.
Adams said: “Looking back at Saturday, we created over 20 chances. Possession-wise we had a lot of the play.
“Without a doubt, we should at least have taken the draw.
“We went all out to try and win the match and we were hit by a sucker-punch, losing the game in the 86th minute.
“Sometimes, I feel you just have to accept it might not be your day in front of goal.
“If we had done that and earned the point, St Johnstone would have been below us and certain teams wouldn’t have gained ground.
“The SPL is brutal in how it punishes you. It is not just that we have lost the game, but they have gained three points.
“People don’t always seem to understand that.
“We could have played for a draw in the last 15 or 20 minutes on Saturday, but we went for it.
“People have been criticising us for not going for it in games.
“Well, I’m afraid we’ve gone for it on Saturday and lost the game, so we will not be doing that again in a hurry.
“I have to go with my instincts. If we are solid defensively, we will still open up teams.
“You look at Rangers when they went all the way to the UEFA Cup final. They won through playing 5-4-1 but they got there.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. You will always create an opportunity in a game.
“On Saturday we’ve had 20 or more and only taken one.
“I always look at the Italian teams and how well organised they are.
“You can’t always be like a Newcastle under Kevin Keegan and go for every win because you do leak goals at the back.”
Adams, though, admitted rare defensive errors had cost the Dingwall team the three points.
On the half hour, Liam Craig fired Saints in front after being granted space to beat the usually impeccable Michael Fraser low to his left.
Adams said: “Michael knows himself he might have got to it, but he was a little unsighted.
“He has made a number of important saves this season and had a lot of clean sheets.
“He’s been caught by an early strike by Liam Craig, but he has been outstanding for us.
“The second was a good header from a St Johnstone point of view but they only had three players in the box.
“For us to concede in that way was poor.
“I think we maybe felt at that stage St Johnstone just weren’t going to score and became a wee bit lax.
“That only adds to my belief we have to be very careful in how we set ourselves out.”
Adams, meanwhile, refused to comment on “cheat” claims by St Johnstone manager Steve Lomas against County skipper Richard Brittain.
Lomas accused Brittain of feigning injury in a clash that led to Saints striker Rowan Vine’s second red card of the season.
The St Johnstone striker later added fuel to the fire by repeating his manager’s accusations.
Mark Corcoran, Joe Malin and Alex Cooper remain out for this weekend’s trip to face St Mirren.
