Ross County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw believes manager Malky Mackay's standards 'shocked' Dingwall club's recruits

Ross Laidlaw believes Malky Mackay’s high demands on his players left some of Ross County’s summer signings “shocked”.

Just as they did last year, the Staggies struggled for points and momentum during the first third of the current Premiership campaign before finding their feet.

Ex-Hibs goalkeeper Laidlaw would love a repeat of the transformation that saw Mackay’s men grasp a top six spot last May, but is taking nothing for granted.

Now ensconced in a training camp in southern Spain, the big shotstopper admitted he could see parallels between this year and last.

“We are trying not to get carried away simply because we did better last year as the season went on, but there are a few similarities,” Laidlaw said.

“There was a big turnover of players both years and it is never easy for a squad with 10 or 11 new faces. The style the manager wants to play and the demand he puts on players is something a lot of boys haven’t been used to.

“There is a lot of hard running and he expects boys to get forward and back. I think it is a shock for a few boys.

“We are coming along nicely, but the teams around us are also doing well so it’s going to be a really tight league with a lot of ups and downs still to come in the season.

County arrived in Murcia, at the Pinatar complex near Cartagena, last Sunday. Laidlaw feels the hard work in pleasant temperatures of 18 or 19 degrees will set the team up perfectly for the restart against St Johnstone on December 17.

“We went away to the Oriam in Edinburgh last January in the winter break and did a week’s training, and then really kicked on after the break,” he recalled.

“It is good to get away and focus purely on football. The weather has not been great, so at least it will be dry in Spain for the double sessions every day. A week away with the boys is a good laugh but there’s plenty of hard work as well.”

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