Malky Mackay: First year with Ross County has been rollercoaster
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Malky Mackay has described his first year back in club management with Ross County as a “rollercoaster”.
Exactly one year ago today the 50-year-old was unveiled as the new Staggies boss in his first managerial role in Scotland.
Things got off to a tumultuous start for him in Dingwall, though, with 19 players leaving the club and Covid cases forcing a total shut down of all footballing operations within weeks of him starting at the Global Energy Stadium.
On the pitch, the League Cup group stage was a write off because of the impact of that Covid outbreak, and 10 matches without a win at the start of the Premiership was far from ideal too.
However, things turned around for Mackay and his squad.
A 5–0 triumph in Dundee sparked a significant turnaround which saw the Staggies rise up the table.
Goals started flying in and County moved out of relegation danger, setting their sights on the top six.
A late win over Aberdeen in April sealed their spot in the top six, but European football proved a step too far for Mackay this time around.
With so much on the go, Mackay has barely had time to stop and think – but he still looks back on his first 12 months fondly.
“We’ve laughed about it – the only thing that hasn’t happened is a big wave coming off the Cromarty Firth and washing us all away!” he joked.
“It has certainly been a rollercoaster, put it that way.
“There are certain things that we have had to deal with that have come up out of the blue – even certain situations that have come up privately with players that I’ve had to be involved in.
“There was the Covid situation, even me coming to the club and the reactions to that, and people have been coming back to the football club after two years off.
“Over the year, and there have also been intense periods of games and then no games, which was frustrating at times when we were just getting into a rhythm and then there was nothing again – that’s outwith international breaks, and there were a lot of those as well.
“Then we had periods where we were playing every midweek, which again was challenging logistically for the club and the size of the squad that we’ve got.
“There was certainly plenty going on – a nice, little boring week would help – but it’s a fabulous football club with great people.”
