Malky Mackay in no rush to make signings at Ross County
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Ross County manager Malky Mackay says it is more important to get the right signings in at the club than bolstering squad numbers quickly.
The Staggies released 10 players at the end of their contracts this summer, meaning a rebuild is required at the Global Energy Stadium.
So far, only Ross Callachan has been brought in, but Mackay insists he is in no rush to sign players for the sake of it.
He was keen to stress, though, that work to secure new recruits is currently ongoing.
“I think that’s something we’ll do over time to make sure we do it in the correct manner,” explained Mackay.
“We could sign 10 players tomorrow, but would they be right for our club? No, they wouldn’t.
“We’ve got to make sure that over the next four to six weeks, until the transfer window closes, that we go and find the very best players we can.
“You have a situation just now in the UK where there are 500-600 players out of contract. You’ll find players that thought they were going to be playing for a certain club, or at a certain level, who aren’t, so we’ve got to try and find the best players we can.
“Conversations we’re having at the moment are a case of ‘we’ll let you know in three or four weeks’ time’, which isn’t ideal for the start of pre-season.
“If you look at the longer term for the whole season, you want to make sure you get the correct players.
“At the moment myself and the staff are sitting in our little room we have set up as a recruitment area.
“We have a list of players and we’re putting in a lot of calls to agents and clubs.”
Obviously technical ability is important when judging potential new signings.
However, Mackay insists he will be looking at more than just statistics before bringing anyone in.
His priority will be getting the right kind of player in, as he believes the most important thing is to get the right characters to the Global Energy Stadium.
“It’s one of those things where you need players with a fire in their belly,” the former Cardiff City boss said.
“I look for players that have got a hunger and a desire to be here.
“We need to look for players that are athletic and fit, and can fit in with their technical and tactical ability.
“You want to bring in as good of a players as you can, but for me it’s about their character.
“It’s their personality, they need to be proactive, have a desire to want to get better and a hunger – these are characteristics that we’re going to try and find in all the players that we bring in.
“You want to make sure that they have a fire in their belly, a hunger to work hard and to want to improve.
“If you’ve got that, you’ve got half a chance.”
