Manager says Ross County can challenge for top six place
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MALKY Mackay says Ross County have every chance of finishing in the top six of the Premiership by the split.
However, he is aware there are several teams who will also fancy their chances going into the next four games before the division splits in two.
The Staggies are in eighth place, only two points off sixth after their 1–0 victory at Motherwell on Wednesday night.
They recorded back-to-back wins after also beating St Johnstone 3–1 last week.
Ross County are now 10 points above the relegation zone and now have cause to think about targeting the top six, also being four points off a European spot.
Mackay says it is feasible to think County can finish in the top half, but says the first priority is still to keep them in the top flight this season.
Speaking about if County can finish in the top half, he said: “Yes, but it is for about five clubs at the moment, we need to make sure we keep that momentum going.
“We are one defeat in nine at Victoria Park and that was to Celtic in the seventh minute of injury time.
“It is one of these where against every team we play, we respect which we do and know how they are going to play against us adapt.
“We have to keep our head down and play the next team in front of us and see where it goes for us.
“The first challenge for Ross County is to stay in this league.
“We know exactly who we are in terms of budget for this league along with the likes of Livingston where we have to punch above our weight to stay in this league.
“But we look at it now and say what can we do from here.”
Ross County’s chances of finishing in the top six was almost unthinkable at the beginning of the campaign when they were bottom of the table having failed to win their first 10 matches.
But even during the early days of the campaign, Mackay was always confident they could turn things around.
He praised his players for proving him right and are now fighting for a place in the top half.
Asked about being written off at the start of the season, he said: “We went 10 games without a win so people had reason to say that, but I knew I had a team who were terrific but losing goals.
“We were becoming a team and mould together with 12 players arriving at the start, it is a team that got to know each other.”
