No cup distractions for McManus
Ross County attacker Declan McManus says that everyone at the club is relishing the prospect of challenging on three fronts in the second half of the season.
The Staggies are still in the Scottish Cup, with a Highland derby drawn for the next round, the Irn-Bru Cup and sit top of the Scottish Championship.
Rather than fear that cup success could distract from the main goal of winning promotion, McManus says he would rather be trying to win everything County can.
"We’re battling on three fronts but that’s what you want," he insisted.
"You don’t want to be out of cups, sitting mid-table.
“We’re in the Irn-Bru Cup semi-final with the chance to go to the final and win a cup.
"It’s everything we want and everything we deserve – and we have the players to go and do well on all three fronts.
“The focus this weekend is back to the league and earning three points.
“The further we go in the Scottish Cup, we’re only going to come up against good teams, big teams probably at some point.
“Even the Challenge Cup, it is a semi final, the chance to go to a final and win a cup.
"It’s not the Champions League, but it’s a cup – and there are plenty of players out there who haven’t won a cup in their career.
“It’s a huge thing, but the league speaks for itself.
“You want to win the title and be back up in the top league. That’s what everyone at the club wants, from the chairman down.
“It’s what everyone here feels we should be doing and we’ll be giving it a right good go.”
With competition for places at County possibly no more fierce than for the lone striker role, McManus has had to settle for game time out wide instead.
Last week against Motherwell, he put in a man of the match performance to help the Staggies to an unlikely victory.
He says he is happy to turn provider for a teammate, believing it suits his game.
“The right wing is not where I’ve plied my trade over the past few years, but I’ve absolutely no problem playing there," McManus insisted.
“I enjoy it there – you get a lot of the ball.
“Often as a striker you get the ball with back to goal whereas, I like to run at people as well.
"If the gaffers want me at right-back, I’d play there as well – I just want to play and help the team do well.
“I felt I did really well against Motherwell in that position.
“As a striker, you want to be scoring goals, but in that role the assists kind of felt just as good at the time.
“Assisting the two goals ended up winning us the game and it’s a great feeling.
"As long as we’re scoring goals and winning games, it doesn’t really matter who scores them.
“At some point, you’d like a wee goal yourself, but that will come.”
