No wavering belief in relegation fight for Ross County
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Ross County manager John Hughes has not lost any belief in his players’ ability to avoid relegation from the Premiership this season.
Since taking over in Dingwall, Hughes has seen the Staggies rise from being cut adrift at the bottom of the table up into 10th place, outside of the relegation play-off zone.
Recent league form has been patchy though, with one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five league games.
Those points did come against relegation rivals Kilmarnock to keep the Staggies’ heads above water, and Hughes says he is still confident that County will get results when they need them most.
“I have had a fantastic response from the players,” he insisted.
“They’re a great bunch of hard-working boys. They know what’s at stake for us over the next four games.
“If I get out of them what they gave me last Saturday then we’ll not be too far away.
“I have trust and confidence in them.”
Hughes turned to experience for last weekend’s trip to Kilmarnock, which seemed to pay off early in the match when Michael Gardyne scored his first goal in over two years to bring County back level.
The likes of Gardyne will have a big part to play on and off the pitch in the coming weeks to ensure the Staggies are in the best possible position to stay up.
“I’ve been into him because he’s probably the most talented player at the club,” Hughes admitted.
“You watch him in training and go ‘wow’ but he needs to do it on the pitch on a more regular basis.
“We need him taking responsibility and producing. Midge is a matchwinner, not just scoring a goal but creating as well and getting us up the pitch.
“Everyone will have a part to play and it’s important we all stick together, especially the non-playing players and subs.
“It’s not about individuals, it’s about togetherness and the collective.”
