Ross County will relish chance to play in SPL
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Whether or not the Dingwall club clinches an historic First Division title success, around half the current group of players have contracts up for renegotiation come May.
Craig and key performers involved in the 27-game unbeaten run such as Scott Boyd, Iain Vigurs and skipper Richard Brittain will be free agents.
The talismanic Michael Gardyne has already confirmed he will join Dundee United for next season and a national newspaper this week raised fears of the champions-in-waiting being ripped apart after promotion.
County, though, have made it club policy to wait until their destiny is secured before offering new deals, given the greatly differing budgets available to SPL and First Division clubs.
For Craig, who is keen to remain at Victoria Park despite his own frustrations after losing his place to a lengthy ban this season, there should be no scaremongering.
The 31-year-old said: “I think all of the boys who have played their part this year will want to stay, if they get offered anything.
“It has been looking for the last couple of months like the league is going to be ours.
“It has just been a case of the club leaving it until there is a certainty over which division they are going to be in.
“The ball is in the club’s court just now, really. All of the boys who are out of contract this summer would probably love to stay.
“From a personal point of view, I just have to wait and see what Ross County offer me, if anything.
“I’m just concentrating on getting as much game time through to the end of the season.”
With Colin McMenamin suspended, Craig is hoping he might get the nod for a starting place against Raith Rovers tomorrow.
The former Aberdeen, Motherwell and Livingston striker has hit six goals this season despite losing his place after a massive eight-match suspension early in the season.
The frontman is taking nothing for granted, but stressed: “I like to think I’ll get a chance. If I don’t play, I’ll be thoroughly disappointed.
“If the chance does arise, I just need to grasp it with both hands and I’ll thoroughly enjoy it.
“With my suspension, I was out for eight games and that opened the door for somebody else.
“If someone is out through suspension or injury, you just have to take your chance.”
Rival managers have been queuing up to take a pop at County for their style of play of late.
Falkirk’s Steven Pressley and Hamilton’s Billy Reid have, of course, led the assault.
At the weekend, though, Jackie McNamara of Partick Thistle joined the chorus and seemed keen to damn County with faint praise, calling them “efficient, but not pretty on the eye”.
Craig reckons the fact his team is provoking such outbursts is actually a huge positive.
He said: “Being on top of the table, you do leave yourself open to criticism. If people are criticising you or using strong words, that’s definitely a plus.
“You must be doing something right. Every manager and player is entitled to their opinion, but if we were sitting third or fourth in the league would they be making those comments? Probably not.
“It doesn’t affect the changing room in any negative way. If anything, it gives us that extra bit of energy to go out and do well. It has been water off a duck’s back for us, really.
“In my first couple of seasons here, we were always known for being a lovely football team and maybe not closing out games as well as we could.
“But I think this year it shows we have gained an extra two or three years’ experience and, obviously, the introduction of players like Colin McMenamin and Grant Munro has helped.
“We can still play good football but we now have more strings to the bow, so to speak.
“With getting such good results early doors in the season, it breeds confidence and that is invaluable in aiming for titles.
“Even that wee rub of the green we’ve had this season has been vital, like the last minute goal down at Falkirk.
“We just need to keep going. This year, we’ve learned that in the latter stages of games that pretty football doesn’t always pick up three points.
“It has been a really successful season for us so far and, hopefully, that can continue through to the end of the season.”
Craig admits the County players would have loved to have had the chance to clinch the league in front of the home support this weekend.
Dundee’s win in midweek ruled out that scenario and County could now face potential title clinchers in away games at Livingston next Saturday or Ayr the following week.
Craig said: “It would have been lovely, obviously, for us to have been looking for a home victory to clinch the title this weekend.
“But by all accounts Dundee played well against Ayr, so we just go in to the Raith match with exactly the same mentality we have had all season and just try and win the game.
“We have seven games to go. Since the start of the season, the only thing we have concentrated on is the next game.
“Our home form has been excellent this year. Raith are at the wrong end of the table which has been a bit of surprise to me.
“They are fighting for their lives and it is never an easy game against Raith as we were reminded last time out down there in Kirkcaldy.”
County drew 1-1 that day with Craig netting County’s goal.
He said: “It was a tough one. There was nothing in it for 40 minutes but once we got ourselves going we scored a decent goal.
“Then we lost one in the 89th or 90th minute, which was really disappointing.
“Raith are always really well organised and I’m very surprised they are down there near the bottom.”
