Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
County McIntyre axe was a ‘judgement call’
ROSS County chairman Roy MacGregor told Jim McIntyre he had to make a “judgement call” after sacking his manager.
The 45-year-old has departed the Dingwall club 18 months after leading them to their first piece of major silverware.
He was named Scotland’s manager of the year for the 2015-16 season after guiding the club to League Cup glory and their first top-six finish.
County subsequently finished seventh in Premiership but four points from their opening seven league games this season proved insufficient to please MacGregor.
All five defeats have come against teams currently in the top six — Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Motherwell and Hibernian — and McIntyre apparently told MacGregor the decision was premature.
The County chairman said: “Listen, I understand it, Jim said that to me, and how could I justify it?
“It’s a judgement call. You try to weigh up everything that’s at your disposal and you make a call. If I felt we could have turned it around I wouldn’t have made that decision.
“We talked as a board and just felt maybe a change was what was needed.
“Although it’s early in the season it also gives the new manager time to form his own views on his playing squad, particularly with the international break the week after next. It gives him some time to work with his players.”
Assistant Billy Dodds has also been axed with youth academy director Steven Ferguson stepping up to become caretaker manager.
Paul Hartley, John Hughes and U/20s coach Stuart Kettlewell might come into the board’s thoughts.