Jim axe was judgment call, says Mac the knife
TALKING MOTHERWELL
ROSS County chairman Roy MacGregor told Jim McIntyre he had to make a “judgment call” after sacking his manager.
McIntyre has departed the Dingwall club 18 months after leading them to their first piece of major silverware.
The 45-year-old 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 the Ladbrokes 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: “It’s a judgment 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 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.”
Assistant Billy Dodds has also been axed with youth academy director Steven Ferguson stepping up to become caretaker manager.
The likes of former Dundee boss Paul Hartley, former Inverness manager John Hughes and under-20s coach Stuart Kettlewell – who led his side to the Development League title last season – might come into the board’s thoughts.
But MacGregor said: “I haven’t anyone in mind. It is something I will take my time on.”
McIntyre lost top scorer Liam Boyce to Burton Albion during the summer and his direct replacement, Billy McKay, only started his first game for the club on Saturday.
But a 1-0 home defeat by Hibs, which left County one point above bottom spot, proved the final straw for MacGregor. MORTON boss Jim Duffy’s last night praised his “first class” players despite Saturday’s 2-1 sefeat to Dundee United.
Duffy is convinced his team deserved a share of the spoils at Tannadice after suffering their second Championship defeat of the season.
The Greenock side looked comfortable at 1-1 until former Celtic striker Scott McDonald grabbed a late winner.
The result leaves the ton in fifth place and the manager reckons they will soon start to build serious momentum to forge a promotion challenge.
He said: “I’m obviously very disappointed with the result – but not the performance.
“I thought we put so much into the game; the effort, the commitment from the players was first class.
“Every single player gave everything. We made errors, of course we did or we wouldn’t have lost the game, so we’re disappointed with those.
“But in terms of asking for 100 per cent, every single player did that.
“At 1-1 we looked comfortable, but one little lapse of concentration. You have a player like Scott McDonald.
“Dundee United have got that wee bit of extra quality in that area – but by and large we competed equally as well as a team who are firm favourites to win the title.”
Duffy is now sweating on an injury update over Jai Quitongo who was forced off in the second half with a foot injury.
He told the club website: “It’s early. He just felt his hamstring cramping up and I’m hoping it’s not too serious, but you can never tell.
“If it’s a tear or a pull then it’s obviously a period of time, but if it’s a cramp, it might just settle down.
“So the medical department will assess that over the next couple of days and we’ll see where we go from there.”