Hughes could ‘wax lyrical’ about Rangers

JOHN HUGHES has challenged Ross County to be inspired by the task of stopping Rangers at Ibrox. The Staggies were beaten 2-0 in Glasgow earlier in the campaign and also went down 4-0 at home under the guidance of former boss Stuart Kettlewell in December.

Steven Gerrard’s side are closing in on the Premiership title after storming clear of Celtic thanks to an unbeaten league run that has seen them drop just six points all season.

And Hughes is full of admiration and praise for the way his managerial counterpart Gerrard has the league leaders playing ahead of their showdown on Saturday.

Hughes said: “Rangers play football the way it should be played. They keep the ball, you don’t get a touch of it.

“I could sit here and wax lyrical about Rangers because their style of play is right up my street.

“Proper football; Everybody can look after the ball, fullbacks scoring goals, guys coming off the bench and doing the business, plenty of rotation, pace, goals and that’s why where they are where they are.

“I have been to Ibrox many a time when you are right up against it. There is no getting away from it, they have better players than us.

“I use a great phrase; bulls and matadors. There is many a time I have been the bull and it is not nice getting a chasing. It might be like that on Saturday.

“Many a time I have coached a team when they have been matadors and it is a great feeling when you are looking after the ball and taking your time, taking the sting out of the opposition, moving to from side to side, looking for that opening.

“That’s what Rangers do, you can see they have been wellcoached and they implement it.

“So, we will be right up against it, but it is one we are looking forward to. As a player it cannot faze you, it has to inspire you.

“You get to test yourself against the best and I hope the boys can do that, that their mind-set is that we can give them a game.”

Meanwhile, Stuart Kettlewell has opened up on his startling decision to speak to the media just moments after he was dismissed as Ross County manager.

The 36-year-old was axed in the immediate aftermath of County’s 2-0 home defeat against Hamilton on December 19 which left the Highlanders four points adrift at the foot of the Premiership.

Yet, Kettlewell did not shirk his traditional post-match duties, facing the BBC cameras before the journalists in attendance at the Global Energy Stadium.

Speaking to Highland Football Weekly, he said: “I didn’t do that for effect. I don’t deal with things for effect. I just felt it was the right thing to do.

“I was delivered the news from the chairman, which he found difficult. The relationship I have with Roy [MacGregor] has been well documented in the past.

“It was sore and difficult to take – I won’t lie about that.”

And Kettlewell is adamant the upturn in fortunes under Hughes in not indicative of the players previously losing faith in his management. He added: “It was a strange situation. Sometimes when you lose a job, there’s a feeling the manager has lost the dressing room.

“I didn’t think that was the case, and I think the majority of players and staff would testify to that.”