KETTLEWELL APING ANFIELD BOOT ROOM FOR STAGGIES’ SURVIVAL
THE fact that Ross County are now the undisputed kings of the Highlands is reflected in both the league table and the direction of footballing traffic over the Kessock Bridge. It used to be the case that up-andcoming talent like John Rankin and Don Cowie would move from Dingwall to Inverness in order to progress their careers to the next level. But five players in the last three years have made the journey in the opposite direction from Championship Caley Thistle to Premiership County; Ross Draper, Iain Vigurs, Joe Chalmers, Coll Donaldson and now Carl Tremarco. A 2016 Scottish Cup winner with Inverness, club captain Tremarco has made the short trip to join up with County’s other new summer recruits: Regan Charles-Cook (Gillingham), Alex Iacovitti (Oldham), Connor Randall (Arda Kardzhali), and loan signing Stephen Kelly (Rangers). But it is an already established face who is likeliest to hold the key to whether the Staggies are representing the Highlands in the top flight for a third successive season. Much will depend on star striker Ross Stewart, who impressed last season in scoring seven goals in 19 league starts.
The 24-year-old has been linked with Hibs, Blackburn and Stoke but County are confident he will stay and have warned any predators that his price is unaffected by the current global pandemic. Whether or not Stewart, who has entered the last 12 months of his contract, signs a new deal with County, the former St Mirren player looks capable of following in the footsteps of past Dingwall stars Jackson Irvine and Liam Boyce in using County as a stepping stone to bigger things in England. Behind the scenes at Victoria Park it is all change with Steven Ferguson having stepped down as co-manager, leaving Stuart Kettlewell in sole charge of County. Ferguson, who jointly held the reins alongside Kettlewell for just over two
years, has moved upstairs in a newlycreated role of chief executive officer which gives him responsibility for overseeing all departments at the club. As Kettlewell becomes a manager in his own right, former club captain Richie Brittain steps in as assistant. Former Hearts and Cardiff City midfielder Don Cowie is new first-team coach after announcing his retirement at the end of last season’s campaign with County. Veteran midfielder Iain Vigurs is the new captain in a set-up the club has likened to the past structure at Anfield. ‘We believe we have this Liverpool bootroom environment,’ explained Kettlewell. ‘The chairman, Roy MacGregor, has been fantastic in allowing us to develop as individuals and people within the football club. We’ve had just about the full range of roles at the club between us. ‘That’s testament to the chairman’s vision in what he wants to do with the club, in trusting people that they can develop. ‘It’s now up to myself, with a couple of guys at the club, to empower them in the roles they have got. I’m sure they will support me along the way and make sure we deliver on the pitch.’ County were tenth and still had eight matches remaining when Scottish football was suspended last season on March 13 due to coronavirus. But all of their remaining fixtures were against sides in the bottom half of the table and their record against the bottom six during the campaign suggests they would have survived comfortably.
Like the majority of the league in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, survival will be their primary goal as teams kick off initially behind closed doors — with Ross County hosting Motherwell on Monday night. The Dingwall outfit will no doubt be setting their sights a little higher than mere safety but Kettlewell will also be mindful of last season’s alarming mid-season slump of just two wins in 19 games. ‘To say we’re not looking to improve would be naive,’ admitted Kettlewell. ‘We are looking to close the back door. ‘But it’s a function of your entire team, not just down to your back three or four or goalkeeper. We need to find a backline we can rely on every week.’