Saints the benchmark for Staggies: Coyle

Ross County manager Owen Coyle says the success of his former club St Johnstone has set the benchmark in his quest for success with the Staggies.

Coyle was yesterday appointed on a two-year contract at Victoria Park, replacing Jim McIntyre who was sacked on Monday following a poor run of five losses from six matches.

Coyle, who has arrived with assistant Sandy Stewart, as well as Fort William-raised John McGinlay who will oversee the club’s recruitment, has set his sights on replicating a Saints side that has secured six successive top-six finishes.

The 51-year-old, who managed the McDiarmid Park club between 2005 and 2007 before leaving for Burnley, said: “There’s a big gap after Celtic, then a few other clubs, then there’s a number of clubs we have to come on the right side of. St Johnstone is the perfect example of that.

“They had been nearly relegated from the First Division when I came in so we had to put the building blocks in place to achieve success. They’re a fantastic example of how we can achieve consistent success from a modest outlay.

“It takes a number of things. I have now inherited a group of players so we have to look at that as everybody has their own flavour at their own time.

“What we have to do in the meantime is look to start winning games, and certainly stop losing games.”