Kettlewell: That’s the worst in my 12 years at club
Ross County boss Stuart Kettlewell sounded like a man at the end of his tether after his side’s defeat at Kilmarnock.
He admitted that losing to a team down to 10 men for 82 minutes was his worst moment in management.
Now he’s ready to look his players in the eye and find out which of them is up for the fight.
County haven’t won in seven league games, drawing two and losing five times.
They’re heading for the relegation play- off spot if they continue this form.
Kettlewell didn’t try to defend his players after the 3-1 defeat.
He said: “It’s right up there in a 12- year connection with this club as being my worst experience.
“It was unacceptable that we were lacking spirit and lacking heart – everything that I’m against in football.
“Nothing about it I enjoyed. We got a false dawn going level before half-time.
“Wh e n K i l l i e we n t down to 10 men, we weren’t great and our start to the second half was not good enough.
“It was so frustrating to see that we didn’t lay a glove on them.”
The Staggies’ manager still believes he has the right group of players to move the club forward, but they’ll have to prove he’s right very quickly.
He added: “I want to keep banging the drum that we have young guys in the team.
“We a re trying to promote them and I still back them to play against guys with a wealth of experience such as Broadfoot, Tshibola and Dicker.
“But this time they’ve come up seriously short.
“I will take responsibility for picking the team and putting them out there.
“I would back them to play at this level, but it’s so disappointing, s o many we re short and they agree they were.
“You want guys who will go hell for leather and I didn’t have them.
“The boys will feel sorry for themselves for a couple of days, but they then have to get back at it.
“In the coming weeks we play against Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and Hibs. It’s as tough a run as you can get and there’s no hiding place for it.
“It’s up to me to look in the whites of people’s eyes and see who’s up for the fight.”
Kettlewell, who lost Tom Grivosti with a bad hamstring injury, spoke about goalkeeper Ross Doohan’s involvement in the Scotland Under- 21s’ Covid saga.
He said: “We heard something was happening on Friday night.
“Ro s s wa s socially distanced when away from the group. It was confirmed on Saturday morning at 11am that he could play in the game.”