The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Staggies duo chasing history Premiership: Safety first for Kettlewell but long-term plans are taking shape
Stuart Kettlewell is intent on creating history with the Staggies in his tenure as co-manager alongside Steven Ferguson.
Kettlewell and Ferguson are now permanently in charge at Victoria Park after impressing chairman Roy MacGregor during their interim stint which followed last month’s resignation of Owen Coyle.
The pair, who previously had key roles within County’s youth academy, have been given full control of all levels of the club all the way through to youth level.
Both enjoyed success with the Staggies as players, while Kettlewell led the under-20s side to the Development League title last season.
Kettlewell is thrilled to have been given the chance to shape the club alongside Ferguson and hopes the Dingwall side can prosper under their watch, with the immediate aim to steer County to Premiership safety, having slipped a point adrift of Partick Thistle at the bottom of the table.
The 33-year-old said: “We all feel we have the same goal to strive for.
“We’re not going to mask the fact we want that to be us creating our own little bit of success and history at the football club.
“A lot of good has happened in the past and we don’t want to cut that off. You don’t forget the history of a football club. Myself and Steven have had little parts in it as well.
“It is purely about adding to that and seeing if we can shape things in the way we want to. We feel this slight change in system in the football department, from top to bottom, will allow us to do that.
“We feel it gives us a real clarity in what happens from now on. We’re both excited in the high-pressure situation. That’s a bit of a novelty.
“We’re fighting at the bottom of our league, fighting for survival, and with that comes pressure but we’re planners – guys who like to think about what we might be able to affect in the future.
“It has given us a chance to do that – to start thinking about ways we can put our stamp on the football club, particularly in the first team.
“But we’re realistic enough to know there’s the short-term goal there as well – survival, with four games to go.”
Ferguson says decisionmaking between the pair will not be an issue, insisting any disagreement on football matters will simply lead to closer scrutiny before the final call is made.
The 40-year-old said: “It is new to everyone else, but not us – we’ve shared an office for the last four years.
“We don’t just agree on everything – we fell out about an under-12s team matter.
“But what we do is we leave it out there, we go and sleep on it, come back and look at it again.
“We both want the best for the football club and the end outcome. Sometimes I’ll rein in what I’m saying, sometimes Stuart will, for the common cause.”