Fox: County players right behind new co-managers

Run-in: Dingwall keeper confident Staggies can beat beat the drop

Scott Fox says recent performances show the Ross County players are fully supportive of the appointment of Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson as comanagers – even though he is still getting used to calling them ‘gaffers’.

Kettlewell and Ferguson have been rewarded for overseeing an improvement during their interim stint in charge following the resignation of Owen Coyle last month after being handed the reins permanently by chairman Roy MacGregor.

Although County are a point adrift at the foot of the table ahead of today’s vital Championship trip to face Hamilton Accies, Kettlewell and Ferguson have recorded one win and three draws in their six games in charge.

With both having worked in the club’s youth set-up previously, Fox says the pair have been well received by the Staggies’ squad.

He said: “I think it is a good appointment. The whole club and community know what they bring.

“The players are fully behind them, as you can tell from performances recently.

“We’ve bought into everything they are trying to implement in games.

“It is good for the pair of them to know where they stand, no matter what happens now.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve worked closer with Stuart than Steven as he was more of the community guy. Fergie is Ross County through and through as well.

“I know how much the club means to Stuart – although I’ll have to start calling him gaffer now.

“It is a boost to the whole dressing-room as it shows we’re doing something right as well and the chairman sees that.

“This club has been really good to me as well. Ross County have looked after me. It has still been positive, even though we’re in a negative situation.”

Despite this week’s announcement, Fox insists Kettlewell and Ferguson have kept the squad’s focus firmly on today’s trip to New Douglas Park.

The 30-year-old added: “As players, our job now is just to focus on the games and get it done. We know the position we are in – there is no hiding place.”

County will leapfrog Accies with a victory in today’s lunchtime kick-off in Lanarkshire and, despite having just four games left, former Partick Thistle goalkeeper Fox remains upbeat about the Dingwall side’s survival chances.

He added: “It is in our own hands. I think we would have taken this four or five weeks ago, going into the Partick game three points behind.

“Lose that and we were six points adrift – a long way back. Now we’re probably looking at Hamilton, who a couple of weeks ago might have thought they were safe, eight points clear of us.

“There are going to be a lot more twists and turns. It is just about taking one game at a time. Hamilton is the big one and we’ll see where we are after this.”

“The whole club and community know what they bring”