The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Formidable four can get Ross County firing on all cylinders
● Boss sees strong striking mix as he seeks new skipper
Stuart Kettlewell is confident his four senior forwards will be ready to give Ross County greater firepower next season.
Strikers Ross Stewart and Billy Mckay finished as County’s joint leading goalscorers last term, with both netting 11 goals.
While the manager is hoping they can carry that form into next term, he also has high hopes for Lee Erwin who netted just once in an injury-hit first season following his move from Iranian club Tractor, while Oli Shaw has yet to find the net since his January move from Hibernian.
Kettlewell is excited by the potential of his frontline in the new campaign.
“I think it’s a really exciting part of our team – you can go through all four strikers we have.
“Young Oli Shaw is now looking like he’s ready to totally settle into the team.
“It was a challenging period when Oli first came in as Billy Mckay started scoring goals, so the opportunities maybe weren’t as readily available as he might have hoped.
“Lee Erwin has come back for pre-season in the best condition I’ve seen him in. He has worked exceptionally hard over the last few weeks.
“We know what we get from Ross Stewart and Billy Mckay, they are a goal threat. We’ve got Billy’s experience, and Ross ticks so many boxes, and has so much trust from us in being able to play in a couple of different positions.
“There are goals among those four guys and I also think they all have a slightly different remit and profile, whereby we could mix and match any two of the four and have a really good combination in a variety of formations.”
The departure of defender Marcus Fraser, who rejected a new contract, has left Kettlewell searching for a new captain.
Although he feels he has strong candidates, Kettlewell insists he has yet to make a decision, adding: “We have some real strong leaders in our group. There are a couple of different ways of looking at it. I look at myself, I was handed the opportunity as a 20-year-old young lad in the Third Division at Queen’s Park, and enjoyed a couple of really successful years.
“We have also got some experienced guys who have been over the course,” he said.
“I have not made a decision on it.
“There are a couple of candidates, but whoever we obviously believe will be the right person to do the job.
That comes with an emphasis on the rest of the group to support that captain, and also be lieutenants in their own way to make sure we have the right leadership in our dressing room.
“Sometimes guys enjoy being leaders without
having the responsibility of being the captain.”
Kettlewell is hopeful the Staggies can begin to arrange friendly matches in the coming weeks as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.
He added: “There will be an element of us playing an 11 v 11 scenario coming from within our own club, and potentially using some of our younger players.
“That’s something we have looked into – we know we can facilitate that at the club just now,” he added.
“We would like to branch out, whether it be inviting clubs to come and play here in Dingwall, or us travelling to face opposition elsewhere which will prepare us for a league campaign but we will be guided by what is outlined by the government.”