Coyle is banking on Ngog rediscovering his golden touch to help County climb
AMONG all the business conducted by Scottish Premiership clubs in this month’s transfer window — and there has been plenty of it — Ross County’s signing of David Ngog looks a particularly fine piece of opportunism.
Still only 28, the former Liverpool starlet who had jousted with Fernando Torres for a starting spot at Anfield and earned 17 French Under-21 caps has pitched up in Dingwall to link up with his old manager Owen Coyle.
Coyle, who once paid £4million to sign Ngog for Bolton Wanderers, understands better than anyone that if the striker were fully fit he would be nowhere near the Global Energy Stadium.
Ngog found himself a free agent after an injury-hit spell at Greek side Panionios and accepted Coyle’s offer of training facilities as he completed the final stages of his rehabilitation. He has now been declared sufficiently recovered to sign a short-term deal until the end of the campaign.
The striker made his debut as a substitute in County’s 2-0 defeat to Motherwell in midweek and was enough of a handful to suggest that he will give the Highland team a badly-needed new attacking dimension as the club attempts to haul itself off the bottom of the table.
‘I want him to start games because he is a wonderful player,’ said Coyle after watching Ngog put in a 40-minute shift at Fir Park. ‘He had games last year with Panionios in Greece and the year before that he was with Stade de Reims in the top league in France where he scored a goal every three games — that was against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and Lyon.
‘He has wonderful quality, it is just getting him fit. He is a big-game player and, let’s be honest, that is the type of player we need.’
Coyle needs payback from his new signings and quickly. Recruited by Roy MacGregor after the sacking of Jim McIntyre in September, Coyle has presided over a wretched sequence of results that has featured no victories in 11 outings since November 4. As ever, the chairman has decided to back the man in charge with Ngog being joined by Inih Effiong, Greg Tansey and young defender Harry Souttar, who has signed on loan from Stoke City. All three saw game time at Fir Park and the results were mixed, not least in the case of Souttar, who came on for injured skipper Andrew Davies in the sixth minute and headed Motherwell into the lead with an own goal. ‘The plan was to have Harry sit on the bench, watch the game and take it all in,’ continued Coyle. ‘Yeah, he had a horrible own goal, but I thought he was outstanding. ‘I have seen international players crumble when that has happened to them, seasoned Premier League players at the top level, but this kid came out in the second half and showed a real resilience. ‘I thought David was also outstanding when he came into the game. So we know we are going to be better. There is no getting away from it, we are on a horrible run and we need to change it. ‘We have Rangers next and they will be coming to us feeling good about themselves but we are back at home, where we haven’t been for a long time, and we will be looking forward to making it a real test for them.’ In the flesh, Ngog does not look like a man who has been idle all season. Blessed with a lean, athletic physique, he looks in prime condition — and declares himself ready to start this afternoon’s game. ‘It will be the coach’s decision but I am ready to play,’ he says. ‘We need to start the game well, believe in ourselves and, if we do that, we have the quality to do something. ‘I never expected to be playing here but in football you never know what is round the corner. I just want to do well for the team and for the coach. He is a good guy to be around and every single day he pushes the team to be better. ‘At 28, I know I can still improve.’