County on a wing anda playerwith loan-star Owura
Ross County might have feared the worst when the club’s talented 20-goal duo of Regan CharlesCook and Joseph Hungbo quit in the summer.
But coach Malky Mackay has unearthed another diamond in winger Owura Edwards, a player he claims “puts rivals on the back foot and lifts bums off seats”.
Mackay has given the Bristol City loanee a licence to roam in the final 30 yards of the pitch.
He said: “That’s where the top players do it.
“I tell them to go and do what they want. They are absolutely off the leash.
“It’s what I said to Hungbo and CharlesCook. Whatever they decided to do, they weren’t going to get any complaints from me.
“The only thing I will complain about is if the ball is on the far side of the pitch, and they are not in the box, at the far post looking to score.
“Wingers have always been a bugbear to me, from playing with them and managing them, but I also realise they are the gold.
“They invariably make the difference and you’ve got to give them as much encouragement as possible.”
The 21-year-old is loving life in the Highlands despite knowing next to nothing about the Staggies prior to his arrival.
Edwards said: “The manager gives you information and tells you what he wants, but also allows you to express yourself and play your own game.
““I’m enjoying being here, the training, the place, the staff, the players. One thing I was surprised about was the quality of training which is very good.
“The intensity in the game in the Premier League, the running, is quite high, probably a little bit higher than I imagined and the standard is well above anything I was used to.
“These are the toughest games I’ve ever played in.
“But it’s good to be able to play against Celtic and Rangers and experience what that level is like.”
County have once again been on a slowburner in terms of results in the first quarter of the season, but back-to-back wins prior to a narrow defeat at Parkhead immediately before the break lifted them off the bottom.
And Edwards insisted: “Recent performances going into the second half of the season mean we’ll be alright.
“I’ve felt the performances building. The wins we got, especially against Hibs, showed that the team is starting to really come together.”