Don Cowie, the manager of Ross County, on St Johnstone’s reaction, overcoming hardship, and his team’s ire at the season’s poor starting
The Staggies manager talks about what needs to be improved against Partick Thistle this weekend and what has transpired after the team’s defeat to St Johnstone.
The Staggies have one point from their first two Championship games after Saints forward Uche Ikpeazu’s late winner on August 8. Perfect beginnings St Johnstone are already five points ahead of their anticipated championship rivals after the drastically altered Dingwall team, which had 13 summer additions, lost a 2-0 lead on the first day to draw 2-2 at Airdrieonians. After the Highlanders lost to Livingston in the play-off final, despite holding a two-goal lead in the second leg, they were relegated from the Premiership in May, along with the Perth club.
The Staggies’ hopes of winning the Premier Sports Cup are dashed on Saturday when County hosts Partick Thistle, who just defeated the Staggies 3-1 at the Global Energy Stadium. The Jags overcame Championship rivals Ayr United 2-0 to secure a quarterfinal cup match with holders Celtic, while County had no games on Saturday. With just one point from a 1-1 draw with Morton and a 5-1 loss to St Johnstone, Partick is hoping to carry over their cup performance into the league. Since defeating Kilmarnock 1-0 on March 1, the Dingwall team has not won a league game, and an increasing number of supporters have demanded a managerial change.
According to Cowie, there has been a lot of candid discussion behind the scenes, and everyone agrees that there needs to be an improvement overall. “Even though we didn’t want it (to not have a cup-tie), it has given us time to reset,” he added in reference to the period following the St Johnstone defeat. “Last week, we trained for an entire week. The roles and responsibilities of each team member have been the subject of numerous discussions. Since the beginning of the season, I believe we have been somewhat disengaged.
“While there have been some positive elements, overall, we haven’t created a full performance. “We have discussed that. If you want to take the initiative and play on the front foot, it’s important to know that your teammate has your back in addition to possessing a certain amount of boldness and courage. “Every other player on the team then provides them with backup.” Cowie is confident that County can soon be happier and move up the table, but he emphasised that this can only be accomplished by winning games.
“Football games help with confidence and you’re looking for the next game to continue that momentum,” he added. “When you are going through a little adversity, you can come together and become stronger.” However, we must gain that momentum. By improving our performance and demonstrating that conviction, we gain that. “With their backgrounds, each member of our group should be held to a higher standard to demonstrate their motivation for joining this football team and their abilities.”
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