Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell will not accept fatigue as an excuse during the Staggies’ busy upcoming schedule.
County’s trip to Partick Thistle today kick starts a run of 11 matches in seven weeks, after the Staggies had a number of Championship fixtures switched to midweek dates.
The Staggies’ home match against Dunfermline yesterday became the latest game to be moved, with a new date of Tuesday, April 9 with a 7.45pm kick-off. The match clashed with the weekend of the IRN-BRU Cup final against Connah’s Quay Nomads on March 23/24, which the Staggies are still awaiting confirmation of a venue for.
Kettlewell, who returns to the dugout at Firhill today following a three-match ban, has called on the Staggies players to relish the task of securing a league and cup double.
Kettlewell said: “Personally, I always felt myself and guys around about me played their best football when the games were coming thick and fast and you just keep churning performances out.
“I’m a great believer that fatigue is something in your mind, not something in your body. It’s not physical.
“Tell yourself you’re tired, you’re going to play like that. Tell yourself you want to get through your task and win three points, then that’s what you’ll do.
“I know I’m on my soapbox here and people will say that’s the thinking of days gone by – but it’s not.
“It used to work all the time and I can’t see why it wouldn’t work now.”
Thistle go into today’s game on the back of five straight victories, and Kettlewell expects Gary Caldwell’s side to provide tough opposition in their attempts to remain top of the Championship.
He added: “It’s going to be a difficult game because I think Partick have obviously made big changes. The big change is probably the way they’re playing – their shape and how they deploy their system.
“It’s a different one for us to think about and one we’re excited to tackle.
“As a club, we’ve had a good record there over the last 10 years or so and it’s a place where we’ve always looked forward to playing.”