Malky Mackay says Ross County’s top-six finish is a timely boost given chairman Roy MacGregor’s efforts to cut the Staggies’ cloth.
County have recorded a top-half finish for the first time since 2016, after striking late to defeat Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Saturday.
The result puts the fifth-placed Staggies firmly in contention to challenge for a European place, with five games remaining.
County will play their first post-split match on April 24, when they host Premiership leaders Celtic.
Mackay, who is in his first season in charge at Dingwall, says the top-six finish will go a long way towards helping County reach self-sustainability.
Mackay said: “I probably couldn’t put a value on it exactly right now, but what I would say is that we absolutely need to cut our cloth at the club.
“The three things the club has to look at, other than the owner taking a huge hit every year, is league position, selling a player, and how far you go in the cups.
“We were hamstrung in the League Cup when it was decided that we would lose our group games to Covid. We weren’t able to progress.
“Hopefully with the league position being higher that feeds into what the owner has to do to try and keep this club afloat.
“It is tough times for everyone in Scottish football and we’re no different.
“We’re a small club and don’t buy players. We’ve got to mix and match and with 16 leaving and 12 coming in at the start of the season, it was a complete overhaul.
“That and two weeks off with Covid made for a slow start. It took time for the group to come together, but they have – and I’m really proud of them.
“It is a little club at the moment, but it is run very efficiently.”
Staggies boss not getting carried away
Mackay is remaining level-headed about County’s prospects of securing a first European finish in the club’s history.
He added: “I think we’ll draw breath before we start talking about Europe, but we’ve managed to put ourselves in contention.
“It was great for Scottish football that six or seven teams could have got there at the weekend. That shows the strength of the league.
“People have suggested it is the strongest league in a few years. We knew it was going to be an uphill task the whole way.
“The fact anyone on any given day can beat anyone else this season has underlined that.
“For us to hold our nerve, come over to Pittodrie, a tough place to go, a good club, good manager and a big support – and with them needing to win as well – shows the character of the team.”
Mass changes have paid off with County’s success
Former Cardiff City and Watford manager Mackay implemented mass changes at Victoria Park when he took on the job last summer.
Mackay says the constant improvement of the side vindicates the overhaul.
He added: “Having seen how they work in training every day, any manager will tell you, the correlation between that and what they produce in games is absolutely evident.
“They have embraced what myself and the staff want to implement and done it day in and day out.
“That begins to show on the park after a period of time, the pattern of play, the way I want us to play.
“There was a big turnover of players at the start of the season and some raised eyebrows as to why some people left the club.
“There were reasons for that and people within the club realise that, and why people were brought to the club.
“When you look at the culture within the club now and how they work for each other, the connection they have with those fans, it is testament to the decision by the owner and Steven Ferguson, our chief executive, to actually allow this to happen.”