Malky Mackay does not expect Ross County to make any further moves before next Thursday’s transfer deadline.
The Staggies have made 10 summer additions, with the most recent arrival being forward William Akio, who completed his move on July 17.
Mackay was given the green light by chairman Roy MacGregor to make an early summer recruitment drive, which has produced a squad he is thoroughly content with.
Although he is not ruling out any further transfer activity, he says it would only happen if an exceptional opportunity presented itself to the Staggies.
Mackay said: “If something were to come up that we couldn’t turn down – because it was really attractive to the club – then Mr MacGregor has said to put it in front of him.
“We did our business early, and we knew a lot of business had to be done this summer again.
“We brought 10 people into the club, which is an awful lot and we’ve had to do it two years in a row now.
“Fingers crossed we don’t have to do it next year, and it can be two or three rather than wholesale change.
“There’s the time it takes for people to settle, get used to the stadium, the way of playing and living here – that means next year I’m hoping we only have to bring in a couple.
“At the moment, I’ve done the business we wanted, and we’re settled. We’ve got a couple of injuries, but they’re on their way back.
“Unless something really jumped out at us that would work, I don’t see anything getting done in a week.”
Recruitment structure has allowed County to move quickly
Mackay says the players he has brought in were identified some time ago by his recruitment team, headed up by Enda Barron.
It contrasts starkly with this time last year, when the Staggies were still finalising their squad following Mackay’s arrival that summer.
The Staggies boss hopes the strategic approach to signings will pay off, adding: “My recruitment department has had a year to get on with the work and check people out.
“When the season ended we were talking to them, and four weeks later they had been brought in.
“That’s a real positive, and again it’s thanks to the owner for allowing me to bring that recruitment structure to the club to do that.
“We looked at players over the past year, and we were able to go and act on that as soon as the season finished.
“Last year it was literally as the weeks were counting down that we were trying to go and find players.”
Staggies’ early business already bearing fruits
County got off the mark by securing their first league victory of the season last weekend, with a late 1-0 triumph over Kilmarnock.
The Staggies were forced to dig deep in the latter stages of the match, after Ross Callachan was dismissed.
Mackay believes the resolve shown by County reinforces his belief in getting his transfer business done early.
He added: “Now we can reap the rewards of it.
“The earlier you get them into that process of settling into the area, the team and understanding how the whole thing works, the better.
“It means that when they do have a day like last weekend where it’s a tough, rugged Premiership game and it’s on edge, the new guys can come through it with flying colours.
“That was one of the most pleasing parts of last weekend. The new guys saw what this league is really about.
“I’ve told them that there will be another 20 or 30 games this season that will end up like that, and they’ve got to handle it.
“Last weekend they weren’t wondering what was going on, they got right into the heart of it.”
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