Malky Mackay took full advantage of the opportunity to bolster Ross County’s forward options during the January transfer window.
Goals have been in short supply for the Staggies throughout most of the campaign, with the Dingwall men remaining the Premiership’s lowest scorers.
A haul of five goals from their last three matches has been a major step in the right direction, and the impact of some of the new arrivals has been plain to see.
On-loan St Mirren forward Eamonn Brophy is already off the mark after netting just 12 minutes into his debut against Kilmarnock.
Brophy has started three matches so far, alongside the Staggies’ leading scorer Jordan White.
Wigan Athletic loanee Josh Stones has twice replaced White from the bench, while Simon Murray has also come on at half-time on two occasions following his switch from Queen’s Park.
Brophy, 26, and Murray, who is 30, bring an abundance of Scottish Premiership experience, and Mackay is confident they are ready to make an impact.
He said: “We saw it against Kilmarnock with Eamonn Brophy, and in the first half on Tuesday (1-1 draw with Hibs on January 31) I thought he was really difficult to deal with.
“Every time it came to him I thought he was going to spin defenders and draw fouls.
“Simon went on and I thought he comfortably looked like a player who could play at this level.
“The two of them look like Premiership centre-forwards, which is a terrific thing, because there’s been a lot of weight on Jordan unfortunately.
“He has done great for us, and still is with his goal at the weekend (against Rangers at Ibrox), but the weight of being the lone striker at our football club is not easy.
“Now there’s a bit of help round about him, and that makes a big difference.”
Brophy hungry to make his mark with Staggies
Brophy has joined the Staggies with a lack of recent game time behind him.
Although he has made 14 appearances for the Buddies this term, his two outings for County have already doubled the number of starts he was handed from that tally.
Brophy finished as the Paisley side’s joint leading scorer last term, but has fallen out of favour since Stephen Robinson took charge last February.
With a return of seven league goals, from an xG of 6.71 last term, Brophy is clearly a reliable finisher.
In his comments above, Mackay referenced the work Brophy does off the ball, which is clearly a big part of his game.
Last season, Brophy applied 15.08 pressures on opposition players per game, with a tally of 2.43 pressure regains per game.
Murray arrives in a different headspace, having netted 15 goals in 22 league appearances for Championship leaders Queen’s Park this term.
Although he is stepping up a level, his confidence and sharpness was clear to see following his introduction against Hibs.
He is also no stranger to top-flight football, which he returns to for the first time since 2018.
Although he has yet to enjoy a sustained spell in the Premiership, his return of seven goals in 25 top-flight appearances for Dundee United (2015-16) and six goals in 22 appearances for Hibernian (2017-18) suggests he is perfectly comfortable at this level.
Notwithstanding his open play goals tally of 14, from an overall xG of 13.41, this term, Murray has also shown he can be a big asset in his link-up play.
He has provided 1.39 key passes, which have assisted a shot or created a chance, per game this season. He has also provided seven goal assists, at a rate of 0.35 per game.
Coming up against a higher quality of defences in the Premiership will clearly need to be factored in following his move to Dingwall.
From the table below, which shows County’s key passes and assists figures per game, the player with the most comparable statistics in these areas is Yan Dhanda.
Given Dhanda plays in a deeper position, the prospect of bringing these attributes to the forward line could be an exciting prospect for the Staggies in their pursuit of more firepower.
Stones’ ‘ruggedness’ catches eye of Mackay
Stones is a lesser known quantity, given his lack of first team experience.
His breakthrough with Guiseley in National League North last season caught the eye of Wigan, who moved to sign him last summer.
Having made just one EFL Cup appearance for the Latics, however, the 19-year-old has made the move to Scotland in search of first team experience.
A combined 13 minutes of action from the bench provides limited opportunity to assess Stones.
His physical presence is clear to see, however, with his full-bodied approach to training having made a strong early impression on Mackay.
The Staggies boss said: “Muck and nettles is the phrase that springs to mind.
“He’s a great young kid, he has played for Guiseley in the National North, so there’s a bit of robustness there, which I loved.
“He’s only young, but there’s a real ruggedness to him.
“He wants to get torn in from minute one, and in training he has got really stuck in, which is great to see.”
Striking options aplenty for Staggies
Above all, Mackay is looking to find an attacking combination which will find the net on a far more regular and consistent basis than the Staggies did in the opening stages of the season.
There is no shortage of competition in addition to the three new faces.
White has predominantly led the line this season, but Jordy Hiwula, Alex Samuel and Dominic Samuel are still vying for a place.
Mackay is keen to strike a formula which enables goals to come from various different sources.
He added: “Our forward area in particular generally should be taking that load to score goals.
“It’s not just about Jordan White. We can look at Jordy Hiwula, Dominic Samuel, Owura Edwards and Yan Dhanda – they’re all in a forward area.
“We saw last year that it’s not always about the one through the middle scoring goals, it can be people coming in from the sides or arriving late.
“We’ve actually had lots of those chances with balls going around the back post or the penalty spot, and I’m looking for someone to come on to it and more often than not roll it into the net.
“It’s not about wild thunderbolts, it’s about being in the correct positions and sticking the ball in the net.
“That’s where we have to be better – having that sense of purpose to put the ball in the net.”
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