Manager Don Cowie will warn Ross County’s new defenders to be on their guard as former Staggies striker Simon Murray returns with Dundee this weekend.
Murray moved back to Tayside this summer having rattled in 23 goals in 46 games for County last term, after joining from Queen’s Park in January 2023.
He’s already netted six in all competitions for a Dundee side which is sixth in the table, with fellow forwards Curtis Main and Seb Palmer-Houlden each scoring five.
Amid the 12 signings made by Cowie since last term are defenders Ricki Lamie, Akil Wright, Kacper Lopata and Eli Campbell.
Murray ‘wants to attack’ – Cowie
Cowie insists they will be ready for what the unbeaten Dark Blues have to offer as County chase their first win after two draws from their first four Premiership fixtures.
He said: “Quite a few of our defenders haven’t actually faced Simon in terms of what he brings to the game, but we’ll certainly let the new boys know what he’s all about.
“He’s a real threat, someone who is playing with real confidence on the back of a very good season with us.
“We need to be ready for that. We know the things he enjoys doing and that transition. He looks for space and wants to attack at every opportunity.
“We’re going to have to be on our guard to stop that.”
Club worked on right Murray move
Cowie felt the move worked well for both parties as Murray made the move to Dundee, with Hibs also keen to land his services.
He said: “We appreciate what Simon did for us as a football club last season, but at the same time, Ross County was really good for Simon.
“He would speak positively about his time here. It was no secret he was not desperate to leave here, it was more for family reasons.
“The club were patient to help him with that. It was up to a club to come up with the right figure to make that happen and, fair play to Dundee, they did that.
“It’s where he’s from and he is delighted to get the move. He’s started the season well on the back of a great season last year.”
Lamie’s knowledge can be useful
Defender Lamie made the switch from Dundee to County in July and Cowie will glean any additional information about their opponents.
When asked about tapping into Lamie’s inside knowledge, he said: “You have to try and gain any advantage you can in terms of the opposition.
“In general, now, in football there’s not many secrets.
“There are so many platforms where you can watch highlights and the details of the opposition.
“Naturally, though, when you have someone in the building who was at that club last year, you have conversations to eke out even more information, to give you that best opportunity to win the game.”
Staggies seeking clinical touch
County go into Saturday’s match on the back of a 1-0 home defeat to Aberdeen on August 31, with the Dons snatching a stoppage-time win through a Kevin Nisbet strike.
The County performance was a massive improvement from the previous week’s 6-0 Hampden hammering by Rangers as the 10th-placed Staggies look to build on their two points earned so far.
With just one league goal scored so far, Cowie wants his side to make their chances count.
He said: “We have to earn the right and go out and win the game. It is a really competitive league.
“We’ve been really close (in a 1-1 draw) against Dundee United, where I thought we were really good.
“If you’re not ruthless and clinical, teams will come back to haunt you.
“Against Aberdeen, we were very much in the game, and it was fine margins in terms of us taking the lead.
“We got sucker-punched in the last minute.
“It is about us keeping doing what we’re doing and keeping faith in the process in terms of what we’re trying to achieve.“I saw lots of good signs against Aberdeen and it is about trying to build on that and trying to get even better.
“We’ll be looking to do that this weekend, but at the same time we are coming up against a really confident, strong team.
“Bar Rangers, where we were all disappointed with the result and performance, we have been very much in the other three league games.
“One goal separates those three matches and it could have gone either way in all three games, really.
“If I was watching a team out of their depth and struggling, it would be a different proposition, but right now we are right bang in games – and it is a case of keep doing what we’re doing, and the rewards will come.”
County expect to be without injured defenders Lamie and Will Nightingale and midfielder Max Sheaf.
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