Ross County get December started with a home Premiership showdown against Rangers this Sunday lunchtime.
We asked two Staggies supporters for their views following their run of games in November – which ended with a 5-0 defeat away to champions Celtic on Saturday.
Don Cowie’s team kicked off last month with a 0-0 draw away to St Mirren before crashing to a 3-0 defeat at Dundee United – with all those goals coming in the second half at Tannadice.
Then, following the international break, the team bounced back with a fine 2-1 home victory over Motherwell, thanks to goals from Ronan Hale and Josh Nisbet.
The weekend’s sore defeat to Celtic leaves County eighth in the Premiership, three points outside the top half, but the same gap in front of 11th-placed Hibs and five ahead of Hearts.
After hosting Rangers on Sunday, County will face Hibs, St Mirren, Dundee and Hearts to round off 2024.
Ross County supporter liaison officer Shaun Campbell and Ramsay Banks, of the Staggies View, offer their take on their team’s position.
Ross County collected four points from games against St Mirren, Dundee United, Motherwell and Celtic. What were the most notable points, good and/or bad, for you?
Shaun Campbell: November was a very mediocre month.
However, three games were away from home, and one was against the champions, so you’d not be too disappointed with the points total.
However, the amount of goals conceded at Dundee United and Celtic is a slight concern.
There’s no real surprise that the one victory in the month came at home – where our record has been great so far – against a Motherwell team we have struggled against in recent seasons.
So, overall, it’s okay and probably a C on the report card!
Ramsay Banks: It’s been more of the same this month from County.
We continue to look solid as a rock at home – we’ve only been beaten in Dingwall by Celtic and Aberdeen – but the wheels seem to come off in a big way whenever we’re on the road.
The home form is really impressive, and long may it continue, but the batterings away have to stop, the effect it’s having on our goal difference (12 goals scored and 27 conceded) is getting alarming.
Which players stood out this month and who would you like to see more of?
SC: Noah Chilvers has been a stand-out in the last few games – he seems to be settling in well after coming in late on in the window.
It takes time for players who come in from different leagues to settle and I feel you are seeing that he’s getting used to the Scottish game and the County way. It’s showing on the pitch with his on-the-ball composure.
A mention also for Josh Nisbet, who is another who seems to be bedding in well after coming in late.
Josh has topped off some good performances with scoring his first County goal against Motherwell, and hopefully that will be the first of many this season.
RB: Noah Chilvers has been my standout for whenever County have turned in a good performance. He was especially unplayable against Motherwell.
For duller moments, Kacper Lopata has mostly been an absolute rock at the back. He was sorely missed against Celtic.
I’d like to see more of Scott Allardice. He added a calmness to midfield that helped us carry out damage limitation in the second half at Parkhead.
How do you feel Don Cowie is progressing in his first full season as the manager?
SC: Overall, Don is doing okay in his first year as a manger.
There a massive contrast from home and away results, though, with home form currently placing County sixth with 12 points, 12 goals scored and nine conceded. It has been great to see Dingwall being a fortress again with some very good performances.
Even in the two games we lost, against Celtic and in-form Aberdeen, we were content with the performances.
Unfortunately, away from home it’s been the polar opposite and we currently sit bottom of the form table on three points and just one goal scored and 18 conceded.
There is no question where we need to improve – if we can start picking up the odd win away from home and keep our home form, top six isn’t out the question, so hopefully the away form can pick up this month.
RB: Despite recent bumps in the road, I think Don is doing a great job, and I’m fully behind him.
He’s starting to find a more consistent 11 and is getting the best out of players who we know can do great things.
He seems to be improving at the game management side of things as well.
The transfer window opens next month. Do you expect much activity from the Staggies?
SC: January will be an interesting month in terms to the window.
With a reasonably big squad already, you’d expect players to go out either on loan or permanently before anyone comes in.
In terms with players to come in, it depends whether Don wants to change the formation up and introduce a formation which includes wingers.
We don’t have any wingers on the books, so that will be an area to focus on and a possible recall of in-form player Jay Henderson, who is at Ayr United.
If Don wants to stay with the current formation, a new defensive midfielder could be on the cards to play along with Connor Randall.
For that to happen, players would need to be moved on, such as Max Sheaf, who has been coming back from a long-term injury. A loan spell for Max, for example, could offer him valuable game-time.
RB: I’m not sure if we’ll see much movement in January. It seems like a lot of investment went into the squad in the summer and it’s generally in a good place.
If we sign anyone, I think the priority has to be a winger as we’re crying out for some width. Another right-back wouldn’t go amiss either.
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