Ross County 0-2 Arbroath: John Robertson raises big questions after Staggies slip further adrift at the bottom of the Championship

Interim Ross County manager John Robertson has questioned whether some of the players are good enough to handle a Championship scrap.

His stinging views came on the back of a 2-0 defeat by Arbroath, which plunged them deeper into trouble after their four consecutive league losses.

The result, in Robertson’s first game since the departures last week of boss Tony Docherty and assistant Callum Davidson, leaves the Dingwall club five points behind Queen’s Park and Airdrieonians.

Direct rivals Queen’s Park and Airdrieonians were in action today too, with Queen’s winning 3-0 meaning they drew level with the Diamonds on 17 points.

For Arbroath, the result moved them to within four points of second-placed Partick Thistle.

Jacob MacIntyre fired Arbroath in front in the first half and a swerving cracker from Taylor Steven secured the victory inside the final 10 minutes.

Case of ‘rinse and repeat’ from hosts

Robertson, who took the team before Docherty’s arrival for one game when previous manager Don Cowie exited County, says the defeat stems from a lack of cutting edge in both boxes.

He said: “I can’t accuse them of a lack of effort, that’s for sure, but that has been the case all season.

“It’s not a lack of work rate, it’s just that football is a very simple game – you have to be clinical in both boxes.

“Today was another representation of our season so far. We don’t take great chances at one end, and give away goals at the other end.

“It happened under Don Cowie, Tony Docherty, and now me. We started nervously, and we lost the goal but we reacted greatly.

“We had a couple of shots we were unlucky with, so we were alright in the first half – but in my mind that’s not good enough.

“We asked the players to give us that, and we created chances at the start of the second half again, but we got an unbelievable chance where Jordan White couldn’t get enough on it from four or five yards out.

“It happens again, where we are all up the park, and we show one player on to his good foot and he whips one into the top corner.

“We have seen teams do this against us before, so it’s rinse and repeat.”

Are County’s players good enough?

When asked if he can pinpoint why the team’s toils have extended to the halfway point of their season, Robertson said: “We started the season okay, and that’s been the problem – we’ve played okay, but at this level some players maybe think they’re too good for it.

“One or two are maybe getting to the stage where they can’t even play at this level, but I can only work with what I’ve got in front of me.

“Arbroath came here and played with confidence by playing to their strengths with little passes at the top end of the pitch.

“We created far clearer chances, but we’re not taking them, and you can’t do that.”

Collective need for improvement

Robertson also feels, unless County show a sharp improvement, the club could be set for a second successive relegation.

He added: “I’ve said to the players that the only people who can solve it are the players in the dressing room, and it starts with protecting the goal at one end and scoring at the other.

“That’s how it’s been all season. The vast majority of our squad have played Premiership football, but we keep making the same mistakes.

“We’ve tried different shapes and partnerships. I picked a team to have experience and energy, and we’ll look at it again next week when the league leaders come up here.

“It doesn’t get any easier, but we need to dig out a result quickly.

“Our home form has been very poor, and we haven’t reacted. I’ve watched other teams end up in League One, and that’s where we’re heading unless we sort it out.

[Source: Press and Journal]