Ross County supporters react to relegation, including a ‘disgraceful season of presumed entitlement’

Ross County fans are feeling the pain after the Dingwall club dropped into League One on Friday night – the Staggies’ second successive relegation.

Twelve months after losing the Premiership play-off final against Livingston, County – managed by three bosses in total this season – finished bottom of the Championship.

It is a stunning fall for County, who were tipped to be title contenders with St Johnstone, who were also relegated from the top flight last year.

The Perth Saints did win the Championship last month, with Partick Thistle, Arbroath and Dunfermline Athletic filling the promotion play-off spots.

County’s 3-2 defeat at Raith Rovers, which they held the lead in until the last 20 minutes, consigned them to 10th position, with Airdrie going into next week’s relegation play-off semi-finals and their 1-1 draw at Morton kept the hosts up in eighth position.

It’s 19 years since County were in League One and they came back up in one go.

Will manager Stuart Kettlewell be in charge next season?

Plenty of talking is required within the Global Energy Stadium as players first and foremost will learn their fates.

Last summer, signings such as Declan Gallagher, Ross Docherty, Gary Mackay-Steven, Nicky Clark, Jamie Lindsay and Alex Iacovitti were expected to help kick County into the promotion race. The team never found consistency until it was just too late.

We asked you via The Press and Journal Facebook page for your views. Here are just some of the many contributions:

‘The club has lost its identity’

William Miller believes the issues lie well beyond the playing squad, which is something he feels needs to be addressed.

He said: “There needs to be massive changes and not only in the playing staff, but behind the scenes and upstairs.

“Recruitment has been shocking for a while and, sorry to say this because I like the man, but our CEO (Steven Ferguson) has to take a large slice of responsibility too.

“Keep Ketts as manager. Let him build a team of hungry young guys who will show a lot more fight than a large percentage of this squad have shown.

“And get the academy boys in, especially local guys. The club has lost its identity.”

‘The standard, quality and style of football that has been lacking’

Lifelong Staggies fan John Mackenzie believes the current situation is a new low.

He said: “It is ironic the very week that the club (stadium) goes cashless that due to their fall from grace there will be less cash to support a club of that size.

“Inevitably, there will be cuts to squad numbers, background staff and the amount of work that the club do in the community. Can they afford to run a girls’ team and all the youth training camps?

“I have watched Ross County for 70 years and have seen many ups and downs, but the last couple of seasons have been dire.

“It’s not just the number of defeats. It is the standard, quality and style of football that has been lacking.

“We now need players who want to play for the jersey, not just collect an inflated wage, and who have a fundamental grasp of the game.”

‘Money talks, but the problem is it doesn’t walk’

Mike Horne fears a further relegation fight could lie ahead in 2027 unless the club get back to basics, with a local focus.

He said: “It needs a clear-out from the very top to the very bottom and get some local businessmen and supporters who have got the interests of Ross County at heart.

“Let’s back to being a community club, so we start at the bottom and we work our way up once again.

“I thought we had an academy. At least, that’s what we were told, but where were these players? We didn’t seem to use any. We imported everything. Money talks, but the problem is it doesn’t walk.

“That has been proved through two disastrous seasons for Ross County.

“I only hope this time next year we’ve not gone down to League Two, but the way things stand I wouldn’t bet on it.

“Hopefully in the off-season, big decisions will need to be acted upon. Procrastination should not be tolerated by the supporters.”

League One ‘battle now commences’

David Clyne feared for the worst as the nightmare season ended in the worst possible outcome, and pointed the finger of blame towards the boardroom.

He said: “A disgraceful season of presumed entitlement by the owners and hierarchy.

“Dreadful recruitment, and a total lack of leadership off and on the park.

“Watching them this season, I said they would struggle to hold their own in League One. The battle now commences.”

[Source: Press and Journal]