Steven Naismith says Ross County’s league position won’t prevent them from providing an open, challenging, encounter in Dingwall on Saturday.
The Jambos head north for a Highland fling with Don Cowie’s Staggies who come into the weekend fresh from earning a point against Hibs in an entertaining match in midweek.
Yan Dhanda’s late equaliser picked up a valuable point for County – who currently occupy the relegation play-off spot. The boss knows that they’re a side that can still cause a lot of problems.
“It was an entertaining finish to the game,” he told the media ahead of Saturday.
“I think Don Cowie was right after the game in saying it could end up being a big point for County. The team’s working for the manager, going all the way to the 98th minute, so we know it’s going to be a tricky game up there.
“We pulled it back to 2-2 against them last time, but we’ve progressed since then. In general, at the moment, pitches aren’t great all over. Ross County are a team that try to pass the ball at times. They can do a bit more direct when Jordan White’s on the pitch and they’ve got pace up front.
“I think there’ll be more to it than just a scrappy game. They’ve got more of a threat than they have had. Don’s willing to put attackers on the pitch and make sure they’ve got a threat going forward. That’s how I’m expecting the game to be on Saturday.”
Naismith was able to provide an injury update from Oriam with two players holding a good chance to return to action at the weekend. Meanwhile, the upcoming international break could see further progress.
“Yutaro Oda and Scott Fraser are potentials for the weekend, but we’ll see how tomorrow goes. Other than that, there’s not much change,” he added.
“We’re hoping that Barrie McKay will be back after the international break, along with a few others just after that. Nieuwenhof is still out, along with Frankie Kent. He’s another one who should progress over the break before dropping back into training.”
