Six minutes of highlights on RossCounty1929 YouTube channel...
https://youtu.be/4pLLYSH7eV4 Here's the highlights
Cheers...
I thought this was a significant result for Queens and the management and players should be applauded for pulling off an amazing result.
Without Dobbie and Harkins, - any team in the Championship would struggle and so this result should do two things: 1) send out a major warning to the rest of the league and 2) perhaps more importantly bring some self belief to our own squad, - who are often too keen to try and pass to Dobbie and Harkins.
I have berated Naysmith for his tactics on a number of occasions, but I have also applauded him when he has got it right and my God did he get it right on Saturday.
I was working on my computer and checking the progress of the match every few minutes on Saturday, and was more than content with the way Queens were containing the Staggies.
When they scored, my reaction was "how will we respond?" and my thoughts were that Stirling had to be brought to the fore immediately, - which is exactly what Naysmith did.
Not only did unleashing a frustrated Stirling have the desired effect, but he scored into the bargain........(which I didn't expect,) - but was naturally delighted.
That was a top class decision by Naysmith and at the right time, - giving Stirling plenty of time to make an impact. His second substitute was also inspired as Ross County were pegged back by the free running of young Connor, and which was reflected in the ratio of shots. Many fans on this board have been asking the manager to use the tactic of attack, rather than defence and so he must be applauded.
Naysmith's 3rd sub bringing on Owen was merely an attempt to run down the clock as County rallied, - but was nevertheless an effective one, and again a player that would need watching, - so well done sir!
The main point I would like to make, - apart from praising Nysmith is this: Could we use the matches without Dobbie to build confidence in our own abilities, so that when he returns, - we do not simply revert to passing to the 'great one'?
Without doubt, most teams attempt to squeeze Dobbie out of the game, - knowing that our tactic is to find him at every opportunity. So if we could allow the likes of Stirling, Dykes and Murray to freely express themselves without desperately trying to involve Dobbie at every opportunity, - it would paradoxically allow Dobbie more freedom and inevitably the opportunity to score more goals.
It does sound counter intuitive, - but once teams realise that sticking two or three players on Dobbie does not have the desired effect, (and that they will need to watch all our players) then he will be given more of a free reign.
The Ross County result should settle us down into believing that we are not a one man team and hopefully some well earned extra points will start appearing on the board.