Don Cowie says Ross County captain Connor Randall’s suspension for Celtic match is an opportunity for others to stake claim for Dingwall outfit’s starting 11
Ross County manager Don Cowie says Connor Randall’s absence for their match against Celtic this weekend is an opportunity for someone else to step up.
The 29-year-old midfielder was booked in the Staggies’ 2-1 win over Motherwell last Saturday, meaning he passed the threshold that triggered a suspension for accumulation of yellow cards.
He will now miss the trip to defending Premiership champions Celtic, leaving a hole in the middle of the park for County.
As far as Cowie is concerned, though, he still has plenty of options at his disposal, so he is keen to see who can step up and stake their claim for more minutes in Randall’s absence.
“I couldn’t believe that Connor got booked on Saturday,” Cowie explained.
“If anything he got fouled, but he got booked, and that means now we don’t have him.
“It was maybe in the back of his mind, but he definitely didn’t hold back last Saturday.
“Maybe he was in the thick of things and managed to put it to one side, because between him, Josh Nisbet and Noah Chilvers they gave us that platform to go and win the game in the second half last Saturday. They complemented each other really well.
“Maybe Connor will have a bit more freedom when he comes back, but I have only seen someone giving his everything for the club.
“There was always the potential that he was going to miss a game in the next few weeks if he got booked, and it’s this one.
“We have plenty of options, so it’s up to the players this week to put themselves forward and suggest they want to play.
“Between Victor Loturi, Charlie Telfer, Scott Allardice and Aiden Denholm – who all didn’t start last weekend – we have players I have a lot of belief in. It’s up to them now to potentially play this Saturday.”
Even as club captain, Randall has not played every minute when available for Ross County this season, which speaks to the depth Cowie alluded to.
Although this weekend he will be forced into changes, the Staggies boss often does tinker with his starting 11 to freshen up the side, or deal with specific threats in the opposition line-up.
As a result, he does not have a first choice team in mind as he is so reliant on the depth of his squad.
“I don’t see it as a starting 11,” Cowie added.
“I see it as a really good squad that we’ve good, and I don’t think there’s much between the players in that squad.
“That’s my honest opinion, and that’s maybe why I change a few players in each game.
“I look at the opposition we’re playing and try to nullify their threats while hurting them in a positive manner, so I genuinely don’t see it as a starting team.
“There probably isn’t such a thing as a starting 11 nowadays.
“With the five subs, you always have that option to change within the game as well, so it’s about giving yourself the best base to work from at the start of the game. That’s what we try to do.”
