Highlands & Islands

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The re-appointment of Derek Adams as Ross County manager has the potential to get fans "back on side".

That's according to Staggies fan Peter Mackay, who told the Scottish Football Podcast that he was surprised at Malky Mackay's departure but is also excited by Adams' return.

"You hear what Adams had to say as soon he came in the door, he didn't utter a mention of the word relegation," he said.

"It was all about top six and pushing on. There were mixed feelings last week after the departure of Malky, but I think this appointment has the potential to get everyone back on side.

"Overall, I'm delighted. I was quite sceptical of the departure of Malky and didn't know who was going to come in and match that level of experience. Nevertheless, [Roy] MacGregor has got his man."

"There's no other manager out who knows the club as well as Derek Adams does and no other manager who's had the success at the club that Derek Adams has had.

"We've got a really nice run of games coming up. We've got Kilmarnock and St Mirren both at home in quick succession and then after that, Livingston away. Those are games we can be looking at to pick up points in and win."

On what Adams' priorities will be, he adds: "Keeping us in the league. Although he hasn't said it himself, I think that's what it has to be.

"Success for a Ross County manager, as negative as it may seem, is just to keep us in the league. Anything after that is a bonus.

"Derek has set his sights a bit higher than that. This is probably one of the strongest squads we've had in years."

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Having played together at Motherwell and remained close ever since, there are few people in the game who know Derek Adams as well as Pat Nevin.

The former Scotland international is confident the third time will be the charm at Ross County, saying that the 48-year-old will use his extensive contacts book to bolster a Staggies squad fighting relegation.

"Derek is a good mate, someone I admire massively," Nevin told the Scottish Football Podcast. "I'm very biased in favour of Derek Adams. I brought him from Ross County to Motherwell. He's just a fantastic human being to work with.

"I'm not surprised he's had many successes in his career as a manager because there's a lot of integrity there, good sense there.

"He understands and knows the game well. All Ross County fans understand what he's done before.

"It's a tough job, it's not going to be an easy job. They're only two points behind Motherwell [in eighth], I think he'd like to get back up there quite quickly.

"For Ross County fans, there's reason to be excited because he's got lots and lots of good contacts, and he will use them well to get the best players he can for Ross County if they can survive and not be cut adrift too quickly."

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Ross Morren, The County Corner , external

A week can be a long time in football.

This time seven days ago, it looked like Malky Mackay would be using the international break to rejuvenate his Ross County squad ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.

However, last Wednesday it was announced that the club had parted ways with Malky. It was news that caught a lot of supporters by surprise, but the most surprising news was yet to come…

On Monday evening, Derek Adams was announced as the new Ross County manager. It’ll be Derek’s third spell in charge of the club, and if his previous spells in Dingwall are anything to go by, County fans can be excited at the prospect of what’s to come.

In the past, Derek has guided County to two promotions, one of which included a 40-match unbeaten run in the league, a Scottish Cup final and the first top-six finish in the club’s history. Based on those achievements, in the minds of many fans, Derek has been the greatest manager to ever sit in the Victoria Park dugout.

It’s not just in Dingwall where Derek has achieved success as a manager. During his nine years managing in England, he twice won promotion from League Two with Plymouth and Morecambe, respectively.

Derek’s teams have always had an identity of attacking and entertaining football - the kind that gets fans off their seats. This current County side certainly have players in the squad capable of excelling in this style.

Roy MacGregor said last week he wanted his new manager to have a Sir Alex Ferguson-esque defiance when coming up against the bigger clubs in the league.

Derek has that in abundance, which is evidenced by some of County’s most famous wins in their history, such as the 2010 Scottish Cup semi-final, where a First Division Ross County didn’t just beat Celtic 2-0 at Hampden, but played them off the park.

I think most importantly, this appointment is one that will galvanise and unite the fans. Derek is a club legend and we all know his fantastic attributes as a manager, so the fans will be desperate to see him repeat some of his previous heroics, while also guiding the club forward into the future.

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The dust has settled. The shock factor has worn off. The deal is done.

We grabbed your initial thoughts surrounding Derek Adams' imminent return to Ross County yesterday, but now that you've had time to digest the announcement, here's what you had to say...

Willie: A good move to take Derek Adams back. He was a great player for us and did us well as a manager both previous times. I've been a County fan since my father first took me to a game, aged five, in the mid 50s and have followed them ever since.

Alistair: I think Malky Mackay will feel rightfully aggrieved at being replaced by Adams. It is a big slap in the face to him, as well as the supporters. Adams has already tried returning to the club before and why does he think it will work this time when it didn’t previously?

Torquil: Great news. Derek was a first class manager in his previous two stints and knows the club from a player's perspective. He will breath new life into the club and ensure they stay in the top flight.

Gerrard: Einstein said insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Are you listening Roy MacGregor?

Sandy: I think it's a good appointment. Many County fans will be underwhelmed as they were probably looking for a marquee manager. However, Adams was successful at County , knows the club inside out and has gained valuable experience in English lower leagues so will know how to handle a County squad of similar quality to what he gas been working with.

Anon: Welcome back and good luck to him. Limited budget and not easy to attract players to the Highlands. However, a good squad of players, but they need to know how to attack as a team.

First up for Derek Adams in his third stint as Ross County manager is the trip of Kilmarnock to Dingwall as he looks to kickstart the Staggies' season.

It's a fixture the 48-year-old will remember well, given that it came just 12 days before his second departure from the club in 2014.

Unsurprisingly considering he was out the door two weeks later, Adams' side tasted defeat as a late Liam Boyce goal wasn't enough to claw County back after Josh Magennis and Tope Obadeyi gave the visitors a comfortable advantage.

With a new manager bounce and Killie's current bunch struggling on the road, the 'new' manager will be hoping for some vengeance on Saturday, as well as a winning start to his latest spell in charge.

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Ross County have their man... again!

Derek Adams is back for a third spell in charge of the Dingwall club, and while some of you expected it and got your thoughts in early, we want to know what you make of the appointment, now it's over the line.

Give us your take here.

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Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor says he's "delighted' to welcome Derek Adams back into the fold, highlighting his affinity with the club and his previous success in Dingwall.

"We had a distressing period, like you do when you change your manager," he told BBC Scotland. "You have to evaluate so many things. For us, there was risk and opportunity, we had 70 applications to go through, but the name Derek Adams kept coming back.

"I've known for a number of years that Derek wanted to come, wasn't sure whether the opportunity was going to come about, he was working in England. But, when we decided that was the route we wanted to go, we got onto it fairly quickly over the weekend, and with Morecambe's agreement, we managed to attract Derek back to the club, and we're delighted.

"Knowing is a big factor. This is an area that takes you a wee while to get to know, but he's always had a house here. He's coming back to known territory. He knows most of our players from working in England because we have a good proportion of English players. He hasn't seen them on the training ground but he knows of them, or has played against them.

"For us, it was that knowledge, determination and passion for Ross County that were the deciding factors.

“The target for Ross County is to survive in this league, anything after 10th is a bonus. There is not much between fourth and 12th now. Now is a good time for a new manager to come in and not just be thrown into the deep-end, we have two-thirds to go. There is plenty of time to evaluate, and if we need to do more, there is a window coming at Christmas.

“Everyone will be different, but I think Ross County had it’s most successful time under Derek. As a first division club, he took us to the Scottish Cup final, he went away to Hibs to try assistant managership. It didn’t suit him, he came back and took us to the Premiership, so I see this as an extension of what happened nine years ago.

“Meeting him for the first time in a wee while today, there is a knowledge and a trust, I think it will be a good time for a club."

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Shortly after being unveiled as the new Ross County manager, Derek Adams had a wee word with BBC Scotland...

On being back at the club:

"Delighted to be back at the football club. It’s a football club I know really well as a player and a manager on two occasions. It’s something I’ve looked forward to coming back, for many years."

On the skillset and experience he'll bring:

"I’ve been here twice, I understand the football club, I understand the people, the supporters. I’ve been away for nine years in English football. From that point of view, I can take great experience from being in England because it’s not an easy league to manage in. Coming back to the Scottish Premiership, understand the football club where it is, and get it moving forward as quickly as possible."

On whether he's identified what he wants to change on the pitch:

"All managers have different ideas, all previous managers that have been here have brought a lot of good things to this football club, and that’s why it’s moved forward over many years. From my point of view, I’ve got my own ideas on how I want my football to be played, and I hope to bring that to the table."

On what fans will see over the coming months under his leadership:

If you look at my teams at Plymouth Argyle, Bradford City and Morecambe, we’re all about trying to get players forward into attacking areas as quickly as possible. They always say the identity of a football team is what their manager is, and me standing on the touchline I want to see a team create chances, score goals, and that’s what I hope to see.

His message to County fans:

We’ve got really two important games coming up in a quick space of time, Saturday Tuesday against Kilmarnock and St Mirren. All I ask for, as they always do, so to raise the roof and give that vocal support to the team come Saturday.

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Third time's the charm? After two previous spells in Dingwall, Derek Adams has now returned to the Victoria Park dugout.

Here's what you had to say about the familiar face coming back to the Highlands...

Connor: Hard to say, clearly has a great affinity for the club/area along with historically being quite successful. However, comes across as a lazy, safe appointment from the club. That being said, only thing to do is get behind the team & push for safety.

Anon: I think this is a good appointment. Morecambe have games in hand to hit the playoffs and Derek has done a great job there. They play some great football. Ross County have done well to get him back.

David: Fantastic appointment. Derek will make us hard to beat and is an excellent tactician. Great appointment for Ross County.

Andy: Why would you appoint the same manager for a third time? He doesn't have relevant Premiership experience. He hasn't been involved in Premiership for many years. This is a relegation battle for County so surely the fans deserve someone who has recently had this experience. There is a manager available in Callum Davidson who ticks all the required boxes for County.

Chris: I think Derek Adams is the perfect candidate as he knows everything about the club. From the history, club, staff, supporters and the players. It’s his old stomping ground and he’s a kind of manager that has discipline, and really pushes players to get the best out of themselves.

Paul: Adams is a notoriously confrontational character. It all depends on how the players react to his managerial style. Personally, I still watch the clip of the time Jamie Hamill flattened him and laugh.

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Ross County CEO Steven Ferguson is looking forward to new manager Derek Adams "building on the solid foundations" set by his predecessor, Malky Mackay.

The former player returns to the Dingwall club as manager for a third time, following his exit from Morecambe earlier today.

“We are delighted to welcome Derek Adams back to Ross County Football Club," Ferguson told the club website.

"He returns following a successful period in England and has led over 700 games as a manager across his career.

"He knows the Highlands and our club well. We look forward to seeing him build on the solid foundations laid by Malky and his staff over the last two years and believe that Derek inherits a talented playing squad that are capable of being successful in the SPFL."

48-year-old Adams previously lead the Staggies to promotion and the league title in the 2011/12 season, winning PFA Scotland’s manager of the year award in the same year.

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Derek Adams' imminent appointment as Ross County manager has the backing of one experienced figure in Scottish football.

Former Rangers and Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd reckons Adams will fancy his chances of pushing his old club up the table on his return to Dingwall.

"Roy MacGregor's obviously made he decision to sack Malky [Mackay]. They had been on a bad run as such, but you're going to get that," Boyd told Sky Sports.

"I think when you look at Derek Adams, he's not going to take time to get settled. he knows the club, he knows the people he's working with, he'll know the players.

"Ross County, in the games I've seen them, I think they've been okay. They've been in games, they've caused teams problems. They need to start picking up results, that's for sure.

"It's going to be really tight down the bottom of the league, as it always is. I'm sure Derek Adams will fancy his chances to turn Ross County around and get them pushed up that table."