Ross County

We asked for your thoughts after Ross County made history with a first ever win of title-chasing Rangers.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Kyle: Victoria Park becoming a fortress again like our early Premiership seasons. Good sign for games to come. Cowie deserves the job long term.

Jim: All positives. Whole team stood up to Rangers today and made them look well below their league position. We broke well, caused the Rangers defence problems all game and took our goals well. Hopefully that quality and momentum will carry into the post-split fixtures.

Evan: Probably the greatest win in the Staggies' history. This proud Highlands club deserves to stay in the Premiership.

Anon: Today proved that Don Cowie should be given the manager's job permanently. The tactics were spot on and they played the way Don used to play, ball on the ground and quick passing. Great to watch.

Ronnie: Best all-round performance for a long time. Bit nervy at the end but thought we just about deserved the win. Could be a massive thre points, and probably would have been better for us if the split games were next week, rather than in a fortnight. Very proud Staggie.

Rob: I plan to enjoy this for a while, we waited long enough!

John: This has been coming for a while. This squad has huge belief and Don Cowie has nurtured that belief. Onwards and upwards.

Ron: Great performance & result. Thoroughly deserved first victory over the mighty Rangers (not so mighty on the day). Cowie was tactically astute & I hope he has guaranteed an attractive job offer from the chairman. Excellent individual performances, but truly a team win. Steve Clarke should widen his horizons and consider Laidlaw as one of his options

Pat Nevin and Richard Foster join Liam McLeod to pick over the bones of another incredible weekend of Scottish football drama.

They look back on Ross County’s historic victory over Rangers and discuss what impact it could have at both ends of the table.

They also assess the jobs done by Tony Docherty and Nick Montgomery as Dundee secure their place in the top 6 at the expense of Hibs and Motherwell.

Listen to today's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast here.

Don Cowie says Rangers manager Philippe Clement apologised for not shaking his hand immediately following Ross County's shock win. (Scottish Sun)

Clement explained his reasoning behind not shaking hands with Cowie straight after the match by saying he wanted to think of how he would address his players after Rangers' defeat. (Daily Record)

Clement suggested the on-going Dens Park pitch saga and his side's "really, really strange preparation" were possible factors in Rangers' first defeat to Ross County. (The Scotsman)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

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Ross County's xG value of 2.96 in their historic win over Rangers is by far the highest any team have had against the Ibrox side this season.

Celtic put up 1.96 last weekend in the 3-3 derby draw, and Aberdeen's xG was 1.62 in their 3-1 win at Ibrox back in September.

It's also the most xG Rangers have conceded in a single game since Opta started collecting Scottish Premiership data in 2019-20.

Were you at the Global Energy Stadium for Ross County's 3-2 win over Rangers or watch it on TV?

We'd love to hear your reaction here.

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie thought his side thoroughly deserved their win over title hopefuls Rangers in Dingwall.

"I'm delighted for the whole football club," he tells BBC Scotland. "It was built upon a very good team performance.

"In the first half, I thought we deserved a bit more in terms of what we put in. The message at half time was to keep that going, build on it and be positive.

"We started the second half excellently, you then get a bit nervous at the end, but I'm just delighted for everyone. It's a big three points for us."

On the run-in, Cowie adds: "We have to take real belief. What we get is three points, nothing more, but on top of that we have to take belief and confidence.

"We have five very important games coming up. We've got a two week break. We'll enjoy tonight as it's not often you beat Rangers, but we then need to focus on those games."

Image source, SNS

Clive Lindsay, BBC Scotland Sport

Ross County went into the game against title hopefuls Rangers having only won once in six outings, but they remain unbeaten in their latest five home games and you could see why.

They were not daunted by the stature of the visitors and their record against them, taking the game to a side displaying a frailty that belied their status as title contenders.

County manager Don Cowie's changes to his starting line-up worked to perfection, with George Harmon, Josh Sims and Yan Dhanda in particular injecting a pace and sharpness that had the visiting defence looking well off the pace and Ross Laidlaw in inspired form in goal.

More displays like this and County are certainly capable of avoiding a relegation play-off.

More performances like this, when they squandered the first of two games in hand, and Rangers' hopes of catching a Celtic side who, as manager Brendan Rodgers mentioned on Saturday, come alive in the title run-in will quickly disappear.

They looked disjointed, error strewn, all too easily penetrated at the back and lacking a killer touch up front - hardly the characteristics of a title-winning team.

Meanwhile, manager Philippe Clement may now regret his decision to rotate his squad to give game time to some players who failed to live up to the big occasion and they will now likely have to win at Celtic Park in the final derby of the season if they are to keep their title dream alive.

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There are five County changes as they bid for a historic first-ever win over Rangers - the most eye-catching change being in goal where George Wickens is dropped in place of Ross Laidlaw.

Wickens has come in for a bit of criticism in recent weeks, having dropped a few clangers, and it appears interim boss Don Cowie has finally lost patience with his loanee keeper.

George Harmon, Victor Loturi, Josh Sims, and Hearts-bound Yan Dhanda come in. Loick Ayina, Eamonn Brophy and Jordan White drop to the bench, while Josh Reid drops out completely.

Ross County: Laidlaw, Efete, Randall, Baldwin, Leak, Harmon, Loturi, King, Sims, Dhanda, Murray.

Substitutes: Wickens, Borthwick-Jackson, Brown, Sheaf, Henderson, Khela, White, Brophy, Ayina.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Barisic, Lundstram, Dowell, Cantwell, Silva, Sima, Dessers.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Lawrence, Matondo, Sterling, Roofe, Balogun, King, Raskin, McCausland.

Image source, Getty Images

Why should Scottish football fans care about Czech side Viktoria Plzen drawing with Italian heavyweights Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League?

The result on Thursday night has serious consequences for the Premiership, with the Czech Republic now having leapfrogged Scotland in the coefficient standings.

Not only will the winners of the top flight no longer gain automatic qualification to the Champions League from 2025/26, but there's also a knock on effect for those finishing further down the table.

Here's everything you need to know.

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Following on from last weekend's defeat at Kilmarnock, Ross County welcome Rangers to Dingwall.

But who should start for Don Cowie on Sunday?

Pick your preferred starting XI here.

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• Ross County have lost 11 of their 13 home games against Rangers in all competitions, with the only times they’ve avoided defeat at home coming in November 2016 (1-1) and January 2022 (3-3).

• Rangers are unbeaten in all 24 of their previous meetings with Ross County across all competitions (W20 D4) and have never faced an opponent more often without losing in their history.

• Ross County are unbeaten in four home league games (W2 D2), their longest run since going seven without defeat from January to April 2022.

• Rangers have won 11 of their last 13 away league games (D1 L1), including each of their last four in a row.

• Rangers’ James Tavernier has scored 49 penalties in the Scottish Premiership. Since the competition was rebranded in 2013, this is 33 more than the nearest player for penalty goals (Adam Rooney, 16).

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George Harmon says he and his Ross County team-mates "owe it to the fans" and manager Don Cowie that they "give our all" to secure top-flight survival.

The Highland side, who survived via the relegation play-off last term, find themselves in 11th and are four points off St Johnstone in 10th.

"We want to make sure we keep this football club in the Premiership," left-back Harmon says. "I think if we keep [giving our all] we’ll hopefully move up the table."

County bring their pre-split schedule to an end by welcoming title-chasing Rangers on Sunday.

"Whenever you play an Old Firm team you are always going to be underdogs. We just got to stick to our game plan and stick to what we know.

“We’ve made it a tough place to come this season especially under the new gaffer. We just need to try and make sure we maintain that."

Ross County interim boss Don Cowie insists Sunday's match against Scottish Premiership title chasers Rangers is not a free hit. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie wants his side to use their strong recent home record when they face high-flying Rangers in Dingwall on Sunday.

County are unbeaten in their last four home games, but Cowie admits they will have to deliver their "best" if they are to continue that run amid their battle against the drop.

“We know we’ve got six very important games left," Cowie said. "We’ve had really good form at home and it’s about trying to build on that against a very good opposition.

“We know we are going to have to be at our best to get a positive result out of the game but we will prepare and plan as we do for every game and try and get the right outcome for our club.

“The mood is really good. It’s positive. I think the performance levels as a collective have been really consistent over the last two months."

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Premiership clash with Rangers on Sunday.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Says they are "disappointed" with Saturday's result away to Kilmarnock, but insists the nature of the performance gives them "plenty to build on".

• Cowie says they "need" their fans to turn up against Rangers, and praised their recent support on the road.

• Knows his players need to deliver their best possible performance in order to take anything from the game.

• Recent performance levels have resulted in high spirits in camp. "We need to feel positive going into six very important games."

• Says the club's primary objective is to avoid the relegation play-off. "We know it’s not going to be easy but we are all prepared."

Ross Morren
Fan writer

Life on plastic wasn’t so fantastic for Ross County at the weekend as the Staggies lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Pre-match, County were hopeful they could repeat the 1-0 victory they earned back in September, which remains the club's only away win in the league this season.

The weather conditions during the match made it difficult for both sides. The high winds prevented any real quality in the final third and it felt like it was going to take a moment of magic or an individual error to open the scoring.

Unfortunately for County, it was the latter.

Kyle Vassell opened the scoring for the home side with a powerful strike at the edge of the box that went through George Wickens on its way into the back of the net.

Wickens has earned a lot of plaudits for his shot-stopping since he arrived in Dingwall, but he’ll be disappointed he didn’t prevent the opening goal on Saturday.

Over the last few weeks, Don Cowie has spoken about the need for his side to maintain their concentration levels away from home. Lapses in concentration in County’s recent visits to Easter Road and Pittodrie have resulted in conceding goals and subsequently costing them points, so the latest mistake will frustrate County's interim manager.

To make matters worse, St Johnstone’s victory over Hibernian has left County four points adrift in the play-off position.

Things don’t get much easier for the Staggies as they host Rangers in their final match before the split. County have never beaten Rangers in the club’s history, and the Glasgow side’s form since Phillipe Clement has come in has been imperious.

It would be a huge bonus if we were able to pick up any points on Sunday, and it would provide a massive boost for the run-in.

Ross Morren can be found on The County Corner, external.

On today's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast, Liam McLeod is joined by Kenny Miller and Alan Stubbs.

They discuss Sunday's Old Firm thriller and look back on an action-packed Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Listen to the episode in full here.

The Sportscene team assess whether Ross County's frontline can boost their chances of top-flight survival.

(Available to UK users only)