Ross County manager Malky Mackay believes Duncan Ferguson’s impressive apprenticeship at Everton can only be of benefit to Highland rivals Caley Thistle.
Ferguson was handed the job at Caledonian Stadium last month, replacing Billy Dodds as manager on a three-year deal.
It is only Ferguson’s second permanent managerial job, having left Forest Green Rovers following their relegation from English League One last season.
Prior to that, Ferguson spent more than a decade on the coaching staff at Everton, where he worked under the likes of Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce.
He was promoted to assistant manager in 2019, and served as number two to Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez.
While the 51-year-old’s own managerial career is still in its infancy, Mackay believes Ferguson could not have had a better schooling for his current role.
Mackay said: “I was kept on by Brendan Rodgers at Watford when we both went for the job. He spoke to people, and I was lucky to be kept on and become his assistant as well as Aidy Boothroyd’s.
“Duncan certainly had that persona there. Looking at the managers he was working with, if you can’t take from them, I don’t know what you can take from.
“Steve Holland did that at Chelsea, and there are two or three like that out in Europe.
“There’s a young kid, Anthony Barry, who is with Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
“There are various coaches who foreign managers come in and quite like, and the longer they work with them they then go on to take them to other clubs.
“Carlo Ancelotti had Paul Clement at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
“There isn’t a directory of assistants – you find people.
“You go to courses or meet people at clubs and see if you have a connection, and if they are good coaches and have a similar mindset to you.
“You would be foolish not to take from the amount of managers that have been in at Everton.”
Everton connection shows Ferguson’s character
Ferguson remains an adored figure at Everton, having netted 72 goals across two spells which covered a combined period of 11 seasons at Goodison Park.
Mackay feels Ferguson will aim to impart his personality on Caley Jags, having taken four points from his opening two Championship matches.
The Staggies boss added: “His connection to Everton is a really big draw.
“I know nothing about his coaching ability, but clearly he has experience.
“We don’t know each other really, but what I would say is that the connection he had to that football club is something that people recognise helps with a level of consistency around that first team.
“There are various people around English football, and elsewhere, who have a little bit of nous at the top of the club. They see that a bit of stability is needed there.
“Quite quickly someone’s character and personality filters through to other parts of the football club.
“You know if they are a tyrant, if they don’t want to help people or just look after themselves.
“On the flip side of that, you also see someone that carries a wee bit of positivity about them or draws people in, and is liked by people.
“That’s something that certainly helps when new management teams come in.”
Working in Highlands will present fresh challenges
Mackay is in his third season at County, having previously spent his entire managerial career in English football with Watford, Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic.
The Staggies boss reckons Ferguson will quickly discover the geographical challenges of working in the Highlands.
He added: “Logistically, trying to get players to the Highlands isn’t going to be easy. That’s something I have come across myself, and he’s a division below.
“There’s the travel element for games and how you run that, and it’s a completely different league.
“I know he has Gary Bollan in with him, but I know Gary was working with him down at Forest Green, so has Gary been keeping an eye on the league and watching? It’s going to be hard.
“How much do you know about the league, your own players, the players you’re going up against?
“You need someone on the ground that can get you right up to speed with it, because while you’re trying to get to grips with a league, 10 or 12 games can slip by.
“Or, Duncan might have been doing his homework on the league and know everything about it. That might be the case, I don’t know.”
Conversation