Ross County manager Owen Coyle is relishing his return to the dugout today when the Staggies make the Premiership trip to Kilmarnock.
Former Burnley and Bolton Wanderers manager Coyle joined the Staggies on a two-year deal on Thursday, replacing Jim McIntyre who was sacked earlier in the week.
Coyle has enjoyed a break from the game since leaving Blackburn Rovers in February but has craved a return to management and, having taken his first sessions with his new squad this week, he is eager to return to action in Ayrshire today.
Coyle said: “There’s no point saying I’ll sit in the stand and watch the game. I’m here. Let’s get going and try to turn those defeats into victories – and kick on.
“But when I’m used in my whole career to being there on the training ground I miss it. I’m lucky God gave me a talent that I can be involved and I’m very thankful for that.
“There’s nothing better than being on the grass and I get to implement ideas and put a smile on the players’ faces. That’s important. Playing days are the most important of your life.
“If a player is going out and playing every week at a club like Ross County, I think that’s a wonderful thing.
“The onus is on the players to show what they’ve got and stay in the team.”
County are targeting their first victory since the opening day of the season at Rugby Park and are only a point ahead of their opponents who are bottom of the table.
Coyle is determined to put a smile back on the faces of the Staggies’ supporters and he added: “People like to think Ross County aren’t the biggest club in the world, but what they do have is principles. I like to think they have that in abundance and a lot of the big clubs don’t have that, I would suggest. There’s a lot to be excited about.
“We have to find a way to win games again but that’s why we love the game and the challenges it brings. The sooner we start to do that the better. There’s been some great times at Ross County over the years and everybody wants that winning feeling in football. We all set out with the same aims.”
l Caley Thistle manager John Robertson hopes letting his players do the talking in the dressing-room can help in finding the solution to Inverness’ dire start to the season.
Inverness, who host Queen of the South today, have found life in the Championship difficult so far, picking up only four points from a possible 21, to pile on the misery following their relegation from the top-flight last term.
Robertson questioned the desire of his players in the wake of last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Dumbarton and the Caley Jags manager revealed some of his players had their own say on the team’s struggles.
Robertson is determined to find the winning formula against the Doonhamers today and he said: “The things I said were exactly what was said in the dressing-room. They heard from us and we heard from them three or four spoke up.
“That’s what you need sometimes, that clear-the-air. We draw a line in the sand and move on.
“It’s difficult, management is not easy. The only time management becomes easy is when the team is sitting top of the table.”
, or way above the expectations the club has for us.
“No one sets any higher expectations on the team or the club than I do. I put pressure on myself to get things right, that’s what I’ve always done throughout my career and I’ll continue to do that.
“It has been bruising but we knew it was going to be one of those years where we would take a few knocks. The whole point is you either sit down or get up and come out fighting.
“Everyone knows I’m the kind of guy who will come out fighting, we will keep working hard to try and improve and try and get to where we want to be at the end of the season.”
Queens have been defeated by St Mirren and Morton in their last two games but remain only two points adrift of the play-off position and Robertson says Gary Naysmith’s men must be given the respect they are due.
Robertson, who is without suspended skipper Gary Warren, added: “They are there or there abouts in the play-off positions and are in the situation where the vast majority of their players are battle-hardened players in the Championship. They’ve got a very dangerous front three in Derek Lyle, Chris Kane and Stephen Dobbie, but we’ve got to continue how we’re playing with the ball and improve when we haven’t got it.
“We can’t look further than the game ahead. We’ll be concentrating on Queens then on the game after that, against Peterhead on the Sunday.”