ROSS County manager Jim McIntyre admitted he is happy the Hampden pitch has been relaid ahead of this afternoon’s League Cup final – believing its previous state did not show Scottish football in a particularly good light. Both McIntyre and his Celtic counterpart Ronny Deila were dissatisfied with the condition of the surface both before and after their semi-final, a match won 3-1 by County. That prompted Hampden bosses to lift the pitch and put down a new one ahead of today’s showpiece event between County and Hibernian, and McIntyre felt that was a necessary step.
“It was definitely needed,” he said. “The pitch after the cup semi-final wasn’t clever. And that went for the viewing public too. People from other countries are watching our major occasions and the pitch isn’t what - in my eyes anyway - it should be. That’s not something you want to sell to people. So I think it is a great decision that they have made and it was badly needed.”
County will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Dundee United last weekend in the William Hill Scottish Cup. McIntyre revealed his last words to his players this afternoon will be the same as he said to them when the squad reconvened on Tuesday.
“I could see the anger in the players when we were watching the video back,” he added. “First thing I said to them was, “let’s go and win a cup”. That is the only way to banish it and it will still stick with me for a while but it is about moving on. We have not go time to feel sorry for ourselves.”
Alex Schalk, meanwhile, is relishing the chance to get his hands on a major trophy for the first time. The Dutch striker last appeared in a cup final when he was still an under-19 player with NAC Breda and now hopes he can achieve similar success with County.
“This is the biggest game I’ve been involved in and my first opportunity to get some silverware,” he said. “I played an under-19s League Cup final for NAC Breda, where I grew up, and we won. That was a fantastic feeling. We won against all odds. We beat Ajax in the semi-final and Utrecht in the final. I scored in the semi-final when we won 2-1.
“I’ve got 25 people coming over for this one: family and friends. I am happy to have them there supporting me – my father, brothers, cousins, girlfriend and her family and a couple of friends. So, no pressure at all!”
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