The reaction was as immediate as it was predictable. ‘Scandalous!’ ‘Shocking!’ ‘Bonkers!’
Ross County’s decision to part ways with manager Jim McIntyre certainly got the tongues wagging on Monday morning, with howls of derision and volleys of criticism being aimed northwards at the Dingwall club.
Club chairman Roy MacGregor is no fool. He will have seen it coming. After all, McIntyre led the Staggies to their greatest moment, the 2015/16 League Cup final triumph.
It was the first major trophy the club had ever won and McIntyre’s stock rose even higher when he guided County to a top-six finish to boot. This phenomenal achievement will hopefully be what the former Queen of the South boss is remembered for by the Staggies support.
However, it also bought the manager time that he may not have otherwise been afforded during a difficult 14 months for the club. Tellingly, it was the neutral onlookers who were enraged by the sacking yesterday, while most County fans shrugged, raised their eyebrows momentarily, or even celebrated.
While the League Cup triumph will be remembered for generations, it doesn’t excuse the dreadful performances and results that the local faithful have become accustomed to since last summer.
Jackson Irvine’s departure in July 2016 began the downward spiral. The midfielder was a key figure in the 2015/16 success and has gone on to show his quality south of the border by earning a move to Hull City and an Australian Player of the Year nomination after a season in which he was Burton Albion’s top scorer in the Championship.
His absence was felt keenly and early warning signs came when County’s defence of the League Cup ended prematurely with defeat to Alloa Athletic - their exit coming less than five months after winning the trophy.
That form was carried into the league, where McIntyre’s side managed to win just one league game in 14 attempts between August and December. A derby win boosted morale on Hogmanay, but six defeats in nine games after New Year ensured a relegation dogfight was on the cards.
A pocket of fans took the step of unveiling a ‘McIntyre Out’ banner at Victoria Park, while others raged at the manager for his baffling insistence on fielding free-scoring Liam Boyce in midfield.
In the end it took a characteristic end of season surge to save the Staggies, who put together an eight-match unbeaten run at the end of the campaign to dodge the trapdoor.
Boyce’s form saved the manager’s skin last season. It was the Northern Ireland striker’s goals, nine in the final seven Premiership games and 23 in total, that rescued the club from at least a relegation play-off.
His new-found crown of Premiership top scorer saw Boyce follow Irvine’s footsteps with a move to Burton and history repeated itself as his exit sparked a downturn.
The Highlanders are currently in 10th place with four points from their opening seven games. It was a 1-0 defeat to Hibernian on Saturday, County's sixth loss in their last seven games, which sealed McIntyre’s fate.
This wasn’t a knee-jerk decision though. The Premiership is a tougher league this season than it was last and the regular, reliable strike rate of Boyce can no longer be counted on to paper over the cracks.
McIntyre had struggled to settle on a midfield, encourage entertaining football or inspire consistency for quite some time and the slow start pushed Roy MacGregor into pulling the trigger.
It’s not something the chairman is afraid to do, having sacked Derek Adams and his dad George back in 2014 only four games into the campaign, and McIntyre’s recent record left him short of a defence.
Ross County have performed well for two months in the last 14, the manager had a win rate of 36 per cent and the football on offer has been a chore to watch for some time– that would usually be enough to see anyone bite the bullet.
The combination of Boyce and that League Cup memory has helped distract those not paying attention to the slide that has been occurring at the Global Energy Stadium and if anything, it is possible to argue that MacGregor deserves praise for his patience with McIntyre last season rather than criticism for now realising fresh ideas are needed.
Only time will tell if it is the right call, but it is certainly a brave one. The Staggies need fire in their bellies once more and have a squad with enough ability to push up the table, combined with the best youth team in the country.
Don’t believe the noise. What may seem to be an irrational, reactive move is the culmination of months of underachievement.
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