"Each game is a cup final"

Callum Morris understands that Ross County must ‘turn things around’ very quickly if his side are to beat the drop this season.

The defender, who was imperious for the Staggies in their most recent fixture, is eager to turn Ross County’s fortunes around and keep his side in the league:

“Take this game out the way (Celtic fixture) and it’s a good run-in until the end of the season, but each game is a cup final really. It’s all teams that are around us and it’s very tight at the bottom there, so if you can start going and picking up points that will stand us in good stead come the end of the season. But, like I said, it’s not about looking too far ahead just now, it’s about taking each game as it comes.

“It’s been good since he (John Hughes) has come in, things weren’t going our way before that, and he’s changed a few things around, and we’ve got a few good results. The league table doesn’t lie, we know the position we are in here, and it’s all our own doing and it’s only us that can go and put it right.

“As much as things are positive around the place, you need to have a bit of a reality check and realise where we are right now. As soon as you accept that and realise that’s the task in hand: to get away from where we are and start pushing forward, I’m sure we can start turning things around.”

County host the league champions, Celtic, this weekend and Morris reinforced the importance of starting the match well when you face the top sides. He explained:

“It is all about the way you start the game, I know it’s a cliché, but it’s the same for the start of the second half. It is all about that, it’s about making a mark on the game early, especially when you play the old firm games, if you concede an early goal or you give the ball away early… it can be demoralising for some boys.

“So, if you start off the game well and defend well for the first 5, 10, 15 minutes and you get a little footing the game, you can frustrate them a little bit and that breeds positive energy between the team I think.”

Despite County’s poor defensive record, Morris is pleased that County have finally started to find success in the opposition box:

“That’s what you want, that’s the hardest part of football, scoring goals. Oli’s got a few (goals) now and the other two (strikers) chipped in against Hamilton as well. So that’s not a worry, I think I’ve said it previously this season that in both boxes is where we struggle, we’ve conceded way too many goals again. But if we get the first goal in games, we tend to play a lot better.

“It’s always good knowing that when the ball goes forward, we’ve got a chance and have the belief in us that we’re going to get a goal.”