Hibs watch Premier Sports Cup foes make 11 changes in midweek tune-up with 'big' Hibees clash in mind
Hibs face Ross County this weekend in a Premier Sports Cup tie.
Stuart Kettlewell insists making 11 midweek changes to his Ross County side was the right call ahead of a huge clash with Hibs.
David Gray’s Premiership outfit head north to the League One title contenders on Saturday in a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final where one of four spots at Hampden awaits the victor. Placement in the semi-finals would be a boost for head coach Gray after defeats to Hearts and St Johnstone in the Premiership but the Dingwall playing group will be fresh ahead of it.
Key players like former Hibs striker Brian Graham were rested after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with East Fife, as the Staggies lost 4-3, in a KDM Evolution Trophy league phase tie with Aberdeen ‘B.’ The game was far from perfect but boss Kettlewell is convinced it was the right decision given Saturday’s importance.
Why Ross County made 11 changes vs Aberdeen ‘B’
Kettlewell said: “We throw a back four together. We make 11 changes because, for us, it's so important that we make sure everybody's getting game time and everybody's getting a chance out there. I do expect us to make better decisions and to be a wee bit more unified in those big moments where we've conceded soft, soft goals throughout the night.
“We know it's a big week for the football club leading into Saturday. If we look at the kind of general point, then there's a lot of players got a lot of valuable minutes in them again . I just wish I was speaking off the back of another victory.”
He added on defeat to Aberdeen B in an interview with club media: “We knew it was going to be a difficult game. We knew it was going to be a difficult proposition for us to go and win the game. But that said, do we expect a wee bit more of ourselves, with our decision-making and the quality of our finishing at times? Yes, definitely.
“I think each one of the four goals, there's very easy fixes in them, and there's very easy opportunity to be able to rectify that. And as much as we've thrown that back unit together, never played before, I still expect our senses and our decision-making. Not just the back four. I think throughout the team, there's stages where we can certainly defend better against the ball, but that's been our undoing.
Stuart Kettlewell on significance of Hibs clash
“Not so much what we've done at times with the ball, because I felt at times that was fairly slick, and especially midway in the first half, I felt that we got ourselves going. So we'll look back on it.
“I certainly didn't want to be giving this game up. I think there has to be an appreciation of 11 changes in a team in a short time to turn that around,. I think there always has to be that, even though I think one particular shout I got certainly didn't level off with that. I think the vast majority of supporters understand what we're trying to do in the competition to make sure that everybody's fit and available, that everybody when called upon is in the best possible shape.
“Sometimes what that means is that you don't have that continuity and you don't have that kind of understanding that we've had since the very start of the season. It sometimes becomes a little bit of a mix and match, one or two having to play out of position.
“I always knew that was going to be the case and I knew it was never going to be perfect off the back of that. I think the value we gain as a group certainly outweighs the result. I want to win the game the same as everybody else. but making sure that everybody's ready has always been my biggest priority and trying to be successful in this competition.”