INTERVIEW | Ian Murray Pre-Ross County | 21/05/24

Ian, we have the first leg of the Premiership playoff final here at Starks Park on Thursday. Needless to say, you're looking forward to the game. Yes absolutely. The locker room and the football club are excited to be where we are. and to be in the finals, I think we deserve to be in the finals over the course of the regular season and then in the really tough playoff games. You know, we have achieved a remarkable achievement, but we want to go one more, it's as simple as that. and that's it, now it's two more games in four or five days and we know what the award means, yes, it is the culmination of all the hard work that has been done on the field, off the field and throughout the club and the community, absolutely.

Yes, as I mentioned last week, this is not happening, it happened by one or two people, this is a massive group effort, um, thousands of people, literally, we have seen that with followers we need them, um massively, we need the infrastructure behind . the scenes we need office staff we need medical staff we need players we need staff in terms of the football side as well it's been amazing it's been a fantastic journey we've been on um there's a part of me that says we've already won because of the progress we've made achieved in club terms, but we know that's not technically true because we want to go further, we can do it on Thursday and Sunday, you know, it's one of those fairytale moments in football exactly, yeah, looking at our opponents on Thursday.

Ross County, come here. You've had them observed carefully, you know what they're capable of. They are a very strong Premiership team, aren't they? Yes, absolutely, we. We have no illusions about how difficult the links will be and we are not naive. I think naive enough to think that we're we're we're miles Barling they will be hopefully for us that we can. go and match them um and a little more and try to overcome the tie try to get the first game um with an advantage that we know is difficult they have good players they have a good coach uh they have a good system a very rigid formation in what they play they are a team physical uh they play a good tempo and good speed I think you just have to look um you know some other players like Simon Murray Jordan white D in the Midfield Area to see how effective they can be.

They have a fantastic local record. Not long ago they defeated him and beat the Rangers and then tied with Abine. That tells me everything exactly, yes, what they say in football and in life. Um, that preparation is everything. You will be as well prepared as ever for this game, but another little element that has been added to the mix is ​​those three little words VAR. I understand you had an in depth session on VAR today we did, yes we had Crawford from the referees, the spfl and the SFA. We really appreciate you guys coming out and spending time with us, the players and the staff to educate us a little bit more about VAR because it's not something. we used to, obviously, it was really good, I really enjoyed it, help me understand it a little bit more and what you're seeing in terms of your Control Center and what you're talking about, and we understand that VAR has a lot. of criticism and yes, I'm glad we don't have it otherwise I'm going to sit here and tell lies.

I'm glad we don't have it in the championship, but it's something we'll have to achieve. It used to be that if we win promotion, I completely understand it in terms of trying to benefit the game, uh, it's like anything, even probably, will stay that way, I think for a number of years, but eventually they'll get it going. Really, very gently, you also have to adapt to the times, and you have to have the safety of the players in your first fall as well and it is there to help the referees effectively, it is there in the long term to improve the game and make make the game safer, yes, and of course, with this introduction of ours, if it turns out that he comes out with a decision that benefits us, then that extra pair of eyes, that little bit of time that they've had to look at it, you know.

We'll be very grateful, uh, but this could also undo us, couldn't we? Yes Yes Yes. I mean, there are still elements of the matter that the referee decides. You know they have to go see the decisions, it is, it is. There are pretty minor details in terms of uh, you know, offsides and things like that, obviously, they're looking at that right now in terms of trying to maybe make a couple of changes to make it easier for everyone, because that's what it is. a difficult one at the moment as it is a hand the fundamentals of football do not change no matter where or not the players are going to give 100% we are going to have to show moments of quality in the game to try to win them There will be tension, there will be pressure, there will be a lot of mistakes from both sides, whether small or big, so we are delighted to have the opportunity to see it, but also look, that is far from our thoughts in terms of the game exactly, yes, another aspect of the game on Thursday and Sunday is that it's our first exhibition, our first deal with Sky as a broadcaster, I mean, we're going to be the eyes of the world will be upon us, um, but we'll have a full Penman family stand, a full table huton main stand and the north stand is also filling up with Rover fans, that has to be a benefit for us, oh yes absolutely, before I realized it.

Yesterday that broke the new position. I told my oldest son that I think they will open the ending eventually. I didn't think it would be so fast. I have to say, but it was very fast. I think almost 5,000 tickets. The local tickets sold out yesterday, which is an incredible achievement by everyone again, it goes back to the group effort, the collective that we have managed to do here in terms of people paying good money every week to come here, time, expenses, um, disappointments, highs, uh, wow. Throughout the season, the players have to go and make sure they are given the opportunity to do that and the players have done that, but with that behind the scenes, I can only imagine how Laura, Lyn and Margaret are dealing with everything. . that in the office since Friday night, so they are working with all hands on deck, yes, look at ourselves and the team again, what does the team look like?

I mean, we're not going to delve into injuries, but in general. How is your health? Yeah, well, obviously, Kyle, the lady is out because the rules are ineligible and that's fine, that's right, it's disappointing for us, disappointing for Kale, disappointing for the fans, but those are the rules so we're not going keep going. about too much um it probably wasn't a fair situation to put Kyer in anyway to be honest I know Lis Vaugh had a similar situation several years ago and um the rules are probably right um and we know that when we sign players. uh it's an opportunity for someone else, we have players ready, um, Keith Watson is getting better every day.

He will be given every opportunity once again to face his former team. Josh Mullen is getting better, probably the best he's felt today and he really trained. Well today, apart from those two, we are in very good shape, yes, a question I asked you before. I'm sure he was watching the game on Friday. I was standing behind the dugout and the substitutes were in front of me. I was struck by the quality, the options, the depth that we have, again, it's a huge benefit for you to have those extra cards in your deck to play with, isn't it?

Oh yeah, look at the depth and quality we have. We've seen it all season, we've seen it in terms of the starting 11 and then on the bench and no, I've said a couple of things that I've said and I'm keeping them as starters. life is backed by a wonderful bench and it is equally important and any of them can go play, sometimes they bother with a feeling for the game, sometimes they bother with the form, other times, you know, it's tactical. but in any of those guys I trust 100% with my life that when they go to that park and when they come to train they give absolutely everything, they will make mistakes 100% everyone makes mistakes, everyone has moments when it doesn't go our way, but the way they react, the way they have hunger, appetite, desire to do well, sometimes you can't believe it, yes, ultimately, it was you and Kevin D Brosi who were doing the mainstream press and pH pictures and TV before, um, when you signed players like Kevin and Scott BR before and Josh Mullen, Jack Hamilton etc, was that ever part of the sales pitch about bidding for the Premiership at the end of their first season for some of them , um, yes and no, we, you have to have some, you know, objectives, you have to have objectives in terms of short term, medium and long term, we are again, I'm not going to hide the fact that we are probably ahead of where were we.

We thought we would be in terms of it happened very quickly, it doesn't always happen that way and sometimes it takes time, so we are way ahead of schedule, but did we think we were capable? Yes, we did when we looked. The players we were signing looked at the environment we were trying to create for the team, that we felt was going to benefit us, and the easiest thing in the world would be to throw away a lot of money. a budget and we go and sign players for money, we have not done it contrary to what people say, the figures are there, we publish them, we do not hide anything, we are very transparent, so that people can continue saying it and we.

We'll keep coming back with more, we'll keep coming back with good recruiting, shrewd signings, the right character, the right quality, um, but they're players who deserve a lot of credit for the way they've managed to do it. quickly, in the League Cup, they started very strongly, they continue and now they are in a position to be two games away from the Premier League and if we get there, you know, it would be a fairy tale for all of us, well, Let's hope everyone enjoys the next episode of the fairy tale that starts on Thursday. Thank you and good luck, thank you.