Ross County manager Tony Docherty says striker Ronan Hale is taking inspiration from Manchester City forward Erling Haaland in his reaction to missed chances.
The Staggies did not take several opportunities to go ahead in last Saturday’s trip to Partick Thistle, which eventually resulted in a 1-0 defeat to the Jags.
Hale was guilty of letting multiple chances pass him by, but remains a long way clear at the top of County’s scoring charts.
Ronan Hale's nine goals across all competitions are more than double the tally of Ross County's next highest scorer. Picture: Ken Macpherson
Docherty knows for a fact the Northern Irishman has been watching Haaland, who has been in blistering form this season with 24 goals to his name for club and country across 14 matches, and says Hale is trying to let missed attempts bounce off him much like the Norwegian does.
“I’m a big fan of Ronan’s – I was before I came to the club and even more so now I’m working with him,” Docherty said.
“I see him working really hard and doing a lot of individual stuff in training with the coaching staff. That will spur Ronan on.
“When you have a player like Ronan in the team, you can talk about the team's focus, but it's important he keeps his own focus.
“He’ll have his own personal objectives, but we were talking about Erling Haaland’s goal rate and Ronan was quick to tell me ‘aye, but he missed two chances at the weekend’.
“He’s keeping things in perspective. He has a decent goal tally for now, and could have added to that (against Partick Thistle), but as long as Ronan Hale is getting himself into these positions I don’t worry.
“The Ronan Hale I see, and have seen before, is a finisher – a predator. He will score goals, so there is no panic when he does miss an opportunity, I just back him to score the next one.”
While Hale has been a fixture in County’s starting 11, his strike partner has been rotated throughout the campaign.
Sometimes playing as a lone striker, Hale has also been partnered by Jordan White, Kieran Phillips and Nicky Clark at various times throughout the season.
“You’re always trying to find partnerships on the pitch, whether it is a goalkeeper and centre back, it is about finding the best combinations,” Docherty reasoned.
“Ronan has proven he is a goalscorer and that can be the difference in this league.
“You see the boy Andrew Tod at Dunfermline has hit a bit of form and they are winning games with it, so Ronan is important, but there’s also good strikers up there with him in Nicky Clark, Jordan White, Kieran Phillips.
“He’s got good foils to play with him, but I don’t worry about Ronan at all.
“I’m sure Ronan will be back on it as soon as he can and get the rewards for the hard work during the week.”
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