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Ross County could be on the verge of a burst of transfer activity with veteran winger Paul Kinnaird and striker George Shaw rumoured to be among those who could leave Victoria Park to make way for new signings.
Manager Neale Cooper conceded yesterday that his squad needs freshening up, saying: "I don't need to tell anyone who has watched us regularly that we lack a bit of pace throughout the side.
"Quicker players up front and in the wide areas would give us more penetration and after getting the first quarter of the season out of the way, these are factors we'd be looking to address over the next few weeks."
Kinnaird, who has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth this season, is understood to have had clear-the-air talks with Cooper after reacting angrily when he was taken off at New Broomfield on Saturday with County 5-1 down late in the game against Airdrie.
Kinnaird and Shaw, who has been virtually frozen out since he admitted to taking an unauthorised early season holiday while he was supposedly laid low with flu, are understood to be among the first players County might look to off-load.
But both could figure in Saturday's home clash with Morton with Eddie Cunnington and Frank Escalon also expected to be back into contention.
Cunnington, sidelined by a foot injury, will report to Victoria Park today for a check-up and Escalon, who has been nursing a calf strain, has returned to training and is expected to be fighting fit in time for Saturday's game.
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Ross County's strike force for today's trip to table-topping Falkirk has been bolstered by the inclusion of former Bournemouth and Celtic forward John O'Neill and ex-Stirling Albion and Luton Town midfielder Landry Zahana-Oni.
County manager Neale Cooper hinted last night that both could play at Brockville.
He said: "The lads have shown up well in training, although we have been unable to see them in action as both our midweek games were postponed.
"However, I would expect both John and Landry to feature at some point against Falkirk. Frank Escalon misses out for a third week with a calf strain, while Marc Millar's hamstring injury also rules him out."
Cooper added: "It will be a very tough game for us. We got a great result against Morton last week but this time we're up against the side at the top of the league.
"We've got to dig in and prevent them getting balls up to their front men and hope to hit them on the break. We will also have to keep it tight at the back and anything we take from this game will be a real bonus before we face Caley Thistle at home next Saturday."
Bairns boss Alex Totten is hoping to cement his side's place at the top of the table by taking all three points. He said: "Every game is hard when you're sitting at the top of the league as you're there to be shot down. I was impressed by Ross County at Dingwall where, although we won 2-0, we were made to fight all the way.
"Kevin Christie is suspended for this game and we have doubts over front men Ian Morris and our leading goalscorer Gareth Hutchison but Alex Burke is standing by to come in if either doesn't make it."
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Ross County's 3-2 win over First Division leaders Falkirk has triggered a late rush for tickets for Saturday's Highland derby between Ross and Caley Thistle at Dingwall.
The game looks certain to be a 5,500 sell-out.
County's business support manager Carol Irvine said: "Although ticket sales were going very well when they first went on sale a few weeks ago, that great win over Falkirk last Saturday has meant things have been going like a fair since Monday morning and all we seem to have been doing is selling tickets over the counter to the fans.
"I would doubt whether there will be any left by Saturday so I would urge anyone wanting to go to the game to get their tickets now as we have only a handful left for both the East and West stands and only 140 terracing briefs.
"Caley Thistle have sold their full stand allocation of 460 tickets and I believe they only have 375 of their 1,000 terracing ones left also so it looks likely that anyone turning up without a ticket on Saturday afternoon will have missed the boat."
Midfielder Scott Paterson, who left Peterhead after a short spell only a couple of weeks ago, is on trial with County for the next two weeks and has already impressed. County boss Neale Cooper said last night: "Scott is shaping up really well and put in an excellent performance in our reserve match against Forfar. He's a big lad who looks very comfortable on the ball."
Cooper's assistant Gordon Chisholm said: "We played Scott in the centre of our defence in our 4-3 defeat by Forfar, who fielded virtually their first team.
"Although he was obviously playing out of position, Scott has a lot of ability and was very comfortable playing the ball out of defence."
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Ross County Football Club chiefs have taken the first steps towards the creation of a £5million soccer academy for the Highlands at Dingwall.
A planning application for the venture has been submitted by the club to Highland Council's planning department.
In its application, the new First Division club is seeking to erect a sports hall with associated facilities beneath the 3,000-seat away stand at Victoria Park.
The project would include the resurfacing of the existing all-weather pitch and the upgrading of three other natural grass pitches alongside the stadium.
These are on Dingwall common good land.
Club chief executive Alastair Kennedy said yesterday this was the prelude to seeking lottery and other public funding for the venture.
"We've been told to put our planning application in early on because of the nature and timing of applications for funding," he added.
"There's a lot of work to be done prior to our going ahead and applying for money, and this is very much in its early stages.
"We've been told we can't apply until we have outline planning permission in place."
Mr Kennedy emphasised that the academy would be developed in partnership with Highland Council and other football clubs throughout the North.
The aim is to seek out and develop soccer talent for the good of football in the Highlands.
"It's not only for the good of Ross County, though it would be a great boost for Dingwall," he added.
"Parts of the academy would probably be accommodated elsewhere, such as Inverness, because we would need more pitches than we have at Dingwall, while an associated sports injuries clinic could well be housed at Raigmore Hospital.
"We don't yet know how many students it would accommodate, nor how many jobs it would provide. We're still carrying out research on that."
He said the club was seeking to build on its current venture into education.
It already has 20 Skillseekers aged between 18 and 20 from throughout Scotland and even Ireland at Victoria Park, aspiring to Scottish Vocational Qualification Level 3 sports education certificates and some even to Level 2 information technology certificates.
Highland councillor for the area, Margaret Paterson, said: "Ross County is being proactive and making early preparations. The club is very forward-thinking and this is a really exciting concept.
"A soccer academy would be a tremendous feather in the cap for Dingwall, as well as being a great asset for Ross County and all the other Highland football clubs. I'll certainly give it all my backing."
Ross County, which 11 years ago was languishing near the bottom of the Highland League, staged a miraculous recovery which brought it up to the Scottish League Third Division by the start of the 1994 season.
Now, with a ground capable of holding over 6,000 spectators, it lies sixth alongside Inverness Caley Thistle in its first season in the First Division. Last Saturday it beat division leaders Falkirk 3-2 and its home derby this Saturday against Caley Thistle is a sellout.
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Ross County could hand former Bournemouth striker John O'Neill a hot home debut in tomorrow's sell-out North Firm derby with Caley Thistle at Victoria Park – but former Peterhead midfield man Scott Paterson will not be considered.
While O'Neill is in the County squad, Paterson, who signed a short-term deal last week, is considered too short of match fitness.
It is a blow for the Dingwall men, who already have problems. Central defender Ian Maxwell is suspended, Martin Canning has a broken toe and Frank Escalon and Marc Miller are both rated as injury doubts.
But County boss Neale Cooper is confident his side can complete a Highland derby double.
He said: "We're looking forward to the game and the to the chance to add another three points. We beat them 1-0 in Inverness earlier this season.
"That gave our season real momentum and it proved that our squad's professionalism equips them to handle the derbies, despite suggestions that we have players who don't know what Caley versus Ross County games are all about.
"We needed the win in Inverness. This time we have last Saturday's 3-2 win at Falkirk under our belts and the players are desperate to recreate the buzz which went with our win in the last derby."
Caley Thistle manager Steve Paterson's build-up could not be more different to the last derby, when he was grappling with injury problems.
He said: "We have no problems at all, either from injuries or suspensions. In fact, this is as good as things have been this season in that respect.
"A couple of our lads are short of match fitness, but we've had a full complement at training all week and every last one of them is desperate to be involved at Victoria Park to see if we can get our own back."
Canadian international defender Richard Hastings and Caley Jags playmaker Charlie Christie both missed County's 1-0 win in Inverness – courtesy of an Alex Bone penalty – due to injuries. Caley skipper Bobby Mann was suspended.
The September derby saw Paterson forced to press Mike Teasdale – who missed most of the pre-season training with a knee injury – into action and hand teenager Grant Munro his derby debut in a distinctly makeshift line-up.
Paterson said: "This weekend's game has all the hallmarks of another great contest. Both sets of players will be ready and. with County and us so close in the First Division table, the chance to open a gap is there."
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Ross County hope to include midfielder Steve McKay in the squad for today's home game against First Division high-fliers Livingston.
County are hit by both injury and suspension, so the call has gone out to McKay, who is on loan to Elgin City.
Assistant manager Gordon Chisholm said: "We have had good reports about Steve since we lent him out.
"With Alex Bone and Darren Henderson suspended and Frank Escalon and Kenny Gilbert injured, we have three important midfield men ruled out."
Referring to last weekend's defeat in the Highland derby with Caley Thistle, Chisholm added: "It was a major disappointment to ourselves and our fans but we have still won two of our last three games.
"We had a bad 45 minutes against Caley Thistle, but it is no disaster.
"However, we were most disappointed at letting down our biggest crowd of the season. But we are up for the visit of Livingston and we hope to bounce back to form.
"Livingston have a very strong squad and whoever plays against us will be looking to forget about the disappointment of losing out on penalties to Airdrie in the final of the Challenge Cup.
"Ian Maxwell is free from suspension and will be in his usual spot at the heart of our defence."
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Ross County hope to sign Livingston striker Mark McCormick today after the player takes a look at the Victoria Park set-up.
It is believed that the two clubs have agreed a fee for the 21-year-old.
County boss Neale Cooper said: "We are very hopeful of persuading Mark that his immediate future lies with us in Dingwall.
"We have been tracking him for a long time but on several previous occasions when we have approached Livingston Jim Leishman has refused us permission to speak to the player.
"But this time, probably because they have signed numerous other players of late, we have been granted permission to make an approach.
"Mark is a very lively striker who we could either play wide or use through the middle. He certainly knows his way to goal. In addition, his electric pace would be a great asset, especially with Alex Bone suspended and out of commission until December 30.
"We would really like to sign Mark and, hopefully, he will like what he sees in Dingwall and we can persuade him to put pen to paper in time for him to play for us in Saturday's First Division match at Alloa."
McCormick found the net six times in 16 starts for Livingston last season but, with fierce competition for places in Leishman's enhanced squad this term, he has failed to feature on a regular basis.
Cooper, meanwhile, has another player on his Christmas shopping list.
He said: "We are also tracking a central defender who is currently with a Premier Division club, but I would not like to name him at this point."
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