Hibernian boss Jack Ross believes the job of a football manager is harder than ever as he assessed the departure of Derek McInnes from top-three rivals Aberdeen.

The Dons became the sixth club in the Scottish Premiership this season to have a managerial change when McInnes left earlier this week after eight years in charge.

With six fixtures remaining, the Dons are only three points behind third-place Hibs, whose game in hand is against Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday.

Celtic, Livingston, Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Ross County have all seen managers depart this season and Ross believes incumbents these days need skin “like a rhino”.

He said: “When you do the job I do and others do in the league you have the upmost respect for those who do it and therefore you always have the sense of disappointment when anyone loses their job.

“Beyond that, I have mentioned on a number of occasions how good Derek has been for me throughout my own managerial career from Alloa to when I lost my job at Sunderland.

“I have the upmost respect for Derek as a person and what he has achieved as a manager, so disappointed even though it is against a team that we have very much competed against all season in the league.

“We live in a world where people want change continuously, whether it is right or wrong, justified or not.

“The average tenure for a manager is shorter and shorter with each passing season.

“Within our own league the numbers that have changed so far illustrates that.

“It is a precarious profession. It is not complaining about it, it is our choices to go and work in this field and try to have a long career but it is arguably harder than it has ever been, and I don’t see it changing any time soon.

“It is the current climate and current culture and unless something dramatic changes then managers will accept that they have to be incredibly good to try and stay in a job.”

Ross will face his former Falkirk boss John Hughes in the County technical area on Saturday.

After taking over from Stuart Kettlewell in December, Hughes collected his first win with a 2-0 victory against another of his former clubs at Easter Road just before New Year and as they battle to stay in the league, County are three points ahead of second-bottom Hamilton and four ahead of Kilmarnock with a game in hand over the Ayrshire club.

Ross said: “John has an enthusiasm and passion about the game that is vital and he is astute in his work, he has good ideas and backs them.

“So I am not been surprised that he has galvanised in that period, we know that first hand from the game at Easter Road a couple of months ago and two of the last three results have made them competitive to retain their place in the league.”