Saints struggling to fill the defence

Aug 26 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

DEREK McInnes will have to patch-up his team and dressing room morale for tonight’s Co-operative Insurance Cup tie away to Livingston.

With skipper Kevin James already ruled out for several weeks after knee surgery, his deputy, Kevin Rutkiewicz, was detained in hospital in Glasgow for tests over the weekend.

And with the Perth manager yesterday revealing he wouldn’t be recruiting three-game trialist Dan Smith on a longer term contract, McInnes is urgently trying to bring in defensive cover.

While Saints beat Livi 2-0 on day one, the Almondvale side have won three games on the spin, in contrast to heavy back-to-back defeats endured by the Perth club.

The condition of Rutkiewicz was causing McInnes concern yesterday.

He said: “It is a worry. Dinky went to hospital straight after the Partick game and they have been running extensive tests. He was kept in overnight Saturday and Sunday and he still wasn’t eating.

“There was talk of a lumbar puncture and it seems to be a viral infection.

“We should know more in the next 24 hours. The club doctor will be speaking with the hospital.

“Obviously it’s a worry and he could be out of action for the foreseeable future.

“With Kevin James out and Stuart McCaffrey having a niggling hamstring problem we are down in numbers at the back. Steven Anderson is also just back from injury.”

McInnes is resigned to missing out on his Scandanavian target for the left-back berth, with the target’s club refusing to part company with their player.

He said: “ We won’t be progressing the Dan Smith situation but we are actively trying to get people in. Our options are in the forward area.

“Hopefully we’ll have a new face for the Livi game, whether it is a loan or a longer term signing.”

McInnes said: “We have had two horrendous results but a good team doesn’t become bad overnight. We know we have good players here and we have to focus all our energies on Livingston.

“That’s all that matters now. There’s nothing we can do about the last two games but we can affect what happens against Livingston.

“I’m looking for the hunger and determination to get the result we need. Teams see us as being fragile right now if we go a goal down and only we can change that. I want the players to remain organised and positive. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have to work harder.”

That was echoed by veteran keeper Alan Main, who said: “No one was happy with the performance against Partick. It was shocking. We have to give the manager much more.

“The last two games have proved we just aren’t working hard enough.

“Everyone has to be taking more responsibility and looking for the ball. We’re all grown men.

“The least we should be doing is giving it 100 per cent for our fans and the boss. It’s just not been good enough.

“That was a shadow of the St Johnstone we all expect against Thistle, given the players we have here.

“There’s no way I’ll single anyone out because I’m part of it.

“We all have to look to ourselves and ask how much we really want success. We’ve spoken in the dressing room about what has gone wrong and the manager definitely deserves more from us. We were tagged favourites before the season started but personally that doesn’t matter to me.

“I don’t feel any additional pressure but we haven’t lived up to that billing. But whether or not we were favourites really doesn’t matter.

“Our attitude should be one of let’s get on with it. Everyone is just so disappointed but now we have to go out against Livi and show we can play.

“I’ve had a few disappointments in my two spells with Saints but that was my first game back after the shoulder operation and I was so disappointed and embarrassed to lose four goals.

“We have a good group of lads here, we have. But players have to do more and we can’t afford anyone hiding.

“I believe we have a good manager here and he was a winner as a player. The way we are playing is no reflection on his preparations and training. I believe he and his assistant will get it right.”

TONIGHT’S cup tie at Livingston kicks-off at 7.45pm.

PAUL Sheerin missed out at the weekend, bringing to an end a remarkable run of 138 successive appearances since August 2005. Steven Milne made his 100th appearance at Firhill.