Del: We’re in this together

Mar 20 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

IT’S been seven months since St Johnstone players had to bounce back from a league setback.

But that’s the target tomorrow as relegation battlers Airdrie United come to Perth.

Saints waved goodbye to their 22-game unbeaten record at Livingston and title rivals at Partick Thistle and Dundee, who clash on Sunday live on Alba television, haven’t been slow to play mind games.

But yesterday manager Derek McInnes insisted his players had to take care of their own business before settling down to watch their competitors go head to head at Firhill.

McInnes expects to have Collin Samuel back in contention for a place, with Martin Hardie a candidate for the bench.

He declared: “It’s essential we react positively after the defeat last week. It’s not a question we’ve been posed for a long time.

“But we must get back to winning ways at a crucial stage of the season. There will be a two-week break after this because of the international weekend.

“We have three home games in a row but all our energy and focus is on taking three points from Airdrie United.

“They are scrapping for their lives and have gone five unbeaten. But it is a challenge we will meet head on.”

Five of the remaining eight games are at home.

The McDiarmid Park surface is a factor McInnes is taking on board but he stressed: “The pitch was a factor in midweek in the Aberdeen-Dunfermline cup tie and it would be remiss of me as a manager not to take conditions into account.

“But it is the same for both teams and the onus is on us to go out and win the game. We have to mix-up the play more than we did in games against Ross County and Dundee.

“The pitch has deteriorated but it won’t stop us being successful.

“It’s all about what we do on it. We have to be positive right from the off.”

McInnes reiterated his call for fans to back the team to the hilt in the run-in.

“There may be some anxiety from the stands and that’s understandable. But I’d like our supporters to come along to the game in a frame of mind to get right behind the team.

“Together we can get the result we all want and get across the finishing line first.

“There is tension among supporters but we are in a stronger position than this club has been in for a long long, time and we have a really committed bunch of guys doing all they can to get the club promoted.”

McInnes has chuckled at comments from Firhill and Dens Park.

He stated: ““We’ve been under pressure here since day one so nothing has changed. There are high expectations but they’ve been placed on the players by me because I know this group has the quality required to go all the way.

“Obviously I was captain at Dundee United and my assistant, Tony Docherty, also worked with Ian McCall at Tannadice - so we know the way he works.

“We had a right good laugh when Ian began talking us up in one breath - and saying we had been splashing the cash in the next. Ian conveniently seems to be forgetting that we lost out on three players to Thistle because they came up with more lucrative offers.”

McInnes pointed out his squad had been pared down this season and the budget was on par with his challengers.

“We paid £10,000 at a tribunal when we brought Liam Craig from Falkirk. That’s it in transfer fees. But more experienced managers than me will tell you money doesn’t guarantee you success in football. It’s all about hard graft rather than hard cash.

“Guys like Ian and Jocky have plenty of experience and I’m sure the mind games will continue over the next few weeks. But we are just focusing on ourselves.”

Attacker Collin Samuel resumed training yesterday and declared: “I’m feeling good. I got a dead leg after scoring against Ross County and it was agony.

“It’s kept me out of the last two games but hopefully I can get a run together and contribute goals to the side. Teams have got closer but have to remain focused and get a spark going again against Airdrie.

“There’s so much more to come from me if I steer clear of injuries.”

Samuel secured a league medal with Falkirk in his first season in Scottish football - and now he has his sights set on a second with Saints.