Business as usual for Murray - and Del

Oct 7 2011 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

MURRAY Davidson has targeted next weekend’s home clash with Inverness Caley Thistle for his comeback.

And the robust midfielder, who damaged knee ligaments six weeks ago in a joust with Livington’s keeper in a Scottish Communities League Cup clash insists his game style won’t be changing.

While manager Derek McInnes is again being linked with interest from south of the border, Davidson insists the Perth players, currently sharing fourth spot in the SPL, are ignoring links being made with a Bristol City side currently anchoring the Championship.

He said: “When I was at Livingston, managers were coming and going and since I’ve been here the manager has been linked with countless jobs.

“It’s a credit to the ways the boys have played and to the gaffer himself. If he wasn’t being linked to jobs given what he is achieving here you’d be more worried.

“Clubs are bound to come looking at him and it probably is a matter of when rather than if he goes, but that’s part of football. It’s not for us to worry about.”

McInnes is weighing-up whether to give Davidson, and defender Frazer Wright, a game behind closed doors today or wait until another match scheduled for Tuesday.

Davidson said: “It was a six to eight week injury lay-off and that’s me at week six now. I have been training with the boys again. It’s been an ideal time for the international break to come because it means I won’t rush things. I’ll make sure I’m 100% before I come back.”

Reflecting on his first serious injury, the midfield powerhouse admitted: “It wasn’t great timing but that’s football.

“I’ve had a few niggles in my time but this was my first real injury and I’ve found it hard watching the boys from the stand.

“I was very down for the first 10 days because I was on crutches and I couldn’t do a thing. I was just stuck in my house all day. I’m not one who likes to be sitting around.

“Once the initial disappointment had passed I set my sights on working hard and back at the club doing rehab I felt I was getting somewhere.

“Boys here have had injuries which have kept them out for a year so this has given me an insight into how they must have felt. I’ve been out for six weeks and it’s felt like six months. Touch wood I’ll never get a really bad injury.

“It would have been worse for me if the boys had been losing games, but that’s not been the case. If you take away the St Mirren cup game, they’ve been in great form. We’ve been very consistent and long may it continue.

“Hopefully I can force my way back into the manager’s thoughts and help keep this run going.”

Davidson, like the Perth fans, has been delighted with the impact made by free-scoring duo Cillian Sheridan, now minus the moustache, and Fran Sandaza.

He said: “Fran and Cillian have brought a cutting edge to the team, but everybody’s contributed. The performances have been excellent, as well as the results.

“The manager will make sure we keep our feet on the ground because there’s not even a quarter of the season been played. He’s the same if we’re on a bad run.

“If we get past Christmas and we’re still doing well we can maybe change our targets.”

But Davidson’s immediate target is next weekend.

“I’m looking at the Inverness game. It’s good that there hasn’t been a temptation to rush things for this weekend. I’ll be stepping up training now and the Inverness match has been in my thoughts for a while.”

Davidson hurt his knee lunging for a loose ball with the Livi keeper but he has no intention of adopting a softly softly approach.

He said: “I’ve gone in for a few tackles in my time and this was the first time I’ve come off second best. But I won’t be changing my style.

“People said I should have pulled out but I didn’t even know the keeper was there, because I was looking at the ball coming over my shoulder. If I had, it was a tackle even I wouldn’t have gone in for.

“I’ve stretched for the ball and my knee’s opened up. But it won’t stop me going in for tackles in the future.”

Defender Frazer Wright is ahead of schedule on the comeback trail and Graham Gartland is training again. David Robertson is resting-up a hamstring so only Sean Higgins and Sam Parkin are in the treatment room.

CHAIRMAN Geoff Brown is resigned to losing his highly rated boss to England at some stage and earlier this week Derek McInnes was installed as an odds-on bookies favourite for the Bristol City post.

He will be demanding a six-figure compensation payment for a manager under contract. But there has been no approach from the Ashton Gate club. Ex-Barnsley manager Mark Robins and former Southampton manager Dave Jones are also among the fancied candidates.