The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Wotherspoon’s pre-season is paying off
Saints midfielder grateful not to be playing catch-up, as he was last season
David Wotherspoon’s early season league form has been every bit as impressive as his team’s.
The St Johnstone midfielder puts his flying start down to a clean bill of health.
Having his arm in a cast this time last year left the former Hibs man playing “catch-up” for much of the campaign.
The value of a full, uninterrupted preseason this year can’t be understated. I’m happy with my form,” he said.
“Last year I had my wrist in a cast, which meant my pre-season was a bit stop and start.
“I wasn’t really joining in with a lot of the training, which was really frustrating.
“I missed out quite a bit and I was then playing catch-up for most of the season.
“It definitely helps to get a good preseason under your belt. Touch wood, I’ve only had little niggling injuries, and that should stand me in good stead.”
He added: “It’s been a good start and I’m enjoying my football at the moment.”
The way in which old new-boy Michael O’Halloran has slipped straight back into the Saints side as if he’s never been away has played a big part in the Perth men earning two wins to take them top of the Premiership.
“Mikey has fitted in really well,” said Wotherspoon. “He can play left, right or up top. “The manager decides what system we’re going with and he’s changed it a couple of times already. We’re all used to that.
“I don’t think the way we play has changed that much since Mikey was here the last time.
“The work ethic is the same and so is the team ethic.”
Replacing Danny Swanson was one of the big summer themes at McDiarmid Park, and Wotherspoon believes fellow midfielder Stefan Scougall has made a good start to doing just that.
“Stef has brought a different dimension to us with his left foot,” he said. “He’s another one who can play from the left or the right or through the middle. “We’ve certainly got a lot of options. “It’s a great squad to train and play with.”
Saints have lost four of their last five home games to Partick Thistle, most recently in the Betfred Cup.
Calling the Jags their bogey side is taking things too farm, though, according to Wotherspoon. “This is a new game,” he said. “We seem to have done better against them at Firhill than at McDiarmid but I don’t think you can read too much into that. It’s down to who gets the first goal.
“People are saying they’re our bogey team. They get it into their heads and it sticks. But that’s not the case.
“We’ve been beaten by them and we’ve beaten them. They’re just another team.
“We’ve started well this season and we want to continue that.
“The boys have got a lot of confidence from the way we’ve started the season, winning two from two in the league.”
He added: “The League Cup was a disappointment but in the league we’ve taken our chances. It’s not a case of looking for revenge.
“The manager likes to set us shortterm goals, like getting to 10 points. It’s good for the team to set them. We want to get there as quick as we can. Then we’ll focus on the next one.”
Turning two out of two into three out of three could keep Saints top of the table and put two 100% records on the line at Parkhead the following Saturday.
“We’ve got two games before the next international break,” said Wotherspoon.
“The aim is to win and go into the Celtic match with both of us 100%.
“We want to stay where we are as long as we can.”
Blair Alston is an injury doubt for Saints.
Thistle have Blair Spittal and Danny Devine back in their squad. The pair missed last Friday’s defeat by Celtic through injury.
Long-term absentees Gary Fraser and Mustapha Dumbuya (both knee) remain out.
Manager Alan Archibald is happy with his squad after adding two players Saints had been linked with, Miles Storey and Conor Sammon.
When asked if his business was done, Archibald said: “I think so at the moment, unless anything crops up that we need to go back in, any injuries or in case we lost anybody.
“But as things stand, if the window was to close tomorrow, that would be us.”