Wright makes case for defence after loss

SAINTS: Thrashing at hands of Rangers highlighted ongoing problems at back

Tommy Wright isn’t contemplating making defensive changes in the wake of St Johnstone’s 4-0 defeat to Rangers.

But the Perth boss doesn’t need to be told that mistakes at the back are costing his team badly.

“We can’t butter it up,” he said. “We did well for 45 minutes but we warned them about the dangers of the counter attack at half-time.

“Scott (Tanser) is quick enough not to try and nick the ball from Morelos. He just has to keep him away from goal and allow Anthony Ralston to come back in.

“Rangers were good but they got three counter-attack goals and one from a set-play. And two of them should have been struck off. The last one was offside. You certainly don’t need VAR for that decision.

“And there was a clear two-handed shove on Liam Gordon by Connor Goldson for the second.

“We have to defend better. We are making far too many mistakes. TOMMY WRIGHT

“But that doesn’t deflect from how poor our defending was.

“We ended up getting a 4-0 drubbing and we played a huge part in that.”

Saints’ early season fixture list has been a daunting one but Wright isn’t hiding behind it.

He said: “There is a difference in the quality of the teams and outside Rangers, Celtic and maybe Aberdeen you might not get punished so severely for mistakes.

“But we have to defend better. We are making far too many mistakes. That is what is causing us so many problems this season. I certainly wouldn’t be expecting these types of goals to be conceded so regularly at the level we are playing at.

“As a manager you can make changes – which I don’t think is needed in the back four just now – or you work hard with them individually and as a unit.”

Wright is confident that the injuries sustained in Sunday’s match won’t sideline anybody for this weekend’s clash with Motherwell.

He reported: “We picked up a few knocks from the Rangers game – Murray Davidson (knee), Scott Tanser (foot), David Wotherspoon (foot) and Stevie May (thigh).

“I can’t see a major problem so hopefully they will all be OK for the weekend. Drey Wright played in a bounce game against Dundee on Monday.”