The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Alston travels to Ibrox with smile on his face
With a good record against Rangers, the ground does not intimidate him
The prospect of a trip to Ibrox will send a shiver down the spine of many footballers.
But for Blair Alston it brings back happy memories.
Not many players have got his success rate away to Rangers and the former Falkirk man is hoping to sample more triumph when St Johnstone go there on Sunday.
“I have been fortunate to score good and big goals against Rangers, for Saints and Falkirk,” he said.
“I scored my first goal for the club against them and last season got one in a 3-1 win which was our first league win at Ibrox for a long, long time (1971).
“Last season’s one was spectacular but I got one at Hamilton recently from a yard out and they all count the same.
“The fans will have seen it all down the years and probably a few hidings unfortunately.
“But we have done well against Rangers at Ibrox in my time here.
“Obviously they have a different manager now and a lot of new players have come in.”
Alston added: “We certainly won’t be scared of them but we know it is going to be tough.
“We will be working hard this week to put in another good performance.
“We have brought in new players as well and they won’t be daunted by going to Ibrox.
“It has been a fortress in the past and Steven Gerrard will want to get back to those days.
“It wasn’t one last year and we went there and picked up points.
“Our attitude will be the same and if we set about things right we know we can do well there.”
Getting a start in St Johnstone’s midfield this season is no easy task and, if like Alston you are holding one of the jerseys, you know that you’ll need a good performance to keep it the following weekend.
“It’s the first time since I have been here that we have had such strength in depth,” he said.
“There are match winners like Stefan Scougall sitting in the stand and they will all think they should be playing, never mind be on the bench.
“It’s going to be disappointing for players left out but it’s definitely great in terms of the squad knowing we have players of equal quality to come in.
“That’s what we need to go on and have a good season.
“It’s well known there’s competition for places.
“The manager didn’t have to say anything.
“You just have to look around and you think there are five or six players who are fighting it out for your place.
“The best squads in the league are the ones who can lose a body and it doesn’t weaken them.
“If you’re not at it the gaffer will make changes.
“And in football you have to look after yourself.
“If you get a chance and you do well you will be playing.
“We have players who are comfortable on the ball and that is important to bring the best out in us.”
Saints started a tough run of fixtures with a draw against Aberdeen on Saturday, setting them up nicely for the clash with Steven Gerrard’s men.
Alston said: “We were hoping to see it out after taking the lead but getting a point against Aberdeen was a good start to a tough run of games.
“It’s one more than we took from them in three games last season.
“We have some tough games coming up but for us it is about building on the form we have been showing.
“We can go to Ibrox in a confident frame of mind.”
We have done well against Rangers at Ibrox in my time here