The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Saints skipper Shaughnessy not fazed by Old Firm and Hearts tests
ST JOHNSTONE: Old Firm followed by Jambos won’t faze Shaughnessy
Playing Rangers on a Sunday, Celtic in midweek and the league leaders Hearts the following weekend is no chore, according to St Johnstone skipper Joe Shaughnessy.
The exact opposite, in fact. It’s the sort of run of games that whets the appetite.
“It’s a great run of fixtures just now,” said the Irishman. “You’d rather be playing against the big boys.
“Back home last week I was speaking to a lad who plays at Dundalk. I mentioned we had a tough month.
“He said he wished he was playing the likes of Rangers and Celtic. Those are games you want as a footballer.
“There’s no way we are looking beyond Sunday. We have Celtic in the cup in midweek but we are taking it game by game and preparing to win them.
“Like Rangers, we have a few new players so Ibrox will be a good test for us to see where we are at this stage. We’re all looking forward to it.
“It was nice to win there last season in the league and we have won before in the League Cup. So we have every belief that we can go there and get a result.
“The feeling around the dressing room is very positive. We aren’t scared of going to places like Ibrox.”
When Shaughnessy looks around the away dressing room on Sunday he’ll see team-mates who will enjoy the attention and pressure of playing Rangers.
“New players like Tony Watt and Matty Kennedy have played on big stages down south,” he said.
“They are young but they have plenty experience playing in front of big crowds.
“I don’t think it will faze them. And the rest of us have been there before.
“The first time I played in front of a massive crowd was at Parkhead for Aberdeen. I couldn’t hear the shouts from my team-mates because of the noise from the fans. It takes a bit of getting used to. I was a bit nervous back then but you gain experience and soon know what it is all about.”
As captain, Shaughnessy will have a big part to play in ensuring the manager’s game plan is successfully put into practice.
“I am still learning about the captaincy role off the field but I am enjoying it,” he said.
“I think my game and style of play suits being the skipper.”
Whether it is Pedro Caixinha, Graeme Murty or Steven Gerrard managing Rangers, Saints would be going into the game with the same mentality.
Shaughnessy explained: “With Steven Gerrard coming in there is a lot more focus on Rangers this season and they have done well getting into the Europa League group stages. But whenever we have played Rangers in the past it has always been a big game, regardless of how they have been doing. You always expect them to be up at the top end of the league anyway.
“It looks like being very competitive again. Hearts are the only team that has really taken off so far.
“Maybe Rangers and Celtic haven’t had the start they would have expected.
“It’s early on in the season but the way we have been playing we see the games coming up as a chance to pick up more points.”
Shaughnessy continued: “It has been a good start to the season and the feeling around the place is pretty positive.
“It was disappointing to lose away to Kilmarnock but we have picked up since then and the new lads have settled in quickly, which has helped.
“The manager has been here so long and this is my fourth year here now. I’d say it is an easy place to come into.
“The new lads have hit the ground running. It’s all going well at the minute.“
Meanwhile, manager Tommy Wright gave an update on the injury situation at the club and admitted he is looking forward to the Rangers game.
He said: “Murray Davidson is doing gym work and he is coming along nicely.
“We are still trying to chase up the consultant for Brian (Easton) and that is really frustrating.
“Liam Gordon has managed part of the last two sessions but Sunday’s game is too soon for him.”
Wright added: “I am really pleased with our form going into the Rangers game. We always knew it was a tough run of fixtures with the bigger clubs coming one after the other. But you have to play them all at some stage.”