The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Positive result from McDiarmid a must, says Saints boss
St Johnstone determined to avoid costly away goal as they seek Europa progress
There will be a fine line for St Johnstone between making sure they don’t concede an away goal in their Europa League opener and not allowing an overly negative mind-set to creep in.
And Perth boss Tommy Wright is hoping that the survivors of the last match in Europe when they had to play a first leg at home will have learned their lesson from a night that proved costly three years ago.
“We have to get a positive result on Thursday night because we know how difficult it is when you go away from home in Europe and have to chase it,” he said.
“That’s what happened against Spartak Trnava a few years back, we didn’t start the game well at home and were 2-0 down before we started playing.
“In the end we scored to bring it back to 2-1 and should have been 2-2, but going over there it was difficult because we had to come out and although we scored they picked us off. So we have to learn from that and use the experience we’ve built up from that night.
“A lot of the lads who are still here were involved in that, so they know what you need to do in these games when you’re at home first. It’s easy to get caught in between not wanting to lose a goal and being on the back foot.
“These games are a bit cat and mouse when you’re at home first and you have to deal with the nervousness that comes with the away goals.
“But I think that this team are in a better place to cope with it having been through it before and I think as a manager I’m better placed to deal with it too.”
Defeat to Trnava was followed by an early exit to Alashkert of Armenia the year after. There is one obvious contrast between two years ago and now, according to Wright.
“The team is far more settled now than it was then,” he said.
“I don’t like making excuses but we were decimated against Alashkert. We had seven players missing for the home game and then lost Steven Anderson to a GBH early on.
“He got his eye socket broken and was booked for it by the referee – so that just summed up the night. I think with all the injuries, we ended up with seven defenders on the park and although we battered them and won 2-1, we went out on away goals.
“Again that was a learning experience and we know that a clean sheet will be massive for us this week.”
Reflecting on Saints’ European record during his years in charge, Wright said: “We have held our own but the thing that has disappointed me is that we have followed up our great results with defeats to so-called lesser opposition.
“We beat Rosenborg then lost to Minsk in the next round, even though we won away from home and were the better team at McDiarmid Park. But we lost a goal and then went out on penalty kicks.
“Then after knocking Luzern out we threw in a bad 45 minutes against Trnava and that was what cost us ultimately.
“So that frustrates me, we have had a couple of great results and then some disappointing ones after it. We just need to get that wee bit smarter and perhaps a bit of luck to get to where we want to be.”
He added: “There is a buzz around the game again, with Rangers back, Aberdeen strengthening, Hearts and Hibs back in the Premiership, there’s a good feel about it again.
“And we need to help that along by doing well in Europe, we are aware of that. But I do think it’s underestimated how difficult it is at this level these days.”